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Chapter 22: Sailor's Delight
Squall gazed down into the bassinets containing his babies, watching them sleep in the predawn darkness. He listened to their breaths, their soft noises. Smelled the sweet scent of baby powder, lotion, milk, and baby. In the four weeks since they'd returned home, both he and Rinoa had gotten into a sort of routine, aided by Ellone when she had been there, of alternating feedings so that each of them managed at least two hours of sleep.
The babies were sleeping longer now, but every now and again, Squall's anxieties would get the better of him and he'd be compelled to get up and check on them. To make sure that they were still breathing. It wasn't as bad as the first few nights after they'd returned home. It seemed as though Squall was up every hour, checking on them when he didn't hear them fussing or feel their need.
Rinoa's arm gently encircled his waist and she leaned into him, thinking, "Worrying again?" He draped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, kissing her hair.
Squall knew better than to try and hide what he felt, so he simply answered, "Yes. I'm always worried about them. I have a feeling that I always will be."
"Welcome to fatherhood honey. If it makes you feel better, the first few nights after we got home I had horrible nightmares." Rinoa confessed.
"I did wonder about that. I thought it was MY anxieties that were bothering you. What sort of nightmares were they?" Squall sent.
"Terrible ones. Ones where I'd do something stupid and hurt them, even kill them. Sometimes it would be a stupid accident, sometimes deliberate. Sometimes I'd have these nightmares where I'd done nothing at all and they'd simply be…dead. They're so fragile, so tiny…I know they're healthy and they're as strong as any newborn baby can be, but still…" Rinoa sighed, pressing closer to him.
Squall frowned down at her, "Rin, why didn't you tell me about this before?"
"Because I figured it was just anxieties, fatigue, you name it. You and Ellone, you've both done wonderfully with showing me that I'm not in this alone. Turns out, that's all it was. They're not bothering me as much anymore." Rinoa responded.
"Well, that's good. But please, if …if those feelings get worse, please tell me?" Squall sent; letting her know his concern was mainly for her.
"I will. Now come back to bed, we've got hours yet before either of us has to actually be awake. Best not to waste it." Rinoa sent. Squall nodded silently and allowed her to tow him back to their bed.
As they cuddled together, Rinoa whispered, "My doctor's appointment is tomorrow."
"Which doctor's appointment? Didn't we have the twins in to see their new pediatrician last week?" Squall asked her quietly.
"My OB/GYN. Six weeks, remember?" Rinoa reminded him.
"Oh. Oh… that doctor's appointment." Squall sent, kissing her gently under her ear and caressing her now much tighter abdomen. Once given the okay by her doctor, Rinoa had taken advantage of Squall's offer and had begun doing gentle exercises to strengthen her middle. As her abdominal muscles got stronger, her backaches eased until now they were all but gone.
The obvious side benefit to that was the fact that Rinoa's figure had mostly returned to its former shape. Mostly. As she was currently breastfeeding the babies, and would be for some time to come, that portion of her anatomy had definitely changed. But it was a change that Squall had no problems with…. at all.
Blinking sleepily, Squall yawned and pulled Rinoa tighter to him, letting her feel how happy he was that by tomorrow evening, things would truly be back to normal between them. Rinoa smiled. She couldn't wait either.
The day that Squall and Rinoa had returned to Balamb they were greeted by a veritable mob of well-wishers; the entire population of Balamb and Garden, along with several media representatives, had all gathered to greet them.
Quistis had already gotten Squall's okay on the press statement that they'd released on his behalf two weeks prior to his arrival, and both he and Rinoa had fielded numerous requests for photographs of the infants and interviews. After some initial hesitation on Squall's part, he agreed to release a photo of the twins to the press. He hadn't yet decided on doing an interview however.
The resounding cheer that rose from the gathered crowd when they emerged from the Ragnarok left Squall both surprised and a little embarrassed. Of course, he'd never been very comfortable with the more public aspects of his job as commander. Still, he put a good face on it and gave a sketchy wave as he escorted Rinoa and Ellone, each carrying one of the babies, down the ramp.
Rinoa had smiled over at him and sent, "I know this makes you uncomfortable, but I personally think you deserve it. You ARE their hero you know."
"But it wasn't just me, everyone here played their part. Don't they deserve recognition too?" Squall responded.
"Of course they do sweetheart. And I know you'll figure out a way to do that." Rinoa sent.
But Squall didn't have a clue of how to do that, and really, the only thing he had on his mind right that moment was getting back to his place and figuring out where they were going to put the babies while he worked on getting all of their belongings back from Deling City.
Fortunately, that was something he didn't need to worry about. When he, Rinoa and Ellone entered his room, they were greeted by all of their friends. They had all gathered there to throw an impromptu welcome home/ baby shower, organized by whom else but Selphie.
In addition to organizing the party, she'd also taken it upon herself to get everything from Squall's home in Deling City packed up and brought back to Balamb, a fact that Squall quickly discovered, once he glanced around his apartment.
Rinoa happily hugged Selphie, thanking her effusively for doing them that service, and she said, "Well, Irvy helped too, once he came home."
Squall meanwhile thanked Irvine and Zell, who both grinned down at the currently sleeping babies.
"Wow, they've gotten big since the last time I saw them," Irvine commented.
"They're way cuter than the picture you sent last week." Zell said.
"Thanks. I'd better put them to bed. Did you guys set up the bassinets?" Squall said.
"Yeah." Irvine nodded. Squall thanked them and brought both babies into the bedroom and put them to bed.
When he returned, he said, "Thank you Selphie, for doing this for us. I honestly hadn't a clue that you were planning this."
Selphie smiled at him and said, "Well, I did ask you about it, and I believe your response was 'whatever'. I took that to mean 'thank you Selphie, I appreciate the help'."
Rinoa came up then and smiled at Selphie, slipping her arm around Squall's waist, saying, "I'm sure that's exactly what he meant, right?"
"That's right." Squall agreed.
The party was kept short and simple, in deference to the time difference between Balamb and Esthar, as well as the needs of the two currently sleeping infants in the other room. Gifts were handed out, with Selphie and Irvine both presenting Squall and Rinoa with a small beautifully carved wooden box.
"I stopped in Timber on the way home and picked this up. Zone made it, Watts had it carved; it's made from spicewood. They wanted you to have something nice to put Angelo's ashes in. They both say they're planning on coming up soon to visit you guys and see the babies. Watts has to bring your car back anyway." Irvine explained, handing them the box. Selphie, her eyes suddenly bright with unshed tears, gave Rinoa Angelo's collar.
Rinoa took the collar and hugged Selphie, thanking her. Squall took the box and the collar and put them on a nearby shelf. Feeling the weight of the box, Squall figured that Irvine had already placed the ashes in it.
It engendered many a comment over the next several days as Caraway paid them another visit. He'd made the trip from Deling City to Esthar several times to see Rinoa and the babies, gratified at their progress and his daughter's recovery. He was, fortunately, the polar opposite of Laguna, gingerly handling the babies as though they were spun glass, gravely speaking to them as they stared up at him. Before he left, he offered to see if the breeder who'd produced Angelo still had his parents. If so, then when Squall and Rinoa were ready, he could get them both another dog. It wouldn't be exactly the same, but it would be close.
Edea and Cid too, noticed the box when they came to visit, both offering their sympathies when informed of its contents.
The first couple of weeks back were a blur of exhaustion for them both, and Ellone's help then was deeply appreciated. Gradually however, the babies took more at every feeding and slept longer in between. By the time Ellone left to return to Esthar, Squall and Rinoa had more or less gotten a sense of the twins' sleeping and feeding patterns, and had even began to more or less work on a schedule.
And each day as they grew bigger, stronger and healthier, Squall simply watched in fascination, as both children also seemed to get even cuter. Both he and Rinoa experienced a little frustration however when they noticed that both babies' eyes remained a colorless gray even as their hair colors became obvious.
Saber had his mother's inky black hair, while Julia…. Was a redhead? While confusing on the surface, a little thought brought the conclusion that it was Squall's genetics that produced that vibrant color. While not obvious, he did have red tones to his hair, as did his mother. And while he knew nothing at all of his family tree on his mother's side, it wasn't too difficult a stretch to consider the possibility of a titian haired family member existing somewhere at some point.
As far as the eye color went, both Squall and Rinoa knew it could take several months before it actually developed. It didn't stop them from wondering if both children would have their mother's brown eyes, or their father's clear turquoise.
Once the babies had settled into a routine, Squall began pitching in with the reconstruction efforts, lending a hand despite being officially on leave. His return to work as commander ironically coincided with Rinoa's six-week checkup, so he wouldn't be able to help with the babies. Selphie had fortunately volunteered to baby-sit while Rinoa went to her doctor's appointment.
He supposed he really didn't have room to complain. The manner in which he'd left had him thinking that he wouldn't in fact be Commander any longer. He was prepared for that possibility, though deep down, he did wonder what he'd do if that weren't part of his life. He hadn't considered how much a part of his identity it had become.
Rinoa's checkup and his return to work also coincided with the completion of the Balamb Hotel. Roughly eight weeks after it had been leveled by the hurricane, the hotel was rebuilt and once again opened for business.
"Are you sure you and Irvine are both going to be okay with this?" Rinoa asked Selphie anxiously.
"YES. Rin, for the hundredth time, we are going to be okay. You've got more than enough milk stored for us in the fridge, so I say, if you want to rent a room in the hotel for the night, go right ahead." Selphie assured her.
