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I have been putting off writing this until I felt a little higher spirited, but since that doesn't seem to be happening I guess I will have to just forge ahead. I have been in a bit of a down mood since Saturday when I fell and cut my knee. If there is one thing that can really, I mean really throw me for a loop, it is some sort of physical ailment which I brought upon myself. I haven't been able to run, play tennis, or ride my bike and it is killing me. I just don't know what to do with myself and the days keep on slipping by. I have a million things I should be doing, but I can't bring myself to want to do anything! It is a horrible feeling. Sorry to have to burden you with this, but I can't be Little Miss Sunshine all the time you know… Anyway, Sara is in a slump and hoping she will snap out of it ASAP, because, honey, life ain't waitin' for ya!
Alright, enough of the introduction which turned strangely into a self pep talk… I left off last week on Tuesday. I have to admit I am having a terrible time remembering back that far. While it was only 7 days ago, it feels like months ago. Being in the depths of despair makes you forget life was pretty darn amazing just a few days ago. So, anyway, I'll give it my best shot. Wednesday morning I got really up early and went swimming. I had made up my mind the night before to do this, but funny enough, my room was over air conditioned that night and in the morning I almost didn't get up to go because it was too cold. But then I realized when I stepped outside it would still be hot, so I rolled out of bed, determinedly struggled to find motivation! It was a great idea; expect that the pool guy cleans until 8:30 and I didn't know that. When I got in the pool at 7:15 he wasn't super happy. However, I didn't really care. I swam anyway and it was great! After I showered and got to the office, I spent some time proofreading my last post and posting it. I was just chillin' in my office trying to do something when all the sudden someone knocks on my door. As I tell them to come in, I am sure it is going to be another awkward interaction in my broken French with a co-worker. However, I was pleasantly surprised when my co-worker stepped aside after getting my attention and introduced me to an American visitor to 2iE. Turns out he was U.S. State Department Regional Environmental Officer for West and Central Africa. Awesome. He is normally stationed in Ghana and was in Ouagadougou on a tour of the region. It was great to get to show him some of what I was working on and be able to talk to him about 2iE, ect. It is good to make contacts like that. When I am at Stanford and need a site where I can do my fieldwork I will hopefully have a whole list of names of people to contact :) Building that network…
Anyway, his visit didn't last long and I was able to prepare my lesson for bible study. Unlike last week I hadn't planned ahead and therefore spent the hour before getting myself ready to go! I had, however, thought far enough ahead to happily accept the extra cookies from the movie night to bring as the snack. I also stopped along the way to pick up some treats called "FanYoGo" it is basically yogurt that is frozen. Literally. Not frozen yogurt that tastes like ice cream. This is much more crystal-y; it is seriously yogurt in a small plastic bag that is frozen. I knew the shopette had them, but it was out of the way and I figured the little kiosk by SIM would have them too. Wrong! I had backtrack quite a bit to find them, but it was worth it. It was very very hot that day and the cool treat was much appreciated. In bible study we looked at Penitential Pslams, namely Psalm 51 where David is repenting. The lesson was really good. When everyone had left I rode my bike over to the pharmacy to finally fill my prescription for malaria meds. I got the prescription a week ago and kept on saying I would go. Well, Wednesday was D-day in that I had to take my next pill then, so I would HAVE to go get them! Anyway, it was no problem. The pharmacy had what I was looking for. Thankfully I have health insurance. An 8 week supply cost me 4310CFA or about $9. However, this was only 10% of the total price! Without the health insurance from my job I would have been paying $90… Ouch. Regardless, from the pharmacy I biked to Leanna's to drop off a card for a girl who was leaving Ouaga the next day. She was having a going away party that night, but I didn't think I would be able to make it. Leanna wasn't home so I had to hide the card in the bushes. No problem, I would just send her a text message to let her know where to look. I rushed back to 2iE to get back in time for my French lesson. But wait, gasp, I checked my phone and Leanna's message hadn't sent! Yikes! After getting super mad at my phone I finally realized it was my fault because I ran out of credit AND to make matters worse I left my wallet at my house and my teacher was coming in 5 minutes. Never a dull moment. So I ran home grabbed my wallet walked out the gate and flagged down the first guy I saw to buy some credit. Gotta love Africa. I charged my phone, sent my message, and just about finished sending an important email just as my teacher arrived. Score. My lesson was great fun. Really, I was energized and ready to start talking. Yahoo. Yeah, yeah normally French is on Tuesday but because of the movie night and the meeting beforehand I moved it a day later.
Following my lesson I finished up some stuff at my office and went home. I watched the newest Grey's Anatomy and debated going to the going away party. Since the other plan for the night was ironing my clothes, I decided to go. Ben came and picked me up. It was a nice gathering. I ended up being there later than expected and Leanna got there way late and I didn't even really get a chance to say more than Hi to her, but it was good that I went. When I got home at like 10:30 I was still a bit mad at my Mom for not being around earlier in the day to talk, but instead of staying mad I realized maybe I should be putting in some more effort and so I trekked to my office, crossing my fingers my family would be home. AND they were! Yeah! I had a great talk with Ryan and then a really great talk with my Mom. I didn't leave my office until 1am. It was a bit eerie walking back, but I made it and the conversation was well worth it. That night I slept amazingly and on Thursday I stayed home and did my work there in the morning.
It was great. I read a bunch of technical briefs on setting up a filter factory and then typed up a list of questions for the upcoming visit Nicolas and I would be making to the ceramics workshop. At lunchtime Ben came over and we had lunch in the cafeteria. It is always nice to have a friend join me to share a bit of 2iE campus life. During lunch and afterwards we hashed out plans for the end of year youth group retreat. All I can say is it is going to be awesome! In the afternoon, my friend Moulaye stopped by to invite me to a Cameroonian Cultural Night. It sounded like fun and I considered going, but had to email him and tell him no because it was same time and day as the Edge Service and I hadn't gone to the Edge in a while with being gone for traveling and stuff…Also, Bianca was coming in to town and I wanted to hang out with her. So I made up my mind. At 4:00 I went for my tennis lesson. Again, I was on Fi-re ;) I got back in time to shower and have a nice dinner before leaving to get to youth group. I wasn't teaching this week so I had the good fortune of simply showing up. Leanna did have me run the opening game which went just so-so. The girl who normally does it is so good at it, it was hard to live up to the precedent she set. That night we found out that the youth has raised $9786.44 for the 30 hour famine food distribution. They had set their goal at $5000 and that was a faith goal, pretty sure it would be impossible to reach. But nothing is impossible with God and he made that very clear. Let me also tell you there are about 45 kids in the youth group. You do the math. That is impressive work! I came back that night and read some of the two books I am currently digging into. The first is White Man's Burden which is super critical of foreign aid agencies and really interesting. However, one can only take so much of that so I started the book "The Life of Pi" to read at the same time. Seems to be going well…
Friday. Oh Friday. I can't remember Friday morning. It is probably inconsequential as I feel much of which I do these days is… At any rate, I was going to take Friday as a rest day from working out, but with the food distribution on Saturday I figured I would take that as my day off instead. So in the early afternoon I hit the gym. Hard. I ran 4 miles at an 8:30 mile pace which is pretty good. All week I was just rolling… I forgot my workout CD which was a bummer, but I prayed instead mainly for my brother who would be having his regional track meet that evening. It was an exhilarating run to say the least. In the afternoon, I went to the library and got some books I would need for my meeting with Pam on Monday. She is doing a "cable" (some embassy lingo) on water in Burkina Faso and wanted to talk to me about it. Since I know some, but not a ton I went and got some reports to base my contribution on. Friday was French lesson day again. Again, a positive attitude makes all the difference. I had friends coming over that night for a movie and not much to worry about so I just had a fun time arguing with my French teacher about any and everything…
In the evening I made myself dinner and watched a little Hannah Montana before my friends came over. When they did get here we made popcorn and Ben and Bianca chose Independence Day to watch. We made it all of 10 minutes into that movie and decided to change plans. Instead we watched Seven Brides for Seven Brothers! Leanna and I bought it at the ISO Yard Sale and it was just the right upbeat and ridiculous movie for our group that night. I did have to borrow Susan's transformer though because it was a VHS and Leanna brought her video player but it was only 110V. I bring this up because the transformer plays a critical role in Saturday evening's fated fall. Oh, this totally does not fit into this paragraph, but one thing I really look forward to in America is finding toilet seats that match the size of the bowl. The seats here are frequently too big or too small or so crooked you wonder why they bother! but I digress… The movie was great fun indeed. Everyone left about 9:30 and instead of going to bed I looked over some of the books I picked up for Pam and then at 10:30 decided to watch The Pursuit of Happiness. I had wanted to watch that from the start so I decided that there was no time like the present and that if I wanted to watch it that is what I should do! So by golly I spent the next 2 hours of my life entranced by Will Smith's unending dedication to making something of himself. I can't say I shed any tears, by at one point my eyes did well up in emotion. So there… Again, I should have gone to bed but instead I read more of my books which seemed more appealing to me than sleep at that moment. I would regret that decision, however, in the morning when my alarm went off at 6:30 beckoning me to get my lazy butt up and over to the Harrison's to leave for the grain distribution.
Saturday was an incredible day. About 30 kids showed up to help distribute the corn that had been purchased with all the money they raised. We were a caravan of white vehicles that made its way to Sector 30. Sector 30 is a very poor area of Ouagadougou. It is also where CAMA has a compound and has the facilities for a grain distribution. That morning they were dedicating a new Women's Center and so we had to first sit through that whole ceremony. Blah, blah, blah… They are literally always the same thing. They thank every president, director and vice president in attendance. People come in late and the French to tribal language translation makes the thing last twice as long. Can you tell I'm not a big fan of these events? I mean really, these people need to get over themselves. Oh, but before the ceremony Rachel Harrison and I joined in an African dance. It was crazy cool. There were about a hundred African women all standing about in a circle and Rachel and I were in the middle with two other women who were showing us how to shake our behinds and stomp our feet the way we were supposed to. Bianca tried to take some video footage of me, but it didn't come out because of the sun. Talk about disappointing. I would have loved to have shown you. I will include, though, a clip I took of the Africans dancing. It was choice. p.s. I borrowed Susan's camcorder for this event. My plan is to make a short movie about it later!
Well, the ceremony came to an abrupt end and that meant it was time to start passing out the corn. There were 5 rooms where the grain was stored. The corn came in 100kg stacks of which we had purchased 200! Each person who received a ticket from the CAMA organization was entitled to two buckets full of corn. In total, 600 tickets were given out! The estimate is that 5000 people will be impacted by the food we distributed. That, my friend, is a lot… Anyway, it was bit chaotic as are most things in life, especially when something is being given out free. I walked around and took pictures and took video. I have posted 92 of them to my Picasa account and have them displayed above… I did also help with the corn which was cool. But there were enough people there and the kids wanted to do the work. It was really their thing. At the end, things got a bit harried. A few of the ticket collectors weren't ripping the tickets and a few ladies came in a back door, and so the integrity of the system was compromised. The grain was gone, but there were still people there demanding food. Normally, they would have left, but because people showed up without a ticket and got food others thought the should be able to get the same. In the end, one of the workers started whipping a rope around to get the people to stop rushing that door to the last room where they were keeping 5 sacks. That was pretty traumatizing to some of the youth group kids. I don't know what my problem is, but it didn't really phase me. I should probably spend some time thinking through my reaction to everything. In the end you can certainly call the outreach a success and I was glad to have been able to help.
However, and you know that there was going to be a however… I still have problems with the free handouts thing. I mean really. $9786.44 could pay for schooling for hundreds of kids or even build a school for crying out loud. I just don't know that giving people things like that isn't more detrimental in the long run. Give a fish, or teach to fish. So I struggle with this. I can't stand the thought of doing an outreach like that and then going back to my nice house and eventually my nice life in the US feeling all good inside about myself because I gave people two buckets of corn. Um, what happens when that runs out and we aren't there to refill their buckets? Isn't that making the poor people more dependent. But then again, they are hungry and is not feeding them an okay response? NO. So herein lies the problem. I feel like there is no way to win in these situations. But that doesn't mean stop trying. I am often brought back to a quote from the movie Everafter. Not a movie you would think is super quotable, but it is. Anyway, the prince says that he used to think if he cared about anything he would have to care about everything and then he would go stark raving mad. But he realized he could start by caring about something and go on from there. I feel a bit like I haven't quite moved to the point where the caring about something makes a noticeable impact. I care about water, that is my thing. I know that is my thing, but I can't help but feeling puny and insignificant when I see all that needs to be done. I just want to do SOMETHING! But the problem I don't know what that something is. My plan of action for the moment is listening; listening to the still small voice that directs my steps and dispels the mystery of tomorrow. Listening and waiting patiently so that I am humbled and ready when, like Esther, I am called to play my part in history. Whatever that part may be.
