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John and Rob created by Mitch
NOTE: some of Leela and Kim's dialogue from the last chapter was mixed. This is what was intended:
Leela: Your standards were less superficial than mine, and if Ron is anything like Fry, I'd say we both did well in the end.
Kim: I'm still a little surprised, though. He was always flirting with hotties.
Leela: And you're surprised he likes you?
Kim: I'm as vain as the next girl, but I have a bubble butt and my legs are a little thick…
Leela: Ah-HEM!
Kim: Oh, sorry, Captain.
Sorry for any confusion.
About a half-hour after the situation began, Leela was on the bridge using the Planet Express ship's instruments to determine exactly what kind of field they were trapped in. So far, she found very little information and even less of it was useful. Whatever this field was made of, it was related to the time-manipulating chronotrons that she and her friends had run into a couple of times before, but not similar enough to help them find a way out of it.
Just as Leela was thinking about the situation, looking out the window, she saw another ship appearing in front of them. It was of an unknown design, but it reminded Leela of the ship Kim and Ron were found on, only this one was much larger and a little more phallic. She was about to hail it when a message came over their receiver.
"This is the New Frontier to the…Planetary Express ship?" said a female voice over the speakers.
"Actually, it's 'Planet Express'," corrected Leela, "who are you?"
"Well, I just said my ship's name," said the voice, "I'm Joan. I'm asking permission to come aboard."
Leela was suspicious. Still, this mystery woman coming aboard was less risky than Leela having her own crew boarding the strange ship. From the looks of things, it was this Joan who was taking a risk in trusting them. Then again, despite getting their name wrong, she felt like Joan knew something that she wasn't telling…
"Okay," said Leela, "you can access our air lock and we'll meet you there."
Eventually, everyone gathered at the airlock. Leela already knew that the mystery ship had attached itself to it (and she threatened Bender so he wouldn't make a dirty joke about it in front of the kids). The outer door was already opened and the inner door soon opened and a woman entered the Planet Express ship.
She was fairly tall and had short blond hair, coming into points near her ears. Her green eyes were a noticeable feature as was her relaxed, but alert, stance. Her face carrying feminine prettiness and overall cuteness, almost made her seem younger. She wore an oversized black shirt and green cargo pants. There was some sort of small metal-plated animal sitting on her shoulder. She didn't seem dangerous, but she also seemed to have more to her than met the eye. She walked to her hosts. On further inspection, the animal on her shoulder was a cybernetic naked mole rat.
Another naked mole rat fan, thought Leela, at least Ron will have more company.
The woman paced in front of the lot of them like a drill instructor. She seemed curious of them, but not at all surprised to see a one-eyed mutant, a robot, two teens, and another mole rat on board.
Hmmm, thought Leela, Fry's the only one here whose appearance wouldn't raise attention.
"Wow," said the woman, "I finally get to see you all in the flesh, er, no offence, Bender."
"If none's given than none's taken," said Bender, but then he was surprised, "how'd you know my name?"
"The same way I know the lot of you. You're sort of all minor celebrities to my family," she said as she paused in front of Kim and Ron, "especially you two."
The woman then walked to Leela with a professional expression on her face.
"Captain Leela," she explained, "I'm Joan. Let's stick with just my first name. I know your situation: you're in a rift between times: where past, present, and future can meet."
"So," asked Leela, "where, or when, are you from?"
"Earth, from a time after Kim and Ron and long before your time."
"You mean," said a surprised Kim, "you're from…?"
"The kids' future, your past," explained Joan casually to Leela, "the 'present', relatively speaking. Oh, and this little guy is Rob. He can help fix our ships and we have the parts."
"Uh-huh," the mole rat chirped in a voice a little more coherent than Rufus.
"'Our ships'?" asked Leela, "you're stuck here too?"
"Those are the breaks. I got access of the details from this little adventure from Kim and Ron's return. That's how I know about you all, but I'm stuck as well. My ship is powered by a modified version of the pan-dimensional vortex inducer from Kim's time, but it's not working right. Plus, my computers went down, although I thought they were prepared for this. I guess you can't get in here without getting stuck, but I was prepared in case of that. I've got parts we'll need."
She looked at them all, noticing their mix of suspicion and puzzlement.
"Look," she said, "I suspect you don't quite trust me" the stranger who knows your situation and all. But, you can check my gear. Plus, I'm outnumbered, unarmed, and facing Kim Possible, Turanga Leela, and more! So, I'm at your mercy."
"Why am I 'and more'?" asked Fry.
"Same here," said Ron, "I have a name! It's not as well known as Kim's, but…"
"Well, I'm suspicious," interrupted Leela, wanting to focus on the situation, "but you're probably our only hope right now. Guys, what do you think?"
"Something tells me we should trust her," said Kim.
"If Kim says we trust her," said Ron, "I say we trust her!"
"And if Leela says we should give her a chance," said Fry, "I say we give her a chance!"
"Boy," said Bender, "you two are whipped!"
"[Whi-cha!]" agreed Rufus, making his best whip-crack impression.
"Now," said Joan, "we may need any available power source, so Kim's trilithium power cell, the PE ship's TV, and anything that can be spared will be an option."
Bender was worried.
Somewhere, deep in the bowels of the New Frontier, a figure emerged from a hidden compartment. The first step in her revenge had been taken. Soon, this being would make her presence known…if she could find her way out of this confusing area!
The next several hours had Leela, Rufus, and Rob alternating on fixing the dark matter engine. Joan was working on the pan-dimensional vortex inducer and hoped to lend some of its power to Kim's ship. Leela was turning in for the night during Rob's shift. Originally, she wouldn't have trusted this job to hair-less rodents, but so far, they were proving themselves, even working faster than she would have. They would have to do something about Kim and Joan's ships when they were done, though. Joan had explained that the longer they stayed, the more strain they put on the space-time continuum and Leela already knew from Professor Farnsworth that space and time were quite vulnerable. Still running on Earth time, the lighting on the ship had switched to "night". Leela headed to her room for a deserved night of sleep. After changing into her nightshirt, she sat on her bed, but still felt tense. They left Nibbler, her pet, on Earth, so she was feeling lonely. Just then, she heard a knock on the door. She already had an idea who it was.
Ron was in a guest room on the Planet Express ship, feeling both bored and lonely. He and Kim were going to hit that fancy restaurant they had started to go to every other week.
Now, he was in bed wearing oversized pajamas he borrowed from Fry. Rufus was sleeping on a dresser.
Then, the automatic door slid open. Ron saw a somewhat surprised Kim wearing Leela's pajamas, which were too big for her. Also, her hair was a bit messy.
She was so beautiful.
"Oh, sorry Ron," she said, sounding embarrassed, "I was going to knock. You got a minute?"
"Sure, K.P. Uh, is this about the three bucks I owe you?"
Kim walked over to his bed and sat close to him.
"You know I've been paying for dinner since that time," responded Kim, "I feel like I'm the one who owes you."
"For what?"
"For sticking with me, even when I'm difficult. I know I'm a tough leader at times. And…I'm being regretful about my past boyfriends. You were still there even when…"
"Kim, it's okay. It took me a while to get a good look at my own feelings for you. I mean, we're teenagers, and busy ones, and…"
Kim put a finger on Ron's lips.
"It's okay, Ron," she said softly, "I get it and I'm being too hard on myself. I'm just saying we still have lot of catching up to do. I do feel sort of tense, though."
This gave Ron an idea.
"Worry not, K.P. The Ron-man knows what you need."
"Crazy night, huh?" asked Fry, sitting on the edge of Leela's bed.
"Yeah," said Leela, "it's good to see the kids again, but I wish we could move the ships."
"I don't know," said Fry, "we could have some quality time together. We've been so busy. That's why I'm here…"
"Fry, are you going to ask if we can…?"
"No, you know I've learned to be patient with that," said Fry, "well, to a point. What I mean is, we get to have some time alone. That is, if you're okay with that."
"Well," said Leela, "there's one thing you could do to make me feel better…"
"Oh, Ron…Ron. Yes, yes! Ohhh!"
Kim weakly smiled. Ron really knew his stuff with this, although she knew some girls with misplaced doubts.
He sure knew how to massage a foot.
It must have been his big hands.
"Ron," Kim cooed, "you're the best."
"I know," said Ron slyly, "but my own feet are sore too. Think you can return the favor?"
Kim was a bit annoyed by that, but she loved him too much to turn him down.
"Sure," she said seductively, "just to show you how it's done."
Turanga Leela was in heaven.
Fry was giving Leela a backrub. She was partially afraid that he would use this to lead up to something but, so far, he was being considerate. She could tell he was enjoying it, though. She relaxed, planning to return the favor at some point.
"Hmmm, Fry…have you seen Bender lately?"
"From time to time," answered Fry, "I think he's hanging with Ron's mole rat during his breaks. I saw them access Joan's ship earlier. Why do you ask?"
"I starting to be concerned about Bender," said Leela, "we've been so busy with each other lately, I'm worried that he may be feeling left out."
"Why won't you let him help fix the engine?"
"First, we don't need to bend the engine. Second, he wouldn't be interested. Rufus has been a great help, though. We're getting closer to escaping all the time."
On the New Frontier, Bender walked through the hallway from the engine room with Rufus on his shoulder. Joan and Rob were taking over Rufus' shift, so the naked mole rat had a break.
"Lonely, huh, naked flesh bag?" Bender asked the mole rat.
"[Uh-huh]," admitted Rufus in his chirps, sounding sad.
"Yeah," said Bender, "with those other organ sacks playing 'lip-on-lip' with each other, acting on the urges of millions of years of evolution, we're on the sidelines. Alone together and forgotten among friends."
"[Not that bad.]"
"Oh, don't tell me that it's not that bad. It's that bad. Honest! And it's just us! Was Fry ever alone? Was Leela? Was Ron? Was Kim?"
"Whatever! Those are just details! And to top it off, every power source is on Joan's list of materials. I'm a power source! I'm just a spare battery to them! Let's show 'em! Let's duck out for a while!"
"Uh-huh! This is a big ship; there must be a lot of places we can go! They won't need us."
He then saw one of the New Frontier's computer terminals and got an idea.
"Hmmm. I guess the computers are back online. I could hack into the main computer from here, but I'll need some help. You in, skin bag?"
Rufus shrugged.
"[I guess.]"
"Good. Now, no time for foreplay. I'll just interface with it and…"
As Bender said this, he attached a cord from the terminal to his head and vibrated violently. Everything was a blur until he found himself stopping suddenly. He then saw Rufus standing proudly on the terminal. A map of the ship was now on the screen.
"So," said a recovering Bender, "you unhooked me and found a feature to put the ship's specs on the screen?"
"I guess that works too. Now, let's see…here's a spot. I don't think they'd find us there."
"[I dunno…]"
"Oh, come on, it won't be for long! Joan will forget that silly order! And they'll miss us! Don't you wanna teach 'em that we're more than just sidekicks?"
"[I guess…]"
"Atta boy!"
The mystery figure was starting to notice it was no longer just her, Joan, and the cyber-mole rat on the New Frontier. There were others and soon she would face them.
She pitied them in a way.
To be continued...


