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I wrote this for the TwiGirlsNextDoor School's Out For Summer contest and am shocked I won one of the two judges' choice awards as well as second in the public vote. I guess people like Elvis and the 70's. MaggieMay14 beta'd this beast right after starting a new job, which means she loves me… she really loves me.
Check out all the entries in the contest by visiting
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. This is just a little bunny that hopped into my mind when I saw the contest.
August 1977
The burning August air was thick with humidity and rain, the drops pouring so hard against the windshield that we could barely see twenty feet in front of us, but we continued on. My faded baseball jersey clung to my overheated body and I kept brushing the loose hairs from my ponytail back from my sweaty forehead with my shaky hand. I found myself desperately wishing there was air conditioning in the well-used camper truck we were currently traveling in.
Most of the vehicles back in Arizona, where I had lived with my mother until I was twelve, had air conditioning, but it was out of necessity. The stifling dry heat of the Arizona desert made it difficult at best to drive in without air. However, it wasn't needed as much in Washington State, which was why Bruce, or Mr. Whitlock, didn't get it when he bought the camper truck six years earlier. If he was still alive, god rest his soul, I knew he would approve of how Jasper and I were currently using his precious truck. Hell, Bruce probably would have come with us.
I sighed quietly as the thoughts of Bruce hit me. It seemed like death was all around us these days.
Jasper turned the volume on the radio up as the cab of the truck remained silent, except for the sounds of the heavily falling rain and the static filled transmission. We were currently tuned into a country radio station from somewhere near Bozeman, Montana, which was the last town we passed through.
"Elvis Presley's death deprives our country of a part of itself. He was unique and irreplaceable. More than 20 years ago, he burst upon the scene with an impact that was unprecedented and will probably never be equaled. His music and his personality, fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture. His following was immense, and he was a symbol to people the world over of the vitality, rebelliousness, and good humor of his country. "
I couldn't stop the tears that poured down my face as Jasper reached across the beat up leather seat and entwined his fingers in mine, squeezing tightly in a display of support, as random food wrappers fell onto the floor with disregard.
"That was President Jimmy Carter expressing his condolences on the passing of a true American icon. Elvis, you and your memorable music, will be forever missed," the radio announcer stated solemnly as the soft strains of 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' filled the humid truck and Jasper reached up to brush more stray tears from my reddened cheeks.
Jasper Whitlock had been my first friend when I stepped foot in dreary and rain soaked town of Forks, Washington. He lived across the street from my father, and when he saw me get out of my dad's Chevy Impala clutching my worn out baseball glove, he immediately ran across the road and began talking to me about Roberto Clemente and how he watched Hank Aaron hit his 600th home run on TV. It was unexpected, but then almost everything Jasper did was.
From then on we were inseparable, with Jazz being like the older brother I always wanted, even though he was only four months older than me.
When I was teased about being a tomboy, Jasper defended me to his friends and we showed them how I could throw a fastball better than anyone else on the baseball team. When no one asked me to our freshman dance, Jasper took me and then introduced me to my first boyfriend, Jacob Black. When Jacob pressured me to round the bases with him and I refused, it was Jasper who punched him like Rocky and set him straight that I wasn't the kind of girl Jacob thought I was.
And when Jasper's dad, Bruce, died earlier in the year from an unexpected heart attack, it was through me that Jasper ended up seeking solace. We consoled each other, got drunk on his dad's left over whiskey and ended up having sex. It was pleasant… a means to an end. Jasper needed to be comforted and I had to admit that it was nice to lose my virginity to someone I trusted. It would have been nice to have feelings of love involved in it, but as I thought about it now, with him clutching my hand and helping me cope with such a difficult time, I was content about it. He was my rock and I was his.
"I was thinking we should stop in Billings. What do you think, Bells?"
"What?" I replied as Jasper squeezed my hand again, pulling me from my thoughts, and I looked across the truck at him. "You want to stop?"
"Yeah, in Billings. We need to get some gas and I think both of us could use a good night's sleep, plus you are starting to smell funky. It's not like either of us slept last night, right?" I thought back to the last twenty-four hours, and he was right, I hadn't slept a wink since we heard the news.
Jasper and I had been together in his mother's basement, listening to the radio and taking hits from his bong, when they interrupted Bohemian Rhapsody to tell us about unexpected Elvis' death. We looked at each other, both of us high as kites, and decided the most logical thing to do was road trip to Memphis for the funeral of one of our idols.
Bruce had introduced Jasper and I to the music of Elvis shortly after I moved to Forks, and along with my father, Charlie, they helped us appreciate his music to the point where we idolized him. Even though the music of the Doobie Brothers, Bread and Elton John usually filled the airwaves, Jasper and I loved Elvis.
That night we figured out that between the two of us we had a few hundred dollars in savings and his dad's old Dodge Camper Truck, so we gathered up everything we could and packed it in the truck, told Charlie we were going away for a few days, not that he would notice much with the hours he kept at work, and we hit the open road.
"Yeah, I guess I should call my old man from a pay phone and let him know we're still kicking," I added as Jasper pointed to a sign on the side of the road signaling that we were fifteen miles from Billings.
"Stellar," he said simply as he his fingers began tapping out an unknown melody on the steering wheel. "I need something to eat and to smoke some of that primo weed that Mike scored for us before we left."
I nodded my head slowly and let the music relax me, eager for the truck to stop so I could get out and stretch my legs. My jean shorts were feeling extremely uncomfortable in the stifling heat and I couldn't wait until we reached a campground and had settled in for a few hours. I just wanted to chill.
We stopped at a small diner just outside of Billings and the pounding rain had finally subsided. Inside, we had some sandwiches and Cokes as Jasper flirted shamelessly with our sixty-year-old waitress, Rhonda. It was thanks to her that we learned there was a KOA campground a few miles away that we could park at for the night. Sure, we had discussed just pulling over and parking wherever we could, but Jasper wanted to stay somewhere safe, so the local KOA it was.
However, as we made our way out of the diner, we saw a couple at the side of the road. The dude was sitting on their bags looking burnt out and the girl, a tiny little thing who looked a bit punk with her short black hair and leather jacket. She looked uncomfortable and hot while sticking her thumb out, trying to catch a ride to wherever they were heading.
"Check it out," Jasper said with a nudge of his elbow as I shrugged my shoulders apathetically. "They look about our age, Bells."
"So, don't be such a square." Jasper stared intently at the girl, his eyes only leaving her ass to check out her tits and when I punched him in the gut, he doubled over and coughed.
"Get bent, asshole."
"Fuck Bells, that was bogus!"
When Jasper righted himself, he gave me a wink and a grimace before he walked over to talk to the couple, leaving me pissed off as I jumped back into the boiling hot cab of the truck to be pissed at him.
Five excruciatingly slow minutes later, he walked up to the truck with the two people and was smiling from ear to ear. "Edward, toss your stuff in the back and jump up front."
The short haired girl climbed in the drivers' side and squeezed beside me as Jasper climbed in to drive, followed by this other guy, apparently named Edward, at the passenger side.
"This is not fucking cool, dude."
"Bummer for ya," Jasper said, his sly grin staying in place as he turned on the truck and looked across the bench seat at the four of us squeezed in tight. I felt like we were sardines packed in a boiling hot sauna. The only relief was that the humidity wasn't nearly as bad as it had been earlier in the day since the rain had stopped and the day was slowly fading to night.
"Here's the skinny - Bella, this is Edward and Alice. They are a brother and sister from Great Falls who are hitch-hiking to Graceland. Far out huh?"
"Crazy," I replied sarcastically as I rolled my eyes and the girl beside me could sense my frustration. "Can we go?"
"We don't want to be any trouble for you and your girl," the boy, Edward, said sweetly and I glanced up to get a better look at him. Sure, he was buff, but he had this freaky hair that was kinda red, but not really, and it was a little on the long side and all over the place. His eyes were deep green, like I imagined the lawn at Graceland looked like, and he smiled big at me, making me blush. Not cool.
"Bella, is it?" asked Alice as I nodded silently. "We don't mean to cause any problems for you and your boyfriend. He was just wicked enough to offer us a ride, and we couldn't refuse."
"Oh... he's not my boyfriend," I said quickly, not showing any sort of hesitance. Jasper and I would never be more than what we were now. "He's my best friend," I clarified as I noticed Alice's eyes widen and she turned to smile seductively at Jasper for a moment.
"Groovy," she stated as she adjusted her black tube top, the leather jacket apparently tossed into the back of the truck, and I could hear Edward groan loudly beside me. "We just want a ride, but if things are gonna get heavy, Edward and I could catch a lift with someone else."
"It's just with four of us shoved in this hot, sticky truck it is gonna be rough."
"We'll figure it out, Bells," Jasper said happily as he pulled out his favorite 'Keep on Truckin Hat' from behind his seat and slid it over his greasy mane of blonde hair. I swore I heard Alice gasp and the entire scene made me want to hurl. "Let's get on to the campground and figure it out, dig it?" I groaned and Jasper gave me his usual convincing smile and off we went into the night.
"What's hanging?" Edward asked as he sat beside me at the picnic table at our campsite, and leaned back on his elbows. It was extremely dark, the oversized trees hiding the moon that would give us light. I looked down at the bright orange fire that Jasper was stoking with a stick he had found out in the woods while walking with Alice earlier and took a deep breath.
Ever since we had arrived and parked the truck, Alice and Jazz had been joined at the hip. They were like fucking Shirley and the Big Ragu, so I wanted to avoid them as much as I could. Of course this meant I could either hide out in the camper like a pansy or spend time with Edward. After an hour of hiding, I gave up and grabbed a blanket to wrap around me as went to sit outside.
"Nothing. You?" I replied as Edward continued to look as cool as a cucumber. Hell, he was practically The Fonz he was so damn cool. I couldn't help but notice that he hadn't said much since we had picked them up outside the diner, but considering his sister never shut up, I could see why he was quiet. I watched with envy as he took a puff of the joint he had between his fingers and Jasper sat down in a lawn chair across from us.
"Hey man, don't bogart that smoke. Pass it around!" Jasper called out as Edward handed the smoke to me first, winking as my fingers grasped the joint and touched his lightly in the process.
"You cool?" he asked with his eyebrow quirked and a sexy grin on his face.
I couldn't help but think of my dad as I looked at Edward, his smile wide and his eyes narrowed from the effects of the drugs. If Charlie knew the amount of weed I had smoked in my short lifetime, he would freak out. Being the Chief of Police, he hoped I would put up a good front for the fine people of Forks, but I couldn't help myself. Everyone needed a release from the real world and pot was my only real vice.
"Yeah she's cool, now pass the J," Jasper added impatiently as I took a hit and handed it to Jasper. I held the smoke in as long as I could and I saw Edward smile at me from the corner of my eye.
"Nothing," he replied as he held up his hands in defense. I noticed that his fingers were a bit calloused and had random colored stains on them, but before I got a chance to ask him why, something I was genuinely curious about, I was interrupted by Alice.
"Whose guitar is in the camper?"
"Jasper's. He's really good," I chimed in.
"Jazzie, why don't you play us something on your guitar," Alice asked as she sat down beside him in the spare lawn chair we had brought for me, and she practically pawed at him. Jasper got up and made his way into the camper to get his guitar and when he was back, he and Alice began talking back and forth about what songs he should play.
"Dude, we are tripping to Graceland, you should play Elvis," Edward said as he broke out into laughter and Jasper nodded his head slowly.
"Awesome," Jasper said with quiet enthusiasm as he stared at Alice and began to play a mellow version of Jailhouse Rock – one of my favorite songs.
The entire scene was a bit sad, with all of us singing along softly to Jasper playing his acoustic guitar, but it was also surreal. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be taking a road trip to Graceland for Elvis' funeral, and picking up a brother and sister hitch hiking duo to join our adventure. However, I felt I needed to do it. I had to pay my respects to the King of Rock and Roll for myself, my dad and most of all Bruce.
"That was all right, man," Edward said slowly, practically punctuating every word. When I looked over at him, like truly paid attention, I had to admit he was a total hunk. He even smelled good considering he was hitch-hiking and probably hadn't showered in a few days. "So, where are you guys from?"
"Forks, Washington," Jasper piped up, not giving me a chance to respond - and I really wanted to. I wanted to know more about Edward and have him know more about me, no matter how irrational it seemed. "It's this bitchin' little town near the western coast. We just graduated high school in June."
"Oh really? Cool beans. Edward just graduated too. I don't graduate until next year though," Alice said happily as she hung on every word Jasper uttered. He then went on to tell them all about our dad's and how much time we spent together.
"Our dad's even took us to opening day for the Mariners'," I explained softly, as Jasper smiled huge, most likely remembering how awesome the entire day was. "It was fucking killer. One of those once in a lifetime moments that you will remember forever, ya dig?"
"Didn't they lose 7-0 to the Angels?"
"You watched?" I said, my voice cracking as I looked at Edward, interested in what he had to say. I don't know what it was about this intriguing boy that piqued my curiosity, but I found myself interested in what he had to say a little more than I should have been.
"Yeah, I watched. I'm a huge fan. I was excited that Seattle finally got a franchise. Like… how did Montreal get one before Seattle? That was just bogue! What do Canadians know about baseball? It's the American pastime."
"Bella can throw an awesome fastball," Jasper exclaimed as I felt myself blush bright red. I hadn't played baseball since sophomore year of high school, but I had broken a few records back in the day, not that it was much of a challenge to me.
"Righteous. That's really sweet, Bella." I blushed again, harder this time, and the sound of Edward saying my name just sounded so… hip.
We spent the next hour shooting the shit about baseball while Alice seemed a bit like a fourth wheel, but she added a thought in here or there. She didn't seem too excited about the fact that I was a girl who knew more about baseball than I did about Jaclyn Smith or Cover Girl makeup, but that was just a fact of life growing up with Charlie, Bruce & Jasper.
As the fire died down, only faint embers left burning and giving off very little heat, we all gathered up our stuff to head into the camper. There was a bed, although the mattress was flat as hell, above the top of the cab that fit two people, so Jasper and I claimed that. Edward decided to sleep in the cab and Alice sprawled out on the dinette that folded down into a single bed.
It worked for us. Well, it did on the first night.
The next morning, with the sun hidden behind some early morning clouds, we all showered quickly in the KOA bathrooms and ate some dry cereal that Jasper & I had brought. I watched with a bit too much attention as Edward slid out of the truck cab and stretched, adjusting himself and scratching at his crotch. I would have been just as uncomfortable if I had slept in my jeans, but luckily I had the good sense to pack shorts to sleep in.
We were all eager to get on the road to Memphis, so we decided that since it was still supposed to be ridiculously hot we would split up the job of driving instead of all four of us being crammed in the cab of the truck. Sure, we weren't supposed to be traveling in the back of the camper, but it was worth the risk. There was no way in hell I was getting shoved between Alice and Edward's sweaty bodies for the next ten hours. I would probably have died of heat stroke or something.
Edward hadn't slept well in the cab, so he asked to take the second shift driving and Alice jumped at the chance to have some alone time with Jasper, so I was in the back with Edward. I grabbed my notebook and wrote down my thoughts about our journey while Edward snored loudly from the top bunk. The ride wasn't easy; there were bumps and stops along the way, but somehow we managed to make it five hours before our first stop in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Edward groggily woke up and I laughed as I heard his stomach grumble. Then the doors flew open and there stood Alice and Jasper, him with his arm slung over her shoulder.
"What's happening, kids?" Jasper asked as I jumped from the back of the camper and Edward followed, stretching as he pulled a rough looking Doors t-shirt over his head.
"Where are we?" he asked as he rubbed at his eyes and squinted at the bright sunlight that was streaming down on us.
"Welcome to Rapid City, South Dakota. Home of… well I don't know what it's home of, but it's three hundred miles closer to Memphis than we were this morning," Jasper said with his hands outstretched. "Let's get some food and trade off on the driving. Alice and I want to spend some time alone together because she is one stone cold fox." Alice giggled at his random comment and I just rolled my eyes, knowing that this was just the way Jasper was when he liked someone, and Edward let out a groan of disapproval.
Our lunch was quiet, eating greasy hamburgers at a small dive just off the highway, so I was relieved to get back on the road. Edward took the wheel and I did the navigating, though he didn't say much to me for the first hour we drove along the I-90.
"What's up?"
"We have like several days left on this trip, so you shouldn't be so..." I fell silent, unsure of the right words to say to Edward and not wanting to piss him off. Though we were far from being friends, we weren't enemies either. However, it was like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
"Are you going to finish that sentence, Bella?"
"I just think you should be less of a bummer. You're depressing me." Edward laughed and pulled the truck to the left to pass an elderly woman driving a beat up Ford Fairlane.
"Last I checked Bella, this wasn't a happy trip. We're traveling to Graceland to say farewell to Elvis... my idol. The entire trip is a bummer, so get used to it."
"I just thought you should be less of an asshole, maybe then I might like you more, catch my drift?"
"Does that mean you like me a little bit?"
"Not at all. If Alice and Jasper weren't in the back of the camper feeling each other up, I'd probably be there with them, just so I could get away from you," I remarked as I realized just how hot I was and pulled off my Mariners baseball jersey, leaving me in a tank top. I heard a low growl from Edward, but he didn't speak again, so I ignored him and looked out the window, remembering baseball stats and happier times as we drove on.
We stopped for the night just north of Omaha, after grabbing a quick bite to eat in Sioux City and deciding to keep going. It was already the 18th and we were behind our schedule, mainly because Jasper and I had intended to drive more, rather than stop frequently like Alice had insisted on.
Jasper and I could have existed on junk food we bought at gas stations along the way, but Alice asserted we had to have sit down meals. Other than immediately latching onto my best friend, that was the second strike against her.
Once we had settled in for the night, I found myself unable to sleep. Jasper and Alice were curled up on the bunk in the camper, whispering and giggling, which was really bogus, because it was keeping me awake. When I finally decided I'd had enough, I grabbed my blanket and padded quietly out of the truck, closing the door as silently as I could, sat down in the nearby lawn chair with my blanket around me and stared up at the stars.
