I posted on this subreddit on late April/early May, to ask if anyone did a bikepacking trip to Harriman State Park before. Wanted to do another post after trip to share my findings for whomever wants to plan a similar trip.
I did the trip on May 12-13th. Actually wanted to post before but life was busy couldn't share the details before. Thanks for all the comments on my previous post, the comments made me realize that there are certain things that you just try & learn. I'll also def check the 718 Cyclery in the future for group trips.
The purpose of this trip was to explore my limits and the route to Big Hill Shelter, see it for myself that how bike accessible it actually is. I didn't want to use a full PTO from work, instead I asked to leave by 2pm. However, next time I'm definitely going to take the full day off to hit the road early. For the route, I decided to trust Google. From my start point I set course for Big Hill Shelter, adding The 9W Market as a stop. After midtown, I passed through Central Park then all the way to Upper Manhattan to George Washington bridge. Right when I entered Jersey, I immediately started cycling on the 9W all the way up to the market with no stops. After I had some food at my pitstop, I kept following Google Maps, now routes next to Hudson river that made me pass through some really cute townships until the Nyack Beach State Park. The road at the State Park was a bit rocky but also really leisurely sometimes right next to the river, sometimes in between trees under a nice shade. The journey was really bike friendly until the turn to Camp Winaki Rd from Call Hollow Rd.
My maps was telling me that Camp Winaki Rd is a wood road, so I assumed it was just going to be like riding on a path similar to the Nyack Beach State Park. I was able to ride my bike until a Park building next to what Google calls First Reservoir. At that point it started to get dark and Google started to be unreliable. I opened up the official Harriman Park map and figured out that I had to walk with my bike until the Long Path & Camp Winaki road intersection. Also need to mention that, because I spent a little time figuring out my direction, I was left in complete dark before getting to my destination. With the help of my flashlight, I continued to roll my bike on foot, and about 1.5 miles later (in about 45-60 minutes) I managed to find the shelter. The weather was 70 degrees and I was alone until 11:30pm. Was an amazing, peaceful night. Around 11:30pm, randomly, a group of boy scouts came to the shelter as well. We shared the area and talked for a bit.
My takeaways for next time is really a brief list: Leave early so no need to go through the excitement of trying to navigate in absolute dark and instead of Big Hill Shelter, putting Long Path Hiker's Parking to my maps and then following the Long Path for 30-45 minutes on foot from the other direction still heading towards the shelter. Also need to bring a water filter or carry more water depending the length of the trip. Leaving details and an equipment list below. Hopefully this will help others who want to do a similar trip!
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• Length: 44 miles
• Elevation: 1204 ft
• Time: Appx 6 hours
• Start Point: 3rd Ave & 45th St, Manhattan NY
• End Point: Big Hill Shelter, Harriman State Park
• Pit Stop: The 9W Market (Perfectly splitting the distance into half)

​
Equipment:

• Trek FX1 Disk 2022
• Topeak Explorer 29er Bike Rack
• Two Wheel Gear 22L Pannier Backpack
• Big Agnes Fly Creek High Volume UL 1 & Footprint
• Cipway Compression Packing Cubes
• Aegismax Down Sleeping Bag Ultralight
• Trekology UL80 Sleeping Pad
• Inflatable Camp Pillow
• Titanium Pot set for Camping
• PocketRocket UL Camping Stove
• Camping Fuel Canister
• Flashlight
• Collapsible Coffee Dripper & Paper Filters
• Rockbros Phone Front Frame Bag
• 2 bottles of water
• Power Bank
• Sandwich x2 & Snacks
• Clean cloths for the next day

My boyfriend and I met in June 2022 via Hinge; we spoke for about 7-8 days before he asked me out for a dinner date, we met and had an overall good date, and from there on, almost every weekend, we went on a myriad of dates, which included dinners, bowling, mini golfing, movies, board game cafes and so forth. Each date night, I would also bring conversation card starters which helped us dive into deep topics. This was his very first relationship, so from the beginning, he was open about the fact he had never been in a relationship and sought advice from his friends to get an idea of what to do, and so forth. That said, I had more experience; I would take the lead in some regard, in terms of the conversation cards and so on. With that being said, as in every relationship, everything looked rosy and sparkly initially, but then I began noticing some things I did not like. First and foremost, my boyfriend seems to be controlled to a high degree by his parents, and I mean both parents seem to manage his bank account; they co-signed and gave him some money to purchase his home as well as home decor, so they control who comes in and out of this home and he now has to pay them back, they also, force him to attend church every Saturday or his dad threatened to take away his inheritance. With that being said, my boyfriend has expressed his frustration but doesn't seem to be able to get away from their stronghold. The second aspect I noticed was the coldness that came from his parents, I first met his mom and brother in October 2022, and they were cold. From there on, even though they invited me to family functions, I still felt that cold presence and his father sometimes asked why I was coming to a particular family function, which was a huge red flag for me that I was not accepted.
The third issue is that my boyfriend was raised sheltered and has a brother; with that being said, his brother has a developmental disability two years younger than him. When his parents pass away, he will become the legal guardian; growing up, he was not allowed to participate in travelling and some activities due to his brother's inability to partake in certain activities. With that being said, I have been the one trying to expose us to new activities, and we are also going on his first trip in July to Vegas.
I have been struggling for the last couple of weeks; while I reflected on our overall compatibility and shared this with my boyfriend, he said he was sorry I felt this way as he felt happy in our relationship. With that being said, my feelings had not been the same, and I shared with him that I had an issue with the fact I felt he wasn't putting initiative into planning things for us and that I felt I was the only one planning out things and finding new things for us to do, or being thoughtful in action. He told me that he liked the fact I took the lead and that he is pretty sheltered, so he doesn't really know much, but then I explained ot him that I'm not an expert and googled fun things for us to do and took the initiative to present these things to us, he seems not to get the entire point but said he would work on it, I also told him I looked on reddit and got advice from a myriad of online sources. The second point I shared with him was that I didn't feel welcomed by his family, and, mainly, I have noticed how nervous he feels when his dad finds out I'm sleeping over or something like that; he then went on to tell me that it is just a huge family joke, that they see his dad as the "leader" and that I shouldn't worry, I said to him that I do not wish to be part of family friction or to cause conflict and that I would walk away if this is a preserving issue, as I do not want to be part of his family's conflict which is evident, with his father who he seems to have a bad relationship with.
He then told me that due to our upcoming Vegas trip, he has to pay his parents back for the down payment on his home he purchased 2 years ago; alongside the air conditioning she helped him pay for and that he is on a tight budget, so we cannot do anything expensive or super "fun" as he is on a very tight budget to ensure he has enough money for bills. I reassured him that I understood and that I was not expecting him to plan anything expensive, just something we could do together initiated by him, I also asked him to give me feedback as I would like to improve in areas that might be lacking in our relationship and he didn't provide me with any. He is 27, and I'm 26; at this point, I don't wish to feel as if I'm being unrealistic, but I would appreciate some insight.