After spreading Christian love by giving out corn all morning, I uploaded the pictures onto my computer, ate lunch, and showered to get all the corn dust off of me and trust me there was SO much dust it made it look like it was snowing in rooms which is a ridiculous imagine in Africa during hot season, I know. I then promptly fell asleep for 3 hours making up for what I had missed the night before :) I slept like a baby. When I finally stirred I went to my office and had a great skype two-way webcam chat with my parents. I also got to talk to Jordan which was great. It had been a while since we connected. The results from his track meet were just as he had hoped for. Even better really. He won the pole vaulting competition with a personal record of 12ft. This means he will be competing at the Illinois State Track Meet. I am so proud of him! He also took 3rd in the two mile. His two best friends also made it down state so the triple threat still lives ;)
I got off the phone with them because Leanna was coming to get me to go to the Edge Service. At home I changed, packed my overnight bag, and got Susan's stuff together to return to her. I didn't have a ton of time, but I wanted to get it back to her as I promised I would. Anyway, I headed over and thankfully she was around. We chatted for a few minutes and I saw Leanna's car pull up. At this, I said goodbye and ran back to my place. I hate to admit it, but what was going through my head at that moment was how cute my skirt must look billowing in the wind… (It is undeniably a really cute skirt.) However, as I was pridefully thinking way to highly of my appearance WHAM! My foot slid on a patch of wet ground from where the gardener had watered that afternoon and I was down. Not only down, but I had fallen against the cement rain trough filled with rocks. Not good. Frankly, I was more worried about the fact that my keys had flown from my hand and about the thought that my skirt was probably wrecked to really notice the gash on my left knee. Leanna got out of the car and helped find my keys. My skirt was miraculously without blemish. That is what I get I guess… However, the reality of my knee was setting in. I went in my house and washed up. I cleaned it out as best as I could and bandaged it up. It was a pretty deep cut, but I was like "oh its fine". Here's a tip, if it doesn't stay together on its own 1. get stitches, or 2. at least track down a butterfly bandaid. I did neither and have paid dearly since. Saturday night I was still delusional that it was fine. I had pizza with Bianca and Leanna and we watched some of The Office after Edge. By the way, the Edge Service talk was really great. It was the final talk on grace and the speaker talked about the downward spiral of sin and the upward spiral of grace and obedience. I got a lot out of it. Anyway, we had a fun girls night and in the morning we got up and went over to Lorinda's for a great Sunday Brunch of blueberry pancakes and hashbrowns.
Sunday morning, my knee was exuding some clear yellowish fluid which I thought was part of the normal healing process. Again, hint, yellow may mean proceed with caution when you driving, but what it means in the world of first aid is go get help. Lorinda looked at it too and we all decided it would heal fine on its own. After we finished eating and washing dishes, I played guitar and we all worshipped together which was amazing. It is for moments like those that I wanted to learn to play. From Lorinda's we drove Bianca to the bus station and then Leanna dropped me off at home. I worked on stuff for my meeting with Pam the next morning and made beef stroganoff I was planning to have for dinner. Then I went and called my family for the second time this weekend because my knee thing was pretty ridiculous. I was so mad at myself for being so stupid! If I had just remembered the wet spot was there. I actually noted it in my mind when I first crossed my yard to get to Susan's. But I was being vain and I feel like this injury was God whacking me over the head. Thanks, I get it now. No more thinking I'm hot stuff because as soon as that thought crossed my mind, WHAM!
Sunday night I watched Phantom of the Opera. I borrowed the DVD from Leanna. It was a movie I have wanted to see for a long time, but never had the chance. Well, my pity party for myself afforded me just the opportunity. So I watched this very intense musical consuming two batches of popcorn, one that I tried unsuccessfully to season with propel water flavoring. It was worth a shot. What if you could make berry flavored popcorn? I had to try, right? Anyway, the movie finished and I decided my knee was not doing well. In fact, it was very yellow now and continued to produce yellow fluid. I will spare you the details. I decided to take a shower and scrub it is clean. That was probably the best thing I had done up to that point in wound management. The polysporin was good, but quite useless in the face of the crazy bacteria and pathogens you find in Africa. I read for a long time on Sunday night and got up dreading what I would find in regards to my knee on Monday morning.
Monday I would have probably laid in bed feeling sorry for myself all morning, but I had a meeting with Pam so I pulled myself together, bandaged up my knee and went to work. The meeting with Pam was great. I found some information that I think will be very helpful for her. It was fun to be the go to water person :) Something I would like to continue to gain a reputation for… I went home for lunch around 1:00, but before that I did some online research and figured out the yellow slough on my wound was not good. When I went home I carefully and mercilessly scrubbed it off. The pain was bearable only because I imagined it was helping to make this horrible mistake go away.
I ate my lunch, read and then slept until 4:45. I'm not kidding. I don't know what was wrong with me besides the fact I had a profusely running wound on my knee and was about as low spirited as they get. I didn't want to see anybody or talk to anybody. Whenever I did see someone they would ask me why I was limping and I didn't want to have to explain to them the problem. In addition, my relationship with the French language has moved from a love-hate to a dislike-hate relationship. The only reason why I got up at 4:45 was because my house guy came in to clean. GRrrr… It was fine though, I went to the nurses station to have her help me out. She looked at it, rubbed some Betadine on it, not very gently at that. I believe as I was walking out I was comparing her to the spawn of satan… I may be being a little dramatic here, but fine.
Monday night I did bring myself to work on my experiment report paper a bit, but then succumbed to continuing my wallowing by watching more Hannah Montana. The marathon was only interrupted by Susan coming over to partake of the left over ice cream I had been saving for a night she was free. After the ice cream I pulled myself away from the TV and made myself do something constructive. I decided to draw something. But what? Oh that infamous question which stumps even the best of the best artists. I let my mind wander and settled on drawing the candle and candlestick holder which I displayed on my table. It was a good choice. I also read for a long time. I am proud of those few good things which came out of Monday. In fact, in retrospect it was quite a good day. All I can remember though is my infernal injury and the anguish it was causing me. FYI I depend on my bike and my ability to walk for everything. I have no car and therefore if I can't easily walk then riding my bike is out of the question and I am stranded, not to mention I have a long list of errands I need to run including food shopping, buying my ticket to Ghana, getting visa pictures, getting my visa, I also had to miss two tennis lessons and haven't really worked out since Friday. Are you tracking with me?
Tuesday, again I had a meeting scheduled in the morning. This is really the trick for me. I have to something to get up for. Living alone doesn't help the whole up and at 'em in the morning thing. Then again, living with a random housemate doesn't seem to help either. I miss Cassy and Ruby and colonial breakfast! I was supposed to go with Nicolas to the ceramic workshop at 10:00. We wanted to start a dialogue about manufacturing the filters in Ouagadougou. However, I got a call from Nicolas saying the guy wasn't available and that they needed to change the visit time to 3:00. I didn't see this as a problem. I had my French lesson scheduled for 5:00 but two hours should have been plenty of time. Should have been is the operative phrase here. Anyway, that left my morning totally free. But honestly, I was pretty worthless. My knee looked about the same as it had on Sunday which in my book was not a good sign. But the nurse seemed to think it was fine. I emailed the missionary doctor I knew here and was hoping to get a response and go see him before going to the ceramics workshop. That didn't happen. Instead I ended up reading all morning. Not all was lost. I was reading the development book which I still consider researching my topic.
When 3:00 finally rolled around I went out and waited for Nicolas to come pick me up in one of his NGO vehicles. Nice. The ceramics workshop we visited was great. I mean really great. They are perfect for the filter project. They have the space, the equipment, and most importantly knowledge of clays and a knack for business. I was super pumped. The only problem was my knee was still hurting and as the clock turned to 5:15 I knew I had missed my French teacher, or more accurately he had come and waited and I didn't show up. I even left my phone in the car by accident so I couldn't send him a message. I felt really bad, but he always understands.
I got back to my office in a bit of a tizzy not knowing what to do. I was mad at myself for not going to the doctor sooner and finally tracked down his number, but it is so expensive to call people on my phone. I decided to go see the nurse one more time. She wasn't there… perfect. So I bit the bullet and called the doctor. His daughter is in my bible study and I know the family from various connections. He told me to come over to his house and he will have a look at it for me. Great! Except I am worried that walking and riding my bike will make it worse and as I mentioned before I have no car, so I ask you, how would you proceed to get to the doctor's house which is at least a mile away if not more? As I was about to start crying at my dismal situation, I ran into my boss at which point I proceeded to explain without hesitation that I had hurt my knee and needed to go to the doctor's house but had no way to get there. My boss had his driver take me. Hallelujah!
The doctor took one look and told me it was infected and I needed antibiotics. He wrote a prescription and told me to clean it twice a day with Betadine. Well, I called Leanna who agreed to pick me up and drive me home. The 2iE driver could only bring me there… In the mean time I walked 200m from the doctor's house to his clinic where I bought the antibiotics. I hadn't had time though to run back to my house before leaving my office so I didn't have enough money to pay my consultation bill which was 10000CFA ($25) and they don't take insurance… What is the point of insurance if it doesn't pay for your medical bills?! I am going to have to learn more about this twisted world of health care and taxes if I don't want to be taken for a ride at each turn in the road.
Anyway, I did thankfully have enough money with me to buy the medication so I could start it that night. The doctor did give me permission to walk normally and ride my bike if I could. It wasn't going to make it worse, which is what I needed to know. I considered walking home but a dust storm picked up and I decided instead to wait for Leanna as planned. I really appreciated her coming to get me. There were about a million and one things she needed to do and driving me around was not on that list. But she was so nice about it. She drove me home and I went in to my office and chatted with my Mom. Going to the doctor was the best choice I could have made. I'm just mad it took me so long to get to that point. Africa makes you do funny things. I didn't talk with my Mom very long and instead went home did some Abs of Steel toning, made crepes for dinner and watched Grey's Anatomy. I took the first antibiotics pill with dinner and wouldn't you know within an hour the yellow was disappearing and it skin was closing up. Talk about a turn around! Anyway, the rest of the night I read my book the Life of Pi. I actually finished it ;) It was really good. I highly highly recommend it and would love to discuss with someone who has read it! I fell happily asleep confident I had the worst of my knee problems behind me. As a note, I would like to add that left over beef stroganoff makes an excellent filling for crepes. Seriously.
Today, Wednesday, I got up and made oatmeal for breakfast. I must be the world's worst oatmeal maker because every time I make it turns out slimy yet crunchy on the inside. Not super appealing in the morning to say the least. I stopped by the nurse on the way to office since I hadn't bought Betadine yet and she had some. The big gash closed up overnight. Yay! I spent the morning reading a new paper on the ceramic filters published by a professor at UVA as well as getting the food distribution pictures online. I decided to shelve the experiment write up until I felt divinely inspired. If I try and do something like that and don't feel like it, I end up wasting my time. So I am being patient with myself. I think after the knee heals and my Ghana plans are taken care of I will be able to focus. I had a late lunch and planned for bible study. I bandaged my knee and mounted my bike. My knee is doing better, but it is not great. In an ideal world I probably should not ride my bike yet. However, I had no other option so I did it. With each pedaling motion I could imagine the cut on my knee reopening. Gross, I know. I stopped to get my visa picture taken, but it was going to be complicated so I peaced out. I also made a minor detour to buy some juice to go with Angela's banana bread we had for our snack. This week's bible study topic was Thanksgiving Psalms, specifically Psalm 118. Read it. You'll like it. You'll also recognize several of the verses from popular worship songs. After study I stopped by the bank to check my balance. It was much less than I thought it should be so I have to check with what is going on with my paychecks… Then I went to the pharmacy to get my Betadine and rode my bike through the university campus until I found the guys with the blue fabric hanging from a wooden frame who take the ID photos. It is an admittedly shady system. I paid this guy 1500CFA he took my picture, and I am supposed to come back to the same corner tomorrow morning to get my pictures. I am sure he will be there as I have used this system before, but it still just cracks me up!
I got back in time for my French lesson. Phew, if I blew him off two days in a row that would have been terrible. My knee had suffered from all my bike riding so I was a bit preoccupied but I did my best and was glad to have had the lesson. And I was able to distract him with enough random conversation that we didn't get to the part of the lesson where he reads a paragraph and I have to write what he says. After French I was going to walk to the American Language Center (ALC) to watch Susan's students have a mock presidential debate, but time was short so I rode my bike instead. It wasn't the best thing I could have done, but I survived. I should interject that the tailor who makes clothes for Susan and I has a terrible habit of showing up at the most inconvenient time, namely as I walking out the door on my somewhere and leaving late… So it was classic that he came as I was leaving for the ALC. I took the bag of clothes from him and excused myself as politely as possible. Anyway, I made it to the debate on time which was important to me. I want to be a punctual person. The debate was interesting. The participants are non-native English speakers so they struggled a bit, but it was a great experience for them to have. A bunch of Toastmaster Members showed up which was very encouraging. Susan and I walked back which was much appreciated. I made myself a hodge-podge dinner, watched some Hannah Montana and then brought myself to write this post. It has been a long night, and this is certainly a long post. Thanks for sticking with me. I knew it would be hard to readjust to life after my visit to the states, and boy was I right… I want enjoy my last month in Africa and I am sure I will, I have just hit a bump in the road which my drama queen nature has turned into a total road closure. I'll see about opening things back up tomorrow. Until then, I bid you Adieu!