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Events Calendar
Today is the last day of the 2018 season to play golf at Minnesota National
Saturday, October 13, 2018
June 24 ·
Great course and great people managing and working there. Played this in some iffy weather and still was well worth the trip. A must on your golf destination list.
August 6 ·
Beautiful course, great food, cold drinks, and wonderful staff to accommodate all of your needs!
September 16 ·
Fun course. Great layout. Challenging, but playable!
September 16 ·
An awesome and scenic course from tee to green...
There are multiple tee boxes for all level of players and the greens will put the putter to the test...
A fantastic experience and will definitely play this course again...

subset: commoncrawl


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Captains log: supplemental
As we continue on through the Kalium galaxy, another system has been sabotaged. This time, luckily, it was just a trivial system the lighting system. For about a half an hour we were stumbling around the bridge, the only lighting being that from the consoles. It took engineering an hour to bring the entire system back online.
The other day
I was continuing to search through the list of crewmembers on the
ship, and I found something interesting. We have a changeling on
board, one who has been with the Federation for six years now. He
has agreed to help us with our mission. Heres the plan: the
day that the power went out, two more crewmen went missing. So, I
fired my phaser on all who had been informed about the
changelings, and all but one were clear. So, I had our new
changeling friend merge with this other changeling to try to
gather some information about them. Unfortunately, it killed the
other changeling. How ever, our changeling has found out when and
where the next meeting of the remaining seventeen changelings is
to take place
in holodeck four in one hour. He now prepares
to show up in the other changelings natural humanoid form.
Lieutenant, jr. grade Adora entered the holodeck to find himself standing in some office room with a large table in the room. The table had twenty chairs situated around it.
Ah, Kita, I see you have arrived early, some one said. Adora looked over to his left to see another changeling standing by the door. For once, the changeling said in a menacing tone of voice.
Adora was in the form of a female changeling. He simply nodded to the other changeling, guessing that the name of the changeling he was impersonating was called Kita. Take a seat, the changeling said as he motioned to a chair. Adora followed his hand and then sat down in the chair.
After about four minutes, every one had arrived, save the three that Captain Harriman had discovered.
All right, the changeling who had greeted Adora began. Lets get started. Obviously we need to continue to move up in the ranks. Unfortunately, Captain Harriman has discovered our existence on this ship, but that wont stop us.
Now, tomorrow at fourteen hundred hours, we will sabotage one of the primary fusion reactors. While two of us will do that, the rest will attempt to move up in the ranks again.
Which fusion reactor, Adora asked.
The leader looked at him and replied, Reactor number one.
thats all for this meeting. You two, he pointed at
two changelings opposite of Adora. Remain here and we will
discuss it. The rest of you, dismissed.
Suggestions, Captain Chris Harriman asked his chief of security, Lieutenant Ada Marquet.
Every one was sitting in the briefing room in their assigned seats, save the two missing senior officers.
Easy, Ada replied. We set up phaser rifles in the area and then have holo emitters put in the room to hide the phaser rifles. When the two enter in far enough, the emitters will go off line and the phasers will fire, causing them to become their puddle of silver liquid. Have them motion sensitive so that they shoot if they try to form into their human forms again or try to leave.
All right, make it so, Chris ordered. He looked over to the ships first officer, Commander Sarah Caft, and ordered, Go with Ada to set it up. I want you two to monitor the reactor tomorrow. He looked back at Ada. Also have a security team near by in the event that something goes wrong.
Both nodded and stood. They began discussing what they would do as they were about to leave the room. Oh, Ada, Chris stopped them. Also make sure any officers we have informed are cautious tomorrow. Warn each of them, or have some one warn them.
Ada nodded as they left the room. Chris looked at the remaining crewmembers. All that remained were the ships science officer, Lieutenant Thomas Halkrat, and the ships medical officer, Commander Kara Trieal, as well as the changeling who had helped them.
This room seems empty now, Chris commented. Kara, Tom, find a way to scan the ship to see if we cant find a way to detect the changelings. Concentrate your scans on the fusion reactor tomorrow, and after we capture the two, scan them over personally. Also Tom, see if you can find an uninhabited M class planet that is suitable enough to leave our guests. I dont want to kill them unless absolutely necessary.
Both nodded and left, and all that remained was Adora. Once again Adora, thanks for your help.
No problem sir, Adora replied.
Dismissed, Chris ordered.
As Adora left, Chris wondered when this ship might see some peace and quiet again. After they traveled through that area of space with no planets, just stars, things had gotten rough again.
He sat there for a couple of minutes before Sarah said over the comm system, Captain to the bridge.
As Chris headed for the doors leading to the bridge, the ship suddenly shook violently, throwing Chris to the floor. The alert klaxon sounded as the lights on the bulkheads turned red.
Chris tried to stand up as the ship continued to lurch this way and that. He ran out onto the bridge and immediately sat down in the command chair. Amazingly, every one was at their stations instead of sprawled across the floor.
Report, Chris ordered as he looked at the readings on his console.
We thought we detected a cloaked ship so we all stayed to check it out, Sarah began. Suddenly, a Vorkalai heavy battle ship decloaked and began to fire on us!
Star Trek Dragon graphics and written
material copyright Jon Wasik. Star Trek is a registered


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Briarwood Christian High (BCHS) Class of 1973 Alumni List
Help us Update the Briarwood Christian High 1973 Class List by adding any names missing from the list below:
Registered Alumni
1973 Class List
Know Briarwood Christian High Class of 1973 graduates that are NOT on this List? Help us Update the 1973 Class List by adding missing names.
The Exorcist was the top movie in theaters in 1973, with a lifetime gross of over $204,868,002. Among TV shows in 1973, All in the Family was the most popular of the year.
Hit Songs From 1973
You're So VainCarly Simon
Natural HighBloodstone
Drift AwayDobie Gray
Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy RoseTony Orlando and Dawn
Ramblin' ManAllman Brothers
Hocus PocusFocus
Why Can't We Live TogetherTimmy Thomas
Jambalaya (On The Bayou)Blue Ridge Rangers
Half BreedCher
Stir It UpJohnny Nash
Hit Movies From 1973
Reunions and Briarwood Christian High School News
More 1973 alumni from Briarwood Christian HS have posted profiles on Classmates.com®. Click here to register for free at Classmates.com® and view other 1973 alumni.
Missing some friends from Briarwood Christian that graduated with you in 1973? Check the list below that shows the Briarwood Christian class of '73.
You can share memories of those activities that you were involved with at Briarwood Christian HS and you can view other alumni and read what other former students have posted about the time they spent at Briarwood Christian.


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Strong alcohols and spirits have to come out safely and securely through the distillation method not to mention using top quality yeast is important for effective ethanol distillation. Ethanol or alcohol as it is more commonly known is available in the form of various alcohol based drinks and is also available as biofuel under the category of bioethanol, which can be utilized to power vehicles.
While most gentle drinks and wines usually use the brewing method to make alcoholic beverages with low strength levels, stronger alcohols and spirits like whiskey, brandy, vodka, etc are required to pass through the distillation procedure in order to enable them with really high proof levels. Again, whilst more gentle alcohols use more gentle variations of the saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, stronger alcohols need more powerful variants that may survive in sturdy alcohols without perishing, which in turn could result in stuck fermentation.
There are specific forms of fermenting yeasts available in the market such as wine yeast, whisky yeast, vodka yeast, etc that help in specific ethanol production. Nonetheless, these types of yeasts too can be purchased in different qualities and substandard yeasts may well contain higher quantities of wild yeast or other unwanted organisms which could result in a substandard and dangerous product. Professional distillers as well as home-distillers require a kind of super yeast that is enriched with crucial micro nutrients that could provide stronger alcohol strength even at increased temperatures.
Standard yeast may just engage in sugar fermentation at temperatures between 15 and 27 degrees Celsius. They will either become too lethargic or even perish when the temperatures crosses these limits. However, supercharged turbo variants of ordinary yeast which have been fortified with micro nutrients can be purchased in the form of turbo yeast. This turboyeast can guarantee outstanding ethanol fermentation that will provide a good base for ethanol distillation. The alcohol or even ethanol derived after utilizing turbo yeast isn't just more powerful and purer but is also higher in yield when compared with alcohol derived from standard yeasts.
The distillation process basically heats up the ethanol mix to boiling point where various elements like normal water and ethanol that have different boiling points are evaporated at different temperatures. The resultant vapors go through a condensing system in which they are cooled down back into liquefied form. However, the resultant strong alcohol or spirit is going to be outstanding only if the actual fermentation process has been completed utilizing powerful distillers yeast that delivers stronger alcohols to begin with.
Whether it be a vodka distillery, a whiskey distiller, a brandy distillery or perhaps a bio enthanol plant, the fact is that all of these units will be needing robust yeast to ensure that the fermentation process offers a high yield even against weakened mashes. This will reduce the cost of ethanol manufacturing as well as offer alcohol with much better shade, level of acidity and strength. High quality yeast will also make certain consistency in production, which experts claim can boost the brand name of the product and also the producer.
It is important that the combination that eventually ends up at the distillation plant itself is actually strong and pure by nature so as to derive better ethanol from it. Specialized distillers and home-distillers have to pick top quality yeast like turbo yeast to ensure that the ethanol distillation procedure ends up generating ethanol that surpasses their own expectations in terms of quality and quantity.