"You know I can't go that long without nursing or pumping or something, I'll be in agony." Rinoa said, looking over her wardrobe choices and feeling more and more apprehensive by the moment.
"Well, okay, maybe overnight is a bit of a stretch for you at this point. But seriously, take as long as you can Rin. You both need a break." Selphie said.
Biting her lip as she pawed through her clothes, she wondered, "Will I even be able to get into any of these dresses? I mean, I don't weigh but a pound or two above what I did before I got pregnant but…"
"Rinoa, trust me, you look great. Aside from the stretch marks, nobody would be able to tell you'd ever been pregnant. One thing though…. That nursing bra's gotta go." Selphie said.
"Stretch marks?" Rinoa moaned, adding, "I need the nursing bra, what if I… um… spring a leak?"
"Well, I say pump both out real good, that should hold you for a couple of hours at least. And wear this." Selphie advised, holding up a merry widow Rinoa had bought for her honeymoon.
"Oh, I don't know. That thing was snug before I got pregnant…" Rinoa frowned.
Selphie shrugged, "try it on, see if you can still wear it."
"Okay." Rinoa said, removing her bra and struggling into the lingerie. It took a bit of adjusting, but it fit more or less like it had before, with the exception of the top…. which was much too tight. Even adjusting the straps brought only a little relief. It wouldn't take long for it to be painfully uncomfortable.
"Wow, you really are spilling out of the top there Rin. When Squall gets a look at that, I don't think you'll be wearing it long enough to be uncomfortable in it." Selphie grinned.
"All right. I still don't know what dress to wear…" Rinoa frowned. She and Selphie both debated the choices, finally settling on a deep, midnight blue silk dress that worked with the lingerie and showed off Rinoa's enhanced cleavage wonderfully.
"Okay, that takes care of that. Now, just give me a few minutes to take care of this." She said, getting the breast pump out. Selphie obligingly helped Rinoa out of the lingerie to allow her to express milk from her breasts, then once that task was done, helped her back into it.
Selphie went to put the resulting milk in the fridge while Rinoa continued getting ready. Squall would be home in just a few minutes, and she wanted to be ready to go as soon as he arrived.
Meanwhile, Squall was just finishing up in his office, feeling just slightly overwhelmed by all the catching up he needed to do. There was no question of even attempting to finish it all on his first day back, so he wisely decided to put the unfinished work aside to tackle when he came in the next morning and began shutting down his computer.
A knock at his door had him grimacing and calling out, "come in."
"Hey man." Irvine sauntered in, and grinned at him, "I came up here to remind you that you have a very important date tonight, Commander sir, but it looks like you actually remembered. Bravo!"
"Yeah, well, there's no way I hell I'll get all this stuff done in one day, so there wasn't any point to even trying." Squall said, locking his desk.
"What do you guys plan on doing tonight? Like I have to ask…" Irvine commented with a smirk.
Squall gave Irvine a droll look as he locked the door to his office, saying, "The Balamb Hotel's just reopened today and they're having an open house. Thought we'd check it out…"
"And maybe rent a room? Hmmm?" Irvine asked with a wink.
"Irvine, you do realize that if we do rent a room, you and Selphie might end up babysitting all night." Squall warned as they headed toward the lift.
"Hey, take all the time you need buddy." Irvine grinned at him, punching the button to the appropriate floor.
"Sure, you say that now. But have you ever dealt with newborn twins before?" Squall asked him.
"How hard can it be? All they do is eat, sleep and poop, right?" Irvine asked. Squall burst out laughing. The bell rang as the reached their floor and the left the elevator, with Squall still chuckling.
Finally he said, "Sure Irvine. Sure." My friend, you are SO going to get educated… he thought in amusement. Not that the twins were at all difficult, they were actually very sweet and not at all as fussy as some he'd heard of…. and he'd heard of a lot, while they'd been in the NICU ward at the Esthar hospital.
"Oh! Hey, I almost forgot. Here…" Irvine pressed several small packets into Squall's hand.
"Irvine, what…" Squall began, then glanced down and saw what they were. Condoms.
"Just in case. Give your wife a break man, she just had twins." Irvine said.
Squall was about to protest, then realized that he and Rinoa hadn't actually gotten around to discussing that sort of thing, and the fact was, if she'd managed to get pregnant once, it was very possible it could happen again. Another pregnancy this soon after giving birth? No. It would be horribly unfair to her. Not to mention actually dangerous. After nearly losing her to childbirth, Squall found he wasn't willing to take that risk again. So instead, he stuffed the condoms into his pocket and thanked Irvine for his thoughtfulness.
They arrived at Squall's room to find Selphie cradling Julia in her arms, cooing softly to her while feeding her a bottle. Irvine smiled at the sight and approached her, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek.
"Hi baby. How's everything goin?" Irvine asked her.
"Fine so far." She answered.
"Where's Rinoa?" Squall asked.
"She'll be out in a minute. How was work?" Selphie asked him.
Squall shrugged, "It was work. Why do you ask?"
"I heard something about a new garden?" Selphie asked him.
"Oh. We got a request several weeks ago from Dollet; they want to build a Garden there. All of the other Garden headmasters have reviewed it and were just waiting on me to look it over and offer my opinion on it before they approve it." Squall answered.
"So? What do you think about it then? A new Garden in Dollet?" Selphie asked him, interested.
"I don't know yet, I've just barely started to review the proposal. At least they've gotten a little more creative with the name." Squall said.
"Oh yeah? What do they want to call it?" Irvine asked, interested.
"Radiant Garden. I guess its more interesting than simply calling it 'Dollet Garden'." Squall answered, wondering what was taking Rinoa so long, and trying to decide if he should stay in his uniform or change into civilian clothing. Like any intelligent man, he decided to consult his wife.
"Rin? Should I change or stay in uniform?" He sent.
"Hmmm… You're just wearing your normal one, right? Not the formal dress uniform?" She responded.
"I don't wear my formal uniform to work sweetheart, you should know that by now." Squall answered.
"Then change. I'll be out in a minute." Rinoa responded.
True to her word, Rinoa emerged from the bedroom and smiled radiantly at Squall. Her hair was pinned up in an attractively messy style that had inky dark strands framing her face. Her makeup was subtle, enhancing her dark eyes, flawless skin and ruby red lips. But the dress…. the midnight silk flowed down her body like water, hugging and showing off each curve.
Both men simply stared, with Irvine mumbling, "Damn!"
Selphie grinned over at Rinoa, saying, "Told ya. I think you just shorted out Squall's brain."
He silently agreed with her. He was married to this woman, but suddenly felt like he'd just met her and couldn't think of a goddamn thing to say.
Rinoa for her part sent her appreciation of seeing him in uniform, telling him, "On second thought honey, you look sexy as hell just as you are. Don't bother changing. Let's just get out of here."
He slipped his hands around her now slender waist when she approached him, pulling her against him in a hug, and murmuring, "Selphie, Irvine? Don't wait up for us."
Irvine grinned broadly at the aggressively sexy image Rinoa projected, appreciating her and Selphie's efforts in that direction. There was no question of Squall resisting that.
Taking his hat off, he fanned himself with it, saying, "Whew! It's getting hot in here! You guys better go before the place goes into meltdown."
Rinoa smiled at him and Selphie, pulling out of Squall's arms for a moment to approach Selphie and stroke little Julia's cheek. Then Squall reclaimed her and they turned toward the door.
Before they left, Rinoa asked Selphie anxiously, "You have Squall's new phone number, right?"
"Yes. We'll be fine guys, you go have fun." Selphie reassured them.
They headed toward the garage, and Rinoa smiled over at Squall, catching an echo of her apprehension coming from him as well.
"Nervous about leaving them, aren't you?" Rinoa asked.
Knowing it was no use denying it when Rinoa could detect it easily, he nodded, "Yeah. I am. Is that weird?"
"No." Rinoa reassured him, squeezing his hand. They reached his car, which had been returned to them by Watts awhile ago, and got in.
"It's really impressive that they got the hotel rebuilt so fast. Eight weeks? They'll be able to hold the Midwinter Ball there this year after all." Rinoa said, watching the countryside slide past, the Alcauld plains washed with wan winter twilight. The road had been rebuilt too; it had been the first thing that had been rebuilt. It made it easier to get the debris cleaned up and the necessary heavy equipment into the area to begin reconstruction.
The cobbled streets were once again clean, homes and businesses in various stages of reconstruction. Squall smiled over at Rinoa as she exclaimed at seeing Ma Dincht's home virtually completed, lacking only a coat of paint and some interior finishing touches.
"Yeah, Zell's pretty proud of that. Lots of people have pitched in to help though." Squall commented.
"You included. Have your carpentry skills improved then?" Rinoa smiled over at him.
"They must have. All of my fingers are intact." Squall shrugged. Rinoa laughed. Then quieted as they pulled into the parking area near the harbor.
Squall quickly got out of the car and came around to her side, gallantly opening the door for her and helping her out of the car.
"My, aren't we the gentleman tonight?" Rinoa smiled.
"I have my moments." Squall smiled back. Rinoa turned and gazed out at the harbor as Squall shut the door.
"Rin?" he asked, taking her hand, seeing her attention focused out to sea.
"It's…. so beautiful…" She whispered. It was. The quay had been repaired, and looked like it always had, with ships moored along the rebuilt wharf. Fishing boats, trawlers, sailboats, and houseboats, along with the amphibious assault craft the SeeDs used moored in their own secure slip, all lined up neatly in their assigned spaces.
Seabirds cried and sailed on the freshening breeze as the sun set over the ocean, the diffuse winter light still managing to dust the scene with gold. But the sunset itself was what had caught and held Rinoa's attention.
Ragged, wispy clouds were dragged across the sky by the breeze, gilded by the setting sun, tinted with rose and vermilion as twilight advanced into night. As they both watched, the golden light faded and crimson light blazed across the sky.