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There's one struggle I constantly have with myself as a writer: whether or not I'm allowed to give myself permission to take a break.
That sentence even sounds silly. Of course I'm allowed to give myself permission. It's my own writing. Duh. But doesn't it fly in the face of all the advice we hear from various well-known writers?
Write every single day. Write at the same time every day. Find your writing routine and stick to it. Don't stop.
But a couple of months ago, I found myself overwhelmed with the approaching holidays and all that I needed to do. I promised myself I'd crochet gifts for my immediate family members and committed to crocheting items for a holiday boutique. (I'm an avid crocheter, for those of you who don't know.) That, coupled with the pressure I'd put on myself to keep up revisions on my middle grade novel, was too much to handle. I could only exhaust my creative energy in so many places.
So, I decided to put my novel in the desk drawer until I could come up for air. Plus, giving myself a considerable amount of time before looking at it again meant I could come to it with fresh eyes later.
Logical thoughts, right? My inner voice couldn't disagree more.
You're procrastinating. This novel is never going to get finished and it's your fault. How can you call yourself a writer if you don't write every day of the week?
Even today, when I know that decision was the best for me at the time, I still take digs at myself for taking such a long break. It feels illegal.
I think you writers can relate. We're often too hard on ourselves. But isn't that also why we keep coming back to it? Isn't that why many writers have produced great works that readers will always cherish? Because they never lower the bar for themselves?
I think it comes down to failure for me. If I'm not working on my craft, then I'm not a writer. But failure to write for a short period of time does not mean I'm failing. I'm letting the engine cool before I rev things up with more power than ever.
So, after a much needed hiatus, I'm back on the blog and ready to continue my writing journey. And hoping and wishing that I can learn to cut myself more slack in the future.
Wishing you all happy writing and revising this year. Bring on the writing adventures, 2017!