I've been having so much fun with this little story. Here's part one if you'd like to read it in its entirety! Alien learns what "sleep" is and how humans prefer to do it in a comfy bed with blankets and pillows. And they find it utterly adorable.
To summarize:
Vr'ocria and Human Aldrick were sent on a survey mission together. Things went south, Aldrick made sure they were safe, and then Vr'ocria learned what human sleep is and how vulnerable humans are when they sleep. Vr'ocria's people don't sleep, but enter stasis, a form of rest in which they typically stand, and they are still slightly aware of their surroundings. Vr'ocria finds human sleep utterly adorable, and also decided she would protect Aldrick while he slept. And she also developed a massive crush on him. (Her scales turning purple is her version of blushing)
Vr’ocria ran the engine diagnostic again, and again it came back inconclusive. She slammed her fist on the dusty controls. “Blasted thing.” Of course she got stuck with the rusty, crusty old shuttle pod that no one else wanted. Why did these things always happen to her? She just wanted to do her job!
Not for the first time, she wished she had Human Aldrick for company.
It had been two moon cycles since Vr’ocria had last seen Aldrick. They’d only served on the one away mission together, and once they returned to the ship, they’d been sent their separate ways. They worked in separate departments, after all.
But that didn’t stop her from missing him. She’d only spent a few solar cycles with him, but somehow was already totally enamored by the human–the human who was supposed to be a terrifying, dangerous, nearly indestructible monster.
Vr'ocria had met a handful of humans during her service, and they were all polite enough. But Aldrick was the first human she'd ever spent any extended alone time with. It was on that away mission that Vr’ocria learned what “sleep” was: The human form of rest in which the human becomes completely unconscious, and thus, totally defenseless. Something about learning humans were even able of being defenseless at all, much less in such a complete way, had changed her entire perspective on them. She’d grown up always being told to fear the humans, the wild, indestructible humans.
She had been nervous enough to quake in her scales, but he was nothing but kind to her. And when she saw him sleep for the first time–planets, what a blasted cutie. During their few cycles together, she always stood by him when he slept and she went into stasis. Her people were still slightly aware of their surroundings while in stasis, so she would be able to protect him if there was danger.
She couldn’t help but worry about him ever since they separated. Who was going to keep watch while he slept? What if something happened, what if there was an ambush or a ship malfunction and he couldn’t wake up fast enough? She wanted to be there for him…
Vr’ocria cringed at the memory of when she asked her nestmate, Galek, about human mating rituals.
“You want to mate him? Are you insane?”
"No! I mean–well…" Vr'ocria reminded herself to keep her voice down; Aldrick was still sleeping in the next room. "I…Galek, listen–"
"He's a human!" Even through the communicator, she could hear his scales snap. "He's dangerous!"
"He's nice! When the away mission went wrong he made sure we were safe and–" her voice caught when she remembered the way Aldrick strolled fearlessly through a thunderstorm, one warm hand gripping her wrist, unflinching at every thunderclap and lightning strike in the sky that rattled her to her core, as he led them to a cave for shelter.
Galek sighed. "Vr'ocria, let it go. We are not compatible with humans, they do things differently anyway. They don't mate."
Vr'ocria stilled. "They don't?"
"No. Well, kind of? Ugh, why am I even telling you this…"
"Because I'm your favorite nestmate," Vr'ocria grinned.
"Shut up." There was no bite to his words. "Anyway, what I mean is that humans usually court each other first, and then mate. I think they call it 'marriage.' But that's all I know."
She hummed in thought. "This is good to know."
"Vr'ocria, I mean it." Galek was back in protective-nestmate-mode. "Drop it, it's a terrible idea. Humans are…it's just a bad idea, okay?"
"I'm not gonna do anything," she mumbled.
And what if he doesn't even like me anyway?
Her scales faded to a faint red and her shoulders slumped at the thought. Back in the present, she absent-mindedly flicked through the controls on the cracked panel in front of her. Maybe Galek was right, and she should just stay away from Aldrick altogether.
“Agent Vr’ocria, report.”
Vr’ocria jumped at the tinny voice that suddenly filled the cabin. She pressed the comm button. “Commander, this pod is–” she stopped herself from using a few choice words– “in a state of engine malfunction. I can’t even diagnose a problem. I’m not going anywhere in this thing.”
”Stand by.”
Vr’ocria drummed her fingers on the consol.
”Agent Vr’ocria, you’ve been reassigned to shuttle pod Delta. You will join a crewmate there.”
That’s right, Delta was a two-person pod. She groaned inwardly at the prospect of working with someone else in such a cramped space.
Vr’ocria tried not to drag her feet as she approached the Delta pod. The loading door was already open, and she climbed inside. “Hello? I’ve been re–”
“Vr’ocria!”
She turned towards the cockpit, and her scales flashed to purple in record time. “Aldrick?”
The human was beaming as he maneuvered through the tight space to approach her. “It’s so good to see you again!”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, silently urging her scales to go back to green. “Aren’t you in engineering?”
He shrugged, suddenly looking everywhere except her face. “I uh...I asked to be transferred to the survey department.”
“Why?”
His cheeks turned pink. They seemed to do that a lot. Vr’ocria really needed to ask the ship’s doctor if that was normal for humans or if he was getting sick. “Engineering just wasn’t doing it for me, y’know? Needed a change of pace. I volunteered for that one survey mission and it turns out I liked it, so why not try it full time?" He turned back towards the cockpit. “We should get going! I think this mission is gonna be more fun than the last one. The planet we've been assigned has a more stable atmosphere, so fewer storms."
So she and Aldrick would be working together, alone, again. Vr'ocria swallowed hard before following him to the cockpit. Oh, planets, why did these things always happen to her?
—
The trip to planet Theta-7 was quiet. Aldrick occasionally tried to engage her in conversation, but Vr'ocria pretended to be engrossed in her file pad. Guilt prodded her spine with every one-word answer and noncommittal grunt, but she was determined to keep her distance. Aldrick eventually fell quiet, and her scales nearly curled in on themselves in shame.
She avoided looking in his direction, but she still heard the sound of his canteen unscrewing and the slosh of liquid as he took a sip. Her nostrils flared at the odd, bitter-sable scent.
When she realized she recognized the smell, her eyes blew wide and she whirled to face him, dropping her pad. "What are you doing?" She nearly shrieked.
Aldrick lowered the canteen from his lips, looking startled. "Uh…drinking my coffee?"
"Coffee?" Another foreign word. "That's remfrylie! It's a deadly poison!" Her blood was rushing through her veins so fast she feared her scales would start to swell.
Aldrick laughed.
Laughed?
Her scales turned yellow and stood on end. "What is this?" She asked indignantly.
"I'm so sorry, Vr'ocria," he rubbed his eyes, still chortling. "I forgot, I should've warned you–humans call remfrylie 'coffee.' It's a beverage, we drink it. The caffeine in it gives us a boost of energy."
She stared at him.
As if making a point, he took another big gulp from the canteen, and smiled at her. "See? Totally fine."
Slowly, her blood slowed and her scales laid back down. But there was still a thrill of fear deep inside her–she'd become so enamored with him that she'd forgotten how dangerous he was. Drinking pure poison? Just for a boost of energy?
She turned away, embarrassed, a little afraid, and a little angry at him for scaring her like that. She bent over to pick up her pad from where it fell at her feet and went back to mindlessly flicking through her files.
Fabric rustled as Aldrick shifted in the seat next to her. "Hey," he said softly, "I really am sorry for scaring you. I didn't mean to do that."
"It's okay." Her voice was clipped and short.
Aldrick was quiet for a moment. "Is everything okay?" He asked slowly. "Have I…I mean, have I done something to offend you? I'm really sorry if–"
Guilt washed over her again. "No, no you haven't done anything." She finally looked over and tried for a weak smile. Now that she was actually looking at him, she could see the way he'd turned his whole body to face her, his fingers fidgeting at the edge of his seat and his warm brown eyes filled with worry.
Oh, that's right, humans had color in their eyes. Her people only had large black pupils, but humans had pupils with–what's the word–an "iris." She'd seen humans with brightly colored irises before, and while she found them beautiful, they also freaked her out. It was just so very strange.
But Aldrick's eyes…
The brown was a little closer to her own black, making them feel more familiar. In the tiny, cramped cabin, she realized that this was the first time she'd ever gotten a chance to really study his eyes up close. The brown seemed to swirl, and she noticed that there were layers of shades and colors floating around his pupils. And when natural light from a sun shining through the window hit them just right–
Aldrick cleared his throat awkwardly and turned to face forwards again. "Looks like we're here."
Vr'ocria looked forward and saw Theta-7's solar system quickly approaching. Oh, right. They had a mission to do.
—
Theta-7 was warm, just how she liked it. The sand, not so much. She tightened her boot laces twice to keep sand from finding its way inside.
The mission, thankfully, went smoothly. Walk, scan, record. Walk, scan, record. Being out in the field was different from working aboard the ship like she usually did, but she found she enjoyed it. With the agreeable weather, she quite liked the peaceful repetitiveness of the work.
Although, things were still awkward between her and Aldrick. She fought the urge to make excuses to drift away from him–since it was just the two of them, they needed to remain within eyesight of each other in case anything happened. As a result, she had a front row seat to Aldrick’s human antics. He climbed trees like it was nothing, crossed a stream by easily hopping from boulder to boulder, nibbled on plants he claimed were edible but that still made Vr’ocria’s scales ripple with unease, and even insisted on approaching a ferocious, furry creature with his hand outstretched and cooing “Hi kitty! Hi baby! Come here, let me give you scritchies, come on–”
Vr’ocria didn’t know what a “kitty” was, but a baby it definitely wasn’t. “Aldrick, please,” she called weakly.
“But she’s so cute!”
“It’s got claws! And look at its big teeth!”
Aldrick grinned as the creature crept closer. Its head came to Aldrick’s hip from where he knelt, still reaching out with his fingers and making a scratching motion in the air. “Naw, she’s just a little baby, aren’t you sweetie? Come ‘ere!”
Vr’ocria trembled on the spot as the creature was finally within arm’s reach of Aldrick. He began scratching its sandy-colored head, and to her disbelief, the creature closed its big eyes and leaned into his touch. “Oh, yes,” Aldrick positively giggled, “you’re such a sweet little baby, aren’t you?”
Vr’ocria could only stare, stunned, as he continued scratching the creature’s head, then its cheek and chin–extremely close to its massive fangs.
“All kitties like scritchies, huh?” he cooed at the…kitty.
Okay, they were kind of cute.
It, she corrected herself. The ”kitty” was cute. Not him. Definitely not.
She didn’t notice her scales flushing a soft pink as she watched him nearly pull the “kitty” into his lap, beaming and petting it. A gentle smile crossed her lips.
Aldrick glanced over at her and tilted his head. “You’re pink. That’s new, I haven’t seen that color on you before.”
Vr’ocria’s blood froze and her scales immediately flashed to purple. Blast. Shit. Fuck. Great, now she was picking up human curse words.
He blinked at the sudden change in color.
"Oh it’s–” she coughed, “it’s nothing. Just the heat, I think.”
“Are you okay?” He eased away from the creature as he stood, and it darted off into a hole in the rocks. “Do we need to take a break?”
Stop being so NICE, she growled inwardly. “No no,” she squeaked instead. “I’m fine. Let’s keep going.” She buried her head in her scanner and walked briskly towards the next scanning zone.
When night fell, the two of them made their way back to the shuttle pod. They still had scanning to do, but it wasn’t safe to work through the night, so they agreed it was best for them to take rest inside the pod.
Once they were safely inside, Aldrick laid out what he called a “bedroll” on the floor of the cockpit, between the two pilot seats. Still dressed in his uniform, he laid down and shifted until he appeared as comfortable as he could get. Tugging a blanket over himself, he glanced toward Vr’ocria. “Well...good night.”
“Sleep well,” she murmured. She stood in the short aisle in front of him, facing the door, and began to enter stasis. Despite how much she’d come to struggle with her feelings for him, she was still determined to protect him while he slept.
It was in the middle of the night when Vr’ocria snapped back to full awareness.
Thud.
There it was again.
Shuffle shuffle.
She whirled around and threw herself on top of Aldrick, clapping a hand over his mouth as he jerked awake with a muffled shout.
“Shh!” she hissed. “Something’s out there.”
He stared up at her with wide eyes as she slowly removed her hand. She didn’t move from her position on top of him as she looked up and around the cabin, trying to discern where the sound was coming from.
Thud.
“The door,” Aldrick whispered, looking over her shoulder.
There was one last thud, then a beeping sound.
”Shit!”
Without warning, Aldrick was grabbing her shoulders and flipping them so that he was on top, and before she could even react, there was a core-rattling BOOM.
She couldn’t hear herself scream as a shockwave blew fire and debris over them, and then everything went dark.
Vr’ocria groaned as she came to, her head pounding. She found herself sprawled in the sand, looking up at the night sky. She slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, her limbs heavy. “What…” when her eyes focused, she gasped in horror.
The side of the shuttle pod where the door used to be now had a big hole blasted through it. Debris and supplies were strewn out across the ground, and judging by the drag marks, it looked like someone had dragged her body out and thrown her haphazardly into the sand.
She leapt to her feet, stumbled, fell, and jumped up again. Forcing her legs to steady under her, she stormed into the pod, and came face-to-face with a Norvidian pirate.
“Fucking pirate,” she roared, drawing her fist back and punching him right in the face. He yelped and dropped the thing he was dragging, and with horror, she realized it was Aldrick.
Something deep and primal flooded through her veins, and she grabbed the Norvidian's head. She slammed it against the wall, once, twice, three times, before dropping him to the ground, where he oozed yellow blood.
“Well that was fucking scary.”
Vr’ocria snapped out of her haze.
Aldrick was struggling to climb to his feet, and she darted forward to catch him before his face hit the floor. “Oh planets, oh my–Aldrick, are you alright?”
He rubbed a hand over his face, still looking dazed. “Yeah, I think–I think I’m okay.” He laughed, and it sounded a little hysterical. “Did you kill that guy?”
She looked over at the pirate, and somehow, she felt no remorse. “I hope so,” she growled. Logically, she knew the pirate was probably just tossing the two of them outside so he could raid their supplies. But the sight of him dragging a limp and pale Aldrick was burned into her memory, and her bright yellow scales rippled with rage.
“Jesus, you’re fucking scary when you’re angry.” He laughed again. “It’s kinda hot.” He turned pink and his face twisted in an expression she didn’t recognize. “Uh, pretend I didn’t say that.”
Vr’ocria didn’t know what it meant for something to be “hot,” so she played along and pretended she didn’t hear that. “We need to get you cleaned up,” she said instead. “Can you stand?”
Aldrick started to shift his legs, then went tense and dropped his head to her shoulder with a groan, fingers gripping her arms. It was then that Vr’ocria was able to lean forward enough to see his back, and she gasped.
The back of his shirt was in tatters, stained red with blood. Cuts and burns raced across his skin, and Vr’ocria knew that if she had taken the blast like that, she would be dead.
“Aldrick–” her throat felt thick, “Your back…shit–”
His breathing was ragged against her shoulder. “Hurts like a bitch,” he ground out, “but it won’t kill me. Just need to disinfect and bandage it.”
She laid him down on his stomach as gently as possible and rushed to the cockpit, praying that the first aid kit was undamaged. “Thank the planets,” she breathed as her fingers closed around the handle of an intact box.
She tried to steady her shaking fingers as she gingerly cut his shirt away and began dressing the wounds according to the kit’s instructions for treating humans. She also dressed the few injuries that ran down the back of his legs. Luckily–or unluckily–the damage was concentrated on his back. While she worked, she could see his muscles tense tight enough to crack, his teeth grinding and his hands clenched into fists so tight that his knuckles were white. She knew there had to be painkillers in the first aid kit, but she wanted to get his wounds dressed as fast as possible to prevent him from bleeding anymore. All she could do in the meantime was whisper quiet apologies.
Once she’d gotten him bandaged up, she finally dug through the kit. “Here,” she said as she fumbled with a bottle, “I found some pain killers, they’re supposed to be fast acting. You just let them dissolve in your mouth.”
She could tell he was in too much pain to move, so she held two of the pills up to his lips. He let her feed them to him, and after a few moments, he visibly began to relax. “Oh, that’s good shit,” he slurred into the floor.
“Feel better?” Vr’ocria asked hopefully.
“Yeah.” His voice was still crackly and weak. “Still aches a bit, but I don’t wanna scream about it anymore.”
“Good.” She stood and draped a blanket over him. “Now, stay put and don’t try to move. I need to figure out how to get us out of here.”
The shuttle pod wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. When she investigated the control panel, she found that the blast had knocked out communications, and their personal communicators were wrecked as well. “Great,” she mumbled.
Making her way back outside, she glanced around until she saw the pirate’s tiny craft a distance away. He must’ve landed out there so we wouldn’t hear him, she mused. She was reluctant to leave Aldrick alone, but she jogged the distance and pried the door open. The thing was a rust bucket, stinky and creaky, and she quickly decided she didn’t want to risk loading Aldrick up in that thing.
What to do, what to do…
Then she remembered: There was a survey outpost a few kilometers from here. She could take him there for professional treatment, rest, and to contact their ship.
When she got back to the pod, Aldrick was standing, leaning against the wall.
"How are you feeling?" She asked as she approached.
His eyes seemed clearer now as he met her gaze. "I've been worse," he said with a crooked smile.
Vr'ocria thanked the planets for human durability.
She let out a breath. "There's a survey outpost near here, due east. It's a few hours' walk. Do you think you can make it?"
Rather than answering, he stooped to pick up a blanket from the floor, shook out the dirt and debris, and threw it around his shoulders to cover his naked torso. "Let's go." He hopped easily out of the pod, and Vr'ocria could only shake her head in disbelief as she followed him. Humans truly were unbreakable.
It was still nighttime, but the clouds in the sky had cleared to reveal two big, bright moons that illuminated their way. Vr'ocria kept a close eye on Aldrick as they walked. While at first he seemed totally unaffected by his wounds now that they'd been dressed, she was beginning to notice the tight lines around his eyes, his white knuckles where he fisted the blanket, and the way each step he took was just a little shaky.
After walking in silence for nearly an hour, she finally found her voice. "Thank you," she said quietly, "for saving me back there."
He looked at her with those warm brown eyes and she thought she would melt. "Anytime."
Stupid purple scales.
They were halfway to the outpost when Aldrick collapsed. His knees hit the ground and Vr'ocria darted forward with a yelp to catch him before he went all the way down.
"Aldrick!" She shook him. "Look at me! Hey, hey…"
But all he could do was groan as his head lolled in her hands, slumping forward so that he sagged against her. Vr'ocria tried not to panic, but her scales stood on end anyway. "Aldrick!" This time her voice cracked.
Okay, okay, calm down, he's gonna be fine, he's human, it's gonna be okay… But doubt still twinged in her spine.
She ruffled her scales. Snap out of it.
"Okay. Aldrick," she took his face in her hands, "I need to put you on my back, but you'll have to help me."
He didn't respond.
She slapped him.
"Ow!" His eyes shot open. "Jesus, woman–"
"Look at me. I need to put you on my back, and you have to help me."
He blinked, eyes still cloudy, but finally nodded. It took some maneuvering, but Vr'ocria finally got him situated on her back–"piggy back style," he called it. She held his legs around her waist, and used the blanket to tie him to her. She could feel his warmth and heartbeat from where he was pressed against her back. His breath ghosted across the nape of her neck, sending tingles over her scales.
She tightened her grip around his knees as she walked. My human.
"You're pink again," Aldrick mumbled behind her ear.
Vr'ocria pressed on.
—
By the time they reached the outpost, her back was aching and her feet were sore, but she didn't care. She waved down the watchmen, and within minutes they were being swarmed by a med team. Aldrick was now fully unconscious and much too pale, and the medics wasted no time loading him up on a stretcher and carrying him to the med bay. When they tried to insist that Vr'ocria go to a separate room for evaluation, she snarled and snapped her yellow scales until they backed off.
She wasn't leaving Aldrick's side for a minute.
By the next morning, the med team had worked their magic and Aldrick was sleeping peacefully. He was curled on his side like he usually did, his face free of lines, lips parted, softly sighing with each breath.
Stupid human and his stupid cute sleeping.
She brushed his hair from his face, gently trailing her fingers across his cheek. Human skin was much softer compared to her scales, and warmer too. Aldrick had once explained that humans are "mammals," creatures that were "warm blooded." Her people were "cold blooded." Maybe that explained why she always wanted to touch him, hold him, feel his warmth…
Aldrick shifted and sighed, and her breath caught as he leaned into her hand. His eyes cracked open and he gazed blearily up at her. "Hi," he croaked.
She smiled. "Hi."
"You're still pink," he observed. "Are you okay? Did you get checked out?"
Blast all the planets. "I'm okay," she assured him. "My people turn pink when…when, um…I-I'll tell you another time," she stuttered. Galek was going to kill her.
Aldrick reached up to take her hand from where it still rested on his cheek. "Thank you for taking care of me."
She squeezed his hand. "Anytime."
This got so much longer than I thought it would 😂 How do we feel about one more part where these two idiots finally admit their feelings for one another?