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An Introduction to Feed-in Tariffs
The Malaysian Feed-in Tariff (FiT) is certainly not the first in the world – FiT programmes which have popped up all over the world in the past few years. The basic purpose of FiT is to provide incentives for national investment in renewable energy technology. To do this FiT schemes allow and encourage smaller providers (single to double digit kilowatts), including households, to generate electricity from renewable energy that they can "feed-in" to the grid. These small-scale producers are paid a fixed price per kWh produced that is over the market price for electricity and is guaranteed for a long term (16-21 years in Malaysia, depending on the energy source). This premium price makes it more enticing for potential producers to invest in the initial outlay costs for installing the energy generation technology.
The rates that small-scale providers are offered differ depending on the form of renewable energy used: typically solar rates are higher and hydropower rates are lower, to reflect the efficiency of the technology – for example currently small hydropower generates electricity at a lower cost compared to solar photovoltaic (solar-PV) and is therefore more efficient. This evens out the playing field for the different technologies so that non-mature technologies (such as solar-PV) will continue to receive investment, instead of investors opting for mature technologies that provide a higher return for cost without subsidy. In Malaysia, rates can also be added to when the technology used achieves some ideal goals, such as being locally manufactured or assembled, or by using certain technology (see 'bonus rates' on the 'FiT dashboard' on the SEDA website).
The rates offered are also depreciated annually to reflect that over time as technology progresses, renewable electricity should get cheaper to produce. So for instance an installation of solar-PV in 2014 will receive a higher annual rate than an installation of hydropower in 2014, but a lower annual rate than an installation of solar-PV in 2013, as it is thought that the solar-PV installation in 2014 would use better, more efficient technology to create a higher electricity to cost ratio. In the Malaysian FiT programme, the annual rate for hydropower doesn't depreciate over time, as it assumes that the technology for hydropower is mature and is unlikely to become much more efficient.
The Malaysian difference
The Malaysian FiT programme follows the basic FiT structure described above but differs significantly from other programmes in that it introduces an annual quota. The quota caps the amount of electricity generation from each source of renewable energy available for the FiT scheme each year and is based on the amount of money collected from the 1% electricity bill charge (see my previous post) from the previous year.
The quota has two main purposes: the first is to ensure there is a maximum amount of money that the government pays out annually for the scheme, and the second is to control what renewable energy technologies are invested in that year, with the purpose of focusing the growth of renewable energy on proven and mature technologies in the short-term, and, once the mature technologies have reached capacity, on technologies that are currently still developing (such as solar-PV) in the long-term. This means that Malaysia won't be installing the bulk of the renewable energy technologies that are still developing until later, when they are more developed, which allows them to take advantage of research that the rest of the world have done.
The renewable energy technology available for the FiT scheme in Malaysia are: biomass; biogas; mini-hydro (not exceeding 30 MW), and Solar-PV. The Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA), who is responsible for the management of the FiT is currently still investigating whether Malaysia is suited for wind power.
To combat allegations of corruption, the allocation of the quota is based on a first come first serve basis. Applications are made by the SEDA website and the companies and individuals awarded are accessible on the website.
The obvious downside to the quota is that once the quota has been reached it is likely to disincentivise renewable energy installations. It is easy to imagine a situation where, once the quota is reached, interested parties decide to wait until the next year to implement. Once that year rolls around, the quota disappears like tickets for a popular concert but, like Glastonbury, hundreds or thousands are left without quota. It is hard to say how likely this scenario could be, however the 2013 quota for 20MW Solar-PV disappeared within an hour of it being available[1].
On the flip side, no one can blame Malaysia for being eager to avoid the problems other nations have experienced with an unprecedented large take-up of FiT, where programmes had to be hijacked to reduce rates with little warning (see my ex-colleague's take on the UK experience) or shut down altogether (e.g. Spain). It could even be argued that the UK and Spanish FiT programmes had implicit quotas which, once breached, or with the threat of being breached, caused the FiT rate to be lowered (UK) or for the programme to be frozen (Spain). Given this argument, it is unlikely that the quotas will ever disappear completely, however given time, experience and public support it is possible that the quota could rise to a level where it becomes more of a safeguard to government funds than a limit to the installation of renewable energy.


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With traders looking in awe at the ongoing flattening in the yield curve, as the 2s10s drops below 50bps...
... with the 10Y sliding to a 7 week low under 2.74% and telegraphing that unless the Fed manages a parallel shift in the curve, that Powell Fed will create a recession with just 2 more rate hikes as the curve inverts, the action again remains squarely focused on the unsecured dollar funding market, where 3M USD Libor just did something it hasn't done in 13 years.
At its 8am ET fixing, Libor increased from 2.3080% to 2.3118%, rising for the 37th straight day, and marking the longest consecutive string of advances since a 50-day streak that ended in November 2005. Libor is now up a whopping 62 bps since the end of 2017, a move that is far more acute than the shift in either Fed Fund futures or 2Y TSYs.
Additionally, and as shown on this website, the relentless blowout in the Libor-OIS spread continues to signal that conventional funding pathways remain at least partially blocked - for either technical or systemic reasons - even if overnight Libor-OIS narrowed fractionally to 59bp from 59.3bp a day earlier.
In the latest attempt to explain the move in Libor, Goldman this morning noted that the surge in the interbank lending rate has been driven by a drop in demand, or concern over a potential decline, "for short-duration assets by cash-rich companies following the passage of the tax reform legislation in December," something we have said since last October, which is also why we no longer believe this explanation is sufficient as the market will have had more than enough time to not only price the impact of tax reform, but also to take advantage of the gaping arb; furthermore, as shown in the chart below, the recent flood of T-Bill issuance - another reason widely cited for the blow out in Libor-OIS - is about to disappear.
In other words, should Libor fail to tighten in April, one can safely assume that there are additional factors involved, which are also beyond the Base Erosion Anti-Abuse Tax or BEAT considerations, proposed recently by Zoltan Pozsar, which also will have been priced in by now.
Meanwhile, another stunning inversion is being observed in the markets, where in the past week, 3-Month Libor has now also blown wide of 2Y Treasurys...
... an inversion that rarely if ever happens...
... and which suggests that one should perhaps be more focused on the Libor-10Y curve, than the steepness/inversion of the 2Y-10Y as a harbinger of the next recession.
Finally, going back to the current level of Libor, whether the reason for its sharp move is systemic or technical remains irrelevant in the context of the big picture: what is relevant as we said over a month ago, is that over $300 trillion in debt instruments which reference Libor, are now paying far more in interest than they used to, with the double whammy being the sharp spike higher, which adds to the pain from the move. Furthermore, the fact that the move wider in both Libor and Libor-OIS has been far longer than all of the so-called experts predicted, suggests that the tightening in monetary conditions is far greater than the prevailing level of the S&P suggests. Indeed, one look at the stock price of Deutsche Bank, or the blow out in bank CDS confirms this.
Which begs the question: how much more upside in Libor can banks, markets and the Fed stomach, before something snaps, and the Fed is forced to cut rates or proceed with more QE?
And, even more importantly, should Libor continue to drift wider (or accelerate) in April, which is just around the corner, something which Forward Rate Agreement say will not happen, then the entire "technical" justification for the move in Libor can be thrown out, as Wall Street is forced to admit - once again - that aside from sounding confident and wearing an expensive suit to give the impression it knows what's going on, it really has no clue what is behind the Libor (and Libor-OIS aka "interbank stress") blow out.