subset: commoncrawl


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Web & Digital Design
Website Design Trends
Gone are the days of templated, stale websites.
Trend 1: Support of Retina Displays
With the introduction of a new iPad line, as well as new tablet entries from Windows and Google, display quality is improving at a rapid pace. This higher density of pixels allows for designers to create eye-popping sites, utilize breathtaking pictures and create stunning backgrounds and transitions.
Trend 2: Unique Typography
Gone are the days of websites utilizing the same fonts across the board. Thanks to the introduction and use of various technologies, more and more sites are featuring their own unique font families. These allow for a seamless user experience, where words and images can tell a story together, rather than seem like completely separate thoughts.
Trend 3: Flat Sites
Is the world's obsession with 3D websites is officially over? Tomorrow's designs will emphasize beautifully crafted flat images, which look sleek and modern on any device. Look no further than Windows 8 or iOS 8 to see just how popular these stunningly simple designs are becoming.
Trend 4: Responsive Design
Desktop computers are no longer dominating our web-browsing experience. With tablet and smartphone use on a steep incline, sites must react to the changing size limitations. Enter responsive design, which allows sites to change their ratios, information and orientation to fit nearly any size window. This means a smooth, engaging experience, no matter where the user may be.
To learn more about responsive web design, and if it's great for you contact us or check out our mobile web design services section.
Trend 5: Infographics & Shareable Content
User-generated content continues to grow across the web and in response; sites are making it easier and easier for users to distribute their information—from attention grabbing infographics that turn data and statistics into colorful stories, to social tabs that allow for one-click sharing to Facebook and Twitter. Rather than create a site that acts as an island, we will see a rise in sites that act as a hub, where users begin an experience before branching it out to their own networks.
Trend 6: Parallax Scrolling
Just what is it? It's the redistribution of background images and content, based on fixed points in the scroll bar, in order to create a seamless, functional experience for users. Not sure what that means? Perhaps an example is in order. These overlapping pages, which change as a user scrolls, turn any ordinary website into an extraordinarily interactive story. Not only is it beautiful, but it also allows for a plethora of content to be presented, without the addition of endless buttons and menus.
Is your site in need of a personality upgrade this year? With so many available options, there's no longer a rational excuse in downplaying or ignoring your web presence. As a top California Web Design Company on DesignRush, Baunfire takes a thoughtful approach to contemporary design, which can make all the difference in your company's ability to compete for traffic, users and most of all, fans.


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By Phil Boeyen, ShareChat Business News Editor
Tuesday 12th September 2000
|Text too small?
The company says a substantial factor in the loss was the cost of drilling the Hochstetter prospect earlier this year.
The year to June result compares with a $1.436 million net profit last year. Sales revenue increased to $17.5 million against last year's $14.6 million.
Despite the deficit, the company says all three of its producing fields were profitable and cash positive during the year, with Ngatoro generating a $3.7 million profit after depreciation and amortisation.
Similarly the Western Australian fields of Tubbridgi and Chervil provided a $1.8 million dollar profit after depreciation and amortisation.
NZOG says a recently completed re-evaluation of seismic over the Ngatoro field is expected to lead to the drilling of an infill well this year, aimed at increasing reserves and production rates.
It says there is also further evaluation of the Tui and Hector prospects underway, and preliminary well planning has been carried out over the onshore Opito prospect.
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Clearly I'm getting old, there is a buzzword that many of today's youth use to describe their daily modus-operandi. This word grated with me the first time I heard it and has continued to as its use increased – that word is 'hustling'.
I would surmise the term most probably entered the vernacular via some hoodie wearing 'guru' at an overpriced 'how to be an entrepreneur' seminar. I understand the implied modern context being: To have the courage, confidence, self belief, and self-determination to continually work at, and to explore any and all opportunities to achieve what you want in life. Though more traditionally us 'older folks' tend to understand the term to mean you were a fraudster or con-artist.


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College Park, MD
Cindy, along with Molly Steinwald, Director of Science Education with Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden and Thelma Redick, Director of Conservation Education and Outreach at Wildlife Habitat Council will offer ways to connect children with nature, even when it shows up in unexpected places. Workshop attendees will be invited to take their newfound knowledge and explore the Hollin Meadows parking lot to find their elusive quarry – NATURE. If you are planning to attend the symposium this year, please join our session, and bring your imagination!


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Noticing and Honoring Your Darkside
The dark side of our being is an element most are not comfortable with. It contains thoughts and feelings that we may not quite understand. It's unpleasant and suppressed because an exposition of what's buried beneath may frighten us and others. Negative feelings, pain, and suffering are deemed as brokenness in our society. To be broken means there is something to fix.
But, there is nothing to fix. This is all a hoax.
The goal of a constant state of happiness is not as it seems. The girl you envy on Instagram with the perfect body, job, partner and lifestyle struggles with her dark side as you struggle with yours. We all cast a shadow that we cannot escape from, so why do we continue to try and camouflage pain and grief with a lackluster smile?
We lose touch with our essence when we stifle parts of our being. Rather than embracing the vulnerability that makes us all human, we wear a mask that shuts out others and ourselves from fully coping and cultivating a full life. True happiness comes with acceptance of who you are, and it's important to recognize that without the balance of sadness, anger, or grief, we would not know "happy". Or, it would not be as wonderful as it truly is when we feel it. There is a necessity for integration of the two sides in order to fully appreciate and be present in either.
When we look at happiness as a goal, we're defining it as a destination and as if there is a specific prescription in which we must follow in order to achieve happiness. However, there isn't one set way to be happy, and as we go through life what makes us happy is going to adopt and change. What is constant is the ebb and flow of emotion, so being able to accommodate your mind and body when emotions arise will allow you to move closer towards contentment.
How To Embrace Your Darkside
By sitting with our emotions and granting them permission to run their course, we are telling our dark side, "you are here, you are worthy, and I respect you." You move away from resistance and towards release. Doing so, you are creating an awareness of what you're feeling and can respond rationally. On the other hand, if you suppress what you're feeling, over time you begin wearing your body and mind down. This can take the form of tension, chronic pain, depression, and other physical or mental disorders.
When you feel yourself creeping towards your low, take time for yourself to practice self-care. This could be in the form of meditation, a bath, or even a walk in your neighborhood. The me-time is essential to flood your mind and clear it in a swoop. It's key to let emotions come up as they want to and see them through. If you start crying, don't try and stop yourself. Let it all out and don't ever feel as if what you're doing isn't "normal." Be honest with yourself and the rest will follow. It may not be easy, but over time your system of handling pain will mature and the dark won't be quite as dark as it once was.
Honoring The Journey
Allowing your authentic self to shine can be daunting to others just as it is daunting to you. Your frequency is shifting and those in your current circle may not understand. They've known, as you've known, the goal of happiness. Your honest approach to emotion may make them uncomfortable, and that's okay. Know that the path of embracing and accepting your dark side is one that you must travel and your people will find their way one day.
Our path of enlightenment, spirituality, or whatever you'd like to call it, cannot simply be filled with peace, love, and joy. It takes vulnerability, tears, and honesty. The balance of our two feet that help us walk our path hold happiness and pain, and when we can honor and respect both ends of the spectrum, we can curate a fulfilled life of authenticity.


text: However the frank reality is that given the pressures of the modern medical career we often do not pick up on the verbal or non-verbal cues that our patients are giving us. — New study shows doctors miss many chances to show compassion - Bedside Manner - HealthTalk Compassion is often listed as a core value of Catholic Healthcare Institutions. The study cited for this article was done at a VA hospital. I wonder what would happen if the same study was done in a faith-based hospital? More importantly, how can mission leaders (and other administrators) nurture cultures of compassion in our institutions? Michael Miller, Jr.October 6, 2008 Facebook0 Twitter LinkedIn0 Tumblr