I didn't know when it happened, but without any conscious thought, tears were falling from my eyes. I pulled the blanket tighter around me and let out a small sigh as I tried to wipe some of the tears away with the back of my hand. As I thought about it, I realized that this trip was not really what I had been expecting. Leaving Forks, I assumed that Jasper and I would spend quality time together, remembering why we were such great friends to begin with, and this would be like our last hurrah before college, in addition to our grand farewell to a legend. Instead, he was busy making out with some chick he barely knew and I was sitting out in the cool night air wishing I was anywhere but Omaha.
Suddenly, I felt a cool and unexpected hand on my shoulder and I shrieked and jumped from my chair, only to find Edward standing behind me. "Freak me out, Edward!"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said timidly as he went and sat on the bench of the picnic table that I had my feet resting on. "What are you doing out here?"
"I didn't really want to hang out in there with Farrah Fawcett and Lee Majors getting all hot and heavy. It was kinda gross," I admitted unabashedly as Edward smiled at me from ear to ear.
"With his hair, you know Jasper is more of a Farrah," Edward said, attempting a joke as I held my blanket firmly in my hands.
"Why are you out here?"
"Couldn't sleep. I was thinking about what you said earlier, about not being an asshole."
"Oh," I replied, unsure of how to respond.
"I'm sorry if I've treated you like shit, I really didn't mean to," Edward said, each of his words sounding sincere, but his body language looking rather tormented. His hand was deep in his thick hair, pulling roughly and he looked pained. I leaned forward and reached up, grasping his hand in mine to pull it loose.
"You don't have to torture yourself. I'm not important."
"Yes, you are. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." Edward was still holding onto my hand, and when I looked at him straight in the eye, I could sense a shift within him. "I like you and I hate that you think I'm an asshole."
"I don't think you're an asshole. I just preferred the guy at the campfire last night. He was nice and kinda sweet." I mumbled softly at first before repeating myself. "The more I think about it, I just think you are having trouble dealing with death." Edward grunted. "Hasn't anyone in your life ever passed away before?" I had to admit that I wasn't shocked when Edward shook his head in the negative. "Jasper's dad died a few months ago. We were all really close."
"I'm sorry, Bella," Edward said earnestly as his calloused and paint riddled fingers began tracing light circles against my palm. It was both soothing and arousing, yet it left me feeling even more confused about Edward. How did I feel about him? I didn't really think he was an asshole, but was I attracted to him? Okay, so he was a hunk and he intrigued me and I may have wondered if he was a good kisser, but I wasn't sure what all of this meant. I hadn't really felt this way before.
"Its fine now... we're... fine now. If it wasn't for the support Jasper and I gave each other, we would probably be basket cases. Bruce was like my second dad, and he was one of a kind, and he used to tell us... everything happens for a reason."
"Yeah, I guess it does," he replied with a small smile as I noticed him fiddling with his fingers, which brought me back to a question I had the night before and never voiced.
"Why are your fingers so colorful?" I asked without remorse as Edward looked down at his hands briefly before holding onto mine again.
"I live to paint. I'm actually going to be getting my Bachelors in painting at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland in the fall." I couldn't help but smile as Edward spoke, because he sounded so proud of himself in his accomplishments, and I couldn't blame him.
"That is rad. I'm going to the University of Oregon to become a teacher."
"We're going to be in the same city?" I nodded my head lightly as Edward's smile grew briefly. "That's solid! Maybe... you know, if you don't continue to think I'm an asshole, I could come over to your pad one day?"
"Maybe," I replied softly, not wanting to give away the fact that I was literally giddy inside. What the hell was going on with me? I really didn't want my time with Edward to come to an end now that we were getting along like two peas in a pod. "I mean, I think I would like that."
We sat in silence for a few more minutes and I wondered if maybe I had said the wrong thing about Portland. However, then I noticed Edward's head fall forward slightly, so I unwrapped myself from the blanket and went to sit beside him on the bench, nudging him with my shoulder.
"Do you think we will make it to Memphis in time for the funeral?"
"Probably not," I answered honestly as Edward's hand gripped onto my knee for support. "It doesn't mean we won't be able to pay our respects though. We can still make it to Graceland and say our goodbyes. That what is important to me."
"Yeah, I guess so."
Without a word, Edward wrapped his arms around my mid section and buried his head in my neck, hugging me relentlessly. It also fed my confusion about him. He said he liked me, yet he treated me with indifference. He was currently hugging the stuffing out of me and... did Edward just sniff me?
"Are you all good?" I asked as Edward pulled back from me slightly, only to look me in the eyes and then move forward again, this time his lips finding purchase against mine.
I froze.
What else was I supposed to do? I guess I could have kissed him back, but while I was trying to rationalize everything in my head, including the fact that like I assumed he was an excellent kisser, Edward had already pulled away and looked seriously disappointed.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," he replied as my fingers reached up and touched my lips, almost reverently. God, he had soft lips. They were the antithesis of his calloused hands.
I wanted to say something... anything, but Edward's incoherent mumbling didn't give me much of a chance. "I mean, I like you. I get that I've only known you for a little bit, less than 48 hours, but you and I like so many of the same things, you're a girl who gets baseball and Elvis, and you don't take any shit from anyone. I've obviously been a putz and done something I shouldn't have done. Ignore me, I'm high."
The whole time Edward spoke all I could think about was how his lips felt against mine. They were pliant, sweet and practically electric. I could taste a hint of mint and weed, and when he finished talking, I couldn't help myself; I had to have more.
"Omph," groaned Edward as I practically launched myself across the six inches separating us on the bench and found myself straddling his lap, the blanket still draped over my shoulders. I grasped his stubble covered face in my hands and leaned in, kissing Edward softly at first, my lips remembering the initial delicious and tempting taste of him, before I licked his bottom lip with my tongue.
Then he did this half moan half whimper type sound, and it was the most glorious noise I had ever heard. Of course it didn't help matters that I was moving my hips against him, feeling just how excited he was. Edward's hands ran up my back slowly, between the cotton of my tank top and the softness of my blanket, and his fingers practically danced up my neck, where my hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail.
"You are beautiful."
Again, I was stunned into silence.
I didn't want to sound like a moron and tell him he was beautiful too, because that would be lame, so I pushed my lips against his again, this time my tongue desperately searching out his. Edward left one of his hands buried in the hair at the nape of neck as the other slipped down my back to grasp my ass, which only urged me to rock against him again.
"Bella," he breathed out slowly as both of his hands flew to my hips to still me. I could see Edward was struggling to say something else, but the starry night had become covered in clouds and just as he seemed to have words on the tip of his tongue, it began to rain lightly. "Let's get in the truck."
"Yes, let's," I said a little too enthusiastically as Edward pulled the blanket from my shoulders and ushered me towards the front of the truck. We climbed in and Edward leaned up against the locked door as I sat between his legs with the blanket covering both of us. I could practically hear his heart beating in my ear as his hands wrapped around my chest and he pulled me back against him.
As the rain fell gently against the windshield, the truck was encased in darkness as we talked about random shit and held our hands tightly together. Every so often Edward would kiss my neck or the shell of my ear, causing my skin to erupt in flames, but he never did anything too forward. I wanted him too though.
I wanted his hands to caress me and touch me in places only Jasper had seen. I wanted to go back in time and have Edward be my first and only lover, or simply have his confident touch erase the past and love me like no other. "Edward," I whispered with uncertainly as I felt his fingers loosen from my grip and begin to twirl the ends of my hair.
"Just so you know... I really like you too."
"Jeepers Creepers, what is this?" I heard Alice's sleepy voice ask as my eyes squinted and I opened them fully to see Alice standing at the open passenger door, glaring at Edward and me before she turned on her heel, smiling widely. "I knew it would happen. You owe me five bucks, Jazzie."
I wiped the palms of my hands across my eyes and brushed the sleep from them as Edward adjusted himself behind me. "For the record, it's not comfortable sleeping with the door behind you," he said with a groan as he stretched his arms over his head and they hit the roof of the truck with a loud thud.
"You can sleep in the back while Jasper and Alice drive us on the next leg of the trip," I said as I tried to scoot myself out of the seat, but Edward's hands gripped my hips firmly and held me against him.
"Only if you join me," he whispered seductively as his warm breath against my neck made me shiver.
"Give me five minutes in the bathroom and I'm all yours," I replied eagerly as I launched myself out of the truck and grabbed my backpack from the back. I could hear Edward's laughter ringing out in the cool morning air as he climbed from the truck and then greeted Jasper and Alice.
After breakfast, Jasper informed all of us of the itinerary and how if we stuck to the plan we should be at Graceland by sundown. However, I didn't pay any attention to specifics. All I wanted to do was climb into the back of the truck and have my wicked way with a boy who did such crazy things to my insides I was certain that if this ended badly, I would be undone.
Edward discussed directions with Jasper as Alice settled into the cab and adjusted the radio to something local. I stepped into the camper feeling somewhat bold and stripped out of my clothes, keeping my bra and panties on, before I climbed up onto the bed and waited for Edward. When he finally came in, he locked the door behind him, toed off his shoes and shimmied out of his clothes until he was just in a pair of underwear. I had never been so aroused by plain white boxers as I was at that moment.
"Did you have a good time in the bathroom this morning?" Edward asked with a laugh as he climbed up beside me and slid under the thin blanket. He reached his arm out towards me, but I pulled him closer to me, and away from the edge of the bed. The last thing I needed was for either of us to fall out and injure ourselves.
"It was fine," I stammered as Edward wrapped his arms around me and grew silent.
"You aren't dressed," he stammered quietly as I raised an eyebrow in concern. "Why aren't you dressed?"
"You aren't dressed either," I argued as Edward sat up slightly, being mindful not to smack his head on the low hanging roof.
"Yeah but its super warm in here." I just nodded my head in agreement as Edward let me rest my head on his bare chest.
"Edward, can you climb out of your head for one moment, please?" I asked as I felt his body relax as he sighed. "Think about yourself... what do you want more than anything right now?"
"Then have me," I whispered as I turned towards him, attempting to make the first move, only to have his hand grasp my cheek as he kissed me passionately.
Our hands were everywhere, exploring each inch of our heated and desperate bodies. The small confines of the truck camper and the constant movement of the truck made the situation awkward, but to me it was memorable. I would certainly never forget the time Edward first time touched me. When he kissed my breasts and worshipped me, or when I felt his fingers inside of me, urging me on to release as I stroked his cock until he came on my stomach mere moments after I came.
We switched drivers in Springfield, Missouri, with Edward and me taking the last leg of the drive. I was nestled up beside him, my hand on his inner thigh, and we spoke about everything we could think of. I told him about the time Jasper and I had sex, but he didn't seem bothered by it, thank god. We discussed the future, our college dreams, and what we wanted to do when we reached Graceland.
When the truck finally sputtered along Elvis Presley Boulevard in the dark night of August 19th, I heard Edward suck in a breath as we approached the mansion. We slowed and parked in the parking lot of a nearby Piggly Wiggly, which was as close as we could get, but I think Edward and I were both surprised by the sheer number of people still hanging out in front of Graceland.
"It's been several days and I'm just… in awe."
"I didn't expect there to be this many people here," I remarked to Edward as we popped out of the truck and he went to help Jasper and Alice get out of the back. "I would have guessed that most of the people would be gone by now since it's been a few days."
"His passing left a lot of people feeling alone, Bella. Not just the four of us," Edward said sullenly as we waited a few moments for Jazz and Alice to apparently make themselves presentable.
It took us almost ten minutes of walking along the crowded sidewalks before we reached the main gate, but when I looked up at the classic white mansion, the very same place where Elvis took his last breaths, I felt a shiver run through me and goose bumps crop up on my skin. "Are you cold, babe?" Edward questioned as he draped his arm over my shoulder and pulled me flush against him.
"No… it's just… I always wanted to come here and we had been making plans to visit when Bruce died. It's surreal to finally be here, ya know?"
"Let's go closer, alright?" Alice asked as she threaded her fingers through Jasper's and pulled him towards the mansion.
The house was set back from the main road and surrounded by a high stone wall, and some of the people on the sidewalk in front of were crying, some held candles and there was even a few playing guitar and singing softly to some of most memorable Elvis's songs. It was so dreamlike, and I found myself wishing that it was all a dream – that Elvis hadn't died – but that meant I wouldn't have found Edward, and I didn't want that either.
We passed in front of the gates adorned with music notes and stopped, all of us taking a moment to clutch onto the wrought iron as though we were holding onto something so fucking important we couldn't let go.
As more people came to join us, Edward ushered us back in the direction of the grocery store parking lot, but instead of heading to the truck, we stopped and leaned back against the stone wall and sat down, side by side – Alice, Jasper, me and Edward – our shoulders or arms all touching.
"This is so fucking sad," Alice said first, breaking the silence that had fallen between us as we sat for almost five minutes, completely astounded. "I know you probably don't believe me Edward, but I loved his music too." I felt Jasper move beside me and watched from the corner of my eye as he wrapped his arm around Alice's shoulder and she muffled her falling tears against his ragged Grateful Dead t-shirt.
"I know, Ali, I know," Edward said quietly as he pulled a joint from his pocket and looked around for any sign of the fuzz before he lit it and took a long drag. He then passed it down the line, each of us taking a hit as we stared off into the dark Memphis sky. There were stars littered in the darkness and Edward rested his head on my shoulder as we sat there, quiet except for the sounds of those around us.
"Ever since his daughter was born, I always wanted to call a baby girl Marie," I said, completely out of the blue as Jasper quirked his eye brow at me. "I never liked the name Lisa though."
"You wanted kids? I can picture it, but I didn't think you wanted any," Jasper added casually.
"Well yeah, I'd love to have a boy I could teach the history baseball too and show him how to throw a good fastball," I said wistfully as I pushed a tear from my cheek. "But I could also see me having a girl. Don't you think Charlie would shit a brick if he had a granddaughter?" I asked Jasper as he laughed heavily I could only wish that Edward would meet Charlie one day and understand the small inside joke between Jazz and I.
"Oh yeah, she would be the most spoiled girl on the face of the earth."
"Best Elvis concert?" Edward asked curiously as he took another hit of his blunt and changed the topic. "Mine is the one in 1968 simply called Elvis. It really turned his declining career around and put him back on the map. It was off the charts!"
"That's the one that played at Christmastime and he was wearing that black leather jumpsuit right?" Jasper asked as Edward nodded his head. "Yeah, Bella loved that one too."
"It was the black leather... it still does things to me," I declared as Edward leaned in and licked the shell of my ear suggestively.
"Black leather huh? I'll keep that in mind," he whispered under his breath as I let out a small moan of anticipation. Edward in a black leather jumpsuit like Elvis would definitely do things to me... and cause me to do wicked things to him.
"The Aloha from Hawaii concert in 73 was pretty rad too! With the white bejeweled jumpsuit, the gorgeous sideburns and that lei... yeah, I like that one," Alice chimed in, interrupting my thoughts of Edward. "Plus he played Suspicious Minds, which is definitely one of my favorite songs ever."
"We're caught in a trap, I can't walk out, because I love you too much baby," Edward sang gently as Alice clapped her hands excitedly and I leaned to the side and kissed Edward softly on the corner of his mouth.
"Yeah, definitely a rad song."
"You know, I think Elvis would approve of this. The four of us sitting around, smoking up some primo weed and discussing his career," Jasper exclaimed as I pulled a black marker from my small satchel and turned around to begin writing on the brick wall.
Elvis! 8-16-77. The Day The Music Died
I wrote it in all capital letters and on an awkward angle, but I felt a sense of relief as I immortalized my feelings on the wall. Each of my friends took turns writing their own brief, yet memorable, message. "When we come back here one day, I'll look high and low for this," Edward said, looking directly at me, his fingers stroking my cheek, when he spoke. He was so confident about his future, and I was unsure about mine, but knowing he wanted me there with him gave me a small bout of certainty.
"Mom, this is so damn annoying," Aaron said with a roll of his eyes which reminded me so much of his father it was ridiculous.
"Watch your mouth, young man," I replied, trying to sound stern as I elbowed Edward and motioned to Aaron who walked directly in front of us. "You should say something to him. His smart mouth is going to cause problems in the future." Edward watched the wall beside us and shrugged his shoulders as I saw Aaron shove his earphones in his ears and turn on his Discman. Fucking kids.
Edward and I had said for the longest time that we would come back to celebrate Elvis's passing, so here we were, for the twentieth anniversary in 1997. Our eldest, Aaron was 13 and didn't give a shit about Elvis. He preferred to listen to Matchbox Twenty and Third Eye Blind and did his best to frustrate Edward and me. His little sister Marie was 8 and was just excited to be on vacation, even if we were in the humidity of Memphis. She just liked being away from our home in Portland, Oregon.
"What are we looking for?" Marie asked as I took a step back and looked across the street. Things had definitely changed around Memphis now that Graceland was even more like a tourist trap. You had to take a bus across the road to visit the inside of the house, some of his best concert outfits were on display in a museum and you could even step inside his airplane, the Lisa Marie. It was like an Elvis themed Disneyland.
"When your mom and I were here back in 1977, we wrote on the wall and we're looking for it."
"What did you write?" Marie asked excitedly.
"I think I wrote something about it being the day the music died," I replied, not remembering verbatim what I had written twenty years earlier. I could see Aaron messing around with his Discman and ignoring us completely, so I went over and wrapped my arm on his shoulder. "You know, if Elvis hadn't died, neither of you would be here."
"You and dad would have probably met at college," Aaron said dismissively, because he had heard the story dozens of times in his short life
"Not necessarily. Your dad and I were both busy in college and didn't go to the same school. If we hadn't met on our way to Graceland, we probably never would have ended up together."
"Bella, I think I found it," Edward called out as I ushered Aaron towards him and the section of the wall Edward was standing in front of. Sure enough, I looked at the brick wall where my scratchy handwriting was emblazoned for years with my message. Just seeing it made me smile and remember such different times where my world revolved around spending time with Jasper, smoking up and listening to Elvis.
"What did you write, daddy?" questioned Marie as Edward bent down and looked at a nearby section of the wall, pointing for all three of us to look at it. I hadn't seen Edward write anything that night, but now it all made sense as to why he insisted we come back eventually.
Everything happens for a reason.
Edward + Bella Forever. 8-19-1977