I am a single 28f looking for a new city. I live near Austin now, and while I like the city itself, I hate Texas and I can't stand the heat. I've already done a lot of research on new cities but so far nothing is really sticking out to me. I'm really into hiking so the nature aspect is kinda crucial, as is the ability to meet new people.
Some of my criteria: * People in their 20s and 30s to meet and hang out with * Has an airport for easy travel * Close to mountains and hiking trails would be ideal, but if it's a bit of a drive that's fine as long as the city has rivers, lakes, parks, etc. * Moderate temps year round. I hate heat and humidity and don't mind winter as long as it doesn't get freezing. * Semi affordable. I make somewhat decent money but as a single person who wants to buy a house in the near future, I don't want to sink a bunch of money into a rental. Hoping for like $1500 at the absolute max. * Fairly liberal
I actually generally prefer smaller cities and towns because big cities stress me out, but I really need to be able to make friends around my age. WFH so job market doesn't matter. I hiked the AT a few years ago and really liked the VA/TN/NC area so that's mainly where I've been looking, and my job operates on east coast time so that would be ideal, but I'm open to other areas.
Some cities I've considered: * Nashville TN (seems too hot, not as great as others for meeting people, not super close to hiking, and I hate country lol) * Knoxville TN (went here when I hiked the AT and loved it, but think it might be a little too small to meet people) * Chattanooga TN (probably too hot for me and I've heard about the crime and traffic) * Roanoke VA (In the lead right now due to proximity to Shenandoah and Smokies but not sure about the social life aspect) * Richmond VA (not sure about hiking options or social life and seems a bit run down) * Greensboro NC (havent looked into it too much) * Asheville NC (too expensive) * Denver CO (bit outside my price range) * Albuquerque/Santa Fe NM (haven't looked into these too much but saw it suggested a couple times on here) * Portland OR (my sister lives there and I like the city but weather is a bit gloomy for my taste and I prefer east coast)
I know there's no perfect city and I realize I'm gonna have to compromise on something, I guess just looking to get feedback on what options are the best bang for my buck. TIA 🙏