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Finding Meridian Ch. 09byMeridian13©
Hi Everyone,
Sorry for the delay. I ran into technical difficulties. I wanted to thank DDSmith81 for editing and review! Much appreciated.
Trinity awoke wondering why she was sleeping in an apron and housecoat. Flashes of last night were going through her head but it did not add up. She looked over to see a bottle of sleeping pills on the nightstand. She saw the empty liquor glass. Shit! Shit! Shit!
Trinity quickly dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen. Everyone except Meridian was eating breakfast. Drake was the first to speak, "Good morning! Would you like a cookie sunshine?" He dangled it in front of her until she took it. "As for your other creations, I took the liberty of making a fake website to advertise your display in the living room."
Everyone started laughing as Trinity muttered obscenities under her breath and walked into the other room. "What the hell is this? Please tell me I didn't do this."
"You sure as hell did sunshine. Now do you want the good and bad news?" Drake was thoroughly enjoying taunting Trinity. "It turns out the website I made with your obscenely creative decorations has been receiving an amazing amount of traffic. You have hit a rare fetish market. You can thank me for not putting the site or anything in your name. I made you an alias for the website." Drake started to chuckle before telling her what it was, "It seems the owner and designer of the site, Cookie Sunshine, yes that would be you, has been offered jobs to do numerous porn holiday sets."
Trinity started staring at the holiday decorations and the obscene arrangements when she started to laugh. "I'm never going to live this one down will I? Thanks for not putting the website in my name. Was that the good or bad news?"
Alex chuckled at her, "You are correct my sweetly obscene sister. Eat your Cookie Sunshine and we'll give you the bad news."
Trinity was not paying attention as she bit into it. She rushed to the trashcan to spit it out. "Who the hell made this? What the hell is in this? My tongue needs a shave!"
Drake started laughing, "That's the bad news sunshine. You will not be the next Mrs. Fields. If I were not already dead that gross thing you called a cookie would have killed me last night. I do not see much of a profit in selling your crack cookies. But smile, your holiday porn website looks like it will be a major moneymaker. Did I mention we have pictures from last night?"
Trinity growled at him. Alex began to speak, "Back in your corners children. Next we get to go over plans for training Meridian."
"Trinity, I figured we would work with Meridian on her talents today." Alex was finishing eating toast between talking. "We need to discuss if we share 100 percent of our talents with each other or if we need to keep some stuff hidden for the upcoming plan. Marcus, how is Meridian doing?"
"She's sleeping, I left her in bed. I have no problem with us sharing 100 percent. I'm assuming there's a little bit more you have to tell us."
Alex gave Marcus a look of dread, "There is a lot more to share. I am trying to decide if sharing the prophecy will change the future. There is so much more for us to go over. There is more I need to know from Meridian. We have a lot to discuss and decide. The game plan has been decided but there are many details to be hashed out."
Meridian was still shaking her head at having another premonition of the funeral, her funeral. Death was on its way. It wouldn't be much longer now. Visions of funerals still cut her to the core. She had never managed to evade a premonition. Then she sensed the discussion of full disclosure and prophecies.
She saw her sisters as she walked down the staircase when they said the same thing at the same time, "Prophecies tend to breed fear and destruction; their meanings distorted throughout the ages."
"Obviously the talking in unison has begun. Can I just say it's kind of creepy?" Connor was staring at Trinity as he began to speak again, "You alone go from funny to creepy in under 60 seconds."
"Shut up Connor or I'll make you eat a cookie!" Trinity taunted Connor.
"Be nice Trinity or I'll post your nearly nude June Cleaver photos online," Drake taunted her.
Alex looked at Marcus, "Marcus, are you ready for full disclosure on both parts? We would know our strengths and weaknesses."
"I believe it's instrumental to pull this plan off."
"I have to ask Meridian a question first. Who is Jamison? I saw him in your dream and you said his name before slamming the door in my face. It may be a mental door but it's still rude." Alex was staring at Meridian waiting for an answer.
"Jamison is a freelance agent now, former government agent out for the highest bidder. He wants me dead." The expression on Meridian's face was one of complete disregard.
Alex's face contorted, "I want to know the rest of it. I saw how he looked at you during the brief moment of the vision before the door shut. It's more than freelance to him."
"We should discuss this in private." Meridian was worried about the judgment they would pace on her.
"No, this is what full disclosure is." Alex gave her a stubborn searing look.
"Fine, we had a very brief relationship. My job came before him and we fought at the end of the relationship. Connor, the job always came first. It was not the reason you were hurt. I had him burned and that was one of the reasons he had to go rogue and do freelance."
She was hoping Connor wouldn't go on the offensive and try to insinuate disloyalty. The possibility of her being disloyal to Connor? Ha! She's the one who cut Jamison's face in rage when she found out he had taken Connor. The timing of the event was impeccable. She was riding him Jamison and had a vision mid orgasm of him having Connor tortured hit. Her eyes had instantly changed to storm gray as she fell on his chest. She nibbled on his neck as she slipped the knife from under her pillow and without a thought cut him. That was one time in her life when she let herself go totally on rage.
Connor looked at Meridian. His gaze could not hide the anger. "But you found enough time to fuck around with him. So tell me, would you have been on time if you would not have been sleeping with Jamison? Would you have kept me from getting hurt and tortured? I almost died on that damn mission and you were busy fucking Jamison?"
"Connor, please try to understand. I was given instructions to get close to him. I was not late due to Jamison. I was late because our commander attacked me."
The fight was still so vivid in her head. After she had cut Jamison their commander had come in and the two had attacked her. It was a close fight and they were taunting her on how they would rape her before killing her.
"He was the one selling us out. Please do not be mad at me. I always put you first." Meridian was trying to keep her focus on not getting upset.
"I don't know if I can believe that, not after you let him touch you. What should I have expected?" Connor gave a harsh condescending laugh. "You were damaged goods from day one." Connor pushed his chair out from the table. Every glass on the table exploded and objects around the room were shaking.
Meridian was cut to the core. After all the years working together she finally got together the courage to tell what happened in the one horrid foster home and he threw it in her face. She walked up to Connor and slapped him. "How could you? Well even damaged I saved your ass many times. So go the fuck home!"
Meridian looked over at Marcus and noticed he looked highly agitated. "How many people did you sleep with because of your government job or is that just something you do? You obviously fooled around with me while engaged. And you wonder why Ken cheated on you?" Even as he said the words he regretted them.
Meridian was so full of rage, anger, and hurt. Her attempt to calm herself was not working. "What can I say? I am already judged a whore, damaged goods and a slut completely unworthy of love and trust. Alex, can you have Tarrin set their flight up and get the guys home. Drake and Logan please have a nice flight. I will not be here to see you leave. I can't stay in here any longer!" Objects around the room vibrated, glass was exploding and things flew around the room until slamming into walls and falling to the floor. Meridian went upstairs to her room and started pulling clothes out of the closet to change.
Marcus stood at the door ready to speak when Meridian yelled at him from the bathroom, "Go away, GO HOME!" She ripped the IV out and wrapped it in a bandage and gauze. Marcus was ready to speak when she turned around, stared at him and in a deep evil voice said, "Go Away!" The door slammed shut without her being near it and locked. Marcus went to push it open and could not get it to budge.
Alex walked upstairs to see what was happening and caught her yelling at him to go away and the door fly shut. "Marcus, let her cool off."
After a half hour, Alex went to check on Meridian. She knocked, "Its Alex can I come in?"
"Yes," Meridian said. She was packing a bag.
"Don't leave; give them time to realize the mistake they made." Alex gave Meridian a hug.
"I've got to get out of here for a while. I need to just get away." Meridian was hiding her hurt and rage. Things around the room started to shake and the house began to shake.
Alex pulled a set of keys out of her pocket. "Bike clothing is in the closet. Here are the keys. Go for a drive." She gave her a hug. "They didn't mean what they said."
"They did. How can I ever be worthy of love? After that foster home where I was raped? I am damaged goods. At least I know it now before I get any more involved. What can I say? I should have remembered 'everyone dies or leaves'." Trinity had been standing outside the door and heard the conversation. The house felt as if it was shaking.
"YOU ARE NOT DAMAGED GOODS. You are not responsible for being raped. I will not let you accept responsibility for that. Now go let off some steam. Trinity's friend has a race track. Remember, Ryan is harmless but will hit on you." Alex smiled.
"I think I need that."
Alex looked at her, "Honey, we all need that. Worship me damn it! Call me your queen." Alex smirked, "Sorry I was thinking of the pool boy!"
The house stopped shaking and Meridian started changing clothing. Alex began to talk, "Taking a drive helps me when I'm upset. The keys for the other two bikes are numbered on the wall but I figured you would want to ride that one. Here is a number. He knows you're coming and you can race on his track."
Meridian almost started to laugh, "You know me so well despite all these years we've been separated. Weird."
Alex gave her an evil grin, "The weird is just beginning. We all race and probably have the same traits. Go race for a while and then we have to work on practicing."
"Practicing what?"
"We each have a hidden gift. I can tell what yours is but I am not unleashing it here. I will explain when you come back. Then the weird can begin. The world as you know it is about to disappear."
"My world has disappeared, I'm glad to see you in the new one." Meridian hugged Alex and went down the stairs to the garage.
Marcus had come out of his room long enough to see her leave. He walked over to Alex. "Is she coming back?"
"When she's ready. She needs to cool off and so do you." Without giving him a chance to respond, she went down the stairs and outback.
Marcus knocked on Connor's door. "How many people did she sleep with for her job?" Marcus was still fuming with jealousy.
Connor looked up at Marcus with regret shaking his head, "I shouldn't have said it. It was wrong of me to accuse her of that. He is the only person I knew of her sleeping with associated to the job. I was angry about the whole thing. I still am but it was wrong for me to suggest what I did. Be mad at me Marcus not her. She was attached to one agent during her years of work and I turned into some jealous ass. I accused her of shit that was not her fault. She was my partner so another agent being with her bothers me. I just hope she will forgive me. Shit, I called her damaged goods. She might never forgive me. She confessed her deepest darkest secret and I throw it in her face in front of others." Connor rested his head in his hands. "I should go apologize."
Marcus looked at him, "She left on the motorcycle." Drake knocked on the door and Logan followed him into the room. Just before he was going to shut it, Trinity walked in. Alex stood at the doorway. Trinity glared at Marcus and Connor. Alex was the first to speak, "Can everyone leave for her sisters to talk with Marcus and Connor?"
Trinity looked at them, "No, when Alex says the first of this we need you to keep Marcus from killing Connor. You want full disclosure, we'll give full disclosure." Sweet loving Trinity turned into a force of nature. She made tornadoes look tame. Her voice sharp and scary. She tilted her head to the right, "Now Connor explain it to me? What made you betray her trust? Throw something so horrid in her face twisting the facts to hurt her?"
"I'm sorry, I got so angry. I have been seeing her slip away from me. I guess I always wanted her as mine but first it was Ken and now Marcus so I…I used it against her. I'm an asshole." Connor put his head in his hands.
Trinity looked at Logan and Drake. She walked up to them. Her voice became melodic and hypnotizing. "You will hold Marcus back so he doesn't hurt Connor. Tell me yes if you understand."
Both chimed in, "Yes."
Alex stood back like the judge letting Trinity be prosecutor. "Now Connor, why did you call her damaged goods? Why should you feel guilty about that? Before you answer; Drake and Logan hold Marcus back."
"I was the first person she shared that she left her foster home at 16 because as a virgin her stepfather raped her. He hurt her so bad, she was hospitalized for a week. She was told she could never have children due to it. She slipped in during the middle of the night, packed and never went back. She always felt like damaged goods and I always told her I'd never tell anyone or throw it in her face, until today."
Marcus flew into a rage and it was taking everything for Logan and Drake to hold him back.
Trinity walked up in front of him. "Trinity, move out of the way!"
She began speaking hypnotically, "You will find you cannot move, you can talk but you cannot move."
Drake looked at her and asked, "So how many times have you used that one me?"
Trinity walked up to him, as he was able to remove his hands from Marcus. Her accent changed to British, "It is none of your concern until we explain our...hum…talents? Yes, talents. Now, I have never used it to disgrace you or in a derogatory way." She ran her hands up his chest straightening his collar and whispering in his ear, "Be a good boy and maybe you I'll play with you to make up for it." She gave an evil smile and then it vanished as she turned. "We need to make sure you never underestimate us. Connor your behavior is inexcusable."
"Marcus your jealousy has got to tone down. She has been severely victimized and doesn't need anymore."
Alex walked forward. Her attitude was reserved, conservative and purely business. She grabbed a chair pulling it in front of her straddling it. "Connor, you were very lucky today. Meridian is just learning her powers, inherently learning and losing control of our emotions becomes extremely dangerous. We have had time to learn ours. Understand this clearly, we expect you to do WHATEVER you need to in order to apologize when she comes back. Also understand, we will BURN YOU DOWN if you ever do that again." She motioned to Trinity.
Trinity twirled her hands emptying a silver bowl on the floor without any regard. She then artistically stacked many items from around the room in the bowl with the final piece being a chair balancing on odds and ends from around the room. It resembled a magic trick, the chair looked liked it was levitating.
Trinity changed her accent, "Gather round boys and girls to watch the amazing the magnificent Alexandria."
Alex spoke first, "Turn order to chaos."
Trinity spoke the next phrase, "Burn flames to earth."
Alex said the end of the spell, "Take these items and make them dirt."
The entire stack caught fire and burned in record time into dirt in the bowl.
Alex walked up, "Fix what you've done to her; you have to get her trust back."
Alex turned and left. Trinity looked at Marcus and in a hypnotic voice said, "Are you going to go after Connor if I let you lose?"
"I'm going to hit him but I won't kill him."
Trinity glanced at Logan and Drake. "Seems my job here is done, you might want to make sure he doesn't get too carried away." Trinity set Marcus loose and left.
Afterwards, Trinity and Alex met in the library. "Damn they can fight. You sure he won't kill him?"
"Pretty sure," Trinity smiled and laughed. "Connor will hurt but won't die."
"Champagne love?" Alex made exaggerated moves to serve the champagne.
"Why yes, I think I shall. Will we be called harlots for drinking so early?" Trinity made a fake worried face.
"Why surely not, I am sure it is happy hour somewhere in the world. In addition, I am sure Ryan will hit on our dear Meridian. I'm sure it will help put things in perspective for Connor and Marcus."
Trinity giggled knowing that Ryan was a vampire and he had a habit of kissing the girls. "They all think we're naive. And Ryan is one hot piece of eye candy."
Trinity looked at Alex, "Ryan could make a woman want to plant her feet on the ceiling and ignore the world for weeks!"
Trinity gave an evil smile and smirked.
Both laughed. Alex looked at Trinity, "How do the vampire men handle jealousy?"
Logan walked into the room. "I don't know if you can call it handling. I have never seen so much stomping and brooding in my life. It's like teen testosterone rage."
Alex then wrinkled her eyebrows, "Do they get better at it as they get older?"
Drake walked in waving for Alex to pour them drinks and then answered, "No, honestly, I think we get worse. You wait so long for your mate then you turn into a complete moron."
They all made faces at him. "Marcus is behind me isn't he?"
Marcus grunted and sat down as Alex handed him a drink, "Yep, we get even more irrational. Wisdom comes with age but it does not make us rational."
Trinity looked at Marcus, "Have you and Connor shook hands and agreed to be friends again?"
"Yes, but he's still got to apologize and get Meridian to accept it."
"Oh yeah, if you guys ever do shit like that again I'll lock both of you in cages and feed you my crack cookies! Now you guys need to discuss if you stay or leave, you have an hour we've got stuff to do and find us when you decide."
Marcus took care of business. He returned emails, calls, and outstanding business. The entire time he wondered if he burnt down any chance of being with Meridian.
His mind was focused on her. He could not focus on work. He was angry and upset. The very thought of letting her go made him clench his jaw. He thought of someone else touching her. He remembered sucking on her pierced clit, her coming while he thrust his fingers in and out, and kissing his girl while he slid his hard shaft into her. Damn it! He hated the thought of another man licking and sucking on her clit. She was his! He should not care this much. There were rumors of vampires finding mates, irrational and illogical but drawn. The longer she was gone the worse it became.
He had to get out of the house. He found Alex in the library.
"I need to run out for a while."
Alex simply tossed him car keys. "Garage is in the basement. Hit the button and the car will flash."