text:
Gail Pinsker is used to waking up at 6 a.m. to review a software company's scans of topics related to the Santa Monica-Malibu school district: school sites, board members, current issues and other keywords.
It's one of the ways she monitors how the district is being covered in various media — and how its messages are being dispersed.
Pinsker, who was hired in 2015 to spearhead public relations and communications for SMMUSD, gave a presentation on her work and heard from local Board of Education members about related topics during the June 29 meeting at district headquarters.
"We've struggled as a district with communications," board member Oscar de la Torre said. "You've definitely had a lot of activity. It's amazing to see how much work has been done throughout the year."
Pinsker was hired amid a storm of controversies in the district, including chemical testing and cleanup at Malibu schools, the implementation of a centralized fundraising system and efforts to close longstanding achievement gaps.
"Everybody is watching the Santa Monica-Malibu school district," she said.
Pinsker said she has tried to improve communications within and beyond the district over the last year and a half. This past school year, she received hundreds of phone calls and emails from local, regional and national media agencies and also sent out scores of press releases and invitations to media to cover school events.
But Pinsker said she spent as much as 30 percent of her time in some weeks on public records requests, which several board members said should probably be handled by someone else.
"You're doing an amazing amount, and I don't think we were aware of all of it," board president Laurie Lieberman said. "You've done a phenomenal job."
Pinsker said websites for the district and individual schools can now be translated into Spanish and many other languages using Google Translate. The district contracts with Maryanne Solomon to run nearly all of the school websites, while Malibu High School handles its own page.
"It's not the best thing on this earth, but it's better than nothing," Pinsker said of the software, noting that it doesn't translate attached documents. "It's a pretty amazing tool that's on each of our school sites and our district website. …
"We have a growing number of students who speak Farsi, students who are Korean, and this way parents can get basic information. I'm making sure things that go out in district communications are translated. I'm insistent that, 'I'm not sending this out until I have a Spanish translation.'"
Some 3,700 notices were sent out through Blackboard, a communication software, including more than 200 from the district office. An associated mobile app allows teachers to connect directly with families, helping them to provide updates on emergencies, delayed field trips and other issues.
Pinsker said the district is also working with Constant Contact, an email software, to make sure information reaches the appropriate audiences. People who are interested in the work of the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation, for example, could sign up to receive updates on fundraising.
"When I have a particular press release … I can target the press release to those people who are interested in that topic," Pinsker said.
Traffic on the district's website was strong towards the end of the school year, according to Google Analytics data compiled by Pinsker. About 29,000 users viewed a combined 184,000 pages during the month of May, with an average session of more than 2 minutes. The most popular pages included schools, calendar information, human resources, Illuminate information services and food services.
The district recently launched an official Facebook page and has gained more than 1,600 followers on Twitter with a little more than 500 tweets.
Pinsker emphasized the role of the Internet and social media in reaching more district stakeholders.
"This is the way that people want to get their news and information," she said.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
on 04.03.2014 at 2:43 PM
Hey, remember him? And his sudden panic upon learning Doug received a Squirtle from Oak? Makes much more sense now, doesn't it?
If you read PokéSpe ― LIKE YOU SHOULD, GO NOW ― then you might already know who that arrow belongs to. My favourite character, by the way.
♪~Comment if you care, follow if you fancy~♫