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Cafe Postal
Cafe Postal in St. Boniface features reclaimed Elm countertop and bulkheads...View
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14' x 4' Salvaged Manitoba live edge Oak custom boardroom table. Hand polished finish...View
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96" long x 48" wide solid Manitoba salvaged Oak table with processed edges and rustic v-grooves...View
104 1/4 long by 16"wide x 1.5" - 1.75" thick Manitoba Oak breakfast bar with natural edge...View
This table was built for a customer in North Charleston, South Carolina. The top was built from full length salvaged 200+ year old Manitoba Oak with full 14 foot lengths. Natural in colour it will represent the full beauty of Manitoba White Oak! The leg...View
6' x 10" x 6" Fir mantle reclaimed from a deconstructed grain elevator from Hamiota Manitoba...View
9 layer reclaimed Elm veneers based off an old school template.View
Manitoba Oak public benches on custom steel supports.View
Reclaimed Cedar fence cladding, Manitoba Oak public benches, & custom metal fence installation.View
Charleswood – HSC Lottery Home Bar Countertop details: 68″ x 25″ x 1/3/4″ Dark Walnut wood countertop finished with Linseed Oil with under mount sink. This was a small but fun project to be a part of. The HSC Lottery Home's always turn out so...View
Reclaimed Cedar Hydro Poles, Reclaimed Cedar Benches, Reclaimed MB Oak Decking.View
Here is a modern custom designed Ash wood staircase, with Ash wood hand railing and glass handrail. The glass was used to showcase the beautiful Ash on the sides. The reclaimed Fir timber posts complemented well with the majority of Ash detail in the house....View
The Assiniboine Park Qualico Family Centre has a hidden gem that many visitors don't know about. Its the Fire Patio. Nestled discretely in the back from all public noise it was built for the most intimate setting! We were excited to be brought on to...View
We love helping out customers who like to take on their own projects. Our customer put together this great looking IKEA kitchen and reached out to us to build/install their salvaged Manitoba Oak countertops and supply some matching shelves. We built the countertops from +200...View
Sometimes, The Moon Locations: We shot most of this at Wood Anchor (woodanchor.com/wood-anchor-furniture), a reclaimed lumber and wood products company, specializing in the design and build of inspiring wood products. The art scene was shot at an art studio located in Winnipeg's historic exchange district,...View
An Instrument of Art Shot with a GoPro Hero 3 this short clip was used during the making of "Sometimes, The Moon"vimeo.com/album/2499606/video/68797792 displaying the raw power and precision of our sawmill. This was as close as we could possibly get without sacrificing the GoPro as...View
Reclaimed MB Oak flooring, reclaimed Oak railing partition, reclaimed Elm wall cladding. All wood products salvaged from the Assiniboine Park. All wood products finished with OSMO Polyx Hardwax Oil. 2014 © Ray Chan Photo, All Rights ReservedView
The Markhor Goats get a new playground! Exhibit design of large boulders with mixed log species reclaimed onsite at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. Overall design was to build a natural setting for the Markhor Goats. 2014 © Ray Chan Photo, All Rights ReservedView
We thought this table resembled a person in a push up position with a lot of weight on its back! Built with Fir reclaimed from the old Yellow Warehouse on Main Street this table is a whopping 10 foot long by 4 foot wide. It...View
This table was actually ordered as a lovely wedding gift. The happy couple receiving this was allowed to be part of our live edge table picking process and wanted a bit of flare in the character as you can see in the photos. Specs: 8...View
This was a unique coffee table project in which the customer wanted curving live edges that would mimic the curves of their couches. With the coffee table to be nestled in between two curving couches; we split them in two so they could be moved...View
Shadows & Triangles – A Design Build This is a video short documenting the process of shipping out the Ashdown Rooftop Terrace Furniture. Shot on location from Wood Anchor's shop while loading up and at the Ashdown Warehouse in Winnipeg's Exchange District. The only way...View
Like the majority of our custom live edge projects the Rempel's came down to the Wood Anchor site to hand pick their slabs form the new kitchen renovation. Beautiful seven foot slabs were chosen to build out the Rempel's unique countertop. We retained...View
Shadows and Triangles – Ashdown Warehouse Installation Timelapse A short timelaspe for Wood Anchor's Instagram. instagram.com/woodanchor Video short by: Ray Chan Photo chanphoto.caView
The St. Norbert Farmer's Market is a fast growing and highly popular food market. With continued growth, they approached us about building unique benches that were to be placed in various areas around the market for visitors to rest on. Being a highly home...View
This is the second large table we built as a part of IDEATE Design Consulting's project for the conference room space at People Corporation . This table was a bit bigger measuring 2.5′ longer and a foot wider! For this design IDEATE Design wanted an all wood slab for...View
These two side tables were built with large reclaimed Elm stumps that we're over 24″ in diameter! The top was hand buffed smooth with a was polish. The added custom leg design was made from steel with a clear coat finish.View
This table was built for one of our friendly local business' to be used at one of their trade show booths. Specs: 8 foot x 40 inch reclaimed Ash table featuring a live edge in centre, finished with OSMO Hardwax Polyx Oil, with custom flat...View
This is a 54 inch long reclaimed Fir timber bench with natural grey weathering retains on the sides and OSMO Hardwax Polyx Oil on the top and sides. The legs are custom flat bar steel polished on the outer sides.View
This sofa-table was built with dimensions of 7'6″ x 16″ wide x 1.5″ thick x 36″ tall. The top is reclaimed Ash one live edge and constructed from 2 laminations natural in colour finished and with OSMO Hardwax Polyx Oil, with steel leg structure The let system is...View
St. Amant has built a cottage retreat as a recreational venue for developmentally disabled children. We were tasked to build the design of their new driveway signage leading up to the cottage as well as interior signage designed for recognition plaques. The driveway design consisted of a...View
This was a special project because of the building that our tables were going into, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Building. The space they reside within is CMHR's public restaurant ERA Bistro. The tables are all of reclaimed Elm with custom steel legs. Six of...View
We were commissioned to build transaction tops for the public entrance and group entrance (not shown) reception desks at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights building. The main tops were constructed with solid reclaimed Elm wood with the front section built with 1/4 Elm veneers. All...View
Happy Halloween 2014 Happy Halloween from the Wood Anchor crew! Video short by: Ray Chan Photo chanphoto.caView
Wood Anchor Christmas 2014 Greeting Happy holidays and happy New Years from the Wood Anchor crew! Its been a great 2014 and we're looking to make 2015 even better!View
This beautiful home on Home Street really showcases our work handsomely! We built and installed dark Walnut kitchen countertops in the airy kitchen. Size details Countertop 1 (with main sink) 139″ x 25″ x 1.5″ Countertop 2 (opposite of main sink) 102″ x 25″ x...View
We were excited to work on this project with Fast Signs who reached out to us to laser engrave the Jets logo on to a wood plaque. Matching a species to go with the existing decor in the Jets Premium Box Suites was a tad...View
This is a 5 foot x 4 foot reclaimed Elm dining table. It maybe small but what it lacks in size is made up in character. And there is an abundance of it! This table incorporates outer live edges as well as four on the inside...View
This is one great way to display the beauty of our Elm trees that have been removed due to Dutch Elm Disease. This debarked and cut trunk was cut to size and hand-sanded smooth with no finish for a natural feel. Details: 10 feet x 16″...View
PIC Investment Group was looking for a unique boat table for their new boardroom. What we came up with was a design that embody's a sense of mother nature. We built the table top with the natural edges within the table creating two river like streams...View
This beautiful entrance table was as an anniversary gift! Clean and simple with a plethora of Elm character the table was built from one solid piece with the legs flowing from the top piece all the way down the sides that act as the legs....View
This beautiful dining table was built from reclaimed Ash displaying its beautiful character! Details: 8′ x 4′ x 1.5″ Live edge Ash table top, custom stained, and finished with OSMO Hardwax Polyx Oil. 4″ wide x 3/8″ thick Brushed stainless steel legs with, steel structural frame....View
Happy Valentines We're really not as sad as our video suggests. Happy Valentines to all the lonley hearts and lovers out there! Video short by: Ray Chan Photo chanphoto.caView
Frescolio, a EVOO Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Tasting Bar concept in Winnipeg approached us to design and build out display shelves and their customer service area. They wanted to to embody the feeling of rustic country side charm throughout the space. Details: All olive oil &...View
This live edge table displays the beauty in our Manitoba Oak. The customer wanted lots of dramatic features with the tables natural edges all further defined by Oaks beautiful knots and grain. Details: 8′ x 40″ x 1.5″ reclaimed live edge Oak tabletop, natural colour, finished...View
This beautiful Elm cant is simplistic in its function as it is in its art form. The large cant rests on clean finished Elm legs. An elegant contrast of raw versus exposed inner beauty. Details: 7′ x 18″ x 16″ naturally weathered (5 + years)...View
This has been our most dynamic table to date pushing our capabilities and creativity in leg design to mesh with the character of our wood table tops. The balance in design was key in bringing this unique table to life. The customer requested to have elements...View
This was a cute little project we were excited to work on for local restaurant Vera Pizza. We were approached to refresh the existing space on a Vera's existing patio foot print. Small spaces that command breathing room can be difficult but we feel that...View
This reclaimed Elm extension table is a modification on our popular Modern Trestle Timber Table that we built for a recent customer. It features a customized design with a steel under structure and steel C channels that allow the two separate tops to be moved independently. Pulling...View
U.N. Luggage is a local company nestled in Winnipeg's Exchange District. This area is designated as a National Historic Site of Canada. U.N. Luggage contacted us to help with their project and because the building has heritage designation we set our vision to combine the strength of...View
A match made in the furniture heavens? We think so! We've been getting a lot of requests for dining tables with a matching bench lately. Benches are great for squeezing in more loved ones at any culinary gatherings! This customer ordered their dining table in this...View