I am a single 28f looking for a new city. I live near Austin now, and while I like the city itself, I hate Texas and I can't stand the heat. I've already done a lot of research on new cities but so far nothing is really sticking out to me. I'm really into hiking so the nature aspect is kinda crucial, as is the ability to meet new people.
Some of my criteria: * People in their 20s and 30s to meet and hang out with * Has an airport for easy travel * Close to mountains and hiking trails would be ideal, but if it's a bit of a drive that's fine as long as the city has rivers, lakes, parks, etc. * Moderate temps year round. I hate heat and humidity and don't mind winter as long as it doesn't get freezing. * Semi affordable. I make somewhat decent money but as a single person who wants to buy a house in the near future, I don't want to sink a bunch of money into a rental. Hoping for like $1500 at the absolute max. * Fairly liberal
I actually generally prefer smaller cities and towns because big cities stress me out, but I really need to be able to make friends around my age. Bonus if there's a good kink scene there. I WFH so job market doesn't matter. I hiked the AT a few years ago and really liked the VA/TN/NC area so that's mainly where I've been looking, and my job operates on east coast time so that would be ideal, but I'm open to other areas.
Some cities I've considered: * Nashville TN (seems too hot, not as great as others for meeting people, not super close to hiking, and I hate country lol) * Knoxville TN (went here when I hiked the AT and loved it, but think it might be a little too small to meet people) * Chattanooga TN (probably too hot for me and I've heard about the crime and traffic) * Roanoke VA (In the lead right now due to proximity to Shenandoah and Smokies but not sure about the social life aspect) * Richmond VA (not sure about hiking options or social life and seems a bit run down) * Greensboro NC (havent looked into it too much) * Asheville NC (too expensive) * Denver CO (bit outside my price range) * Albuquerque/Santa Fe NM (haven't looked into these too much but saw it suggested a couple times on here) * Portland OR (my sister lives there and I like the city but weather is a bit gloomy for my taste and I prefer east coast)
I know there's no perfect city and I realize I'm gonna have to compromise on something, I guess just looking to get feedback on what options are the best bang for my buck. TIA 🙏

I do not accept paypal, game trades only
My rep from indiegameswap
Have:
FEBRUARY 2021 HUMBLE CHOICE
MARCH 2021 HUMBLE CHOICE
11-11 Memories Retold
2064: Read Only Memories
20XX
7 Grand Steps
7 Billion Humans
A Good Snowman is Hard to Build
A Hat in Time
A Mortician's Tale
American Fugitive
A New Beginning - Final Cut
Aaero
The Adventure Pals
AER Memories of Old
As Far as the Eye
Age of Wonders: Planetfall Deluxe Edition
Age of Wonders III
Agents of Mayhem
AI War: Fleet Command
Alien Spidy
All You Can Eat
The Ambassador: Fractured Timelines
ADOM (ANCIENT DOMAINS OF MYSTERY
Ancestors: The Humankijnd Odyssey
Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation
Assassin's Creed® Origins
Assault Android Cactus
Baba Is You
Bridge Constructor Portal
The Ball
Bastion
Batman Arkham Origins
Basement
Battle Chef Brigade
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock Season One
Beat Hazard Ultra
Beholder
BEE SIMULATOR
Bendy and the Ink Machine™
Binary Domain
BioShock™ Remastered
Blazing Beaks
Blue Fire
Biped
Bleed 2
Bone - Episode 1 & Episode 2
Broken Age
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Brutal Legend
Burly Men At Sea
Bury Me, My Love
Bridge Constructor Portal
Call of Cthulhu
Chasm
CHUCHEL Cherry Edition
Carto
Coffee Talk
Company of Heroes 2 +Pattern Pack
The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters
Crawl
Crazy Taxi
Cepheus Protocol
Crowntakers
Curious Expedition
Cultist Simulator
Darkside Detective
Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition
Darksiders Warmastered Edition
Death Squared
Drake Hollow
Dirt 5
Deleveled
Deadly Days
Distance
DISTRAINT 2 + Soundtrack
Distrust
Dungreed
Door Kickers: Action Squad
Double Fine Adventure Documentary
Drawful 2
Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
DUCATI - 90th Anniversary
Duck Game
Dungeons 3
Dusty Revenge: Co-Op Edition
The Dwarves
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 + dlc and shit
EarthNight
Elderborn
Eastside Hockey Manager
Elite Dangerous
Ellipsis
Endless Space - Collection
Euro Truck Simulator 2 + Austraila paint dlc
Europa Universalis IV
Encodya
EVERSPACE™
Evergarden
Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered
Feather
Fibbage XL
Finding Paradise
The First Tree
Fluffy Horde
Framed Collection
Freedom Force
Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich
Frog Detective
FTL
Full Metal Furies
Full Throttle Remastered
GameMaker Studio Pro
The Gardens Between
Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
GNOG
God's Trigger
Gonner
GRAV (Early Access)
GRID 2
Guns of Icarus Online
Gunscape
Hacknet + Hacknet Labyrinths DLC
Hand of Fate 2
Hard Reset Redux
Heroes of Hammerwatch
Hello Neighbor Hide and Seek
Hexcells Complete Pack
Hidden Folks
HIVESWAP: Act 1
Hammerting
Hollow Knight
Hyper Light Drifter
I'm not a Monster
In Between
Injustice Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition
I am not a Monster: First Contact
INK Deluxe Edition
Into the Breach
Jackbox Party Pack 4
The Journey Down: Chapter Three
JumpJet Rex
Jurassic World Evolution - Deluxe Dinosaur Pack
Kerbal Space Program
Killing Floor 2
Kingdom Classic
Knights of Pen and Paper 2
Last Oasis
Late Shift
Layers of Fear
LEGO® Batman 2 DC Super Heroes™
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Premium Edition
LEGO DC Super-Villains Deluxe Edition
LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 Deluxe Edition
LEGO Marvel's Avengers
LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game
LEGO® Worlds
Lethal League Blaze
Leviathan Warships
Lostwinds
Lobotomy Corporation Monster Management
Lumino City
Luna's Wandering Stars
Machinarium
Mad Max
Magicka
Majesty 2
Majesty Gold HD
Marooners
Masquerade: The Baubles of Doom
Massive Chalice
Metro Redux Bundle key only
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor GOTY
Mini Metro
Minoria
MINIT
MirrorMoon EP
Monster Loves You
Moonlighter
MOTHERGUNSHIP
Mr. Shifty
Mushroom 11
Music Maker EDM Edition + 10 dollar voucher code
My Memory of Us
My Time at Portia
NBA 2K20
No Time to Relax
NIMBATUS - THE SPACE DRONE CONSTRUCTOR
Necronator: Dead Wrong
Neo Cab
Neon Drive (Steam)
Newt One
Niche
Nine Parchments
Ninja Pizza Girl
No Time to Explain Remastered
Not Tonight
>observer_
Offworld Trading Company + Jupiter's Forge
Old Man's Journey
OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood
Operation Flashpoint: Red River
Opus Magnum
Orwell: Ignorance is Strength
Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You
Out of the Park Baseball 18
Out There: Ω Edition
Out of Space
Overgrowth (plus a secret link)
Overlord II
PAC-MAN™ CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2
Pale Echoes
Paper Fire Rookie
Paperbark
Paradigm
Party Hard
Pesterquest
Pikuniku
Pinstripe
Plague Inc: Evolved
Paradise Killer
Planet of the Eyes
Plunge
Primal Carnage: Extinction
Police Stories
Project Highrise
Project Highrise
Psychonauts
Puzzle Agent
Puzzle Agent 2
Q.U.B.E. 2
Q.U.B.E: Director's Cut
Quest of Dungeons
Quiplash
Rapture Rejects + Safari Outfit DLC
Realpolitiks
Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville
Regency Solitaire
Regions of Ruin
Regular Human Basketball
Remnants of Isolation
Resident Evil Revelations
Retro Game Crunch
Rime
Rise and Shine
Rising Dusk
Rituals
Road to Ballhalla
Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball
Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder™
Rocket Birds: Hardboiled Chicken
ROCKETSROCKETSROCKETS
Rusty Lake Paradise
Sam & Max: Season 1
Sam & Max: Season 2
Satellite Reign
S.W.I.N.E. HD REMASTER
Scribblenauts Unlimited
Secrets of Raetikon
Sigma Theory
Shadows Awakening
Shelter 2
Shenmue I & II
shutshimi
Sigma Theory: Global Cold War
SimplePlanes
SIMULACRA
Slipstream
Sniper Elite
Sniper Elite 3
Sniper Elite V2
Song of Horror
Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing
SYNTHETIK: Legion Rising
SOULCALIBUR VI
Speed Brawl
Spelunky
Spirits
Spyro™ Reignited Trilogy
Squad (Early Access)
StarCrossed
State of Mind
Stealth 2: A Game of Clones
Stick Fight: The Game
SYNTHETIK: Legion Rising
The Stillness of the Wind
Streamline Early Access
Streets of Rage
Stronghold Crusader 2
Subsurface Circular
Sunless Sea
Super Daryl Deluxe
Super Galaxy Squadron EX
Super Hexagon
Super House of Dead Ninjas: True Ninja Pack
Super House of the Dead Ninjas
Super Time Force Ultra
SUPERHOT
Superliminal
Surgeon Simulator + Anniversary Ed. Content
Surviving Mars
Sword Legacy Omen
System Shock 2
System Shock: Enhanced Edition
Tank Mechanic Simulator
Tales of the Neon Sea
Tangledeep + Soundtrack
Team Indie
theHunter: Call of the Wild
Telltale Texas Hold'em
Think of the Children
Thirty Flights of Loving
This is the Police
This War of Mine
Throne of Lies® The Online Game of Deceit
Tilt Brush
TIMEframe
Titan Quest Anniversary Edition
Tokyo 42
Tooth and Tail
Torment: Tides of Numenera
Total Tank Simulator
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
Tower of Guns
Tower Unite
Train Simulator 2017 + Platform Clutter, Town Scenery
Tropico 4
Tropico 6 El Prez Edition
The Uncertain: Last Quiet Day
Ultimate Chicken Horse
Undertale
Unexplored
Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York
Vampyr
Verdun
Vertiginous Golf
Vikings - Wolves of Midgard
Void Bastards
Volgarr the Viking
VVVVVV
Waking Mars
Wargroove
Warhammer: Chaosbane
Westerado: Double Barreled
We Were Here Together
Windward
The Witness
Wizard of Legend
World of Goo
Worms Revolution
Yooka-Laylee
YAKUZA 3 REMASTERED
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK HEADRUSH
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK MOVIES
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK SPORTS
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK TELEVISION
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 1 XL
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 2
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 3
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 4: The Ride
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 6 The Lost Gold
Ziggurat
And other shit i probably have from recent bundles
Deck Builder Bundle
Walking Dead 10th Anniversary Bundle
Humble Bundles I have
August 2022 - December 2022
July 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
January 2022
November 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
March 2021
February 2021
Figmint
Vermintide
Darksiders 2: Deathinitive Edition
Sudden Strike 4
The Surge
Pony Island
Little Nightmares
Zombie Night Terror
Screencheat
Freedom Planet
American Truck Simulator
Tales of Berseria
Kingdom: New Lands
KEYS ONLY
PC Building Simulator
The Beast Inside
Children of Morta
Overcooked! 2 + (DLC)
Path of Giants
Pathologic 2
Shining Resonance Refrain
Still There
Struggling
Tabletop Playground
Zwei: The Arges Adventure
Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection
Crying Suns
Darksburg
Darksiders III
Darkwood
Imperator Rome Deluxe Edition
Little Misfortune
Rover Mechanic Simulator
Smile For Me
Townsmen - A Kingdom Rebuilt
Tsioque
Yakuza Kiwami 2
Youropa
Autonauts
Basement
Fae Tactics
Fantasy Blacksmith
Goat of Duty
Iron Danger
Lightmatter
Shadows Awakening
The Suicide of Rachel Foster
Sunless Skies
Tropico 6 El Prez Edition
The Uncertain: Last Quiet Day
A Case of Distrust
American Fugitive
Automachef
Call of Cthulhu
The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters
Genesis Alpha One Deluxe Edition
Hello Neighbor
Little Big Workshop
Through the Darkest of Times
Vampyr
Wargroove
We Were Here Together
Age of Wonders: Planetfall Deluxe Edition
Basingstoke
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock Season One
Beat Hazard 2
Don't Escape: 4 Days to Survive
Earthlock
Metal Unit
Railway Empire
Sigma Theory
Secret Neightbor
STUBBS THE ZOMBIE IN REBEL WITHOUT A PULSE
WORMS RUMBLE + LEGENDS PACK DLC
Panzer Paladin
MILKY WAY PRINCE - THE VAMPIRE STAR
Desolate
Other Keys
Battleborn Starter Skin Pack
GUNS UP! Starter Pack + TV Head
Mage and Minions - $10 In-Game Currency
Star Trek Online - Humble Trekkie Pack
Shadow Complex Remastered (epic launcher key)
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 1 DLC
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 2 DLC
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 3 DLC
XCOM® 2: Resistance Warrior Pack
XCOM® 2: Reinforcement Pack
Effie
Darksiders Genesis
Hellpoint
Disjunction
Cook Serve Delicious 3
levelhead
Fury Unleashed
Size Matters
Morkredd
Relicta
Retimed
Family Man
Vane
Elex
Kingdom Two Crowns
WWE 2k battlegrounds
Hotshot Racing
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind
Cyber Hook
Pesterquest
Ageless
Boreal blade
Valfaris
Lovecraft's Untold Stories
Iris and the Giant
Boomerang Fu
The Wild Eight
Train Station Renovation
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
WEREWOLF: THE APOCALYPSE HEART OF THE FOREST
OUTWARD + THE SOROBOREANS AND OUTWARD SOUNDTRACK
Want:
Offers (Ignore means no)
Oneshot (multiple copies are preferable)
Subnautica (multiple copies are good)
Wandersong
Indivisible
Xcom Chimera Squad
Hollow Knight
Everhood
Wishlist is sparse but im open to any offer
Anything on my wishlist
Feel free to offer any games for one of mine, preferably a list to browse