"Red skies at night…" She said softly.
"Sailor's delight." Squall said, slipping his arm around her waist and kissing her cheek.
"What's that mean?" Rinoa asked as she followed his silent encouragement and walked with him toward the hotel.
"It's a maritime proverb. It's an omen of fair weather in the morning." Squall answered her as they reached the hotel and walked in.
"Oh, my…" Rinoa said, eyes wide as she scanned the lobby of the hotel, awestruck. It looked like the original Balamb Hotel…but somehow, better. Larger, brighter, the décor echoed its seaside location in blues and greens, much like the original did, but here and there subtle changes could be seen. New furnishings, fresh flowers, plush carpeting along with the smell of fresh paint and varnish added to the hotel's new ambience.
Squall led Rinoa through the lobby, crossing the threshold of two opened double doors that led to a beautifully decorated ballroom that seemed to contain the entire population of Balamb.
The hotel manager, and the owner, both greeted them enthusiastically, with the owner exclaiming, "Commander Leonhart! We weren't aware that you and your wife were coming! Welcome! There's champagne and refreshments over there, just help yourselves!" The man urged, waving them toward a table at the far end of the ballroom.
The manager however, said, "Not before I greet Mrs. Leonhart properly." Turning his attention to Rinoa, he said, "Thank you so much for coming my dear, you look stunning." Taking her hand into both of his, he gave her a wide smile, bending down to kiss it gently.
"The hotel looks lovely. Better than it did before, actually." Rinoa smiled back at the man.
"Thank you. Well, enjoy yourselves, I think we all deserve it." the man said, waving his hand into the ballroom itself.
Squall nodded with a slight smile and escorted Rinoa into the ballroom, feeling more than a little smug at the frankly admiring looks she got.
"You're actually enjoying the fact that I'm being ogled by just about every male here?" Rinoa sent in surprise.
"Hell yes. Just like you get to go home with 'Commander Hotness', I get to go home with my stunningly gorgeous wife. How could I NOT love that?" Squall sent.
"Took you long enough to mention it." Rinoa thought, sending her amusement at his tongue-tied reaction earlier.
"Well, Selphie was right. You DID short-circuit my brain. Of course, you blow my mind on a regular basis anyway…" Squall responded. Rinoa laughed softly, catching his meaning.
They meandered their way though the gathering, Rinoa smiling and greeting friends that they both knew, Squall too, shaking hands and visiting with people. It shouldn't have surprised him that so many people greeted him so warmly; he was a member of their community too. It was the main reason why he'd expended so much effort into saving the citizens of Balamb from the hurricane; he cared for them. All of them; from Captain Charlie, decked out in his uniquely pirate-like splendor, sipping a dainty glass of champagne, to the mayor, greeting everyone with his usual bombastic humor, to the sheriff, who gripped Squall's hand firmly in greeting.
But he didn't feel as though he merited all of that adulation. He'd gotten them out of harm's way, sure, but the true heroes, at least in Squall's eyes, were those who'd pitched in and started to rebuild the town in the aftermath. He'd played his part, but he wasn't the only one.
"Squall! Hey, I didn't know you and Rinoa were coming! How're the babies?" Zell bounced up, giving Squall an enthusiastic hug, pounding his back, before pulling Rinoa into a considerably gentler embrace and kissing her cheek.
"They're fine, Irvine and Selphie are babysitting tonight." Rinoa said, smiling.
Zell chuckled, "Wonder if they'll end up rethinking the whole parenthood idea." A petite, pretty brunette came up to Zell and slipped her arms around his waist, kissing him on the cheek.
"Hey baby," He smiled, kissing her back.
"Oh, I'm sure they're little angels, aren't they?" The girl smiled at Rinoa.
"They are indeed. But, they are babies. Angels or not, they can be exhausting." Rinoa smiled back.
"So I hear. I'll bet it feels good to be out for a change. I have to say, you're looking great Rinoa." The girl said in admiration.
"Thanks. And yes, it does feel good." Rinoa sighed then, looking around the ballroom and saying, "This place looks amazing. I understand you had a hand in this Zell? Along with rebuilding your mom's house?"
"Yeah," Zell said shrugging.
"Looked like you were almost done." Squall said.
"Yup. Ready for paint in a few days. You in?" Zell asked him, grinning.
"Sure." Squall said, smiling slightly as Zell clapped him on the back enthusiastically.
"Awesome! It'll be a blast!" He grinned. His grin faded as his girlfriend whispered something to him, then widened.
"Hey guys, I'll talk to ya later. Have fun!" he waved at them as his girlfriend led him away.
Rinoa smiled at Squall, asking, "wonder what they're up to?"
"Not what you think," he smiled at her, gesturing toward the center of the ballroom where some couples were dancing. Zell and his girlfriend were gliding gracefully around the room, pressed close together.
Rinoa raised her eyebrows and said, "Well, that is a surprise. I didn't think he knew how to dance like that." Taking her hand, Squall started threading his way through the crowd.
"Well, you know," he said casually, "we did go to the same school together. Took the same classes, even ended up graduating the same day." Then he stopped and pulled her close to him, and Rinoa suddenly noticed that they were in the middle of the ballroom where people were dancing around them.
"Approach your target unobtrusively at a dance party, remember? If I could figure out how to dance, he certainly could as well." Squall said softly, beginning to guide Rinoa in time to the music.
"How could I forget?" Rinoa smiled up at him, enjoying the way his body spoke to hers as they moved together on the dance floor. Folding her hand in his, Squall rested it against his chest and leaned his cheek against her hair, sighing.
He smiled slightly to himself, knowing she was fully aware that his apparent reluctance to dance with her was mostly for show now. He enjoyed it as much as she did, mainly because he got to hold her in his arms, although sometimes it was fun to surprise other people with how well he danced.
They worked their way around the room, gliding as gracefully as Zell and his girlfriend had. They ended up near the edge of the dance floor when the song ended.
"I think we need to check out the rooms upstairs." He suggested, his emotional overtones showing Rinoa plainly why he was so interested in doing that.
Rinoa smiled up at him, "I agree." Taking her hand, he led her out of the ballroom and up to the front desk. After a brief exchange with the concierge, he got a room key and they headed upstairs.
"That was quick. I'd have thought they'd be booked up because of the party." she commented as they walked down the hallway, looking for their room.
Squall smirked slightly at her, saying "I reserved the room earlier today. I wasn't sure if we'd get to use it or not, but I went ahead and did it just in case." They finally reached the room, which turned out to be a suite, much to Rinoa's surprise.
She gasped as he unlocked and pushed open the double doors with a flourish, "Squall it's gorgeous! But isn't this a bit extravagant? I mean, I would love to stay the entire night, but…"
"Don't worry. It didn't cost as much as you think." He said, locking the doors behind them. The spacious suite had a kitchenette and dining room, as well as a sitting room. Plush carpeting in cream covered the floors, polished wood gleamed everywhere: the dining room table, end tables in the sitting room, the coffee table. A couch and loveseat occupied the sitting room, both comfortably overstuffed and upholstered in a pale blue and cream pattern. That same color scheme, with just a hint of sea green, was echoed in the wallpaper.
Rinoa walked across the room, taking it in, Squall following her as she investigated the bedroom, spying the glass-paned doors at one end, which obviously led to a balcony.
She turned then and smiled at him, asking him, "You really dig balconies, don't you?"
He approached her and slid his hands around her waist, smiling down at her, saying, "Some of my fondest memories involve balconies. So, yeah, I really do dig them."
"Which one is your favorite?" Rinoa asked curiously.
Squall's smile turned wistful as he answered, "The day that Garden became mobile… remember? It was just floating along on the sea; we had no real control over it. They'd just made me commander, and here you came, waltzing into my room to wake me up and ask for a tour."
"I remember that. You seemed so… irritated. Like I got on your nerves. I didn't think you liked me at all, you were just putting up with me because you had to." Rinoa said, her own hands slipping around his waist.
"I was, at first. You did get on my nerves. You confused me, attracted me, irritated me… my whole world was thrown into disarray and you seemed to be at the center of it all. I didn't know what to do or how to feel… but then, I took you out to the balcony after walking around garden with you. You looked back at me, with the wind in your hair, and this sparkle in your eyes… and smiled. You were so beautiful…and I was lost. I've been lost ever since." Squall said softly, bringing his hand up and stroking her cheek lightly before bending down to kiss her.
He started lightly at first, asking, rather than demanding. Tasting and teasing, sipping at her lips, wanting more but not pushing, never pushing. When she pulled him closer, he deepened the kiss, feeling her excitement echoing his.
He brought his hands up and buried them in her hair while still kissing her, pulling it loose from the pins holding it in place, combing his fingers through the warm, fragrant silk. Obsidian silk… he thought, a memory coming to him then. It had gotten longer, reaching nearly to the middle of her back in a thick, glossy fall.
As always, when he was with her, he let himself go. No worries, no outside distractions were allowed to interfere with their time together. It was only she, and he, and what they shared. He felt from her the same hunger that he felt; the breathless desire to feel her smooth skin against his, to sink into her warmth and love her until passion exhausted them both.
He kissed and nipped gently at her shoulders and neck while working the zipper down her back, moving the straps aside to allow the dress to fall to the floor. Rinoa's eager fingers were likewise working at removing his tunic and unbuttoning his shirt, at times interfering with Squall's efforts and prompting them both to laugh at each other.
"Like a couple of horny teenagers…" Rinoa murmured in amusement.
"Wasn't that long ago." Squall grinned between kisses, adding, "But we're not teenagers any more."
"No," She replied, kissing his chest as she unbuttoned his shirt, "we're not."