We were approached by Dave Thomas of Ayshkum Engineering (co-designed U of M's Aboriginal Students Centre) to fabricate and co-design build a commemorative display for University of Manitoba's Faculty of Engineering ENGAP program. An important element in the concept was a wood slab which lead Dave...View
This beautiful chunky three inch thick reclaimed Fir table top matched with these white gloss legs would be at home for any New York loft space! This was custom designed for a local condo owner who loved the beauty of real wood but wanted it to...View
We've always liked how Walnut pairs with Elm. The colours are perfect together! These two pieces were purposefully designed to be a small collection. You will notice how the legs are designed the same and both are flushed to the long edge of long dimension....View
Interior Design Show 2016 The windrow table and imbue light were designed and built to showcase our studios unique and adventurous operation. These pieces of sculptural furniture are inspired by elements found in our Manitoba landscape, by the raw material of nature, and our intimate...View
Modern industrial are two words that describe this dining table and matching bench. The tabletop and bench top were built with reclaimed Elm and was treated with a custom stain. As beautiful as natural Elm is, if you're looking to add some pop in Elm staining it...View
This built-in was a small part of a project that coincided with some modern hand railing and ladders. We played around with some interesting lines through the design process. The result was this geometric abstraction design back panel (all built in reclaimed Ash) meant to draw attention...View
The other project continuing from the Geometric Built In utilizes the reclaimed Ash for sleek modern hand rails and ladders. The clean squared handrail sits on top clear coated flat bar steel all fastened to the wall with our designed steel rail brackets. Up to the...View
Five More Years Turn on the ??? Up at the crack of dawn for a little dance celebrating 5 more years of recycling Elms with our great city of Winnipeg! ⚓ ・・・ @mayorbrianbowman @wpgnow @pegtecture @546arch @archiproducts @archdaily @dezeen @designmilk @designboom @moco_loco @idstoronto @idsvancouver @interiordesignmag...View
This amazing project consisted of 3 unique tables. A dining table, small side dining table (not shown) and and side console table. This was a year long project as we utilized Oak trees from the customer residential lot. In the beginning they only wanted a live edge...View
This customer approached us to build out some unique shelving that would flank her beautiful fireplace. She wanted the language to carry over from the rest of the space which is a dramatic A-frame style with an abundance of natural light. The built-ins (left is movable...View
A great way to add curb appeal and value to your home is a custom door. Our customer had a specific vision when they came to us to build a custom exterior door. They loved the way walnut would and some visual warmth as well as...View
Part of Prairie Architecture's new space was this large staff kitchen and eating area. The firm wanted to have an inviting community table and matching benches for their staff seating area. We chose Douglas Fir as the species to match the heritage beams that were...View
Our design vision for the pieces we designed and built for Prairie Architecture's new space started with the reception desk. As the main focal point for their customers and clients when they are greeted we had to design a stately visual piece! The main feature...View
🎶Chest nuts roasting on an open fire🔥🎶 So thankful for the great year and for all your wonderful support! May your holiday season be festive and your new year be filled with happiness and good health! 🎄🎆♥⚓ #woodanchor #furnituredesign #designbuild #interiordesign #westcoast #eastcoast #winnipeg #canada...View
We were delighted when Amanda of Oh Doughnuts came to us to help build out her vision of her new specialty doughnut and coffee shop on Broadway in the heart of downtown Winnipeg! All wood areas were built with solid white local Manitoba Oak with...View
As a 4 part order through our design friends at IDEATE Design Consulting for the newly built People Corporation space, this dark stained reclaimed Elm table was ordered for the meeting area in the CEO's office room. At 8 feet in length it makes a...View
This large boardroom table was the first piece of IDEATE Design Consulting's had us build for the newly built People Corporation space. They wanted to have mixed materials for the table top design. The result was a long slab of solid wood Elm flanked by two opaque...View
A simple light with a monolithic statement! IDEATE Design Consulting's presented us a design on a light they required for a work space at People Corporation . We fabricated the main inner frame in all aluminum construction fit with 8 strips of LED lighting. We contacted our friends...View
This Imbue Light was built for a stunning cabin in the Lake of the Woods area. The home owners wanted something that was going match the ambiance of the overall design. This design is based off our show piece for the 2016 Interior Design Show...View
We were so appreciative of Oh Doughnuts re-connecting with us to work on their second location on Taylor Ave! Amanda of Oh Doughnuts loved the Oak countertops and display unit that we built for her first location and wanted to have the same warmth that...View
This beautiful staircase came together by working with the home builder Dueck Homes and the home owner. The home owner was looking for the warmth of wood but with an industrial feel and this is the design that we came up with. With all wood...View
In 2015 the Merchant Kitchen & Bar opened its doors to down town Winnipeg offering culinary flavours blending street food form Asia and Latin America. We were ecstatic to have been asked to build all of their unique table tops and main large dining table....View
This beautiful reclaimed Elm table was built for FortWhyte Alive's conference room renovation in conjunction with Monteyne Architecture Works! The long flowing grain of the Elm is representative of Winnipeg's canopy of trees and is certainly at home among the serene views FortWhyte boasts! The massive tabletop...View
This beautiful live edge Ash table now resides in a conference room in a wealth management firm in Edmonton! This purchase was order was a simple as it gets. Requirement was natural wood finish look with live edges and stainless steel legs. Done! The main...View
This table was dubbed the "Manitoba Table" because of how the rough slab resembled the Province of Manitoba's shape on a map. It was built with 4 slabs to mirror each other. Butterfly keys were added on the ends to provide add structure to...View
This table was one of the first tables we built with the center live edge in the middle while retaining the out live edges. We found the perfect piece as the center but it did not have the full length. To remedy this we butt jointed...View
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We were excited to be a part of this beautiful kitchen project even though our piece was a small component of the finished look. Our customer came to us to build and install a tall island bar as a feature piece in their kitchen reno....View
We were ecstatic to work on the Living Prairie Museum as we built this from ground up. The list was extensive starting from demolition up to completion. The more notable pieces that we enjoy building were the the work shop with sliding steel...View
We love it when our customers want to see a lot of character! Dubbed the Canyon table because of how the beautiful live edges resemble the sides of a canyon, carved from water erosion. Details: 8 x 3′ x 1.5″ Live edge Elm table, natural colour,...View
"A deep purple river joins two 14 ft live edge Winnipeg Elm slabs on this one of a kind table. The angular design of the leg offers visual qualities much like a kite in the sky. Shifting your perspective to the tables angles you...View
Our customer came to us with hopes of building their vision of a home work space suitable for themselves and their 2 growing children. The idea was to incorporate a main table and two benches. Much like a restaurant booth however the prerequisite was that...View
CMHR – ERA Bistro Table Install – Time lapse A short time lapse for Wood Anchor's Instagram. instagram.com/woodanchor Video short by: Ray Chan Photo www.chanphoto.caView
We were contacted by a business owner from Calgary to build a unique conference room table. One that had some wow factor. What we came up with was adding two flowing "rivers" of clear resin to showcase 3 Elm slab live edges. To ensure maximum...View
We're loving this outdoor oasis that our customer has created! Its the perfect setting for the live edge Oak table and matching bench they had us design and build. The warm tones of the White Bur Oak stands out in contrast with the beautiful Cedar...View
Our team was excited to hear our design submission SCATTERED SPHERES was a winner in the BENCHmark 2016 competition! The BENCHmark 2016 competition invited designers to submit proposals for the design of a permanent bench along the Bishop Grandin Trail – Winnipeg's longest multi-use trail....View
The Canada House on Trafalgar Square in London England has been undergoing a planned revitalization for the last two years. The project, expected to be completed by November 30, 2014, will renovate and refurbish Canada House and connect it to the adjacent building at 2-4 Cockspur...View
Prairie Architecture wanted a functional project table where they could lay out large drawings as well as use it as a functional spot to hold project samples. In the early stages there were thoughts of utilizing drawers however that would not work well for larger...View
"Shadows & Triangles" Here is one of our most challenging and fun projects we have done! A great challenge because of the where the space is and how we were going to get all the benches, tables, and stumps on a six story roof top...View
Prairie Architects conference room was a smaller space by comparison to the other larger areas. We used the Galt leg base on it because of the designs scale-ability to accommodate smaller sized tables as you see in the photos. Details: 98″ long x 36″ wide...View
This was the table that went out to a home in Lake of the Woods. A beautifully large table that could easily seat 14 people comfortably. The uniqueness of the table legs was a delicate balance to built and ensure that it could hold the...View
Another large piece that Prairie Architects required was a large community meeting table. This would serve as a meeting space to go over drawings between their team of designers and their clients in a larger group setting. Continuing with the Elm species we created a long...View
This table was built for a local business needing a boardroom table. Having a boardroom with a smaller footprint required a table smaller than one would expect in a boardroom setting. At 6′ x 3′ it would be perfect for most dining spaces but often our...View
Danali Clothing in Winnipeg looked to update their space with a unique revision of their cash desk and workstation table for folding and packaging their high end garments and products. This project was a collaboration of design/build with Bruce Shefrin Interior Design who designed the pieces and...View
Our designs are a product of our culture of collaboration, a process, a tool, a material or a technique. Rather than a design trickling down from designer to fabricator, our pieces are designed and built to showcase our studio's unique and adventurous operation. Like any good...View