text: Ans Schumacher was born in 1941 in Leyden - Netherlands, live and work in Oegstgeest - Netherlands. Art school and art classes Exhibitions in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Sweden, Spain and Germany. "I paint faces, mostly on a large scale, blow-ups. Faces one sees nowadays in the streets, "glossy", bill-board-like.


text:
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If you're wondering how to reach Canada by bus, road or rail, chances are you're already on the continent. Many travellers combine their Canadian trip along with New York or other American cities. If you are one of them, you can easily drive, take a bus or train as the connectivity between the two countries is great. With SOTC as your travel partner, you can rest assured that taking this much-awaited holiday is one that's affordable without compromising on amazing experiences and adventures. Whether it's group packages, honeymoon deals or classic family vacations get the best deals for all kinds of travel. Get in touch at the earliest for best Canada tour packages .
Take an escapade unlike any other to a country that's uniquely beautiful and full of natural and cultural wonders – Canada. But this marvellous land is on the other side of the world, so only air travel can get you there. The good news is that there are many airline options to choose from and the route is one that's well-traversed. Air Canada, the national carrier, has direct flights from both Mumbai and New Delhi to Toronto or Vancouver. The journey is about 15 hours, so wear comfortable clothes and be prepared for the long ride. You could also choose to take a connecting flight via London, Zurich and Paris amongst other big cities. Finally, you can land at various points in the country although the major airports are Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Vancouver International Airport, Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport and Calgary International Airport. West Jet and Porter Airlines are some of the local carriers that you could opt for when travelling between cities in Canada. Tip: Air Canada has a multi-city flight pass that could work out for your travel plans. Ask SOTC for more information.