He stepped back to allow Rinoa room to pull off his tunic and shirt, studying what she had been hiding under her dress with interest. He couldn't articulate what it did to him, so he simply let Rinoa feel how it affected him. Motherhood had given her curves that the lingerie she was now wearing showed off wonderfully, and he couldn't resist the urge to run his fingers along the neckline of the garment, trailing them over mounds of her breasts.
Rinoa meanwhile was running her hands all over Squall's chest before trailing her hands down to his trousers while gently pushing him back toward the bed. She got his belt unbuckled and pants undone, had just slipped her hands over the firm curve of his buttocks when he distracted her with yet another searing hot kiss.
From him, she sensed how much he enjoyed feeling her hands on his body. He also sent his frustration at the obstruction her lingerie presented to his exploration of her body. He pressed her close, trailing light, tantalizing kisses down her neck and along the top of her décolletage, before finally turning her around.
Pushing her hair aside, he made her shiver as he kissed the back of her neck, whispering, "while I truly love your inventiveness with regard to your wardrobe choices, and this thing looks sexy as hell on you… it has to come off. I want to feel and taste your skin." His hot breath on her neck, the sexy rasp of his whisper, the words he said… all made Rinoa shiver again as he worked at removing the garment, finally stripping her to bare skin.
Then her knees went weak as his hands slipped around her from behind, leaving trails of fire as he pressed her close, the warm skin of his chest and torso flush against her back. Her head fell back against his chest and she closed her eyes, a hot thrill of excitement going up and down her spine as he continued kissing and nibbling her neck, ears, and jaw line. It prompted her to arch her back, inviting Squall to trail his hands up over her ribs to cup and caress her breasts.
When one of his hands trailed lower, fingers finding and caressing her intimately, her legs quivered in response and she moaned.
"I can't stand it… you're killing me…" She thought, fighting for breath.
"Can't have that, can we?" He responded, pausing in his manipulations long enough to finish undressing. He thought about the condoms in his pants pocket, and Rinoa caught it and smiled at him.
"It's taken care of sweetheart. Don't worry." She sent. She was warmed by the concern that had prompted that "just in case" preparation.
Squall heaved a heavy sigh of relief, sending, "You sure? I don't want to risk you getting pregnant again this soon…"
"Absolutely. Now come here. We have some unfinished business to attend to." Rinoa crawled up onto the bed and laid back against the pillows, stretching her arms out to him, a beautifully sensual expression on her face. It drew Squall like a moth to a flame and he joined her, drawing her close and tracing her contours yet again. Thigh to hip, hip to waist, waist to breast, and back again.
He followed his hands with his lips, teasing and tasting her moist flesh until she was shuddering, her aching need feeding into and stoking Squall's need as well. They hadn't denied themselves any intimacy besides actual intercourse, so neither actually felt deprived. However, neither could deny that when Squall finally positioned himself and entered her, they both felt a sense of homecoming.
He paused then, detecting slight discomfort on Rinoa's part, asking, "Okay?"
"Yeah, I will be." She whispered, smiling at him.
He kissed her gently then, sending, "We'll take it slow. I didn't think you'd be this TIGHT, after…"
"Well, it HAS been awhile." Rinoa sent, and stroked her hands down his back, letting him feel her appreciation of his smooth skin, the play of his muscles beneath it as he shifted. Her hands wandered lower, and she squeezed his butt slightly, silently urging him to further action.
After hesitating a moment, he continued, keeping his movements slow and gentle, paying close attention to her comfort level. Gradually, the sensations he felt from Rinoa became more pleasurable, and he relaxed, moving with more assurance.
"You feel so good…" Squall thought, letting her know how much he'd missed this aspect of their relationship.
"So do you." Rinoa responded in kind, letting him know that despite the initial discomfort, feeling him stretching and filling her stole her breath and drove her wild. She clutched at his back, digging her nails in and holding on tight.
Heat rose, breaths came short. Tension mounted and coiled tighter and tighter as their sensations fed off each other. Passion took the lead and they both rode its crest to the peak, Rinoa tumbling off the edge with a gasping cry first, with Squall following after her.
He kissed Rinoa gently in the aftermath, feeling her heart beating just as heavily as his. Raising himself up onto his elbows, he shifted to a more comfortable position, withdrawing from her. He could still feel the afterglow of their lovemaking, the power that turned Rinoa's eyes golden still a pool of warmth between them.
Squall reached up and caressed her cheek, moving his hand lightly back over her hair, moving his fingers through it. There was nothing to be said, nothing that needed to be said. The softness in his eyes as he gazed at her showed plainly what he felt.
Sighing, he laid his head on the pillow next to her and draped his arm over her waist, pulling her close against his body.
"I've missed this. What we'd done before, while it satisfied us both, left me feeling…. incomplete, somehow." Rinoa whispered.
"Me too." Squall murmured, blinking sleepily at her. Working all day and helping Rinoa with the babies, had eaten away at his reserves. It was the same for Rinoa. Of course, it didn't help that neither of them had bothered with dinner, he realized as his stomach chose that inopportune moment to remind him of that fact.
"You're hungry too, aren't you?" Rinoa smiled at him.
"Yeah. Guess we should do something about that." He said, yawning.
"I don't want to get up and get dressed though." Rinoa said, stretching languorously and rolling onto her side, facing Squall. She cuddled close, tucking her head beneath his chin and sighed as his arm came around her and caressed her back.
"Don't have to. We're in a hotel remember? Room service." Squall smirked at her and rolled away, reaching for the phone on the bedside table.
"I love room service." Rinoa smiled at him.
"What are you in the mood for?" he asked as he dialed the number.
"Besides you? Surprise me," she said. Stretching again, she got up and went to use the facilities, picking up Squall's shirt to use as a cover up along the way. She smiled back at him as she caught his appreciation of the sight.
After she left, Squall pulled his pants on, deciding it might be a good idea to be decent so as not to embarrass the staff. He still didn't think they'd be able to spend the whole night there, so decided to make the most of the time they had.
When their food arrived, Squall generously tipped the man and went into the bedroom to inform Rinoa. A waft of cold air greeted him from the opened balcony doors, and Squall walked through them to see Rinoa leaning against the stone balustrade.
He shivered slightly in the chill and came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and asking, "Aren't you cold?"
She leaned back against him and answered, "Yeah, but look at this view. Gorgeous." She indicated the expanse of beach that their room faced, the starlit surf providing a soothing whisper in the background. Far off in the distance and inland, Balamb Garden's lights could be seen clearly.
He gazed in that direction and asked her silently, "Can you feel them from here?"
"Yes. Can you?" She responded. Noticing her serene attitude, he concluded that she hadn't sensed anything of concern.
"Only through you. I can sense them on my own when I'm in the same room, but my talents in that area aren't as strong as yours." Squall answered.
Kissing her neck, he told her, "Dinner's here. Still hungry?"
"Yeah." She answered, turning to face him.
"Then let's go eat." He said, kissing her.
They stayed in the room as long as they could, enjoying the dinner brought up immensely before making love once again and even falling asleep for a while. But Rinoa's aching, milk-heavy breasts finally prompted them to reluctantly get dressed and leave, heading back home to Balamb Garden.
A soft whimper woke Rinoa, and she felt Julia's hunger as she fussed. Rolling over to get up, she noticed that Squall was gone. Yawning, she put her robe on, wondering where he was. Picking the baby up, she carried her into the living room where their new rocking chair sat. It soothed both her and the babies to rock while they nursed, and made things much easier for Rinoa.
She glanced at the clock as she sat down and rearranged her clothing to allow Julia to nurse, noting that dawn was not far off. Perhaps Squall had gone out on a run.
Then she glanced toward the couch and smiled. Squall lay stretched out on the couch, sound asleep. Saber lay on his chest, also sound asleep, held securely in place by Squall's hand. The other hand rested on his stomach. An empty baby bottle sat on the floor next to the couch.
Rinoa's heart squeezed at the sight, and she desperately wished she had a camera handy. She knew there would be plenty of such moments, but this one was just so precious it had to be recorded. Unfortunately, even if she had a camera handy, she wouldn't have been able to snap a photo…not while she was busy nursing Julia at any rate.
So she contented herself instead by watching both him and the baby sleep, remembering the boy he had been, not so long ago, and loving the man he'd grown into now.
When the baby was done with nursing, Rinoa carried her back into the bedroom and gently changed her diaper, finally managing to do it without waking her. Laying the infant back into her bassinet, Rinoa returned to the living room and gently took Saber from his father, putting him back into his bassinet as well.
Returning to the living room one final time, Rinoa sat down on the edge of the couch next to Squall and stroked his face gently, brushing lightly across his mind, waking him. He sighed, stirring, and blinked up at her.
"Come back to bed sweetheart." Rinoa whispered.
He nodded wordlessly and followed her into the bedroom, fingers tangled with hers. When they got into bed he folded her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. She responded by tightening her arms around him before relaxing and gradually returning to sleep, with Squall joining her. For this moment in time at least, all was right with the world, and both Squall and Rinoa couldn't have been happier.
Author's Note: Yes, I did include a random KH reference in here (a couple of them, actually...) but that does not mean I have any intention of writing a crossover. I don't own the games and have never played them, so I'm not familiar at all with the story. HOWEVER, that may change if I do manage to get ahold of KH and KH2 and actually play them. Meanwhile, you all have my permission to let your own imaginations go wild.