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Amanda Rose 14kt Yellow Gold Diamond Cluster Necklace on 18" Chain
$ 749.99
Beautiful and elegant diamond round cluster necklace crafted in 14k yellow gold on an 18 inch chain. This item is made to order. Usually ships in 10-14 days.
- 18" Yellow Gold Diamond Round Cluster Necklace
- 9.85 x 10 mm.
- All of our diamond suppliers and MLG state that to the best or their/our knowledge that all of our diamonds are conflict free.
- .3 ctw of genuine diamonds


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Click the "Team Sales" button to learn how to get our best pricing!
Kwik Goal's Pro Premiere World Competition soccer goal is designed to the standards of world soccer and features an all-aluminum construction. Kwik Goal's 2B8 soccer goal includes a 3mm, 120mm mesh, white net, 3 back net posts with a ratchet system, Kwik Lock® net clips, 5 ground sleeves with caps, and a World Competition net frame. Like all Kwik Goal products, the Pro Premiere World Competition goal is backed by a lifetime guarantee.
|Kwik Goal
|Manufacturer Part #


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Howdy folks! Glad you dropped by. Let's do some catching up!
Weeks 15-17 of Dopey training included a couple hikes, our longest run yet, an attempt to liven up our short workouts a bit, a return to strength training AND one of the coolest running events I have done this year.
The beginning of week 15 found Sandy and me still on our return trip from the Plano and Mother Road races. We were in Arkansas at Hot Springs National Park (I know, not exactly on the way home).
A pretty cool place, with lots of opportunities for outdoor activity, in addition to the traditional Hot Springs activity of, well, getting into hot water! (of course, we did that too) Our 45-minute workouts on Tuesday and Thursday were both hikes, one shorter hike from our campground to town, and then a longer, more strenuous hike on the Gulpha Gorge, Dead Chief, Hot Springs Mountain, and Goat Rock trails. More on our fun in Hot Springs in a future trip recap.
Since this was a step back week, our long run was only 3 miles, so we did our myTEAM Triumph-Wings of Texas Virtual 5k for this workout. You can read more about this event in my full review.
Bring on week 16! The plan for this week was two 45-minute workouts (Tues/Thurs) and then a 7-mile walk on Saturday followed by a 17-mile run on Sunday. As we did in previous weeks, we took the opportunity to change things up a bit. Our forecast was calling for cool days on Tuesday and Wednesday, and NOT on Saturday and Sunday. If you know Texas weather, you'll know that the best course of action is to make the most of whatever small bit of relief Mother Nature gives you… which is exactly what we did! We did our long walk on Tuesday in the wonderful weather (cool and low humidity), then attempted our 17-mile run on Wednesday. Notice I said attempted.
The weather was great again, so we decided to make said attempt at Zedler Mill Park in Luling. There is a nice 1-mile loop there, which allows us to set up an aid station (my truck) for our longer runs. For the most part, our run went well but my knee started giving me trouble around mile 11. I toughed out 15.5 miles but called it at that point because my knee had pretty much given out AND I was beginning to feel some minor nausea and chills. As I mentioned in my last update, I've pretty much traced my knee issue to lack of strength training and/or sufficient stretching and have been working hard since this run to remedy that. Nausea and chills, however, are new phenomena. I hydrated and fueled as I normally do, but I did try a new fuel (Tailwind) which took the place of a couple of my regular gels from Hammer, Clif, and GU. I've been dehydrated before and usually, that just causes a little headache and maybe some weakness, but never full-on nausea. So, is this my first real bonk? Have any of you experienced something similar? If so, what did you do to keep it from happening again? I guess time will tell. I see a 20-miler coming up in a couple weeks.
Since we had already gotten most of our workouts in for the week, we were able to do the 5k Fun Run at the Haunted Half in Austin with Ashley and Kayla. We had fun, even though the event itself left a little to be desired. Read more here.
For week 17's short days we decided to try out some speed/interval work. Sandy set us up a workout based on some suggestions she found online. Here's how our plan looked:
Warm up – 5:00 minutes – Heart Rate Zone 1
Run – 25:00 minutes – Moderate Pace
Intervals (Repeat 10 times)
Run – 1:00 minute – Heart Rate Zone 4 (Threshold)
Recover – 00:30 seconds (walk or jog)
Cool down – 8:00 minutes – Heart Rate Zone 1
Our first attempt at this was cut short because the high school band was setting up marching practice on the football field, and it was just too distracting to try and run around the kids back and forth on the track. Our second attempt went much better, and it was nice to open up on some faster intervals. We both ended up with some PR's at shorter distances (400m, etc) so that was an added bonus.
We finished up week 17 on Friday as we participated in the Old Glory Relay. OGR is an awesome event and you can find out more about it here. Stay tuned to fatmanontherun for my take on the event, our team and my personal experience on the flag.
Which brings us to today and the start of week 18! I'll be back next week (from Sin City) with an update on all things Dopey. Till then – Stay Dopey, my friends!


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Silagra is a very effective analogue of Viagra that contains Sildenafil. This medicine helps men with erectile dysfunction to restore a sexual activity and have a normal life.
Silagra does not stimulate a sexual drive and does not increase a sexual arousal. The drug works if a man has a sexual desire but a sexual dysfunction prevents from having sex. Using the drug increases and maintains a capacity of the arteries in the penis. The increased blood circulation in the tissues of the penis causes a hard erection which lasts till the natural ejaculation.
The action of Silagra depends on a level of the sexual arousal. The more intensive the arousal is, the harder the erection will be. Due to this reason, Sildenafil does not help in the treatment of the symptoms of the hormonal erectile dysfunction. Libido drops because of the reduced level of testosterone, and so a stimulation does not lead to the onset of the excitement.
Product Instruction
Silagra pills are taken orally one hours before planned sexual activity. A one-time dose depends on an experience of a man and general health grounds.
If you are new to this, it is better to take 50 mg of Silagra. If you have an experience, 100 mg per day may be used. A dose does not influence on the speed of the action onset. A dilation of the arteries starts within 20 minutes, and a man will feel the blood flow to the penis in 30-40 minutes.
Only food can slow the onset of the effect. That is why, if you have decided to take a pill of Silagra, refuse from the consumption of the fatty food. It is better to take a pill on an empty stomach. If you do not have such opportunity, the interval between meals and use of the pills should be at least 2 hours.
But if you do not see the effect within an hour, do not take another dose. Some men taking Silagra for the first time may have the action of the drug in some period. It depends on an individual sensation to Sildenafil.
- Alcohol consumption is contraindicated within 8 hours after the use of the pill. Ethanol may interact with Sildenafil, so that the side effects occur
- Men with cardiovascular diseases may have discomfort during the treatment: pain in chest, high blood pressure, tachycardia. Therefore, if you have heart diseases, consult a cardiologist before the treatment
- If a man has an intensive deformation of penis, the use of Silagra may be contraindicated. A hard erection may cause an additional deformation of the tissues, so that the symptoms of the sexual disorder may grow
Overdose Symptoms
It is medically proved that an overdose may occur during three times exceeding the maximal daily dose of Silagra. In case of the overdose, the side effects become more intensive in the central nervous system and cardiovascular system: headache, dizziness, bad vision, tachycardia/arrhythmia, pain in chest, and vomiting.
In case of the intoxication with Sildenafil, an allergic reaction may happen: urticaria, allergic dermatitis, and others.


text: Track API qx.Desktop API - Developers Application Development Framework qx.Desktop API provides developers a way to build rich and interactive, desktop-like applications. . Qooxdoo is a universal JavaScript framework, and is owned and managed by 1&1, a web host company. Summary SDKs (0) Articles (1) How To (0) Sample Source Code (0) Libraries (0) Developers (0) Followers (2) Changelog (2) Summary SDKs Articles How To Sample Source Code Libraries Developers Followers Changelog Developers (0) Add Mashup


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This iron's 90 g steam boost enables you to easily remove even the most stubborn creases
The soleplate of your Philips iron is coated with a special non-stick layer for easy gliding performance on all iron-suitable garments.
This steam iron can be operated with normal tap water, and the calc clean slider makes it easy to remove any built-up scale from your iron. To maintain the performance of your Philips steam iron, you should use this scale clean function once a month when using normal tap water.
The tip of this Philips iron is precise in 3 ways: it has a pointed tip, button groove, and a sleek nose design. The triple precision tip enables you to reach even the most tricky areas, e.g. around the buttons or between the pleats.


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People of Western Europe: A landing was made this morning on the coast of France by troops of the Allied Expeditionary Force. This landing is part of the concerted United Nations' plan for the liberation of Europe, made in conjunction with our great Russian allies … I call upon all who love freedom to stand with us. Keep your faith staunch. Our arms are resolute. Together we shall achieve victory."
-Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, June 6, 1944.
In continuing my journey back to the beginnings of this thing I do, I went to Yonkers today. Work continues apace on turning the old power station into a hotel and morgue – sorry I meant mall (go here for a view as it used to be) – The Hudson River Museum has an excellent exhibit called Fantasy River. The artist is Federico Uribe and he makes all the work out of found discards. Based on my observation these include mini golf pencils and expended shells among many other items. I will write more about the exhibit in the next few days.
Today I want to write about Robert and George, two retired gentlemen who hang out at the waterfront and crab (along with a whole bunch of other fellas). Robert is married and George separated from his wife after he retired. It seems his being home while she was still working caused consternation. George didn't seem to be crabbing today. He was just visiting and helping Robert.
When I was there (at Noon) Robert had caught five Blue Crabs (they call them Blue Claw Crabs) which apparently meant his wife would welcome him home with open arms. I spent about 30 minutes with them, discussing climate change (they believe in it), politics (they don't think anything we do makes a damn bit of difference) and we talked about the smart gentleman who bought the power plant from the city of Yonkers for $1 and then sold millions of dollars in shares based on the renovation plans being approved. They were.
George tells me that they are turning the smoke stacks into rooms. If true (I have my doubts) that would be one of the few really amazing things to come out of this renovation.
Let's take a look at the old plant and then meet Robert and George.


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20 Seconds with...Angela Radcliffe
A red-headed beauty best known for stalking the catwalk in Milan, Paris and New York, Angela can now be found in London's Westbourne Grove where she mixes modelling and styling with motherhood. Angela made a beeline for our bespoke service in search of unique swimwear and she hasn't looked back since! Her latest piece is a swim dress in gold-threaded lurex fabric which sets off her alabaster skin to perfection. Angela's impeccable style credentials make her the ideal person to grab our first 20 Seconds with…
Why Biondi Couture?
Your fabulous bespoke service. It's impossible to find anywhere else!
What makes perfect swimwear?
I think choosing a colour that flatters the skin tone is essential and I always opt for design with a fashion edge.
Where is your next holiday?
I plan to go to Ibiza this summer.
What is your go-to sun cream?
If you could fly anywhere today, where would you go?
Hotel du Cap in Antibes
Who is your ideal holiday companion?
My husband Colin and son Maximus.
Angela relaxes with her husband, Colin
Angela & her son, Maximus
Which books do you have lined up for your next holiday?
'Her Brilliant Career' by Rachel Cooke.
Who would you love to be stuck in a lift with?
My friend Brix Smith because she would make me laugh and distract me.
What's in your beach bag?
Sunglasses, Mini Ipad, my Hermes beach towel and Charlotte Tilbury's 'Glow'.
Beach or pool?
Sun or shade?
Hot shade.
Tell us a summer fashion secret.
Illustration by Poppy Spinks