text:
Burg Simpson to Sponsor the 7th Annual Jeremy Bitner Memorial Run!
Burg Simpson is proud to sponsor the 7th annual Jeremy Bitner Memorial Run. The Jeremy Bitner Foundation was established in honor of Englewood Police Detective Jeremy Bitner after he lost his life in the line of duty in 2012. Burg Simpson shareholder Nick Fogel, the practice group leader of the firm's workers' compensation department, helped to develop the fund as an inaugural board member.
Proceeds from the annual Jeremy Bitner Memorial 5K/10K Run & Walk benefit the Fallen Officer Fund, an organization that assists the families of fallen law enforcement officers in the State of Colorado. The fund also provides assistance to Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) and Judi's House to provide bereavement programs for the families of fallen officers.
Please join Nick Fogel and all of us at Burg Simpson for the 7th annual Jeremy Bitner Memorial 5K/10K Run & Walk on Saturday, June 22nd, 2019, at Cornerstone Park in Englewood. For more information, please visit the Jeremy Bitner Memorial Fund website here.
The 7th Annual Memorial Run is scheduled for Saturday, June 22, 2019, at Cornerstone Park in Englewood, CO. There a 5K/10K Run, and 5K Walk.
Deadline for Registration is Monday, June 17th.
- 6:30 a.m. – Registration/Bib Pick Up
- 8:00 a.m. – 5K/10K Race Start
- 8:05 a.m. – 5K Walk Start
About the Jeremy Bitner Fallen Officer Fund
The Jeremy Bitner Memorial 5K/10K Run (3.1 miles/6.2 miles) & 5K Walk is an annual event in honor of Englewood Police Detective Jeremy Bitner. Detective Bitner lost his life in the line of duty on May 28, 2012, after being struck and killed by a vehicle while performing a traffic stop.
Jeremy served the Englewood Police Department for 8 years and during that time was assigned to patrol, was a SWAT team member, and a Field Training Officer.
Jeremy loved being a police officer and serving his community. He will be remembered as a loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend to many. Proceeds raised from The Jeremy Bitner Fallen Memorial 5K/10K Run benefit the Fallen Officer Fund, to assist the families of fallen law enforcement officers in Colorado.
Here are the links to the TV appearances for Jeremy Bitner:


text: One of the craziest things from high school that I remember was how heavy my backpack was. I know, very small detail to highlight, but it was the worst. Yeah, we had lockers, but when it came time for homework and studying, you needed all those hefty textbooks. Random musing, I know, but sometimes I feel like I can walk around like I'm carrying a weight on my back. If you ever had a heavy backpack or had to carry something heavy for an extended period of time, you know how hard it can become as time goes on. I want to take a look at something simple today, a basic truth about a relationship with God. Our God has died for us, we are bought and paid for by the blood of the lamb. So why do we continue to walk around with burdens on our backs? It's time to take off our burdens and remember that we don't have to earn our way to a relationship with out creator.