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Sunny Obama Steps Up!
Maybe a little too vigorously.
(Forgot to include the link on the initial post!)
Tags: Bo Obama, Sunny Obama
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 5th, 2013 at 9:19 am and is filed under Chet The Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Fantastically easy!! I don't do knots, but couldn't resist the beauty of this knot!!! This tutorial was so perfectlyy made, thank you!! Here is myy first and second attempt with 550 cord. I know I need to work on tightening it, but was so excited, I couldn't help but snap and post a couple of pictures..View Instructable »


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- Magazine
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Belgium rail crash: passenger train collides with freight train killing three
6 June 2016 • Author: Katie Sadler, Digital Content Producer, European Railway Review
A passenger train has reportedly crashed into the back of a freight train near Liege in Belgium killing at least three people.
On the 05 June at approximately 23:00 CET, a passenger train collided with a freight train at high speed in the Belgium municipality of Saint-Georges-Sur-Meuse, killing three people and injuring numerous others.
According to Belgian railways (SNCB), a passenger train carrying approximately 40 people crashed into the back of a freight train on the same track. The impact caused two of the six cars to derail.
Belgium passenger train travelling from Liege and Namur
The train was travelling from Liege and Namur and according to RTL broadcasting was travelling at approximately 90km/h (55mph) when it hit the goods train.
The cause…
Infrabel will now be carting out a full investigation into the incident as well as – according to BBC News – examining the effect of an earlier lightning strike on the line that was later cleared returning services to normal.
One response to "Belgium rail crash: passenger train collides with freight train killing three"
Where was the ATP that every west European state should have fitted by now? In Belgium especially after the heavy accidents caused by passing signals at danger at Pecrot, Halle Buizingen en Wetteren.