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Making Money Move in personal finance
Cash On Go Ltd is a FinTech company aiming to be the initiator in the modern financial world. We offer services that set the benchmark and ongoing trends within innovation and reliability in the personal finance sector. Our mindset is based on a maximum customer satisfaction. We are proud of our product Peachy.co.uk - a rapidly growing consumer credit brand based in the UK with an emphasis placed on mobile technologies.
Our team has highly skilled and qualified banking, financial and IT specialists from regions within the Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East working in our offices in London and Tallinn.Want to be part of our team? We're hiring. Click here!
What our team members value the most working with us
Dream Team
We have awesome people working here - friendly, helpful, understanding and joyful. Lots of fun activities and team events to keep the spirit high. We have very multicultural and different people working here, but everybody is treated equally.
Overall Vibe
The work environment is nice and peaceful. There is no high pressure nor impossible deadlines. Of course it might be stressful sometimes, but there is a spirit of support and cooperation on the company and it makes it meaningful.
Flexibility and Independency
Company offers constant exciting challenges and new tasks. The organization hierarchy is really flat and we are agile, we have the opportunity to propose solutions, to decide and to be responsible – our opinion counts!
Caring Management
Our management is encouraging and supportive. Cash On Go cares about the people and provides an environment where everyone can contribute to the success of the organization.
Mulicultural work environment
3 paid health days per year
Sports & health compensation
Lots of team events
Great atmosphere and cozy office in the city center
Cute dogs at the office
Addictional winter vacation
Free fruits and snacks, best coffee and tea
Our products
Peachy is a direct lender, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom, which can be best described with the following words - fast, easy, secure and responsible! Since starting its operations in June 2011, Peachy.co.uk has developed into a technological leader within the field of personal credit.CLICK TO FIND OUT MORE
Uploan is a flexible personal loan provider specializing in personal loans to help households who seek longer-term personal loans to support them in improving their lives; yet have been turned down by traditional high street lenders or do not wish to take a payday loan.CLICK TO FIND OUT MORE


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SEABROOK BEACH — Joseph C. Benaglia, 81, died Tuesday, July 24, 2012, in his winter home in Greenland.
SEABROOK BEACH — Joseph C. Benaglia, 81, died Tuesday, July 24, 2012, in his winter home in Greenland.
He was a veteran of the Korean Conflict. Upon his return, he graduated from the College of the Holy Cross and married his lifelong love, Mary Lou (Hester).
Mr. Benaglia taught in Grafton public schools for 30 years and, upon his retirement, he retired to his beach house in New Hampshire, where he proudly tended to his lush green lawn.
In retirement, he spent much of his time tutoring and assisting most of his grandchildren with their homework.
He continued to work up until his death for his son-in-law at PowerPro Electric in Portsmouth.
He was a great person and wonderful role model for his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He worked very hard trying to pass down to his family and friends his frugal sense, his love of a bargain and his metal coupon box.
He had a strong work ethic and dedication to community.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Rockingham VNA & Hospice, 137 Epping Road, Exeter, NH 03833.
To sign an online guest book, visit www.brewittfuneralhome.com.


text: 80 flights by foreign airlines to and from Israel have been canceled in the past 24 hours, according to the Israel Civil Aviation Authority. At least 8,000 Israelis have been stranded in Israel and overseas, and it is not clear when flights will be renewed. The foreign airlines who canceled their flights to Israel following the missile fired at Yehud are still awaiting a decision by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), considered world's leading civil aviation authority, which announced yesterday that it was suspending flights to and from Israel by US airlines for 24 hours. As of now, it is unclear what the FAA will decide. In the meanwhile, diplomatic and aviation parties are taking action to change the decision. "In my experience with the FAA, it's motivated by professional considerations, not political ones, but that doesn't mean that it pays no attention to politics," said Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies head and former El Al pilot Eran Ramot. "The FAA makes its decisions by the book. It stops flying a given distance from where a missile lands." RELATED ARTICLES Foreign carriers suspend Ben Gurion flights Ramot finds it difficult to predict what the FAA will decide. "They are facing a difficult dilemma. On the one hand, it's a war zone, and they want to keep the passengers safe. On the other hand, they don't want to disrupt aviation traffic to an entire country. The FAA must also deal with the problem of the US passengers left stranded here by flight cancellations. It will also be interesting to see what the European airlines will do if the FAA decides to resume flights to Israel as usual. That's liable to put them in an uncomfortable position," he stated. In addition to the three Israeli airlines (El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (TASE: ELAL), Arkia Airlines Ltd.", and Israir Airlines and Tourism Ltd.), eight foreign airlines are also still flying to Israel: British Airways, Russia Airlines, Czech Airlines, Ukraine Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Bulgarian Airlines, and BlueBird Airways (based in the Greek island of Crete). "The missile fired at Yehud has upset the applecart and created a domino effect, and the Israeli passengers are paying the price," a senior civil aviation sources said. Another source said that Israel was paying the price for the global hysteria resulting from the downing of the Malaysian jet by a missile over Ukraine a few days ago. Israel Air Pilot Association chairman Yosi Shuv said, "In any war involving the home front, foreign airlines either stop flying to Israel or threaten to do so. While Israeli pilots reaching Ben Gurion Airport run to the security room and go on flying passengers as usual, the foreign pilots get cold feet." He added, "Declaring an open and clear skies policy is not very wise. The problem starts when the skies get cold and are decorated with clouds of smoke. I'm trying to explain to members of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Association that flying in Israel is safe even under the currently prevailing conditions, but they're not listening. The halting of flights here by the airlines was predictable, and no surprise." Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 23, 2014 � Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2014


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Born in 1974 and based in York, Hearld studied illustration at Glasgow College of Art before completing an MA in natural history illustration at the Royal College of Art.
His work is based on his observations of the natural world, influenced by mid twentieth century Neo-Romanticism and the gaiety of 1930s Modernism. He is inspired by British artists such as Eric Ravilious, John Piper and Edward Bawden. Hearld's work is now exhibited all over the UK and commissions include set design for 2005 film Nanny McPhee and a range of ceramics for Tate. Taking his inspiration from the flora and fauna of the British countryside, Mark works across a number of mediums, producing limited edition lithographic and linocut prints, unique paintings, collages and hand-painted ceramics.
Get your art without walls kick by following YSP on Instagram and share your photos using #yorkshiresculpturepark


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Mandurah woman reaches the 2017/18 Western Australian Young Achiever Awards semi finals
One talented Mandurah local has reached the semi finals of the 2017/18 Western Australian Young Achiever Awards, for her hard work and dedication to their community.
Bonnie Beal was nominated in the Scott Print Environment and Sustainability Award.
Having a passion for the environment, Ms Beal lives and breathes sustainability.
Read more:
The next round of judging, which determines the finalists of the prestigious award will take place on March 22.
The awards also acknowledge, encourage and promote the positive achievements of all young people throughout WA, up to and including 29 years of age as of December 31 each year.
Finalists will be presented and winners announced at an Awards Gala Presentation Dinner at Pan Pacific Perth on May 26.
All nominees who are able to attend the Awards Dinner will be presented on stage with a framed certificate in recognition of their achievements.
Category winners will each receive a $1,000 Bartercard account, $1,000 cash and a magnificent trophy.
One of the ten category winners will be chosen as the Western Australian Young Achiever of the Year and will receive an additional $1,000 Bartercard account, $1,000 cash and a state trophy.
For further information visit www.awardsaustralia.com/wayaa or call the awards office on 9201 1155.


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The ending of The Prestige explained
The story of a rapidly escalating feud between rival magicians in the 1800s, The Prestige proved Christopher Nolan wasn't a director to ignore. A twisty script, excellent editing, and stellar performances by Michael Caine, Christian Bale, and Hugh Jackman all hide the central twist of the movie in plain sight. The ending is telegraphed repeatedly, through nearly every character and every line, making it one of the most surprising, and paradoxically most foreshadowed, twists in movie history.
The "magic" of the movie's twist is that nearly every character in the movie—everyone the audience is conditioned to understand as intelligent and sober-minded—knows Borden (Christian Bale) uses a double for his trick. Cutter (Michael Caine) knows, Olivia (Scarlett Johansson) knows, Sarah (Rebecca Hall) knows. But the audience doesn't want to believe it, and neither does Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman). We're as invested as he is to discover the trick, even when every detail of the script constantly tells us the truth. We don't really want to know. We want to be fooled.
Here's the ending of The Prestige explained.


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Weekend Snapshot: Lunch Out
Yesterday, my family had lunch out together at Dampa near Mall of Asia. We have seafoods, seafoods and seafoods…. Yummy.
This photos were taken while waiting for the food. These are my siblings: Kiss, Gino, Nikko and me… On photo below, my siblings were goofing around when the food arrived.
Since I'm already married and living in a different house, I really miss my family. I will definitely treasure this simple lunch out with my family.
4 Comments
It's so much fun to lash out and be crazy! Even better to have some pics of the moment! Good one!
looks fun
naku! ang sarap kumain sa dampa! we ate there the night before we left philippines…


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Join us for a day of whitewater rafting on Oregon's Rogue River. The Rogue's 150 plus miles of twists and turns has something to offer everyone. Being a guided owned and operated outfitter, we can customize every trip. If a mellow float down a lazy stretch of river and wildlife viewing is your thing, we can do it. If seeking a thrill by charging down class 3 and 4 rapids is more your style, we can do that too. How about some kayaking? Or let's just do it all!
Rafting trips are a 4 person minimum.
A full day trip (6 hours) with lunch, $100 per person
A half day trip (3 hours) with snacks and drinks, $75 per person
Our raft guides have extensive whitewater training and experience.
All safety equipment and gear is provided.


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Encounters film festival organisers have the funding rug pulled out from under them
It was supposed to be an occasion for celebration on Thursday night in Cape Town when former public protector Thuli Madonsela addressed the audience at the opening night of the 20th Encounters Documentary Film Festival.
Madonsela was there to watch Whispering Truth to Power' a documentary about her last year in office directed by Shameela Seedat' which won a Special Jury Prize at the HotDocs Film Festival in Canada in May.
However' festival organisers were dealt a severe blow on the day of the opening when they received a letter from the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) informing them that the film body would not be making its usual contribution towards the festival's running costs.
Mandisa Ralane, Encounters board member and former director of the festival, told Times Select on Friday that she and her fellow board members "were just kind of shocked that on the opening day of the festival we received a letter declining our funding on a night where we were celebrating 20 years of the festival that has been run sustainably".
• For more on this story' please visit Times Select.
Hot Docs has received filmmaker permission to upload this trailer to the HotDocsFest YouTube channel.