text:
Monday, October 29, 2012
Sell-A-Stamp Spooktacular Savings!
Today, Monday, October 29th, is a special day, because almost every stamp Stampin' Up! sells is 15 % off!
It's called the "Sell-A-Stamp Spooktacular", and the goal is to sell more stamps in a single day than ever before.
The sale is going on right NOW and will continue until 11:50pm MT tonight.
Stamps on sale include all in the current catalogs including:
* Standard stamp sets, wood and clear-mount
* Background stamps
* Personalized name stamps
* Cookie press stamps
* Single-image stamps
* Stamp wheels
Stamps NOT on sale include hostess sets, bundled stamp sets, and digital stamp brush sets.
There is no minimum purchase, and no limit to the number of stamps you can order.
Visit my Stampin' Up! store to start shopping now!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Blue Ribbon Birthday
blog using the Blue Ribbon stamp set. Here's my card inspired by her design.
Supplies used:
Stamp Set: Blue Ribbon
Ink: Tangerine Tango, Rich Razzleberry
Paper: Floral District DSP, Tangerine Tango, Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil Delight, Baja Breeze
Accessories: 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Dimensionals, Basic Rhinestone Jewels Accents,
Friday, September 28, 2012
For Mom and Baby
It was a last minute thing, so here's the quick cell phone shot I took of a card and gift before running out the door to deliver it.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a bunch of all occasion cards on hand so I could use them at any given moment?
Yes. Yes it would.
Supplies used:
Stamps: Giraffe from Little Hellos (retired), flower from Big Pieces (retired)
Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip DSP (retired)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink
Accessories: White satin ribbon, Prismacolor pencils, Dimensionals, Scallop Edge Border Punch
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Have you heard about the new MDS2?
Check out the fun you can have!
Posted by Natalie at 11:48 AM No comments:
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Pokémon! Gotta catch them all!
My sons are huge fans of Pokémon.
Particularly my younger son. He collects the cards, action figures, stuffed animals, t-shirts...
Pretty much whatever he can get his little hands on.
So when a friend of ours brought him back some real Japanese Pokémon cards from his trip over there, I figured a special thank you card was in order and I wanted to incorporate both sons' favorite colors: blue and green.
This, (in case you don't speak Pokénese, not that I really do either) is a Poké Ball.
In the game, it's a contraption for catching and transporting Pokémon to battles by their trainers.
Get it?
Me neither.
But my little guy was thrilled with this card I made and couldn't stop pressing the round, white button I popped up on a dimensional.
Anyone else out there with kids still obsessed with Pokémon?
I'd really think this fad would have died down by now!
Supplies used:
Stamps: Wacky Wishes
Paper: Read Red, Pacific Point, Gumball Green, Basic Black, and Whisper White cardstock
Accessories: Labels Collection Framelits Dies, Dimensionals
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Convention 2012 Lip Dub, "I Am"
I've been lucky enough to spend the last few days in Salt Lake City, Utah, attending the Stampin' Up! Convention.. It's been an absolute blast meeting fun people, learning new ideas and techniques, and just hanging out with others who get as excited about the same things I do.
(Well, maybe not quite as excited...from what I hear, that's pretty hard to do!)
I'll post a few more things about it once I get home, rest my brain a little, and can fully open my eyes again.
In the meantime, check out this fun video created by the staff of Stampin' Up! using this year's motivational Convention theme, "I Am".
Monday, July 16, 2012
Brown paper packages...
This is a little gift for my sister's birthday. I wanted a cute way to dress it up a little bit more than my usual wrapping paper and curling ribbon.
(My youngest sister says curling ribbon is 'sooooo yesterday'. What can I say? I'm a little behind the times.)
So instead, I used kraft postal wrap, and then tied it with Bermuda Bay polka dot ribbon (retired). Then I added a letter from the new Typeset Alphabet Bigz set, a tiny flower punched from the Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, and for a little sparkle, a rhinestone.
Simple. Easy. Works for me.
And hopefully for my sister.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
God Bless America!
Stamps: God Bless America, July Fourth
Paper: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Real Red, Pacific Point
Ink: Real Red, Pacific Point
Accessories: Dimensionals
Happy Independence Day to you!
Did you have fun? It was a really nice day here. It started out raining this morning, but cleared up by the evening, just in time for fireworks.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
For a friend
Stamps: Stampin' Up! D is for Dog
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Real Red
Accessories: Maraschino twine from The Twinery, red button, dimensionals
This card was made for a friend who recently lost her best friend of 16 1/2 years. It was inspired by this card. The stamp set I used, D is For Dog, recently retired, which I'm sad about because the image reminds me so much of my own furry friend, Thelma.
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text:
From 2010.igem.org
Physical Modelling
One of the main ideas in the project is to control the flow induced by a bacterial coating inside a micro-tube. What we want to do in this part of the project is to study the mechanics of such a system, and how different parameters will affect it. One way to do this is to create a physical model that describes the most essential features of the system. Our work connected to the development of such a model is presented in the following. The basis for any model is an understanding of the physical system in question, therefore we will start with a short review of the hydrodynamic properties of flagella and the bacterial pumping system constructed by M. J. Kim and K. S. Breuer [1].
The real system
The "real" system that we want to model is a bacterial pump as described by M. J. Kim and K. S. Breuer [1]. In principle, this is just a microscopic chamber with a flow channel 15µm deep, 200µm wide and 15mm long, covered on the inside by a layer of flagellated bacteria. The bacterial layer described by M. J. Kim and K. S. Breuer [1] is very dense and uniform, with a spacing between each bacterium of less that 1µm and 80% of the bacteria adhered to the surface as single bacteria. To get a better understanding of the origin of the flow created from the bacterial coating, it is important to understand the structure of the bacterial flagellum.
The bacterial flagellum consists of 3 major parts, a rotary motor complex, a hook and a filament. The first part creates the rotary motion of the flagellum and the second part serves as a flexible coupling between the torque creating part and the filament. For our model the filament is the most interesting part. This is responsible for the conversion of the rotary motion into a linear thrust. The filament is a self-assembling polymeric structure composed of flagellin protein subunits. These are arranged in a circular way to create a hollow helical structure, with a typical width of 120-250Å and a length of 10-15µm [2].
A bacterium like E. coli typically has around 10 flagella [3]. These filaments are able to adopt a wide range of conformations under the induced torque. Numeric studies [4-5] and empiric results [6] suggest that the conformation is strongly dependent on the hydrodynamic environment that surrounds the flagellum and its rotational direction. When several flagella rotates counterclockwise, the flagella tend to bundle together in a single helix structure, due to the hydrodynamic interactions [4]. A phosphorylation cascade causes the flagella to turn clockwise at irregular intervals. This induces a sequence of deformations that changes the single helix structure of the flagella and unravels the bundle. This is known as tumble mode.
To be able to model the flow created by a bacterial coating of a tube, it is essential to know what kind of flowfield a single flagellum/bundle will create. This has primarily been investigated by numerical approaches, where the flagella are modelled as semiflexible hookian systems. Several studies [4-5] suggests that the flow created from a single flagellum is highly non-uniform, but to some degree circular symmetric at the end of the flagellum (see figure 2 A and B, below). When the flagella come together in a bundle, Floresa, H. et al. [4] suggest that this symmetry becomes less clear and flow becomes even more complicated.
All these results refer to flagella moving freely in aqueous solution, the question is now, whether the same is true for bacteria sticking to the surface of a narrow tube? Turner, L. et al. [6] suggest that bacteria that are completely fixed to a surface will deviate from the bundle behavior, but it is unclear what happens if the fixation is only partial or if the bacteria are surrounded by a flow.
To summarize, we have to model a very dense system of elongated objects that each give rise to an unsymmetrical flow, which depends self-consistent of the total flow and gives rise to self-organization. This is indeed not a simple task, and quite a few simplifying assumptions will have to be made. These will be the starting point of the next part.
Description of model
A flagellum creates propulsion by spinning around in a helical shape. Since the flagellum/flagellabundles take on a helical shape, the most accurate thing to do would be to model them as such, but doing this would become quite advanced for even one flagellum, not to mention an entire system. Since we are limited in both time and computer power, we will have to simplify the system a bit.
One thing we can do is to consider all the flagella of a bacterium to form one bundle, even though doing so for a bacterium stuck to a wall is questionable.
The overall result of this spinning bundle is that the flow moves in an almost straight line. This could be modelled as a pointforce on the tip of the flagellabundle pointing in the same direction as the bundle. The size of this force can be approximated by calculating the drag on a swimming bacterium. If the bacterium is considered almost spherical, the drag force can be calculated by using the formula for Stokes flow past a sphere:
where η (=8.94•10-4 Pa•s for water) is the viscosity of the fluid in which the bacterium is swimming, r (=0.4•10-6 m) is the radius of the bacterium and v (=50•10-6 m/s) is the velocity of the swimming bacterium.
The dragforce and thereby the force created by the flagellabundle of one E. coli is
The system we are trying to model consists of a lot of bacteria stuck to a wall, but the part we are interested in is the flagella and the forces they create. We therefore ignore the bodies of the bacteria, and instead consider the flagella as being stuck directly to the wall, with one end glued to the wall and the other pointing out into the fluid.
Next step is to figure out what kind of flowfield such a pointforce creates. The flowfield created by a pointforce in a fluid with no walls or other obstructions near it can be calculated using the corresponding Green's function known as the stokeslet:
where the three indices on G represent the number of walls and their matrix-coordinates, h is the distance between the pointforce and the wall and r is the vector from the pointforce to where the flow is to be calculated.
If the pointforce is placed near a wall, modifications must be made since the flow velocity has to go to zero at the boundary (known as the no-slip condition). This is done by using the Oseen-Blake tensor. Simply described, the Oseen-Blake tensor creates a mirror image of our force on the other side of the wall, thus cancelling the flow near the wall (This is not a completely accurate description, but rather an intuitive one).
In our case the flagella are stuck to a wall, so we use the Oseen-Blake tensor.
Here R is the vector from the mirrorpoint of the force to the point where the flow is to be calculated.
The two formulas above are based on [8].
In our case the system we are trying to describe is a microtube. This means that the tube is so narrow that the forces created by the flagella are not only close to the wall to which the bacteria are stuck, but also close to the opposite wall. This presents an interesting problem. Since the Oseen-Blake tensor works by creating a mirrorpoint of the real force on the opposite side of the wall, we will need a mirrorpoint behind the other wall if we are to uphold the no-slip condition. But the mirror forces also affect the flow near the other wall. In order to cancel this effect one could create another mirrorforce, corresponding to each of the mirror forces, but of course these would obstruct each other to, requirering yet more mirror forces. In the end we decided to see how precise the system would be for one mirrorpoint behind each wall. This corresponds to taking the equation above and adding the three last terms once more, but with the mirrorvector corresponding to the other wall.
The flowfield corresponding to this is shown below.
As the above figures show, there is quite a difference depending on how many walls you take into consideration. We decided to keep working with both the single-wall and the double-wall flowfields.
Flagella dynamics
The next thing to be considered was how the flagella depend on the fluid flow, i.e. if we place a bacterium at an angle θ with the wall, will it remain at that angle or will it get pulled around by the flow in the tube, thus changing its position? The two extreme situations would be either that the flagella stick very hard to the surface and are therefore unaffected by the flow or that they stick very gently to the surface and that their angle depends completely on the flow. In order to create an intermediate situation, we could constrain each flagellum with a harmonic potential, pulling it toward a favored angle (connected to the initial orientation of the fagella when it stick to the surface). We believe the answer lies somewhere in between the two extremes, but that does not mean the extremes can't tell us anything. We therefore decided to create a model in which the flagella keep still, and one where they are affected by the flow and a potential. The size of the potential can always be set to zero if we want to study the flagella without an affecting potential.
The basic idea then is that every flagella stuck to the surface creates their own flowfields. To get the entire flowfield we add together all the flowfields created by the individual flagella. In the case where the flagella are stationary the assumptions made so far actually shows the system. For flagella that are able to move it's a bit more tricky.
The first thing we had to figure out was how the flow created by all of the other flagella would affect one single flagellum. To do this we decided to approximate a flagellum as a string of spheres and use dragforce calculations to figure out the force with which the flowfields of the other flagella would affect the spheres. An image, showing some of the vectors involved and the procedure we used is shown below.
First, the fluid velocity at the given point is found. The method is the same whether there is 0, 1 or 2 walls, but the tensor used varies.
The dragforce created by the fluid on the sphere is calculated using the same formula we used in part 3
Once we have the force, we can use it to calculate the torque on the sphere, then we summarize the torques of the individual spheres to get the total torque
We then transformed the torque to angular acceleration by dividing with the inertia. This is also where we introduce the potential, that we mentioned earlier
Now that we have the angular acceleration, we can insert it into the equation of motion. This allows us to calculate the position of the flagella at the next timestep by using its position at the current and at the previous timestep.
In the end, this model showed us that in less than 100ns the velocity of the flagella would be the same as the velocity of the fluid when the flagella started with a velocity of zero, after which the two velocities never diverged far from each other. Since the velocity of the flagella always went to the velocity of the fluid on such a short timescale and since these calculations took a lot of computer power we decided that instead of force calculations we would simpy find the flow velocity at the tip of the flagellum and convert that directly to the angular velocity of the flagellum.
A 2-D model of the system
In this chapter we will present our model a bit more precisely and present some of the results it has given us.
The 2-D model consists of a one dimensional grid, to which flagella are attached. Each flagellum produces a force which creates a flow which pushes the other flagellum, and thus a dynamic system is created. To calculate how big the flow will be at a given point, a vector from the tip of the force-producing flagellum to the point where you wish to know the flow must be created. To know how a flagellum is affected by the flow, the flow at the tip of the flagellum must be calculated.
Once you have this vector and the vector corresponding to the force, the flow can be calculated using stokeslet or the Oseen-Blake tensor, depending on whether there is a wall nearby. In our system there is a wall so we will be using the Oseen-Blake tensor. This means that we are also required to find a vector from the mirrorpoint of the force to the point at which we wish to know the flow.
After this it is a matter of summarizing over all the flagella to find the total flowfield. The situation (disregarding the mirrorpoint) is sketched in figure 4. The best way to illustrate the result from this model is to see it in action, so below the time series of a system of 20 flagella (only the 4 flagella in the middel of the system is shown), where the elastic constant is zero, is shown:
It is clear that the flagella tends to lie down and stabilize in an almost flat position in this case. In the following figure we have made many of these runs, but with varying average start-angle
As the figure shows a very small deviation in the starting angle will cause a much bigger deviation in the end. The flagella in the systems used for making this graph were all lying down, but to which side the flagella went was highly dependent on the start configuration. When the mean angle was zero corresponding to a vertical flagellum it was pretty much 50-50, but when the start angles were pushed a bit to one side it had a tendency to shift the entire system in that direction. This tells us that if you can control the starting angle, it will go a long way towards creating a uniform flow.
A stationary 2-D model
The stationary model, does not offer much when it comes to dynamics and interesting behavior, which should not surprise anyone. It does however offer us the opportunity to investigate at which angle the flow in the tube is highest, which could be helpful when planning how to optimize the use of bacteria as a source of flow.
The above figure shows the average flow velocity as a function of the angle of the flagella. In the above case only one wall is taken into account. The one of most importance is the top-one which shows the flow velocity parallel to the tube. According to these figures we get the best velocity at an angle of around 0.7 rad or approximately 40 degrees, where the angle is measured from the axis perpendicular to the wall.
Model expansions
All the programs we have written have been created for easy transfer from the 2-D model to a 3-D model. We have made the adjustments needed in order for it to become 3-D, unfortunately we have not had time to check it for errors and to gain some results.
A flagella row on the other wall
In our model we settled for placing bacteria on one wall. During the real-life application, flagella would most likely be placed on both walls. This is not something we have tried to implement in our model, although doing so should just be a matter of creating an extra grid and adapting the existing model to this. If this was done, it would improve the usability of the model.
A better double-wall approximation
The double-wall approximation we made is a very rough approximation based on what you do when you have a single wall. The model could be improved a lot by making a better approximation, though aside from simply creating more mirror-points, we have not investigated how this could be done, but it would most likely be quite difficult.
[1] Kim M. J., Breuer K. S., Microfluidic pump powered by self-organizing bacteria, Small 4, 111-118. (2007)
[2] Berg H. C., The rotary motor of bacterial flagella, Annu. Rev. Biochem. 72, 19-54. (2003)
[3] Berg H. C., E. coli in Motion, Springer, New York. (2004)
[4] Floresa H., Lobatonb E., Méndez-Diezc S., Tlupovad S., Cortezd R., A study of bacterial flagellar bundling, Bulletin of Mathematical Biology 67 137–168. (2005)
[5] Reicherta M., Stark H., Synchronization of rotating helices by hydrodynamic interactions, Eur. Phys. J. E 17, 493-500. (2005)
[6] Turner L., Ryu W. S., Berg H.C., Real-Time Imaging of Fluorescent Flagellar Filaments, JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY, 2793–2801. (2000)
[7] http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flagellum_base_diagram.svg
[8] Uchida N., Golestanian R., Synchronization and Collective Dynamics in A Carpet of Microfluidic Rotors, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104 178103 (2009)
We know what we expect from our system, but does the math agree?