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Today - June 30th - is the LAST day to save big on your FUSE 2014 registration. You've still got a few more hours left to take advantage of "early cat" pricing. Register now and you'll pay only $249 - that's over 35% off the regular registration fee. Use the code "EarlyCat2014" to save big (code is case sensitive).
If that's not enough of an incentive for you - when you RSVP for the event on Facebook and register before August 5th, you'll be entered to win one of three iPad Minis we are giving away!
But that isn't even the best part - this year's conference will be bigger and better than ever before! No, seriously. We're opening up our doors to anyone in the nonprofit world, not just Salsa clients. Our amazing speakers and trainings are just too good to not share as far and as wide as possible. Check out some of our recent FUSE conference posts to get a taste of what's to come. Then use the code "EarlyCat2014" to register now. Or if you already have registered, go tell a friend (or six)!
Don't miss out on your chance to learn how to connect with more supporters and motivate them to act. FUSE 2014 includes two amazing days of training, networking, and lots of other great stuff to help you become a successful online organizer, fundraiser and communicator.
Register now to take advantage of this awesome opportunity to save big and "FUSE" together for maximum impact. Together we can ignite action and fuel change.


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Rio Tinto is hopping to it when it comes to divesting coal assets in Queensland and New South Wales – Sam Walsh isn't hesitating in the chief executive's chair. Suncorp is reportedly in a good position to sell off its 'bad bank' – if only Billabong International were so blessed. Meanwhile, Qantas Airways is getting on with the job in China with Europe sorted, and S&P's hybrid rethink is causing headaches for a number of big Aussie corporates.
Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto chief executive Sam Walsh isn't wasting any time getting the miner's balance sheet in order, with up to $3 billion in coal assets up for sale.


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Charities Information
Please join us after the race for
Beer Garden, Food Trucks and a DJ!
(open 8 am - 12:00 pm)
The City of Laguna Hills adopted the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, of the 1st Marine Division. This infantry battalion, nicknamed "DARKHORSE" is based out of Camp Pendleton. The City of Laguna Hills intends to donate $3 per race participant to the 3/5 Support Committee.
For more information on the 3/5 Battalion or the 3/5 Battalion Support Committee go to www.teamdarkhorse.org
DARKHORSE Battalion
The City of Laguna Hills and South County Outreach will be partnering in a Food Drive over the Memorial Day Weekend. Race participants and spectators are encouraged to bring canned goods and non-perishable food items they really help our clients facing hard times. We also have a computer learning lab and appreciate donations of functioning laptops, printers and accessories. Each August we also provide about 1,000 back-to-school backpacks to our young clients and are happy to accept donated school supplies and backpacks. which will benefit South County Outreach. Collection stations will be available at the race start line and the community expo on May 29th and at the Road Runner Sports, Laguna Hills during registration and pre-race packet pick up on Saturday, May 27th and Sunday, May 28th from 11:00am – 4:00pm both days.
South County Outreach is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping low-income families, seniors and individuals in crisis. Services include food distribution (up to one week a month of groceries), rental and utility assistance, computer training, clothing vouchers and financial coaching. SCO's goal is not only to provide emergency services but to provide the tools to help people help themselves.
Visit www.sco-oc.org to learn more about South County Outreach.
South County Outreach
If you are unable to find the information that you are looking for, please call us at
949-975-8506 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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New therapeutic targets for breast cancer are urgently required. This application focuses on a protein known as LRH-1, which we have previously shown to mediate oestrogen production in breast tissues. We will show that LRH-1 stimulates breast cancer proliferation in animal and preclinical models, and demonstrate the utility of blocking LHR-1 function, using novel inhibitors, as breast cancer therapy.nuclear receptors, endocrinology, cell proliferation, transgenic mouse, mammary gland cancer.
Understanding how LRH-1 controls breast cancer development
Dr Colin Clyne, Dr Ashwini Chand, Prof Evan Simpson
Cancer Council Research Grant
Cancer Drug Discovery, Hudson Institute of Medical Research
$100,000 per annum


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Julia Hyduke Model
Finger Lakes ImageryPhotographer Male Elmira, New York, US
My Website: Finger Lakes ImageryMy MM URL: http://www.modelmayhem.com/FLIPRO
Mayhem # 2109761
About MeI'm working to get my business back off the ground after a few years for inactivity. I'm an experienced photographer who produces a very good quality product. I'm willing to work with less experienced models to help them get starting. Please feel free to review my web site at Finger Lakes Imagery.
Need some digital photos retouched? Are you interested in collages? Drop me a line; lets chat!
Also check out My DeviantArt Page
Have you worked with Finger Lakes Imagery? Add Credits for Finger Lakes Imagery! >>
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|Holy Face Campaign 2017
55% of Holy Face costs received!
Can you help it over the line??
There's €25,000 short of launching your HOLY FACE Campaign across Ireland
THANK YOU for your generosity to this point!!!
1st APRIL is the payment
Can you help?
Please read on…
Holy Face Devotion DIRECTLY addresses:• The grievous 8th amendment saga and "Citizen's Assembly."
• Relentless pushing of sensuality and the homosexual agenda in the media, schools.
• Our Lord's true presence mocked on TV.
• Hatred of God and Church.
Such was all foretold long ago by Our Lord Himself and he has given us the "remedy" – His Holy Face!
Urgent! Your help needed!
Just think about this! The power of:
• Thousands viewing Jesus' Face on 40 Billboards & commuter squares at rail stations, busy roads & shopping centres!
• Jesus' face on 200 packed buses, Dublin and nationwide!
REMEMBER - A spiritual problem requires a spiritual solution!
Two things YOU can do.
1) Prayer Please pray a Memorare daily - that God provides for this Holy Face campaign.
2) Immediate Please help with the €25,000 shortfall today.
Please call our emergency helpline 094 9375993.
Patrick McCrystal
Executive Director,
Human Life International (Ireland)
PS Urgent! 55% of costs already in - your helped needed to get this over the line.