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"Infinitas" Literature Club141 members Arts & Literature
Here is the official group about literature artwork of mine and also others. There i will post translated texts of my work and others also can do it.
Game designer, Concept artist, Level designer, story writer, creator of the highley anticipated "Third Age: Reforged" mod for medieval 2 total war.
Here is the official group about literature artwork of mine and also others. There i will post translated texts of my work and others also can do it.
The Developers of the Third Age: Reforged mod and the upcoming Total War: Kingdom mod have begun to expand to other games/mods to further our artistic...
As the team behind Third Age: Reforged we have begun to expand to other games/mods to further our artistic goals. Hence the new brandname "Team Reforged...
This group has been formed to gather the people who enjoy Japanese anime and all of its facets, to salute the people from the land of the Rising Sun.
This is the "of the DarkCloud" mod team, we are currently working on Third Age: Reforged, and the After-Lyfe mod for Medieval 2 totalwar: Kingdoms
Development team for wrecked republic mod for mount and blade warband as well as interstellar conflictions for sins of a solar empire: trinity.
No groups were found matching the criteria specified. We suggest you try the group list with no filter applied, to browse all available. Start a group and help us achieve our mission of showcasing the best content from all developers. Join now to share your own content, we welcome creators and consumers alike and look forward to your comments.
hello synn i was wondering if you can tell me how to get reforge for first time sinc i just fownded about the mod
Hey syn, how can i get in a scenario game with you ? would it be possible?
just join the reforged discord
I do one on there every now and then, sorry for ate reply... I just saw this now... lol
Hi Synn, I would like to Install Third Age Reforged but i don't have the steamapps folder on my MAC.What should I do????
Please answer me soon
i believe the only way to play with mac is by using bootcamp...
Hey, was wondering what you used to make the maps for Third Age: Reforged.
The Battle Editor built into Medieval 2 Total War.
Guide : Twcenter.net
Basically go to root folder of M2TW and find "TATW.cfg"
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.


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It's been a long time since I last made a post but I'm sitting here in the computer lab having a mental block while coding for my SAS homework and figured, why not take a little break! So here we go.
Well, yesterday morning I was invited to attend a local church with a group of friends, which I had recently made though the Young Life club I decided I wanted to get involved with on campus. I had not yet found a church downtown to attend regularly and I felt very blessed about the new experience ahead! We were all making small talk and having a good time learning about each other (mostly me since I was new to the group), when one of my friends said she had to interview some people for a class. I had overheard her ask someone near by, how this winter was affecting him? He responded with a description of how the season's wintery conditions have left him unable to log flight hours for the aviation program he is in and then he went on to talk about his flying a bit more. My mind then began to wander off, as it often does uncontrollably. My daydreaming started with the thought of flying and how cool it would be to learn how to fly my own plane someday, then I started to reminisce on the times Zephyr and I talked about flying, and the times he had gotten to fly with an acquaintance of his in a small prop plane in Colorado (flying is also a dream of Zephyr's). Then I thought about rock climbing because this was an activity which took over both of our lives a few years ago and how I wanted to get back into gym climbing, since indoor climbing is all that exists in Chicago, all the while holding a conversation with some of my new friends. So to say the least, my mind was all over the place.
I was then caught a little bit off guard when my friend posed the same interview question to me, "how has this winter affected your life?" I answered rather quickly, not wanting to take too long to think as I so easily could have, with a few sentences about how this winter in Chicago had changed my outlook on the season, which I so much loved my whole life and now could not wait for it to end, and also the drag that it is to walk in the blistering cold to and from school each day. At the time this felt like more of an impulsive answer because for some reason yesterday morning I just did not like the winter haha, but then I thought about it today and realized that maybe there was a deeper meaning to the way I responded.
Ever since moving back home to Chicago after graduating from the Colorado School of Mines last spring, my life has seen a lot of changes. Some good, some bad, but mostly just changes in general. In Colorado I always found ways to be active in the winter months even when there was a foot of snow on the ground or when it was below 0 outside, which was pretty rare compared to Chicago. Whether I was rock climbing at the local spots with my friends (indoors when it was snowy), mountain biking some of the local trails, weight training at the gym, heading up to the mountains to snowboard, or even setting up urban spots around Golden with the freeride guys, you could always find me doing some kind of physical and adventurous activity. When I was injured, which was quite frequently, I would still join my friends in their activities just so I could watch and feel as though I was partaking somehow. Regardless what I was doing, I loved winter. I could not wait until the first snowfall, or opening day at A Basin, or watching Out Cold for the first time of the season because after all, winter was what first brought me to love Colorado. Skiing and snowboarding were a big part of my life growing up and when I had the opportunity to try living somewhere new for college, I knew Colorado was the place for me to do it.
However, things are different here in Chicago. I have found myself very busy with school and work, something I was quite used to at Mines, however, one thing has dramatically changed for me; my active lifestyle has really gone absent since the winter season began. I knew that moving home last summer would mean a lot of the activities that made up my life in Colorado would have to be replaced and this scared me, but I was determined to make it work. Since there were no mountains to hike and bike, I found myself going on more runs and picked up road biking (an activity which I've become very into). I went up to my lake house in Wisconsin every chance I got to wakeboard and just hangout on the lake. I found some mountain biking trails nearby which I loved to go and rip up in the mornings and evenings when it wasn't too hot out. I even spent a few weeks last summer training for a sprint triathlon, something which I plan to do again this summer. I enjoyed urban cycling, and the thrill you get while whipping through the city in an extremely disordered fashion. I played golf again with some of the friends who I grew up playing with. I even got my climbing fix on at a gym nearby which I joined for a couple months. Overall, I was able to fulfill my active lifestyle with all of these new and exciting things to do. But then the winter months rolled around and changed everything.
For some reason, the winter here has just made me less motivated to go out and be active. I don't have some of the best ski resorts within an hours drive, there's no climbing gym at the rec center for me to go mess around on, there hasn't been a day in the past month where the streets weren't too snowy/icy to go for long bike rides, and my car sucks too much in the snow to even retreat up north to Wisconsin on the weekends. Most of all, my friends from here just don't have the same drive that I do to stay active (at least as far as I know). Aside the cycling team, which I meet with weekly to practice indoors on the computrainers, I do not have a "group" of friends I can hit up and expect them to want anything to do with physical activities or adventures. For the most, the only activity most of my friends here want to do on the weekends is party, which definitely DOES NOT fulfill my active lifestyle. And everyone knows that it's much more fun and easier to motivate yourself to do awesome things when you have other people to share the experience with.
So before I keep going off topic and rambling on, and since I really should get back to my programming homework, I will attempt to summarize my motive for this post which is answering the question "how has this winter affected my life?" While my initial answer was fairly simple, that this winter has made me no longer like the season, there was a much greater lesson to be learned. That sometimes in life we find ourselves losing sight of the things that really matter to us, the things that make us happy, and we cannot rely on others to bring us back to our roots. For me this has always been the outdoors and staying active, but now I find myself in the midst of a blistery cold winter living the big city life in Chicago. So rather than resorting to the conclusion that I no longer love winter, I must continue to find new things to fulfill my active ways even if the temperatures outside are -15 and most of my friends do not share the same passion to stay as active as I do. Because the further and further you get from your roots, the harder it is and longer it takes to get back to them. Then before you know it, you find yourself saying you hate things you once loved for so many reasons. So until I find myself back in Colorado, or somewhere similarly fulfilling, I might as well make the most of what I have in front of me. Heck, that's where adventures begin!


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Okay, so let's cut through all the bullshit, why don't we? We're going to talk about something that I don't us talk about much, namely because it hasn't existed a whole lot until recently. My dating life has been pretty nonexistent the past couple of years. That's really because the homos aren't all about the morbidly obese. But now that I've lost some weight, I have been dating more.
So I have not been much a part of the dating scene and now that I am, I really must ask, "What the fuck is wrong with people?" Like seriously, it's some sort of epidemic has infected the world and I'm just along for the ride. It's enough to make me give up and just become straight. (Not really, because, well…ew.)
Granted I may not be going about this the right way. I don't have a lot of time to go out and meet boys, what with working two jobs. (That's right. I finally quit one of the three.) And even if I did have the time, I don't talk to guys well. I tend to come off as a strange mix of socially awkward, generally unpleasant, and downright hostile. It's not exactly the right attitude for picking up guys. So I'm pretty much left with one options. Internet dating.
After several months, I have learned that Okcupid is basically the land that manners forgot. Like seriously the guys on there have the distinct honor of being the biggest dumbasses I have ever met. And that's saying something because, if you read my book, I've met some of the most incompetent people to walk the earth. Because I have had the misfortune of talking to some people, I have come up with a list of rules for future people who would like to contact me.
- If you are still prepubescent, don't bother. Like seriously, if I was already in double digits when you were born, chances are good that we are not going to have much in common.
- Rule number 1 in reverse. If you were alive when Nixon ran things, then chances are I'm not interested. And if I can multiply my age by 2 and still not reach your age, then it's a no go.
- There is nothing in my profile that remotely hints that I speak the Spanish language. There is a reason for that. I don't. So please don't message in Spanish. If it is going to require me to use Google translate to converse with you, then chances are it's a no go. (That is a mistake I am only going to make once. Though, having sex with someone who speaks exactly no English is kind of just an adventure that everyone should try once.)
- Okay seriously, I don't use text speak when I am texting, so the chances of me using it in a message are very slime. (And it's only going to give me another reason to judge you.)
- If the only thing you can add to a conversation is a weird mishmash of emoticons that literally means you are too boring to use words. Please go away. Like immediately.
I'm sure there will be more rules in the near future. Because in the short time that I have been a member of the dating pool, there is no possible way that I have come across all the crazy out there. And judging from some of the picture out there, I think it's going to be a bumpy ride. (And so not in the good way.)