I do not accept paypal, game trades only
My rep from indiegameswap
Have:
FEBRUARY 2021 HUMBLE CHOICE
MARCH 2021 HUMBLE CHOICE
11-11 Memories Retold
2064: Read Only Memories
20XX
7 Grand Steps
7 Billion Humans
A Good Snowman is Hard to Build
A Hat in Time
A Mortician's Tale
American Fugitive
A New Beginning - Final Cut
Aaero
The Adventure Pals
AER Memories of Old
As Far as the Eye
Age of Wonders: Planetfall Deluxe Edition
Age of Wonders III
Agents of Mayhem
AI War: Fleet Command
Alien Spidy
All You Can Eat
The Ambassador: Fractured Timelines
ADOM (ANCIENT DOMAINS OF MYSTERY
Ancestors: The Humankijnd Odyssey
Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation
Assassin's Creed® Origins
Assault Android Cactus
Baba Is You
Bridge Constructor Portal
The Ball
Bastion
Batman Arkham Origins
Basement
Battle Chef Brigade
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock Season One
Beat Hazard Ultra
Beholder
BEE SIMULATOR
Bendy and the Ink Machine™
Binary Domain
BioShock™ Remastered
Blazing Beaks
Blue Fire
Biped
Bleed 2
Bone - Episode 1 & Episode 2
Broken Age
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Brutal Legend
Burly Men At Sea
Bury Me, My Love
Bridge Constructor Portal
Call of Cthulhu
Chasm
CHUCHEL Cherry Edition
Carto
Coffee Talk
Company of Heroes 2 +Pattern Pack
The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters
Crawl
Crazy Taxi
Cepheus Protocol
Crowntakers
Curious Expedition
Cultist Simulator
Darkside Detective
Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition
Darksiders Warmastered Edition
Death Squared
Drake Hollow
Dirt 5
Deleveled
Deadly Days
Distance
DISTRAINT 2 + Soundtrack
Distrust
Dungreed
Door Kickers: Action Squad
Double Fine Adventure Documentary
Drawful 2
Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
DUCATI - 90th Anniversary
Duck Game
Dungeons 3
Dusty Revenge: Co-Op Edition
The Dwarves
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 + dlc and shit
EarthNight
Elderborn
Eastside Hockey Manager
Elite Dangerous
Ellipsis
Endless Space - Collection
Euro Truck Simulator 2 + Austraila paint dlc
Europa Universalis IV
Encodya
EVERSPACE™
Evergarden
Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered
Feather
Fibbage XL
Finding Paradise
The First Tree
Fluffy Horde
Framed Collection
Freedom Force
Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich
Frog Detective
FTL
Full Metal Furies
Full Throttle Remastered
GameMaker Studio Pro
The Gardens Between
Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
GNOG
God's Trigger
Gonner
GRAV (Early Access)
GRID 2
Guns of Icarus Online
Gunscape
Hacknet + Hacknet Labyrinths DLC
Hand of Fate 2
Hard Reset Redux
Heroes of Hammerwatch
Hello Neighbor Hide and Seek
Hexcells Complete Pack
Hidden Folks
HIVESWAP: Act 1
Hammerting
Hollow Knight
Hyper Light Drifter
I'm not a Monster
In Between
Injustice Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition
I am not a Monster: First Contact
INK Deluxe Edition
Into the Breach
Jackbox Party Pack 4
The Journey Down: Chapter Three
JumpJet Rex
Jurassic World Evolution - Deluxe Dinosaur Pack
Kerbal Space Program
Killing Floor 2
Kingdom Classic
Knights of Pen and Paper 2
Last Oasis
Late Shift
Layers of Fear
LEGO® Batman 2 DC Super Heroes™
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Premium Edition
LEGO DC Super-Villains Deluxe Edition
LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 Deluxe Edition
LEGO Marvel's Avengers
LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game
LEGO® Worlds
Lethal League Blaze
Leviathan Warships
Lostwinds
Lobotomy Corporation Monster Management
Lumino City
Luna's Wandering Stars
Machinarium
Mad Max
Magicka
Majesty 2
Majesty Gold HD
Marooners
Masquerade: The Baubles of Doom
Massive Chalice
Metro Redux Bundle key only
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor GOTY
Mini Metro
Minoria
MINIT
MirrorMoon EP
Monster Loves You
Moonlighter
MOTHERGUNSHIP
Mr. Shifty
Mushroom 11
Music Maker EDM Edition + 10 dollar voucher code
My Memory of Us
My Time at Portia
NBA 2K20
No Time to Relax
NIMBATUS - THE SPACE DRONE CONSTRUCTOR
Necronator: Dead Wrong
Neo Cab
Neon Drive (Steam)
Newt One
Niche
Nine Parchments
Ninja Pizza Girl
No Time to Explain Remastered
Not Tonight
>observer_
Offworld Trading Company + Jupiter's Forge
Old Man's Journey
OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood
Operation Flashpoint: Red River
Opus Magnum
Orwell: Ignorance is Strength
Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You
Out of the Park Baseball 18
Out There: Ω Edition
Out of Space
Overgrowth (plus a secret link)
Overlord II
PAC-MAN™ CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2
Pale Echoes
Paper Fire Rookie
Paperbark
Paradigm
Party Hard
Pesterquest
Pikuniku
Pinstripe
Plague Inc: Evolved
Paradise Killer
Planet of the Eyes
Plunge
Primal Carnage: Extinction
Police Stories
Project Highrise
Project Highrise
Psychonauts
Puzzle Agent
Puzzle Agent 2
Q.U.B.E. 2
Q.U.B.E: Director's Cut
Quest of Dungeons
Quiplash
Rapture Rejects + Safari Outfit DLC
Realpolitiks
Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville
Regency Solitaire
Regions of Ruin
Regular Human Basketball
Remnants of Isolation
Resident Evil Revelations
Retro Game Crunch
Rime
Rise and Shine
Rising Dusk
Rituals
Road to Ballhalla
Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball
Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder™
Rocket Birds: Hardboiled Chicken
ROCKETSROCKETSROCKETS
Rusty Lake Paradise
Sam & Max: Season 1
Sam & Max: Season 2
Satellite Reign
S.W.I.N.E. HD REMASTER
Scribblenauts Unlimited
Secrets of Raetikon
Sigma Theory
Shadows Awakening
Shelter 2
Shenmue I & II
shutshimi
Sigma Theory: Global Cold War
SimplePlanes
SIMULACRA
Slipstream
Sniper Elite
Sniper Elite 3
Sniper Elite V2
Song of Horror
Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing
SYNTHETIK: Legion Rising
SOULCALIBUR VI
Speed Brawl
Spelunky
Spirits
Spyro™ Reignited Trilogy
Squad (Early Access)
StarCrossed
State of Mind
Stealth 2: A Game of Clones
Stick Fight: The Game
SYNTHETIK: Legion Rising
The Stillness of the Wind
Streamline Early Access
Streets of Rage
Stronghold Crusader 2
Subsurface Circular
Sunless Sea
Super Daryl Deluxe
Super Galaxy Squadron EX
Super Hexagon
Super House of Dead Ninjas: True Ninja Pack
Super House of the Dead Ninjas
Super Time Force Ultra
SUPERHOT
Superliminal
Surgeon Simulator + Anniversary Ed. Content
Surviving Mars
Sword Legacy Omen
System Shock 2
System Shock: Enhanced Edition
Tank Mechanic Simulator
Tales of the Neon Sea
Tangledeep + Soundtrack
Team Indie
theHunter: Call of the Wild
Telltale Texas Hold'em
Think of the Children
Thirty Flights of Loving
This is the Police
This War of Mine
Throne of Lies® The Online Game of Deceit
Tilt Brush
TIMEframe
Titan Quest Anniversary Edition
Tokyo 42
Tooth and Tail
Torment: Tides of Numenera
Total Tank Simulator
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
Tower of Guns
Tower Unite
Train Simulator 2017 + Platform Clutter, Town Scenery
Tropico 4
Tropico 6 El Prez Edition
The Uncertain: Last Quiet Day
Ultimate Chicken Horse
Undertale
Unexplored
Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York
Vampyr
Verdun
Vertiginous Golf
Vikings - Wolves of Midgard
Void Bastards
Volgarr the Viking
VVVVVV
Waking Mars
Wargroove
Warhammer: Chaosbane
Westerado: Double Barreled
We Were Here Together
Windward
The Witness
Wizard of Legend
World of Goo
Worms Revolution
Yooka-Laylee
YAKUZA 3 REMASTERED
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK HEADRUSH
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK MOVIES
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK SPORTS
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK TELEVISION
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 1 XL
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 2
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 3
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 4: The Ride
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 6 The Lost Gold
Ziggurat
And other shit i probably have from recent bundles
Deck Builder Bundle
Walking Dead 10th Anniversary Bundle
Humble Bundles I have
August 2022 - December 2022
July 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
January 2022
November 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
March 2021
February 2021
Figmint
Vermintide
Darksiders 2: Deathinitive Edition
Sudden Strike 4
The Surge
Pony Island
Little Nightmares
Zombie Night Terror
Screencheat
Freedom Planet
American Truck Simulator
Tales of Berseria
Kingdom: New Lands
KEYS ONLY
PC Building Simulator
The Beast Inside
Children of Morta
Overcooked! 2 + (DLC)
Path of Giants
Pathologic 2
Shining Resonance Refrain
Still There
Struggling
Tabletop Playground
Zwei: The Arges Adventure
Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection
Crying Suns
Darksburg
Darksiders III
Darkwood
Imperator Rome Deluxe Edition
Little Misfortune
Rover Mechanic Simulator
Smile For Me
Townsmen - A Kingdom Rebuilt
Tsioque
Yakuza Kiwami 2
Youropa
Autonauts
Basement
Fae Tactics
Fantasy Blacksmith
Goat of Duty
Iron Danger
Lightmatter
Shadows Awakening
The Suicide of Rachel Foster
Sunless Skies
Tropico 6 El Prez Edition
The Uncertain: Last Quiet Day
A Case of Distrust
American Fugitive
Automachef
Call of Cthulhu
The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters
Genesis Alpha One Deluxe Edition
Hello Neighbor
Little Big Workshop
Through the Darkest of Times
Vampyr
Wargroove
We Were Here Together
Age of Wonders: Planetfall Deluxe Edition
Basingstoke
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock Season One
Beat Hazard 2
Don't Escape: 4 Days to Survive
Earthlock
Metal Unit
Railway Empire
Sigma Theory
Secret Neightbor
STUBBS THE ZOMBIE IN REBEL WITHOUT A PULSE
WORMS RUMBLE + LEGENDS PACK DLC
Panzer Paladin
MILKY WAY PRINCE - THE VAMPIRE STAR
Desolate
Other Keys
Battleborn Starter Skin Pack
GUNS UP! Starter Pack + TV Head
Mage and Minions - $10 In-Game Currency
Star Trek Online - Humble Trekkie Pack
Shadow Complex Remastered (epic launcher key)
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 1 DLC
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 2 DLC
Killing Floor - Community Weapon Pack 3 DLC
XCOM® 2: Resistance Warrior Pack
XCOM® 2: Reinforcement Pack
Effie
Darksiders Genesis
Hellpoint
Disjunction
Cook Serve Delicious 3
levelhead
Fury Unleashed
Size Matters
Morkredd
Relicta
Retimed
Family Man
Vane
Elex
Kingdom Two Crowns
WWE 2k battlegrounds
Hotshot Racing
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind
Cyber Hook
Pesterquest
Ageless
Boreal blade
Valfaris
Lovecraft's Untold Stories
Iris and the Giant
Boomerang Fu
The Wild Eight
Train Station Renovation
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
WEREWOLF: THE APOCALYPSE HEART OF THE FOREST
OUTWARD + THE SOROBOREANS AND OUTWARD SOUNDTRACK
Want:
Offers (Ignore means no)
Oneshot (multiple copies are preferable)
Subnautica (multiple copies are good)
Wandersong
Indivisible
Xcom Chimera Squad
Hollow Knight
Everhood
Wishlist is sparse but im open to any offer
Anything on my wishlist
Feel free to offer any games for one of mine, preferably a list to browse