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All tutorials containing "lightroom"
Learn how to use Lightroom Presets in Photoshop. This tutorial shows you how to make a cool preset in Lightroom and then reuse it in Photoshop. Includes the glamtage preset for free.Video Lightroom Catalog a mess? How to Organize all your photos in Lightroom
How to organize your photos in Lightroom. Don't panic, clean up and organize your existing Catalog and collection with these tips and instructions. How to relocate and sort out all your photos without losing them!Video How to use the Develop Module in Lightroom
This Lightroom 6 / Lightroom CC tutorial will show you how to use the basic Adjustments in Lightroom Develop Module and which order to use the sliders to get the best results fast. I also provide a few image editing tips and show how you can preview image clipping.Video How to create a split tone coloring effect in Lightroom
A popular coloring effect is the split tone. This can be used to create many vintage film looks that people love. Here is an easy Lightroom tutorial, for you to make this effect in Lightroom, 6 or CC (This actually works in every version of Lightroom).Video Create Panoramas with Lightroom & Boundary Warp
Learn how to stitch seamless panorama photos in this free Adobe Lightroom tutorial. Fix the edges of a panorama with Boundary warp in Lightroom and Camera RAW.Video How to use Face Recognition in Lightroom 6 Tutorial
Lightroom can sort photos based on the people in the photographs. Facial recognition is used to identify that it's a face and then who that face is. This tutorial shows how to use the auto and manual features. As we group the faces and name them, Lightroom gets smarter.Step by Step How to Watermark photos in Lightroom
How to make a personalized watermark in Lightroom tutorial. Watermarks can be images or text, create once and reuse to protect your photos with watermarks in LightroomVideo Lightroom crash course. Ultimate beginners guide to Lightroom
What is the correct workflow for Lightroom? How to build a catalog, tag and sort images. Filter through and find the best photos quickly. Make them look amazing and then duplicate those settings to a whole bunch of photos in a couple of clicks. All this in 15 minutes, from a real photo shoot in RAW, not staged stock images.Video Merge Panorama in Lightroom CC tutorial stitch pano images
in this free Lightroom tutorial learn how to stitch a panoramic photograph in Lightroom 6 / Lightroom CC. Merge photos together to create panoramasStep by Step HDR in Lightroom CC tutorial how Lightroom CC does High Dynamic Range
in this free Lightroom tutorial learn how to make an HDR image in Lightroom 6 / Lightroom CC. Shoot bracketed images and merge them together in Adobe LightroomStep by Step Lightroom CC / Lightroom 6 first look, review and tutorials
Lightroom 6 first look, Lightroom CC review and walkthrough of new features. Lightroom 6 tutorials, articles, free videos and launch site, HDR, Panorama and FaceTagging.Step by Step Camera Raw Presets. How to Create and use Presets in ACR
Photoshop Camera Raw is a powerful photo editor. Presets can easily change your photographs with a single click. This free tutorial shows you how to make your own presets and use them on all your photos. You can download some free presets here.Video How to make a Panorama Photo from gopro video in Lightroom and Photoshop
Tutorial on how to turn a video into a panoramic photograph in Photoshop and Lightroom. works with any camera, shot with GoPro Hero 3 on DJI Phantom QuadcopterVideo Photoshop and Lightroom learning for photographers
This is where the collision happens between Lightroom and Photoshop. When do you use each? If you know one application and not the other. This is also where Photoshop and Lightroom Integration come together.Video Photoshop for Lightroom users
Learn how to create reusable layered templates, discover non-destructive layers and masks. Make time lapse sequences, do sky replacements and other compositing tricks. Find out the power of using pressure sensitive brushes and more in Colin's whirl-wind tour of the creative side of Photoshop. This is a great jump start for Lightroom users.Video Lightroom for Photoshop Users
If you are a Photoshop User and have been considering using Lightroom, this tutorial will teach you the basics to get you up and running quickly, as well as why you would need Lightroom in your workflowVideo What's the difference between Lightroom and Bridge?
What am I missing? Why Lightroom for Bridge users If you already use Bridge and Camera RAW, you can do everything that Lightroom does, right? You will find that Lightroom […]Video Photoshop and Lightroom integration
Watch this video to discover how to best work between Photoshop and Lightroom. Find out how to keep your Lightroom adjustments fully accessible from Camera Raw. We will take an image from Lightroom, to Photoshop, Camera Raw, back to Photoshop, back to Lightroom and then apply some automated adjustments based on what we have done.Video


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Need to order an online blood test in Kelso, WA? Simply order your online blood test and get tested at a lab in Kelso, WA (Find More Locations):
How much does it cost for an Online Blood Test?
Our prices for an Online Blood Test include the doctor's order that you need to get tested in Kelso, WA, all lab fees and taxes, and a pdf copy of your results. To get started, CLICK HERE.
What does a test report look like if I order an Online Blood Test?
For a sample report of a popular Online Blood Test panel, please CLICK HERE.
In a time of rising healthcare costs, we are happy we can help people in Kelso, WA get an Online Blood Test.
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|Next book >>
The Cadillac Kind(1996)
A novel by Maureen Foss
Uptight Edith and her carefree mother Dixie hit the Trans-Canada Highway in a '65 Mercedes and an hilarious adventure unwinds." ... a hilarious, insightful picaresque road trip that taps into the comedy inherent in the tensions of mother-daughter relations." -Letters in Canada
Used availability for Maureen Foss's The Cadillac Kind
See all available used copies of this book at Abebooks UK or Abebooks US
Paperback Editions
1996 : Canada Paperback
|Title: The Cadillac Kind
Author(s): MAUREEN FOSS
ISBN: 1-896095-10-0 / 978-1-896095-10-3 (Canada edition)
Publisher: Polestar Book Publishers
Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA
Genre Pages


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Overall a good cruise to Mexico
Sail Date: January 02, 2016
Reviewed: 1 year ago
Traveled As: Family (older children)
Room Type: Inside
Other than the rough seas toward the end of the cruise, the cruise was great. Good ports of call, great food and great staff. The nightly entertainment was not as good as I have seen on other cruise lines. We did really enjoy the comedian through. We ate at Share for a special treat one night. It was fabulous as were the waiters. The main dining room was spectacular every night.
Category Ratings
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Click table then swipe to view all columns.
|Cabin / Stateroom
|The only issue was that this cabin was forward on the ship so when the sea's became choppy you really felt it. A lot of the people were sea sick from Cabo to LA for 2 days.
|Embarkation and Disembarkation
|Ship Quality
|Destinations and Excursions
|Need more time in Cabo San Lucas. By the time we tender to and from Cabo, the time was too short to do much in there.
|Onboard Activities
|Children's Programs
|I really enjoyed the comedian but the musical performances were just ok.
|Service and Staff
|Food and Dining
Port Ratings
Click table then swipe to view all columns.
Click table then swipe to view all columns.


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Lots of exciting updates!:
- First off, Halloween was AWESOME! We went to Knoxville for a huge party and some of my local friends came to hang out. Very eventful night, but my favorite part was definitely seeing all of the off the wall costumes!
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Recent reviews
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Admiral Inn Hamilton is a great choice for a stay in Hamilton. Guests can visit the fitness center for a workout or grab a bite to eat at Reflections Dining Lounge, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Bonuses like refrigerators and microwaves are offered in all rooms, along with flat-screen TVs and room service.


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Think of the huge backlog of "shi*ty" unregistered securities scooped up by all these accredited and qualified institutional buyers during the real estate boom, with Goldman's famous Timberwolf and Abacus CDO deals topping it off. These structured finance units were being run like industrial scale crystal meth labs. These securities need to be set free. Isn't there a way to float out chopped up tradable interests in debt securities (MBS, CMBS, ABS etc) on an exchange, SecondMarket or Prosper, with hedging abilities?
The system didn't give a sh*t about the underlying asset. The initial poorly underwritten mortgage (whether residential or commercial) with no income documentation at 95% LTV, originated by a broker for points (which is coming back by the way, there goes the train - Forbes), was then sold, securitized and bought by various "accredited" financial institutions for fees until it ultimately landed on a fund's balance sheet, that hopefully hedged with CDS, no?
Well it turns out all of these so called sophisticated, accredited financial institutions running the credit market lost all credibility when the 2008 financial crisis hit and they all went went bankrupt or lost a huge chunk of money, from Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, Washington Mutual, ABN Amro, IKB, ACA to the bond insurers FGIC, AMBAC and AIG. Which tells me the financial infrastructure in place is old fashioned, inefficient and a POS. These institutions should have never been considered "accredited investors" gambling with shareholders money, they were a systemic risk and nothing has changed people!
Sadly, mispriced debt securities (registered?) made their way down to the retail level inside strategic bond mutual funds and ETFs. For example, Morgan Keegan bond funds lost conservative investors 50%-80% of their money in 2007 and even Series 7/63/65 licensed financial advisors selling these funds had no idea why they kept losing value, they were misled. Morgan Keegan is a full service investment banking, securities brokerage, trust and asset management company aka an "accredited investor" and "qualified purchaser" as well as a registered broker/dealer and registered investment advisor with the SEC.
FINRA, SEC Hit Morgan Keegan With Enforcement Actions (NASDAQ.com)
"The FINRA complaint alleges that during January 1, 2006 through Dec. 31, 2007, Memphis-based Morgan Keegan used "false and misleading sales materials" when it marketed and sold the seven bond funds to retail investors. The complaint also states that "all of the funds invested heavily in structured products which caused them serious difficulties beginning in early 2007 and led to their collapse later that year, costing investors well over a billion dollars." The complaint continued, saying: "The sales materials, combined with the firm's misleading internal guidance and inadequate training, misled its own financial advisors." read article at nasdaq.com
SEC, FINRA, State regulators charged Morgan Keegan with fraud (Reuters)
"Several Morgan Keegan funds, including some marketed as conservative investments for older investors, lost more than 50 percent of their value in 2007.
"The scheme had two architects: a portfolio manager responsible for lies to investors about the true values of the assets in the funds, and a head of fund accounting who turned a blind eye to the fund's bogus valuation process," said Robert Khuzami, head of the SEC enforcement division, in a statement.
In its complaint, the SEC said that Morgan Keegan fraudulently hid the falling value of some mutual funds between January and July of 2007, and "recklessly" sold fund shares to investors based on inflated prices.
The SEC accused portfolio manager James Kelsoe, 46, of improperly directing his accounting department to make repeated, arbitrary "price adjustments" that boosted the fair values of securities." read article at Reuters
By the way, Kelsoe is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) who's been involved with the advisor since 1991 and in the business since 1986 (see original prospectus). So if these people didn't know what the hell was going on, who the hell do you trust for a passive investment these days? Below are definitions of an "accredited investor", "qualified purchaser" and "sophisticated investor".
The federal securities laws define the term "accredited investor" in Rule 501 of Regulation D as:
1. a bank, insurance company, registered investment company, business development company, or small business investment company;
2. an employee benefit plan, within the meaning of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, if a bank, insurance company, or registered investment adviser makes the investment decisions, or if the plan has total assets in excess of $5 million;
3. a charitable organization, corporation, or partnership with assets exceeding $5 million;
4. a director, executive officer, or general partner of the company selling the securities;
5. a business in which all the equity owners are accredited investors;
6. a natural person who has individual net worth, or joint net worth with the person's spouse, that exceeds $1 million at the time of the purchase;
7. a natural person with income exceeding $200,000 in each of the two most recent years or joint income with a spouse exceeding $300,000 for those years and a reasonable expectation of the same income level in the current year; or
8. a trust with assets in excess of $5 million, not formed to acquire the securities offered, whose purchases a sophisticated person makes. (SEC.gov)
Qualified purchaser, defined by the Investment Company Act of 1940
"Qualified purchaser" means--
any natural person (including any person who holds a joint, community property, or other similar shared ownership interest in an issuer that is excepted under section 3(c)(7) [15 USCS § 80a-3(c)(7)] with that person's qualified purchaser spouse) who owns not less than $ 5,000,000 in investments, as defined by the Commission;
any company that owns not less than $ 5,000,000 in investments and that is owned directly or indirectly by or for 2 or more natural persons who are related as siblings or spouse (including former spouses), or direct lineal descendants by birth or adoption, spouses of such persons, the estates of such persons, or foundations, charitable organizations, or trusts established by or for the benefit of such persons;
any trust that is not covered by clause (ii) and that was not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered, as to which the trustee or other person authorized to make decisions with respect to the trust, and each settlor or other person who has contributed assets to the trust, is a person described in clause (i), (ii), or (iv); or
any person, acting for its own account or the accounts of other qualified purchasers, who in the aggregate owns and invests on a discretionary basis, not less than $ 25,000,000 in investments source: law.uc.edu
Rules 505 and 506 of REG D also provide registration exemptions. Rule 505 doesn't require non-accredited investors to be sophisticated if the offering is up to $5,000,000 while 506 says an unlimited capital raise requires non-accredited investors to be sophisticated or "they must have sufficient knowledge and experience in financial and business matters to make them capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment; (SEC.gov).
In conclusion, the "sophisticated investor" definition in my opinion is complete bullsh*t and I'm not alone.
Definition of "sophisticated investor" varies - MarketWatch
The Sophisticated Investor Farce - Forbes Advisor Soapbox
Open Thread: How SHOULD a "Sophisticated Investor" Be Defined? - Stone Street Advisors
When you have bond portfolio managers lying about marks, or have no clue about the underlying value (or credit risk) of a debt security, the credit market is broken and useless for any type of investor, except for maybe the big short. To prevent another black swan event in the credit markets, I think every single piece of debt packaged in a security or CDO and sold to investors should have real-time cash flow updates, yields, default/delinquency rates, credit ratings and insurance rates plus historical charts provided at FINRA.org or SecondMarket, etc. FINRA already provides decent bond information for investors on Treasuries, Agencies, Municipal and Corporate bonds. Check it out. Please correct me if I'm wrong on anything or have ideas, thanks.