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If you are planning to install new tyres in your car, we are sure that this task will not be a piece of cake for you.
Buying new Continental Tyres Birmingham can be extremely confusing for the drivers because of many factors.
For example, the cost of the tyre is a vital factor that may affect your decision to finalize the tyres.
If you are a cost-conscious person, you are going to choose your tyres according to your budget. Similarly, you may wish to have a certain type of tyre as per your goals or needs. Moreover, the compatibility of your new tyres is also an unavoidable factor for the drivers who wish to buy a new set of tyres.
To help you, we have made a list of considerable factors before you buy new tyres.
Let us have a look!
Your User's Manual:
This document is going to solve a lot of problems that you may face in your journey to choose new tyres. Your user's guide tells you about many things like speed limit, load capability, size and other compatibility areas.
You must follow these specifications to ensure that you buy the correct tyres for your vehicle.
The Size of Your Tyre:
You need to make sure that you buy the tyres with the correct size. Besides the user's guide, you can find essential information about the size of your new tyres on the body of the tyre. This is indeed a code containing letters and numbers.
The tyre dealer will help you to understand this code to help you determine the correct tyres.
Types of Tyres Available in the Market:
In your quest, you need to know about different types of tyres as well. Types like winter tyres, all-terrain tyres, mud-terrain tyres, high-performance tyres are available in the market.
Drivers choose a particular type as per their needs.
Features of Your Tyres:
Nowadays, tyres are available with different features like speed limit, wet performance, traction, grip, tread design etc.
Different tyres have different levels of performance. Therefore, you need to determine whether you need tyres with a specific performance level or not.
So, these are some prime factors to choose good tyres for your vehicles.
After the discussion about choosing ideal tyres, let us have a look at another crucial topic related to new tyres.
After you have bought an ideal set of tyres, you have to be cautious for a couple of months because new tyres may behave strangely.
Have a look!
How to Drive With New Tyres?
Actually, before you get optimum performance, grip and handing from your new tyres, you need to run your car cautiously for at least 150-200 miles.
During this period, drive your car at a slow speed because you should not expect a high level of grip at this stage.
Moreover, sharp acceleration and braking is included in risky option during this period.
Getting Used to New Tyres
Once your tyres start to show optimum performance, you may drive your car freely as you do with your new tyres.
Moreover, look after your new Tyres Birmingham by following universal rules of maintenance.
Regularly check the air pressure in your tyres and drive carefully to avoid the chances of hits with bumps or sharp objects.
If you maintain your tyres well, we hope you will have a long life for your tyres.


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Santiago - Politics, Social Justice & Language Application Requirements
You are here
- 18 years of age
- In good standing at your home school
- 2.75 GPA or better on a 4.0 scale(GPAs under 2.75 will be considered on a case-by-case basis)
- Sophomore, junior, or senior standing when program begins- some local university courses may not be available to sophomores
- 4 semesters of college-level Spanish or the equivalent
- Enrolled in a Spanish course within the year prior to the program start date
- Online Application
Applications may be considered after the published deadline on a space available basis. Please note that late applicants may be required to submit a non-refundable confirmation deposit upon acceptance in order to secure a place in the program. Please contact us with questions about applying after the deadline.
Submit the following in your MyIESabroad account after your Online Application is processed:
- Home School Authorization
Your on-campus study abroad advisor can either complete the Home School Authorization electronically through IES Abroad's PartnerPortal system, or by filling out the PDF form linked above. Consult your study abroad advisor to determine how they would prefer to complete your Home School Authorization.
- Foreign Language Assessment
- Official Transcript(s) for each college/university you have attended since high school. If you have multiple transcripts, IES Abroad will average the GPAs for all colleges/universities you have attended and use that cumulative GPA when reviewing your application.
- Passport Copy of a valid passport that expires no less than six months after to the end of the IES Abroad program.
- Student Photo taken within the last six months
- Students attending higher education institutions outside of the US may need to submit English language proficiency exam results. Contact your IES Abroad Representative for more information.
- Professor Recommendation Letter
Although there is no length requirement, the recommendation must indicate a professor's opinion of the applicant's academic ability to pursue university-level coursework in a foreign country, in addition to any information that would help IES Abroad gain a better understanding of the applicant.
- Personal Academic Essay
Although there is no length requirement, the essay must address your GPA, any particular academic challenges faced, reasons you chose this IES Abroad program, and how it fits into your academic career.
Pro Tip: Renew (or Apply for!) Your Passport ASAP
Passport applications and renewals are taking longer than normal these days. Save yourself from the last-minute stress by making sure you 1. Have a passport, and 2. The expiration date is at least six months after your study abroad program ends. Visit travel.state.gov to locate U.S. passport agencies in your area.
Chile requires US citizens to obtain a student visa before studying abroad for a semester or longer.
Learn more about applying for a student visa for Chile.
Not a US citizen? Consult the consulate website of your passport country and contact your IES Abroad Advisor with further questions.


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- Ghana
- Commented Page
- Reply to a Comment
Reply to a Comment
Pls am Hannah Abbey have stake lotto so many time but never won pls I need help for today, I will give anyone who will help me the money I get.
14-57-54 perm them two sure 14-57 and 14-54. Call me when you got win ********.Atta is my name or princecoo
26 days ago and only today all three numbers drop. Hmmmmm as3m Oooh


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Htein Lin - How do you find Yangon
In the series "How do you find..." Htein Lin represents the cities that have deeply marked him.
Retour De Voyage is quite naturally absolutely admiring of How do you find Yangon, city in which we met Thein Lin for the first time and in which we stayed so often.
Htein Lin, though he requires no introduction, is a former activist, student soldier and political prisoner (along with other things) who is today considered to be Myanmar's premier contemporary artist and of its best known social commentator, working in a broad array of mediums to express a unique interpretation of Myanmar society and express his deeply held love for the customs and conventions that have shaped him. He is best known for possessing an evocative, yet simple style with handcrafted aesthetics that delicately walk the line between the abstract and the deeply human being. His works traverse the history of the nation's conflicts, grief, and healing, identity, religion, and celebrate the spirit and the beauty of ordinary people towards the community.
Data sheet
- Type of product
- Art - Paintings and Drawings
- Gift Ideas
- Artwork
No customer reviews for the moment.


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On a recent episode of his podcast, UFC commentator Joe Rogan admitted he misspoke on Conor McGregor's infamous pub attack.
Earlier this month, a video surfaced of McGregor sucker punching an older man in the face for allegedly refusing a drink offer. In a subsequent interview with ESPN, the Irish fighter apologized for the incident. However, Joe Rogan found the bar altercation comical:
"He's got like $100 million in the bank and he still wants to fight people. Still smacking people at bars." Rogan laughed. "He's Conor McGregor. He's living like you're supposed to live if your Conor McGregor. The dance is, don't go to jail dude. Don't get locked up."
The way that Joe Rogan seemingly made light of the pub attack rubbed some fans the wrong way. On yesterday's episode with kickboxing champion Cedric Doumbe, Rogan responded to the backlash and claimed he misspoke on the situation.
"Not good to smack that guy at the bar though," he said. "I watched that again. I thought it was a touch, last time I talked about it but it looked like almost like a punch. I mean, he hit him. I misspoke. I basically just thought he touched him in the face because I watched it on my phone and it wasn't that clear. Then I watched it on a computer and was like 'oh'."
While Joe Rogan admits his misjudgement about the incident itself, he makes no apologies for laughing about the situation or making light of McGregor's behaviour.
Watch his original video that received the backlash below:
Where do you stand on this issue? Do you agree with Joe Rogan?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 8/27/2019.