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visit africa like a royal
If you're up early today to watch the Royal Wedding, you might have heard, as part of the color commentary, that Harry and Meghan's third date was a safari to Botswana, where they slept under the stars. If you've not yet been to Africa, you might not realize how incredibly romantic it can be. Apparently, they slept under the stars!
Well, Botswana is a fabulous destination for any traveler who wants to experience Africa. It's got amazing, varied ecosystems for safaris--from the Kalahari Desert to the Okavango Delta to Chobe National Park--you can have a variety of safari experiences in the same trip. And, since it's so close to Victoria Falls, it's easy to build that into your trip, as well.
Last year, we sent clients on a fantastic itinerary from one of our preferred travel providers. They had a great time, so if you're interested, here's the run-down!
Day 1 Arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa
Welcome to South Africa! Check in to your hotel for the night.
Day 2 Johannesburg–Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana
Today, fly to the CENTRAL KALAHARI GAME RESERVE (via Maun), the largest game reserve in southern Africa, to start your safari adventure. The Kalahari is a desert climate with a strong population of permanent game, including gemsbok, springbok, cheetah, and leopard. During the summer rains, between December and April, the desert comes alive, and vast numbers of plains game migrate to the area to feed on the short grasses. Enjoy an AFTERNOON GAME DRIVE, keeping a lookout for the rare brown hyena and the famed black-maned Kalahari lion.
Day 3 Central Kalahari
Explore the area further during your MORNING GAME DRIVE. This afternoon, enjoy a short GAME DRIVE and a GUIDED WALK with SAN BUSHMEN to learn about their fascinating culture, survival and hunting skills, and their vast knowledge of the desert's animal and plant life.
Day 4 Central Kalahari–Okavango Delta
Today, fly to the famed OKAVANGO DELTA. This vast area features various ecosystems—wetlands, mopane forest, floodplains, and dry savannah woodland, making it ideal for game viewing. After settling in, embark on an AFTERNOON GAME ACTIVITY.
Day 5 Okavango
Enjoy MORNING & AFTERNOON GAME ACTIVITIES each day. Spot cheetah, hyena, impala, Cape buffalo, and more. If you are lucky, you might even see the reclusive leopard.
Day 6 Okavango
Enjoy MORNING & AFTERNOON GAME ACTIVITIES each day. Spot cheetah, hyena, impala, Cape buffalo, and more. If you are lucky, you might even see the reclusive leopard.
Day 7 Okavango–Chobe National Park Area
Today, fly to CHOBE NATIONAL PARK, featuring some of the greatest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. Partake in an AFTERNOON GAME ACTIVITY before settling in for the evening.
Day 8 Chobe Area
Explore this stunning land on MORNING & AFTERNOON GAME ACTIVITIES. You may see giraffe, lion, lechwe, and more. Also watch for the huge herds of elephant, which are said to be the largest elephants in the world.
Day 9 Chobe Area–Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
A PRIVATE TRANSFER by road brings you to VICTORIA FALLS. Check in to your hotel and get settled. This evening, a CRUISE on the Zambezi River affords you a great opportunity to photograph wildlife and a spectacular Africa sunset.
Day 10 Victoria Falls
Today, visit mighty Victoria Falls for an awe-inspiring experience. Enjoy a PRIVATE GUIDED WALK, where you will learn the history of the falls and hear fascinating details about the surrounding flora and fauna. The remainder of the day is at your leisure.
Day 11 Victoria Falls–Johannesburg–Homebound Flight
Your vacation ends with a flight back to Johannesburg to connect with your homebound flight. Book homebound flights after 5:30 pm.
So, what do you think? Want to visit Bostwana like Harry and Meghan? We can plan that for you. Just let us know!
Want to take an incredible trip? Huckleberry Travel can put together the trip of a lifetime that includes tons of unique experiences you might otherwise miss. Contact us for more information about our travel consultation services.