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Kemp homer helps Dodgers peg back Cardinals
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Matt Kemp rescued Los Angeles with a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning as the Dodgers edged St Louis 3-2 on Saturday to draw level in their National League Division Series after two games.
The Dodgers had blown a 2-0 lead in the top of the eighth, when Matt Carpenter tied the game with a two-run blast against reliever J.P. Howell.
However, Kemp breathed life back into Dodger Stadium with one swing of the bat, tying the best-of-five series 1-1 before the teams head off to St Louis for the next two contests.
"This was a must win. We needed this," Kemp told reporters. "We told each other we were going to back (Howell) up and find a way to win. That's what good teams do."
Los Angeles starter Zack Greinke paved the way for the victory by tossing seven scoreless innings, striking out seven batters and also recording two hits at the plate.
The Dodgers scored twice in the third inning, and Greinke's performance appeared to restore order after the team was shell-shocked in their series-opening 10-9 loss that came with ace Clayton Kershaw on the mound.
But the game turned quickly when Howell came on in the eighth, faced three St Louis batters and failed to record an out.
Brandon League took over for Howell, working the Dodgers out of trouble and earning his first career post-season win.
Cardinals starter Lance Lynn went six innings and struck out eight in a no-decision. Continued...


text:
Dear Baby Stevie-
Oh sweet baby of mine, today (June 25th) was your due date. My heart aches that I will not hold you this side of heaven. What a sweet thought to know that 5 months ago the first person you ever saw when you opened your eyes was the precious face of Jesus. There is no better place to be, wrapped in the arms of the one who created you. Thankfully, you will never face the pains of this earth, but unfortunately your family will never enjoy your laughter and smile.
This month has been hard for me. I knew this day was approaching and I have had some tough days. I don't think I got to fully mourn your loss when we lost you because my health was so at risk. Now that I am healthy, I am more aware of our loss. Beautiful healthy babies are being born this week all around me. It is a reminder of what we will not experience with you on this earth.
Your daddy and sister referred to you as "Baby Stevie" while you were growing inside of me. That name has stuck and you will be forever Baby Stevie. I really believe in my heart that you are a girl, one day we will know.
I know you are playing in heaven and I believe one day I will see your smile, wrap my arms around you and smother you with kisses. I look forward to that day.
I love you-
Your mommy
Monday, June 25, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Almost 7 year prayer
In our first year of marriage, Steve and I bought our first home in Bradenton, FL. We soon left to help church plant in Orlando, then in 18 months gone from there to head to our current home for the last 4.5 years Olathe, KS.
Every since we moved to Orlando, we have rented the house. We tried selling it when we left, but we bought at the worst time and tried to sell at a terrible time. Our rent didn't allow extra money to have a management company to take care of it, so we managed the house from halfway across the country. It is an older home, that seemed to often need work. Needless to say, it was our "thorn in our side."
June 4th, we finally sold the home, we closed on it and are so thankful for the lessons we have learned from owning this house. Steve wrote his thoughts on the house and since he is much better with words than I am, here is what he had to say:
Monday of last week (Juen 4th), Erin and I officially closed on our house in Bradenton. It is hard to explain or describe the freedom we have with the absence of this financial burden. We are grateful for the way so many people walked us through the past several years. Here are some of the ways we received support: prayers, on location help, wise counsel, and encouragement. As we close this chapter, I don't want to miss out on reflecting on the lessons learned. Here they are in no particular order:
- Peace is worth more than a house
o A few years ago I had regret for the number of hours and days I lost to worry and strategizing how we could get out of this house. Since that "awakening," it hasn't been worry free, but I've learned to practice this principle from Psalms 55:22, "Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you." It is a great trade, my worry for His peace!
- God uses hard times to increase our dependence on Him
o For years our prayer was "God get us out of this house situation." At some point, our prayer changed to "God, teach us from this house situation." I remember at one point realizing I was actually grateful for the house because God was using it to shape us to become more like Him and be more dependent on Him. At times the house felt a little like a thorn in the flesh, but that is exactly what God has used to help us grow.
- Part of praying is learning to pray "through" and not simply praying "for"
o I tend to be an "ADD" prayer. There is no other time where I am more easily distracted than when I am praying. With the house, we have learned a lesson in perseverance and persistence as we prayed through the same thing for over half a decade. To be clear, even in those years there were times we didn't pray consistently regarding the house, but eventually we would refocus and pick up where we left off.
- Life is a marathon, not a sprint
o Out of college, we had a lot of energy and even a lot of desire to listen to wise counsel. What we didn't have is perspective. If we had perspective, not only would that have affected the decisions we made, it also would of changed the way we viewed our realities, after the decisions were made. One of the things we appreciate most from our grandparents, parents and others is the opportunity to learn from their experience and "borrow" from their perspective bucket. This may be obvious but a person can only gain experience, through experiences. This experience has helped us have better perspective on life.
- Maintain Integrity
o From dealing with tenants to selling the house, there were plenty of opportunities to cut corners. To be honest, at times, the "wrong options" appealed to me more than I wished they did but I am grateful we acted with integrity. The peace of being able to look in the mirror and know we handled it in a God honoring way is worth the 6 years of laboring it through. It is hard to go wrong doing the right thing because you keep God on your side!
- Some things in life are gray
o Hang with me, this is more than a "politically correct" statement. Let me explain: when I sought Godly counsel before making a decision, the counsel was divided. They were all Christ followers and yet their perspective on the "right" decision was split. The lesson we learned is that sometimes I am quick to judge others in their situation thinking I "know" the right thing for them. In certain cases, the scriptures are clear and the decision is obvious. Other times, it seems like God whispers more than He shouts and the responsibility we have is to make the best decision with the information you know. Some things in life are gray.
- God is faithful
o Bottom line: God is good, in the good times and bad times. He is bigger than the economy and the joy and peace He offers is not affected by the circumstances we are in. Even though we had the house in Florida hanging over our heads, God provide an unbelievable housing situation for us in Olathe. He is able to open doors that we could not knock down if we tried all day, everyday!
We are doubly grateful. Grateful it is behind us but as grateful for the lessons learned.
Facing forward!
Steve and Erin
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
We have worked hard to train our kids to be good sleepers. Sister was pretty easy and a naturally better sleeper than her brother. He had a really rough start, but came around. We have been having some sleep issues with little man recently. He has decided that his new wake-up time is 5:45am (or somewhere near there, the last 2 mornings has been 5am). That doesn't work for us. I love getting up early, but not to hang with my children.
We have tried everything I can think of. I have read my go-to books on sleep (Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child and Babywise). We have tried 1 nap instead of 2 (he still takes 2 naps in the day, so I thought maybe he was sleeping too much in the day) we have tried going to bed later and earlier (most books say if they wake up early they often need to go to bed earlier, kids are backwards from adults). We have covered his window to make sure the room stayed dark. He wakes up crying which means he is not fully rested. There have been about 3 days over the last 2 months that he does wake up around 7 and he wakes up talking and happy. I took him to the doctor to make sure nothing was wrong physically with him. He is so fussy all morning until nap too because he is so tired.
I kept waiting for the "stage" to pass. I have learned that often I get all worked up about something, and in a week it is gone. Well we have been going at this for over 2 months. We don't get him out of his crib until at least 6:30am (he often makes noises or cries on and off) as we don't want him used to getting up. So here we are with no answers and a little guy who thinks the party starts early.
Anyone have any ideas?
Sister is starting to figure things out. When she turned 3 it became her responsibility to make her own bed each day. She has a queen bed, so it is a big job for her. The last few weeks she has asked if she can either sleep on top of the covers or make a "campout" on the floor so she doesn't have to make her bed. That was good enough problem solving for me that we let her do it. So she has successfully figured out how to get out of her first real chore. Come winter, she will probably head back under the covers, as her bedroom is the coldest in the house.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Lake time
Last weekend we spent some time at the lake. We truly feel so blessed to have this getaway. It really is so relaxing for us.
|Sister caught a fish all by herself
|Steve was gigging fish
Monday, June 18, 2012
18 month Buster
Little man turned 18 months this past weekend. The words I use to describe him the most right now is "little stinker." That is what he is. It is so fun to watch his personality come out. He usually loves the camera and attention. He really has one of the best "cheese" smiles I have seen on a little kid. For this photo session he wasn't in a smiling mood, so you get to see the other side and his faces of disgust (which are just as stinkin cute to me).
He is Mr Lover and tough guy all in the same minute. He loves to cuddle, kiss and hug. He sure loves his momma's arms. But he also loves playing rough with daddy. If Steve is anywhere near the floor, Buster will run over and tackle him with all his might. Steve will sometimes yell funny things or make loud noises for fun, and Buster has started raising his voice back to him, almost like I am Man, hear my roar.
He is a finger sucker, I so don't look forward to what that is going to do to his teeth one day, can we say buck teeth :(
He loves wearing his "Ha." He wants it on all the time while we are outside. The boy could play with a ball all day long. He just loves throwing balls and running after them. He is very coordinated and has a great arm for his age, he is very deliberate in his throwing.
He wants to be "outsi" (outside) all the time. He would eat every meal out there if I let him. He has had all his teeth (except 2 year molars) for a month.
We are now coming into the pictures of the other side of him.
He is a hitter, we are trying to teach him the appropriate things to hit. He has started having tantrums and I have to try and not laugh at them. When he gets mad he starts making these deep noises of disgust, then goes to another room, either hits the wall with his hand or head while yelling, then returns to our presence. I will take those tantrums any day over what Sister used to do at that age.
He isn't a big talker. He makes a lot of noises, just not organized noises. He probably has 20 or so words that I can understand, but we are adding more every week. When we try to get him to say certain words (mimic us) he just looks at us like we are idiots. He says the words he wants (ball being his favorite) but points and grunts a lot. I laugh because he just made up a few sign language words in the past few months. Most kids are moving away from sign language to verbal words, not my little man, he is now ready to sign :)
He is unbelievably outgoing. Sister has been trained to be social, but she is more of an observer and is fine in the background. Buster likes center stage. He waves to everyone, has gone through the airport giving total strangers knucks (pouncing the fist) and really loves everyone. He also loves on everyone. He will give anyone a kiss.
He loves his "sissy or dayday." They really do play very well together. He is starting to be able to play alongside her, even though she does get annoyed at his antics at times. He is an instigator. If he sees her playing with a toy, as soon as she puts it down for a second, he grabs it and runs away laughing, while looking over his shoulder at her.
He has captured his mother's heart.
His sister thinks he is pretty cool too
Monday, June 11, 2012
Summer is in full swing. We have been having fun just hanging out. We have some travels this summer (lake trips, CO in July) so when we are home, we are laying low and relaxing. Here are some pictures from the last few weeks.
We went to St. Louis to watch Uncle Benny's graduation
|Notice our children's personalities, sister is just fine blending in and watching while buster is ready for the attention
We spent Memorial Day weekend at the lake house with the Southards clan. We are so thankful for the lake house and will spend as much time as possible there the next few months.
Some other summer pictures
|Our first of many trips to our favorite sno cone stand in Gardner
|Buster has discovered his love for corn-on-the cob.
|This is what they are doing when they are too quiet
Both kiddos "cheesing" it
Buster has started saying "sissy" and Payton loves it. She is always trying to get him to say it. They are at such a fun stage right now. They play so well together and are both crack me up. I am really enjoying them and their personalities.
Payton trying out her photography skills
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Hotels in Tomales, California
Search & Compare Tomales Hotels
Get Secret Prices on select hotels
These prices aren't available to everyone.
Best hotels in Tomales
Tomales overviewTomales is a relaxing place distinct for its beaches and oceanfront, and known for its spas and port. You'll appreciate the coffee and bar choices. Beachcombers can spend the day at Goat Rock Beach when the weather is nice. Make it a point to see sights like Tomales Regional History Center and Tomales City Park. Tomales is an inviting destination that has something for everyone.
Where to stay in TomalesWith a wide assortment of lodging choices to choose from, Tomales has options to suit everyone's style. There are 102 hotels in the Tomales area and you can shop as many as 25 deals for rooms on Hotels.com, some with discounts of up to 35%.
- • 25 2-star hotels with an average price of $55 per night
- • 44 3-star hotels with an average price of $95 per night
- • 29 4-star hotels with an average price of $140 per night
Here's the top hotel based on 18234 user reviews of Tomales hotels: The Continental Inn
How to get to TomalesFly in to Santa Rosa, CA (STS-Sonoma County), 19.6 mi (31.5 km) from downtown Tomales. San Francisco, CA (SFO-San Francisco Intl.) is the next closest major airport, 51.8 mi (83.4 km) away.
What to see around TomalesIt's well known for its beaches and these favorite places for nature lovers:
- • Tomales City Park
- • Tomales Point Trailhead
- • Tomales Bay State Park
- • Doran Beach
- • Bodega Head
- • Heart's Desire Beach
- • Petaluma Village Premium Outlets
- • Tomales Regional History Center
- • Tomales Town Hall
- • Potter Schoolhouse
- • Links at Bodega Harbour
- • Westside Regional Park


text:
Moving Target Indication Radar Architectures for Tactical Targets in Foliage
Award Information
Small Business Information
216 Pico Blvd., Suite 8, Santa Monica, CA, 90405
Principal Investigator
Name: Harold Finn
Phone: (310) 396-9488
Phone: (310) 396-9488
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
AbstractNot Available Recently NZ Applied Technologies (NZAT) has successfully coated on standard single-mode optical fibers with resistive, piezoelectric, magnetostrictive materials such as Ti/Pt, ZnO, PZT, PLZT, FeCo and Terfenol-D. This technology opens a new area for fiber-optic sensor applications by using the functions provided by these thin film coatings. For examples, resistive coatings can be used to heat an optical fiber, while piezoelectric coatings can be used to strain the fiber. Localized changes in the fiber waveguiding properties can be achieved by electrically activating the fiber coating. These coated fibers show promise for applications such as optical phase shifters, modulators and dynamic fiber Bragg gratings (DFBG) with tunable reflectivity. In this proposal, we will use the coating technique developed by NZ Applied Technologies (NZAT) to demonstrate high sensitive electric field fiber-optic sensors, by combining the advantages of fiber optic sensors with active thin films coatings. The sensitivity of an FBG sensor is expected to be significantly enhanced by using a piezoelectric coating.
* information listed above is at the time of submission.
An Official Website of the United States Government


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FINANCIAL/NONFINANCIAL DISCLOSURES: None declared.
∗CORRESPONDENCE TO: Peter J. Barnes, Master FCCP, National Heart and Lung Institute, Dovehouse St, London SW3 6LY, England
Copyright 2016, American College of Chest Physicians. All Rights Reserved.
Most clinicians can easily distinguish asthma and COPD. Asthma usually has an early onset with intermittent symptoms, a good response to inhaled therapy, and is often associated with other allergic diseases, whereas COPD is of late onset, slowly progressive symptoms, poor response to inhaled therapy, and is usually associated with long-term smoking. However, patients can sometimes have features of both diseases, and this condition has been termed asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). Some overlap may be predicted because asthma and COPD are both common, and there is no evidence that one disease protects against the other. To call this overlap a syndrome is misleading, however; it includes different phenotypes, such as patients with COPD and eosinophilic inflammation, patients with asthma and severe disease or who smoke in whom there is predominantly neutrophilic inflammation, and patients with asthma who have largely irreversible airway obstruction due to structural changes. Thus, it may be better to refer to asthma-COPD overlap (ACO), rather than ACOS. Indeed, the patients who receive a primary diagnosis of asthma who have some features of COPD are better considered as phenotypes of asthma. The "Dutch hypothesis," first proposed in the 1960s, suggested that there was a common genetic background to airway obstruction with a spectrum of clinical disease from asthma to COPD. Although the validity of the Dutch hypothesis has been fiercely debated, recent genetic studies indicate that there is very little, if any, common genetic background of asthma and COPD. ACO is now recognized in several national and international guidelines.
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