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- Photo by Jen Cray for Orlando Weekly
- Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts
Back in March, Winter Park's Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts was one of the area's first music venues to begin adapting to the new pandemic reality by becoming a soundstage for remote live performances.
Their maiden foray into that realm, starring Terri Binion and Beth McKee, turned out to be the last concert I would see in person this year. Here's what it was like.
- First Takes
- Michelle Mailhot
On Saturday, the hardworking minds at Blue Bamboo will unveil their next phase of streaming content. Hosted by local performer-educator Michelle Mailhot, new weekly music series First Takes debuts this Saturday at 8 p.m. through Blue Bamboo's website with a free opening episode.
- Photo by Jen Cray for Orlando Weekly
- Behind the scenes at the Blue Bamboo
We've sneak-peeked it and it's a well-produced show that's an ushered, artist-focused look inside the walls of Blue Bamboo where the performance magic happens. The launch episode of First Takes is a nicely edited mix of live recordings and artist interviews that balances the virtues of both a live concert and a TV show.
The debut features appearances by Jeff Rupert Quartet, Don Soledad, Beth McKee, Brad Gant & Tina Hunting-Gant, Nate Najar & Daniela Soledad, Per Danielsson, Orlando Jazz Orchestra, Cortez & Koelble and Heather Thorn & Vivacity.
Subsequent episodes will mostly focus on a single artist, though, and dive deeper into their work.
And the beat goes on …
Please follow CDC guidelines and Orange County advisories to stay safe, and please support this free publication. Our small but mighty team is working tirelessly to bring you news on how coronavirus is affecting Central Florida. Please consider making a one-time or monthly donation. Every little bit helps.


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Yeah, I definitely almost forgot about posting today. Sorry everyone.
The KC Magazine set went great today. We had a phenomenal team and model with a wonderful attitude. I can't wait to be able to release some of the shots. You'll love them.
As for me, I hit the road for LA in the morning and I still have to pack!
I know, but I got everything and everyone taken care of and that was more important. So, now I'm going to go get all my stuff together and get one amazing night's sleep.
See you tomorrow,


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…Lauds Israel's Assistance
By Emmanuel Elebeke
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu says Methanol Fuel Production Technology will stimulating foreign investment in the Oil and Gas sector as well as creating employment opportunities for our teeming youths.
He also said that the Methanol Fuel Production technology would expand the chemical industry chain-value, preserve our environment as well as add value to our huge gas resources in the country.
The Minister stated this on Tuesday when the Ambassador of the State of Israel to Nigeria, Amb Shimon Ben-Shoshan, visited him in his office in Abuja.
Dr. Onu who commended the State of Israel for its assistance to Nigeria in the area of Methanol Fuel Production Technology hailed the close relations between Nigeria and Israel, saying that Nigeria's partnership with Israel had helped her considerably in the quest for a knowledge and innovation-driven economy.
According to him, the post-Covid era had underscored the need for Nigeria to move from resource to a knowledge and innovation-driven economy in her bid to achieve socio-economic progress.
The Minister recalled the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the two countries for the implementation of Methanol Fuel Production Technology.
He further stated that Methanol Fuel Production Technology would replace Kerosene as household cooking fuel and contribute to efficient and effective transportation.
Methanol technology, he said will also help in climate change mitigation, improve electricity generation and help in economic diversification of the country, he added.
In his remarks, The Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria Mr. Shimon Ben-Shoshan said he came to brief the minister on the forthcoming Innovation Fair (I-fair) with the theme "Transforming Ideas into Information", which the Israeli embassy is co-sponsoring to raise a generation of innovators, researchers and inventors in Nigeria by offering them a platform to transform their ideas into innovative solutions.
The Fair is open to all Nigerian citizens above 21 who have innovative ideas in Agriculture and Food Security, Food Technology, Renewable Energy, Environmental Management, Medical Devices/Simulations and Social Responsibility he added.


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The Emmy awards red carpet challenged the traditional ideals of Hollywood beauty on Sunday with diversity in race, body shape, and sexual identity reinventing television's biggest runway.
That variety infused the fashion, making this year's red carpet one of the more eclectic in recent memory.
Looks ranged from gowns in vibrant primary colours to more bohemian looks in glistening metallic hues, chosen from among the world's most famous designers and lesser-known talent.
The tuxedo also found a creative outlet for several men and women.
"The diversity is amazing," said Joyann King — the executive editor of Harper's Bazaar.com. "I love to see all the skin colours and shapes and sizes. It feels like we've come so far from the blond Barbie."
This season's carpet, King said, was "more variety, a range of ages in the woman walking the carpet, and a range of body shapes. It really feels like a celebration".
That meant Orange is the New Black's Laverne Cox poured into a liquid silver gown, Lily Tomlin sported a classic black suit, and Priyanka Chopra wore a form-fitting white gown embossed with silver.
The California sun emerged just before the red carpet opened for television's top honours, making the metallics sparkle and the looks in vibrant emerald, daffodil and scarlet pop.
"This felt magical, fairy-like," said Zoe Kravitz (Big Little Lies) of her Dior gown decorated with rainbow-coloured ribbons, while Tessa Thompson opted for a multi-coloured pleated halter dress by New York designer Rosie Assoulin.
Donald Glover wore a purple tuxedo, while Anthony Anderson (black-ish) sported an Armani white tuxedo jacket. His co-star Tracee Ellis Ross opted for silver sequins and a feather hem from Chanel.
"The feathers were dipped, the crystals were sewn," said the nominee, extolling the work involved in the couture gown.
Crimson was the choice for a bevvy of actresses, including Nicole Kidman, Heidi Klum, and Edie Falco, as well as Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid's Tale), and presenter Issa Rae in a one-shoulder Vera Wang.
Comedian Samantha Bee wore emerald satin and Angela Sarafyan (Westworld) sported a bright, sunny yellow gown by designer Elizabeth Kennedy.
Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) wore a vampy white strapless gown from Los Angeles designer Mark Zunino, cooling herself with a little fan attached to an iPhone, as Felicity Huffman from American Crime entertained photographers, flipping around the long train on her blue lace dress.
Metallic silver was the choice for a host of stars, including the actresses Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black) and Anna Chlumsky (Veep).
"I wanted something in the precious metal, could-be-mined-from-the-earth vein," exclaimed Chlumsky of her Sachin & Babi gown.
Of course, elegant black is always a red carpet classic and was Emmy's choice of Susan Sarandon and Judith Light.
"I'm playing dress-up," said presenter Rachel Bloom, who purchased her black Gucci lace dress herself. "I can re-sell it!"


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It's back to school season and, of course, grownups need new supplies too! My friends will tell you, I'm a sucker for back-to-school sales because I love new pencils and note pads, sticky notes and calendars. If it's a tool to organize stuff, I'll buy it. A cute little notebook? Yep, it's in my purse. Because no matter how convenient apps and electronic devices are, I still come back to paper and pen. The tactile sensation of hearing a sharpened pencil scrape across the page is unmatched. The satisfaction of physically crossing an item off your to-do list is heavenly and unparalleled. See my bullet journal journey here. Today, I've curated a list of chic office supplies to help keep you organized and inspire you to keep working on your stuff.
Gold Dots Pencil Pouch | Acrylic Clipboard | 17-Month Large Agenda
Daisy Place Business Card Holder | Sylvia Plath Pencil Set | Acrylic Tape Dispenser
Retro Style Eiffel Tower Scissors | Acrylic & Gold Pencil Holder | Dots & Stripes Erasers
But First Coffee | Diptyque Scented Candle
I put them on the bottom of this collage, but no day starts without coffee. And lighting your favorite scented candle is a lovely way to transport your mood and encourage warm, fuzzy feelings while working.
My all-time favorites on this list are the Acrylic Clipboard by Russell + Hazel, the 17-month Black Stripe Agenda by Kate Spade and the Sylvia Plath Pencil Set by LZpencils. LZpencils is an Etsy shop that does pencil collections from favorite pop culture icons in literature, music and television. They have super cool collections featuring Beyonce song titles, The Office, Parks and Recreation, and more. I love them!
Do you love to buy chic office supplies too? What are you must-haves for this year?
Shop More Chic Office Supplies
- Effortlessly Host the Perfect Outdoor Party
- Create a Little Cozy With Hygge
- Last Minute Gifts For Unannounced Guests


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Also known as the Grassy Field, this is just a big, grassy meadow. Honest. Nothing much happens here. It's a place to have a nap, let your kittybike or budget horse graze for a while, and chat with other contestants. Sometimes, you'll find your poor aching body gets healed. Other times, you'll just waste some time before your return to the jungle. Ain't that what life's all about?1)
The grassy meadow has been paved over and replaced by a five-star restaurant by the name of The Grassy Field, owned and operated by Bortwood Enterprises, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bortwood Entertainment Enterprises Inc. The restaurant went broke after persistent reports of rampant food poisoning, it was demolished. It is now a grassy field again.
By general consensus, the Grassy Field has been declared a clothing-optional area. This makes it a very popular destination2) for kittymorphs and Uncle Bernard. Pass the mindbleach.


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Reversible Diamond Ring
2 rings in 1!
Reversible diamond ring set in 14 karat white gold.
The top most center piece rotates from all white, princess cut diamonds to a checkerboard design of alternating blue and white princess cut diamonds.
The side stones on the ring are round, brilliant cut with a total carat weight of 0.20cts.
Blue diamonds carry a total weight of 0.55 carats and princess cut near colorless diamonds weigh 1.40 carats total weight.