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(2006, starring Gabrielle Anwar, Louis Ferreira, and Forest Whitaker)
The Marsh combines the well-worn "blocked writer rents immense creepy old house in the country for peace and quiet but the house is haunted" trope with some modern twists and film-making tricks that save it from being too predictable. The Marsh is only 90 minutes long, so the story doesn't drag. Look away to check your Twitter timeline and you'll miss something creepy. The producers relied heavily on the type of ghost effects we've come to expect in horror movies since the American remakes of Ju-on and Ring set new standards for scary. In fact, several scenes seem almost to have been lifted from The Ring, particularly the scene where Claire goes to Philip Manville's farm to ask him what happened to his son.
The writer in The Marsh is a young woman, and she's not an alcoholic novelist like male authors in similar movies usually are. She writes and illustrates children's books. She also has terrifying partial memories that seem to come alive when she moves into the old house. The child ghost in the house looks like the main character in her book. She has two potential love interests. Typical to the formula, one becomes a suspect in the mystery she's trying to solve. One is the editor of the local paper, the other is a cynical paranormal investigator, and the town is apparently entirely populated by eccentric locals. At times the story is almost too precious, but the rare female author character and the two men interested in her and/or the goings on at the house and the small town's history keep the film interesting.
You'll see shades of The Haunting in Connecticut and Stir of Echoes in The Marsh. It's worth a first look (with the lights out, of course) for the jump-scares, and a second, closer viewing to fully understand the story.


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January 17, 2018


text: Jin Youming 金酉鸣 (born in Hangzhou in 1981) is a freelance photographer, curator, and co-founder of DESE Space & Fototime (得色影汇). He has been working to integrate and expand contemporary photography and art, while reflecting on the relationship between man, society and environment. His series Transient Sites (临时风景) questions the notion of impermanence by recording temporary sites in Chinese metropolises. For Jin: "Construction and dismantling, rise and fall are repeated every day like a TV series. Like the monuments created and destroyed by human beings, those sites appeared because of prosperity and soon became obsolete."


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Veggies in Julycomments (3) July 22nd, 2009 in Gallery
As it turns out we installed our vegetable garden in the wrong spot this year. Too much shade means small fruits and veggies and very slow progress. Not to mention, it's been an unseasonably rainy summer here in Connecticut and the extra water and lack of sun hasn't been any help.
The plants I bought at Tomatomania are doing much better than those planted from seed.
We're keeping our fingers crossed for a fruitful August!
More Information: My own design
posted in: Gallery, tomatoes, beans, acho chiles
Comments (3)
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Bedside Step
Make it easier getting in to bed with our Bedside Step with Handle. Customize the look with options including your choice of wood and finish to match your décor. The term "Amish Furniture" brings to mind not only beautiful craftsmanship, but also solid wood and heirloom quality. But not all Amish furniture is the same. At Herron's, we have been forging relationships with our Amish builders for more than 20 years- choosing only the cream of the crop, the best of the best, to sell to our customers. This ensures you decades to enjoy your new addition to your home.
- Additional information
Additional information
|13.25 × 16 × 12 in


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An invite-only event for active & accredited investors, Demo Day is a private viewing of our most recent accelerator startups before they graduate. The format is a pitch followed by a couple minutes of Q&A. Attendees will hear from the startups, meet the founders, and network with other top-tier investors & press.
NOTE: You must be an accredited investor under SEC rules to attend Demo Day.
Demo Day will be on September 6th, 2016 at the 1st Floor Auditorium at 395 Page Mill Road in Palo Alto. Apply here for an invitation to attend.


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The morning started off with dancing in the kitchen with my gals to some soul music, and I thought how easy it is to have fun with them, we have to do this more, and especially on dark winter mornings. Put your hair in a knot and dance! This album was the chosen one this time.
Plans for today are laundry, hoovering, computer work, walking the dog, sorting out the rubbish, shopping, picking up girls, pancakes. Pretty glamorous!
Wishing you all a good one!


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Bungalow Bay PTY LTD (trading as Bungalow Bay Koala Village) (ABN: 28 707 986 024) respect the importance of protecting your privacy.
We understand that you care about the collection, use, disclosure and handling (Processing) of your personal information and we value your trust in allowing us to do this in a careful and sensible manner.
This Privacy Policy describes how Bungalow Bay Koala Village Processes your personal information. By visiting our website, our hostel or otherwise interacting with us, you agree to us Processing your personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
We will update this Privacy Policy when our information handling practices change, or when required. Any revised Privacy Policy will take effect when it is published on our website and your continued use of our website or services will constitute your agreement to those changes. Please note that any websites that may be linked to our website are subject to their own privacy policy.
Information we collect
"Personal information" or "personal data" is any information about you, from which you can be identified. Our Processing of your personal information will depend on our relationship with you, the circumstances of collection and the types of products and services you request from us. We may collect additional personal information from you from time to time.
We may collect personal information in the following circumstances:
Directly from you – When you make or manage bookings for accommodation directly with us, check-in at our hostel, stay at our accommodation, respond to offers from us and our partners, make an enquiry, provide feedback or comments, use the wi-fi at our premises or otherwise interact with us or provide your personal information to us.
Personal information may include your name, address, email address, date of birth, gender, telephone number, photo, nationality, YHA or HI membership number, reservation details, information particular to your stay such as dates, duration and location, and any other specific requirements you nominate to tell us.
Indirectly from the primary guest – When a primary guest makes or manages bookings for accommodation on your behalf, we may collect your name, address, email address, date of birth, gender, telephone number, nationality and YHA or HI membership number. Where you give us personal information on behalf of someone else, you confirm that you have provided them with the information set out in this Privacy Policy and they have not objected to our handling, use and disclosure of their personal information.
Indirectly from third parties – There may be occasions when we may collect personal information about you from publicly available sources and third parties including travel agents or partners you make booking accommodations through. Where we receive personal information about you from third parties, we require that the third party has provided you with the information set out in this Privacy Policy, has collected and disclosed that information with your knowledge or consent and ensure you have not objected to our Processing of your personal information.
Information about minors – We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from any person we know is under the age of 17. We do not allow any persons under the age of 17 to be the primary guest and book accommodation. As part of the booking and check-in process, we may collect personal information about persons under the age of 17 indirectly from parents or other adults they travel with who are the primary guest. Where we collect personal information about persons under the age of 17 in any other circumstances, we may seek or require consent from a parent or guardian where we consider this is appropriate.
Sensitive information – We generally do not ask for, or collect sensitive information about you, unless you provide it to us voluntarily. For example, when you make a booking or interact with one of our staff, you may voluntarily provide sensitive information such as racial or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, health information or religious or philosophical beliefs. If you do provide sensitive information to us voluntarily, you consent to us collecting this information.
What if you don't want to give us your information:
You don't have to give us all the information we request. You may engage with us anonymously or using a pseudonym if it is feasible to do so. For example, if you wish to give feedback without requiring a response from us, you won't need to provide a full name or email address.
However, if you do not provide us with some or all of the personal information required, we may not be able to provide you with the products and services or information you request, to the requested standard or at all, and you may also miss out on receiving valuable information about us. For example, we may collect some of your personal information on check-in to verify your identity and record the information. As you will stay in a shared environment with other guests it is important that we know who is in our hostel at all times to ensure maximum safety and security for all guests. If you do not provide photo ID upon check-in you will not be able to stay with us.
How we use cookies and similar technologies
We collect general information from your device when you use our website. This might include your geo-location, IP address, device identifier, the browser and operating system you are using, and details of website that IP address has come from, the pages accessed on our website and the next website visited.
We (and authorised service providers) also use cookies and tools, such as web beacons and web server logs to monitor visitor traffic and actions on our website. Cookies are small data files placed on your computer that allows our website to "remember you" when you return to our website. These cookies and tools are not used to record personal information but are only used to identify generic preferences and behavioural patterns of how our website and online resources are being used.
We may use and combine information collected using cookies and tools with information we already have about you to maintain, secure and improve our website, enhance your experience when using our website, display and deliver relevant information and advertising (including direct marketing and targeted ads on third party websites and social media sites) and understand the effectiveness of our marketing and advertising.
If you want to prevent cookies being used, you can change your browser settings to disable cookies or to notify you when you receive a new cookie. However, you may not be able to access all or parts of our website, or you may experience reduced functionality when accessing certain. Third party service providers may have their own privacy policies in relation to their cookies and tools.
Why do we process your information?
We Process your personal information so that we can perform our functions and activities such as to provide you accommodation and booking services and to evaluate and improve our services. We will not use or disclose sensitive information without your consent.
We may Process your personal information for the following purposes:
We must be able to identify the legal basis on which we Process your information. These are if Processing is:
Direct marketing
Bungalow Bay Koala Village and/or YHA may, from time to time, send direct marketing communications to you about our activities and services and other material that we consider you would find interesting or useful. If you do not wish to receive such direct marketing communications, you can always opt out. If you are receiving email communications from us, there will be a mechanism to opt out contained in each of those emails. If you subscribe to YHA email newsletters or have created a YHA profile, you can also log in to the YHA website and change your preferences on the email preferences page. To stop receiving other communications from us, you can contact us via any of the channels listed below.
If you choose to opt out of all direct marketing communications, please note that we may still contact you for other reasonable purposes, including information that we are legally required to send, information about your reservation, or policies and information regarding the use, rights, benefits or obligations of users of our services.
How we share your information
We may disclose your personal information to third parties in accordance with the applicable law and for the purposes listed above, including:
We may also disclose personal information to third parties such as our contractors, suppliers, agents and service providers who help us deliver, administer and support our functions and activities, including:
International disclosures
Some of the third parties we disclose your personal information to may be based or have servers located overseas in various countries, including USA and the UK. Before we disclose your information to our overseas recipients, we will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your information is only Processed for authorised purposes and adequately protected using the appropriate technical, organisational, contractual or other lawful means. You consent to us disclosing your personal information to overseas recipients on this basis.
Non-Australian resident data
Bungalow Bay Koala Village is based in Australia and our servers are located in Australia. If you are located outside of Australia, please be aware that any information you provide to us, will be transferred from your country of origin to Australia. Your decision to provide such information to us or allow us to collect such information constitutes your consent to this information transfer.
How we hold your information and keep it secure
Bungalow Bay Koala Village takes the security of your personal information seriously and we implement a range of technical, administrative and physical measures to safeguard your information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure, including electronic and physical access restrictions to files containing personal information and ensuring encryption of personal information sent and received.
We do not store your credit card information.
We require that all third parties, to whom we disclose personal information or who may have access to personal information, to have appropriate controls to protect your personal information in a manner that is consistent with our Privacy Policy, including in relation to security and confidentiality. They must only Process your personal information for authorised purposes.
How long do we keep your personal information?
Your personal information will be retained for as long is reasonably necessary for the purposes listed above or as required by applicable law If we no longer need your personal information, we will ensure that it is either destroyed or de-identified. We may keep the de-identified form of your personal information for statistical purposes without time limits, to the extent permitted by law.
Your rights of access and correction of your information
It is important to us that the information we hold about you is up-to-date, accurate and complete, and we will try to confirm your details through our communications with you and promptly add updated or new personal information to existing records when we are advised. If you believe we are holding information about you that is inaccurate, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading, you can ask us to correct it, or delete it altogether.
If you would like to access your personal information, or ask us to update, correct or delete it, you can do so by contacting us in writing and verifying your identity. We will do our best to respond to your request within 30 days.
We will only refuse access in exceptional circumstances, and if this is the case, we will advise you of our reasons for doing so.
We may charge a fee for searching for, and providing access to, your information on a per request basis.
Rights of residents of the European Economic Area and the UK
Under the applicable data protection law, residents of the European Economic Area and the UK have additional rights.
In accordance with applicable data protection law:
If you wish to exercise any of your rights, you can do so by contacting us in writing and verifying your identity. We will do our best to respond to your request within 30 days.
We will only refuse your request in exceptional circumstances and in accordance with the applicable law, and if this is the case, we will advise you of our reasons for doing so.
In some countries, we may charge a fee for searching for, and providing you with details of the information we hold about you.
We take your complaints seriously and we will attempt to resolve any issues quickly and fairly. If you think that an act or practice of Bungalow Bay Koala Village has interfered with your privacy in relation to your personal information, you can contact us using the details below.
If we cannot resolve your complaint to a satisfactory standard, you are entitled to lodge your complaint:
Our contact details
If you require any further information or have any questions or comments about this Privacy Policy or if you wish to exercise your rights or make a complaint about our handling of that information, please contact our Privacy Officer in writing as follows:
Email: email@example.com
Post (Australia):
Privacy Officer
40 Horseshoe Bay Road
Horseshoe Bay, QLD 4819
Last Updated 29 June 2018