Time for the rest of the Big 12 and the other three newcomers! The year in parenthesis is the date each team last played each other. As always if I missed any dates or mashups, please let me know!
​

1. Kansas

Army (0-1) (1922)
Auburn (0-2) (1988)
Bowling Green (0-1) (2002)
Coastal Carolina (0-3) (2021)
Louisville (0-3) (1990)
Miami (FL) (0-4) (1990)
Michigan (0-3) (1979)
Mississippi State (0-1) (1981)
North Carolina (0-2) (1986)
North Carolina State (0-2) (2003)
Northwestern (0-2) (2004)
Ohio (0-3) (2017)
Penn State (0-1) (1969)
Pittsburgh (0-3) (1980)
San Diego State (0-1) (1999)
Stanford (0-1) (1967)
Tennessee (0-2) (1974)
Virginia (0-2) (1991)
Washington (0-1) (1978)
Villanova (PA) (0-1) (1940)
Pennsylvania (0-1) (1930)
North Dakota St. (0-1) (2010)
Nicholls St. (LA) (0-1) (2018)
Marquette (WI) (0-4) (1945)
Knox (IL) (0-1) (1902)
Iowa Navy Pre-Flight (0-1) (1942)
Fort Riley (KS) (0-1) (1943)
​

1. Kansas State

Alabama (0-1) (2022)
Army (0-2) (1987)
Auburn (0-4) (2014)
Boston College (0-4) (1994)
Florida (0-2) (1973)
Florida State (0-3) (1977)
Fresno State (0-2) (2007)
Illinois (0-1) (1948)
Louisville (0-2) (2008)
Navy (0-1) (2019)
Northwestern (0-2) (1941)
Ohio State (0-1) (2004)
Oregon (0-1) (2013)
Penn State (0-2) (1969)
Purdue (0-3) (1998)
Rutgers (0-1) (2006)
Tulane (0-2) (2022)
Vanderbilt (0-2) (2017)
Wisconsin (0-2) (1982)
Olathe NAS (KS) (0-1-1) (1945)
San Francisco (CA) (0-1) (1946)
Northern Iowa (0-3) (1989)
Kansas City Medical (MO) (0-1) (1901)
Hardin-Simmons (TX) (0-1) (1946)
Colorado College (0-1) (1910)
Cal St.-Long Beach (0-1) (1983)
Austin Peay St. (TN) (0-1) (1987)
​

1. Iowa State

Alabama (0-1) (2001)
Arkansas (0-1) (1973)
Boise State (0-1) (2002)
Boston College (0-1) (1961)
California (0-1) (1963)
Clemson (0-1) (2021)
Georgia Tech (0-1) (1972)
Louisiana Lafayette (0-1) (2020)
LSU (0-1) (1971)
Michigan State (0-2) (1948)
New Mexico State (0-1) (1983)
North Carolina State (0-1) (1977)
Notre Dame (0-1) (2019)
Oregon State (0-1) (1962)
Rutgers (0-1) (2011)
South Carolina (0-1) (1967)
Syracuse (0-1-1) (1969)
Tennessee (0-1) (1982)
Washington (0-1) (1974)
Washington State (0-1) (2018)
Wisconsin (0-7) (1993)
Villanova (PA) (0-2) (1956)
Ottumwa NAS (IA) (0-1) (1943)
Loyola (LA) (0-1) (1930)
Iowa Navy Pre-Flight (0-1) (1943)
Central Oklahoma (0-1) (1922)
Butte AC (MT) (0-1) (1895)
​

1. West Virginia

Alabama (0-1) (2014)
Florida State (0-3) (2010)
LSU (0-2) (2011)
Michigan (0-1) (1904)
Michigan State (0-4)
Minnesota (0-1) (2021)
Nebraska (0-1) (1994)
Notre Dame (0-4) (2001)
Oregon (0-2) (1963)
Oregon State (0-2) (1962)
Rice (0-1) (1964)
Southern Cal (0-1) (1959)
Stanford (0-1) (1972)
Texas A&M (0-1) (2014)
Utah (0-2) (2017)
Wisconsin (0-4) (2003)
Bucknell (PA) (0-1-2) (1910)
Duquesne AC (PA) (0-1-1) (1896)
Dartmouth (NH) (0-1-1) (1917)
Yale (CT) (0-1) (1920)
Pennsylvania (0-5) (1916)
Manhattan (NY) (0-2) (1939)
Mahoning Cycle Club (OH) (0-1) (1896)
Greensburg AA (PA) (0-1) (1894)
Detroit (MI) (0-4) (1932)
Denison (OH) (0-2) (1912)
​