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How to Choose a Mouth Guard
Mouth Guard Procedure
Everyone's teeth are different. A dentist will take an impression of your teeth and order a mouth guard that fits your mouth and protects your particular teeth. The result is a mouth guard that fits snugly over your teeth and gums and is comfortable to wear. They stay in the mouth better and protect the teeth better. These custom mouth guards also help treat painful illnesses such as TMD and TMJ.
Some companies offer a mouth guard that is made from a plastic material. You boil the mouth guard and then put the softened mouth guard in your mouth and try to shape it with your finger or tongue. Though this is better than a stock mouth guard it is still not as good as a custom mouth guard made by your dentist.
Generally, a mouth guard is only made for the top teeth. But, if you have braces or other devices, the dentist may prescribe a guard for the lower teeth as well.
Night Guard
People who grind their teeth at night may be given a night guard. The night guard is worn when we sleep to protect the teeth.
Contact Us
If you are in the need for a mouth guard, please contact our office today.


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Ecstatic Breath Work
~~Deep Therapeutic Breathwork and Sacred Sound ~~
With Nikol Angel & Randy Goetz
Contribution: $30
*** registration is required as space is limited***
Register at: https://nikolangel.as.me/EcstaticBreath
Experience a dynamic release, remembering your True Nature and what it is to be ALIVE within Universal Oneness. Deepen your connection to the Divine, and for a moment Trust that everything in your life is ALL RIGHT.
Intentional breath work increases Vital Energy, Qi and Prana amplifying whole body circulation, and vibrational energy flow. The Breath helps us with psycho-emotional transitions in all cycles of life: birth, growth, surrender, death and rebirth. The Breath also guides the physical body in easing pain, clearing congestion and inflammation, easing anxiety and releasing past trauma. When accompanied with sacred sound, music, and song this practice becomes transformational.
We gather together at the time of the Dark Moon to remember how to be still, to take time to reflect, to nourish and to restore. We honor this time to pause and to integrate our prior experiences. We remain still in the Dark so we can move freely into the Light.
This is a Soul invigorating practice of Breathwork, Meditation, Visual Journey, and slow, Grace-full movements accompanied by live music.
Breathe. Open. Awaken.


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The Realtor's Toolkit
Two Simple Design Services that Add Value + Minimize Hassle
With over a decade of experience specializing in Manhattan & Brooklyn spaces, Principal Designer Samantha Gore knows what makes or breaks a space. With a deep understanding of New York Real Estate (she comes from a family of Realtors) and an impeccable design sensibility, she effortlessly transforms properties to best serve you and your clients.
A well-designed space is one that continually welcomes you home. With that in mind, we offer two specialized Interior Design services custom tailored to the needs of Real Estate Professionals.
At Samantha Gore Interiors + Design we take a streamlined, collaborative approach to getting your property ready to sell. Thoughtful guidance, conscientious editing, and our elevated aesthetic can maximize the visual and emotional impact of your clients' space while minimizing the cost and awkward conversations that often come with conventional staging (let us deal with that wagon wheel coffee table).
Our Listing Consultations are ideal for:
Refining bold personal styles with a designer's practiced eye.
Re-establishing objectivity with "fresh eyes" in a long-lived-in space.
Emotionally gentle yet ruthlessly effective editing.
Reviewing existing furniture and optimizing layouts.
Advising + executing simple updates to palettes, finishes, and soft goods.
We offer our Listing Design Consultations for a one-time fee of $498.
[email protected] : : 917.912.5641
Congratulations! Your clients have closed on their dream space. Instead of sending them the same old cheese basket, go the extra mile and gift them a custom design consultation to make their new spot truly feel like home. This is relationship building at its absolute finest.
Whether your client uses their consultation as a tool to lay framework for a more comprehensive design project (hello, built-ins!) or they simply want to get a fresh start in their new digs, our move-in consultations are ideal for:
Finding and defining personal style + style goals.
Refining your clients' ideas for their new space with a designer's practiced eye.
Reviewing furniture choices and optimizing layouts.
Choosing paint colors and palettes that work together.
Balancing scope and budget for potential project execution based on our extensive industry experience.
We offer our Move-In Design Consultations for a one-time fee of $598. Gift notifications are available electronically (via email) or we can provide you with a gorgeous printed card.
[email protected] : : 917.912.5641
I hugely enjoyed working with Samantha and it's no overstatement to say that fixing my space has really had a positive impact on my well-being.
Aaron G
New York City


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CIFE attempts to address fundamental research questions, which typically ask
- What is a theory, based on fundamental principles, which can be used to describe and explain or predict elements of (sustainable) design, construction and operations?
- What is a method to operationalize a new theory using socially embedded computer methods?
- What is the power and generality of the theory and innovative method?
Translational Research at CIFE
The goal of CIFE research is transformation: to improve project (virtual) design and construction in ways that dramatically and measurably contribute to exceptionally reliable engineering and management processes to design, construct and operate sustainable facilities.
The method we use is "translation" to integrate:
- Baseline observations of practice – typically the projects of CIFE member organizations.
- Theory that integrates fundamentals of engineering, basic sciences, social and political sciences.
- Results of field intervention studies – on member jobs.
CIFE translational research gives practitioners the opportunity to identify, explore, develop and apply new methods that have great potential value … with low risk and (relatively) low cost.
Cultural Values
We try to explicitly recognize and practice cultural values and remain:
- Open and transparent: to members, colleagues and students;
- Directed toward big ideas: believable breakthrough vision for members and students;
- Evidence-based: seek and respect measured results to precise questions;
- Systematic: drive from Mission - strategy - objectives - plans - actions - reflection -updates
- Focused: serve our members, students and the university; help the industry as we can.