1. Cincinnati

Alabama (0-6) (2021)
Arkansas (0-1) (2022)
Auburn (0-2) (1986)
Air Force (0-1) (1961)
Bowling Green (0-4) (1994)
BYU (0-2) (2016)
Central Michigan (0-1) (1990)
Florida (0-2) (2010)
Florida State (0-6) (1990)
Georgia (0-3) (2021)
Iowa (0-1) (1990)
Maryland (0-2) (1976)
Michigan (0-1) (2017)
Nebraska (0-1) (1906)
Nevada (0-1) (1949)
North Carolina (0-3) (2013)
Northwestern (0-2) (1924)
Oklahoma (0-2) (2010)
South Carolina (0-2) (1982)
Wooster (OH) (0-3) (1924)
West Texas A&M (0-1) (1950)
Washington (MO) (0-1) (1903)
Washington & Jefferson (PA) (0-1) (1899)
Stumps (0-2) (1904)
Muskingum (OH) (0-1) (1931)
Morehead St. (KY) (0-2) (1989)
Haskell Indian Nations (KS) (0-1) (1900)
Georgetown (DC) (0-2) (1936)
Duquesne AC (PA) (0-1) (1895)
Cincinnati YMCA (OH) (0-1) (1893)
Chicago (IL) (0-1) (1893)
Carlisle Indian School (PA) (0-4) (1906)
​

1. BYU

Alabama (0-1) (1998)
Arkansas (0-1) (2022)
Coastal Carolina (0-1) (2020)
Florida State (0-4) (2010)
Georgia (0-1) (1982)
Indiana (0-1) (1979)
Iowa State (0-4)
Kansas (0-1) (1992)
LSU (0-1) (2017)
Louisville (0-1) (2001)
Marshall (0-1) (1999)
Memphis (0-1) (2014)
Northern Illinois (0-1) (2018)
Ohio State (0-3) (1993)
Oklahoma State (0-2) (1976)
Texas Tech (0-1) (1940)
UAB (0-1) (2021)
WVU (0-1) (2016)
Wichita St. (KS) (0-1) (1956)
West Texas A&M (0-1) (1961)
San Francisco (CA) (0-2) (1931)
San Diego Marines (CA) (0-1) (1933)
Portland (OR) (0-2) (1938)
Pacific Fleet (CA) (0-2) (1949)
George Washington (DC) (0-2) (1963)
Fort Douglas (UT) (0-1) (1942)
​

1. UCF

Arizona State (0-1) (2002)
Arkansas (0-1) (2001)
Clemson (0-1) (2001)
Duke (0-1) (2022)
Florida State (0-1) (1995)
Hawaii (0-1) (1985)
Kansas State (0-1) (2010)
LSU (0-1) (2019)
Miami (FL) (0-2) (2009)
Michigan (0-1) (2016)
Mississippi State (0-2) (2007)
Missouri (0-2) (2014)
Nebraska (0-1) (1997)
Nevada (0-1) (2005)
Ohio State (0-1) (2012)
Ole Miss (0-1) (1997)
Purdue (0-2) (1999)
South Carolina (0-5) (2015)
Syracuse (0-3) (2003)
Texas (0-2) (2009)
Texas State (0-2) (1985)
Utah State (0-1) (2001)
WVU (0-2) (2004)
Virginia Tech (0-3) (2003)
Wisconsin (0-1) (2004)
Wofford (SC) (0-1) (1986)
Wichita St. (KS) (0-1) (1986)
Stephen F. Austin (TX) (0-1) (1985)
SUNY-Albany (NY) (0-1) (1980)
Richmond (VA) (0-1) (1983)
Presbyterian (SC) (0-2) (1981)
New Haven (CT) (0-1) (1988)
Indiana St. (0-1) (1984)
Furman (SC) (0-2) (2015)
Alabama A&M (0-2) (1982)
​
https://espn960sports.com/byu/big-12-deregulation-vote/

Microplastics, climate denial, contagious skin fungus, warlords, record temperatures, and wheat troubles. This is starting to get serious.
Last Week in Collapse: May 21-27, 2023
This is Last Week in Collapse, a weekly newsletter bringing together some of the most important, timely, useful, depressing, ironic, amazing, or otherwise must-see moments in Collapse.
This is the 73rd newsletter. Sorry it’s a bit later than usual. You can find the May 14-20 edition here if you missed it last week. These newsletters are also on Substack if you want them sent to your email inbox every Sunday.
——————————
Climate and soil scientists are warning that Europe’s soil won’t be able to absorb as much water now, after a season of terrible drought. The feedback loops spell disaster for the continent’s ability to weather the coming drought. France has given up aiming for just a 1.5 °C temperature increase, and are preparing for 4 °C rise by 2100. Scientists claim we are heading for total disaster, but the rest of the world apparently has bigger problems.
The world is allegedly on track for 2.7 °C of warming, and some experts predict that about one billion humans may be forced to migrate as a result of global warming, sea level rise, etc. Iraq is one such location, and countless migrants have already fled. On Twitter, climate scientists report seeing more hostility and climate denial.
Category 5 Typhoon Mawar blasted Guam, and took out electricity, but no humans were killed on the island. In Somalia, over one million people were displaced by drought within the last 4 months.
A ship’s draft/draught) is the distance between its waterline and the bottom of its keel/hull. This determines a ship’s displacement; the heavier a ship’s cargo, the greater its draft will be. The Panama Canal is reducing the allowed vessel draft because they didn’t receive enough rain in the last few months and cannot fully fill the Canal’s locks. As a result, more ships will be forced to make the long journey around Cape Horn—or load up with less cargo to transit the Canal. The supply chain feedback loops are compounding.
Chad saw its highest May temperature last week—47 °C (117 °F), and part of Samoa tied a new May temperature too—34.8 °C (101 °F) . New record temperatures in Southeast Asia again. The ocean around the Cayman Islands has hit 30 °C earlier than any previous year. The average sea surface temperature has been breaking daily records for every day for over two months.
Experts are warning that a heat wave would devastate Phoenix, Arizona, if it knocked out the power grid. Up to 800,000 people (half the population) would allegedly require emergency medical attention for heat stroke, etc. The study concluded that about 12,800 people would die as a result.
Although most of the world is warming, the upper atmosphere is cooling down, forcing scientists and generals to consider its potential impact on satellites and on our sensitive weather patterns. Temperatures beyond roughly 50km out in the atmosphere have been cooled by CO2 levels. Concrete implications from the study are unclear.
About 5,000 Congolese are still missing weeks after catastrophic flooding. Wildfire risk is increasing in Sweden. Heat wave alerts in Sri Lanka.
A study has claimed—again—that species are going extinct even faster than expected. About half of surveyed species have seen population declines recently (especially in the tropics), while 49% are holding relatively steady.
One species at risk of dieoff is the black sea urchin off the coast of Israel—and their dieoff hold grim implications for the health of coral in the Red Sea.
Tick season has begun, and researchers are worried that they can transfer prions from white-tailed deer to humans. Chronic wasting disease has not yet afflicted humans, though it exists in growing quantities among Canadian cervids.
——————————
The danger from fungi is growing as a result of climate change, and the rise of Candida Auris—and a resistant, contagious skin fungus coming out of India—in the U.S. is alarming epidemiologists. The combination of compromised immune systems (from COVID, increased diabetes), climate change, distrust of health entities, health insurance problems, and healthcare worker collapse are creating a terrible convergence of circumstances.
Over 5,000 new species have been discovered in the ocean between Hawai’i and Mexico—and in two months, applications will be accepted to begin deep-sea mining extraction operations in the region. Meanwhile, Shell shareholders rejected attempts to accept new emissions targets, 80% to 20%.
German police are looking into classifying “Last Generation” climate activists as part of a criminal group, amid raids targeting the traffic-stopping activists.
Greenpeace claims that recycled plastic can be more toxic than first-use plastic—but don’t worry, only 9% of plastic is recycled worldwide. A study from Hazardous Materials Advances concluded that recycling plastics produces large amounts of microplastics which later contaminate our land, water, and even air.
The U.S. Supreme Court limited the scope of the Clean Water Act, to exclude certain types of wetlands. This opens up some wetlands to nearby development and pollution.
Some Kansas wheat farmers suffered so much drought and cold snaps that they are abandoning their crops. Across the country, one third of winter-wheat acres are being abandoned, the highest percent in over 100 years. Utah’s Great Salt Lake is drying up, and strong winds are blowing dust, sometimes containing heavy metals.
Locusts in Afghanistan are threatening the coming wheat harvests in an already famine-stricken land. Argentina will face a similar problem if they don’t get rain within a few weeks.
——————————
South Africa is suffering from 33% unemployment and devastating, 10-hour load-shedding (routine power outages) every day. A senior politician is warning that the crumbling nation could become a failed state soon. Power grid troubles are expected to escalate later this winter, by August.
A teenage girl in Guyana set fire to her dorm and unintentionally killed 19 people—because her cell phone was confiscated. What will society do when their water and human rights are confiscated?
Russia is supposedly considering an export ban on gasoline, in an attempt to better control supply & prices within its own territory. Qatar warned Europe that they haven’t seen the worst of the petrol/energy crisis yet.
Global demand for goods is reportedly sinking, and the production of shipping containers is down. More and more Americans are struggling to pay bills as inflation rises. Germany is officially in recession now. South Africa’s interest rates are at a 14-year high.
Some experts are concerned that China may overtake the U.S. with AI development. Others are concerned about the implications of an AI future dominated by the United States. Experts are calling for regulation of AI before it destroys humans.
Cambodia’s ruling party is keeping the opposition party off the ballots in this July’s elections.
The ceasefire in Khartoum is largely holding, but sporadic violence by fighters threatens the fragile “peace” in the city. Once a War “begins,” what role do the civilians have in re-instituting peace—or keeping the conflict going?
The head of the Wagner Group is warning of revolution in Russia, a portent that may also be a threat. The mercenary group is currently handing over Bakhmut to the Russian Army, and claims that about 20,000 Wagner soldiers died taking the city. Meanwhile, a pro-Ukrainian group of ethnic-Russian soldiers made attacks inside Russian territory, and soon withdrew back into Ukraine.
Russia’s former President and PM claimed that this War could last for decades. Yet certain unspecified NATO member states will give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, and train about 20 Ukrainian pilots, in an effort to force an earlier conclusion. Yet their impact may not be decisive on the battlefield.
Seven U.S. states agreed on a three-year water-sharing compromise over the Colorado River’s water; whether the pact will hold when the Dust Bowl 2.0 begins is up in the air. Meanwhile, troops from Afghanistan and Iran exchanged machine gun fire and some mortars, over water rights in the Helmand River.
——————————
Things to watch for next week include:
↠ It’s that time of the year again. American politicians posture over raising the debt ceiling, a massive political/economic struggle that usually ends with a last-minute compromise or a short government shutdown. The U.S. is set to default on its debt on June 1st, which would damage trust and cause market bedlam. What’s it gonna be this time?
↠ Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, is rapidly running out of water. The city’s main reservoir only had 10 days left of water—5 days ago. So the city’s supply is set to be exhausted by next Friday. How will the government react—and what will the people do? This might be a signal of what lies ahead for the rest of us.
Select comments/threads from the subreddit last week suggest:
-China will be getting 65M COVID cases—every week—if you believe the claims made in this thread and its sources, which include the Chinese government. The world’s second-most-populous nation, once the last bastion against COVID, has resigned to letting rolling waves of coronavirus repeatedly infect the masses. So it goes.
-Some rich countries will fare very poorly in Collapse, judging by the comments on this thread. Do you see your nation among them?
-Climate change may be worse than you think, says a thread and its comments. Even some doomers will be taken aback by the speed and scale of the damage ahead. What are you doing to prepare?
Have any feedback, questions, comments, resources, Collapse tattoos, recipes, aches or pains, spam mail, etc.? Consider joining the Last Week in Collapse SubStack if you don’t want to check collapse every Sunday, you can get this newsletter sent to your email inbox every weekend. I always forget something... What did I miss this week?

In this video, I cover what I believe are the best mods that you can install for Skyrim Special Edition in 2023.
https://youtu.be/X1qSQ6waGho
All the mods covered can be downloaded from Nexus Mods, and managed using a Mod tool such as Vortex or Mod Organizer 2.
Although I am using the Steam version of Skyrim Special Edition with the Anniversary Edition DLC, installed on Windows 11, it is possible to run this game on Linux with all the mods if you use Steam Proton.
Mod List
The mods covered in this video, range from bug fixes, restored content, graphical upgrades, quality of life changes, new UI elements, new NPC behaviours and performance enhancements.
A Quality World Map
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/5804
The Quality World Map mod provides a new set of highly detailed 3D or paper world map textures, complete with roads for the Skyrim mainland as well as the island of Solsteim.
There are quite a few options available to download, although I tend to use the Classic with All Roads option.
The result is that you now have a map that can be used for navigation, as paths and roads are now clearly defined, which is helpful for more obscure off the beaten path locations, especially in the mountains.
Achievement Mods Enabler
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/245
The Achievement Mods Enabler mod restores the ability for you obtain Steam achievements when you have mods installed.
Strangely, with the release of official mod support in Skyrim, Bethesda stopped you from obtaining achievements if you installed any type of mod, which does not make sense, since Skyrim is a single player game, yet they allow you spawn in items using the console without any consequence.
In either case, installing this mod will once again allow you to obtain achievements regardless of how many mods you have installed.
Alternative Start – Live Another Life
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/272
If you have played Skyrim several times, the game always starts the same, you get captured, you choose your starting race, a dragon attacks Helgen and you escape in the mayhem, the entire process takes about 20 minutes.
The Alternative Start mod allows you to completely bypass the vanilla beginning of the game and forge your own path.
You might choose to start as the newest member of a local guild, a shopkeeper, a hunter in the woods, a patron in a local bar, someone who has just been attacked and lost everything, a member of the Imperial Legion, the survivor of a shipwreck, or an Orc who has lived his entire life in a stronghold.
But regardless of the starting origin you choose, it does not lock you out of any quest lines, instead allowing you to choose your own role-playing adventure and comes highly recommended.
Convenient Horses
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/9519
The horses in Skyrim are stupid.
They attack anything hostile on sight including dragons, and in most cases, especially with higher level enemies, end up getting killed, wasting 1000 gold.
The exception of course is Shadowmare, who is immortal, but regardless, still thinks it is a great idea to fight a fire breathing lizard in the middle of the countryside.
The Convenient Horses mod changes all that, as horses are now ignored by enemies and do not randomly attack things, and in addition, they now have skills that can be levelled up, which in most cases equates to extra stamina or health meaning that they can now sprint for longer distances.
The mod also allows horses can now carry things, be fitted with armour, recalled by a horse whistle or horn, and most importantly, your companions can now use horses as well, assuming of course that you cough up and give them 1000 gold.
I often found it silly that whilst I could ride a horse, my follower will run after me on foot, and in the vanilla game, aside from Shadowmare, I never bothered with horses, however with this mod installed, I now actually use them to travel Skyrim.
Cutting Room Floor
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/276
There is no doubt that Skyrim is a massive game, however the more you play it, you might start to think that some things are missing in certain parts of the world, and you are right.
The Cutting Room Floor mod adds quests that were not finished by Bethesda due to several reasons, additional items, new NPC interactions and extra dialogue, as well as other pieces of cut content back into the world.
A simple little mod, that does a lot.
Footprints
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/3808
The world of Skyrim has a lot of snow, as well as ash, however one thing that is strange is that no-one ever leaves any footprints in it.
The Footprint mod fixes that by allowing creatures, NPCs and your character to leave footprints with particle effects as they move through snow and ash.
Honestly, I am surprised they did not add this into the game when Skyrim Special Edition was released, but a fantastic mod to install all the same.
Immersive Citizens – AI Overhaul
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/173
The NPCs in Skyrim, much like horses have questionable intelligence, especially when it comes to dangerous situations.
Therefore the Immersive Citizens mod aims to improve the AI of friendly NPCs to make them react like true humans when it comes to danger, in most cases this means that guards will now defend an area, which makes sense, whilst a shopkeeper or an NPC with a non-combat role will avoid conflict.
The mod also adds routines to the NPCs, which means that at certain times of day, they might visit a tavern, have more interaction with the player character, or explore more of the city, and in most cases, a NPC will not simply stick to one area, which is far more realistic.
A great mod that adds something that should have been in the game to start with.
Immersive Patrols
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/718
Skyrim makes use of what are known as random encounters, in which at certain points on the map, you will experience a scripted event, this could be a bandit ambush, a dragon attack, a unique NPC, a group NPCs travelling from one location to another, or even an old Orc challenging you to a fight to the death.
The Immersive Patrols mod adds Stormcloak, Thalmor, Imperial and Dawnguard patrols to Skyrim, as well as a few roaming Skaal, Reaver and Rieklings to Solstheim, and sometimes, these patrols can cross paths with each other, and if they are on opposing factions, start fighting.
The mod also adds full scale battles between Stormcloak and Imperial soldiers whilst the Skyrim civil war quest line is still active, which can mean that, depending on your allegiance, you may be attacked on site.
In my opinion, mods like this that add additional content or expanding the variety that a player can experience is always a good thing.
Immersive Sounds – Compendium
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/523
After playing Skyrim for so long, and then playing other action-based RPGs, the sound effects in Skyrim leave a lot to be desired.
Whilst the dragon shouts are cool to hear, other mundane noises such as the sound of armour shuffling whilst moving, the sound of weapons hitting armour pieces, spell effects, or even the groans of the Draugr sound a bit flat.
The Immersive Sounds mod completely overhauls the sound in game, spells sound louder and more damaging, weapons make appropriate noises when they clash, arrows whiz through the air, armour feels heavy, and comical noises such as when a sneak attack is performed can now be silenced.
As there is nothing more immersive breaking than lining up the perfect shot, only to hear a comical donk noise when the arrow hits.
The mod also adds audio cues when you when you pick up items such as gems, gold or potions, and chests now creak when they are opened.
This is mod that I always have installed, as I cannot play with vanilla sounds anymore.
JK’s Skyrim – All in One
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/6289
Whilst Skyrim has several locations, towns, and cities to explore, some of the smaller settlements seem to be sparsely populated, in many cases, a village might contain just a couple of buildings, some crops and some NPCs.
The JK’s Skyrim mod fixes this by adding more content to the various settlements in the world, making them more memorable, for example, the Skyforge in Whiterun now looks a forge, complete with displayed armour pieces and a smelter.
Each town now has a theme, Riverwood for lumber, Rorikstead for farming, Falkreath has a graveyard, Dawnstar has a port, and Dragon Bridge is now a defensive outpost.
In fact, some locations now have new vendors, and the allegiance of the town will change depending on the progress of the Civil War quest line.
In short, this mod enhances the game, making locations more useful to the player character, and making the world more lived in.
No Spinning Death Animation
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/1432
The enemies in Skyrim are very flexible, and sometime when you kill them, they do this weird twist animation as they slump on the floor which is both hilarious and disturbing at the same time, of course, this completely breaks immersion as no-one would do this in real life.
The No Spinning Death Animation mod removes the spinning around dance animation that NPCs do before dying and instead they will now just ragdoll when killed.
The mod also removes certain creature’s death pause animations which cause them to lose all momentum, remove any physical push based on your attacks, so that hitting them no longer launches them into the air.
A great mod to install, and one I find essential, especially for melee combat.
Relationship Dialogue Overhaul
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/1187
One of the things you will notice as you play through the game is that followers will often repeat their dialogue, which can get annoying after a while, especially after hearing Lydia’s sarcastic responses to you when you ask her to carry something.
The Relationship Dialogue Overhaul mod adds over 5,000 lines of completely voiced dialogue for NPCs using their original voices, which now means that friends, followers, spouses, rivals, and others have much more to say.
The mod also fixes dialogue bugs and restores cut dialogue so you may hear your follower say something that you have never heard before, so as someone who likes using followers, it is nice to hear something different occasionally, whilst exploring Skyrim.
Run For Your Lives
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/2272
Much like horses, NPCs in Skyrim will blindly run into combat whenever dragons and vampires attack, especially at the Whiterun front gate, which normally ends up with several dead merchants.
The Run for Your Lives mod makes it so that citizens in a village or city will now run indoors during these attacks, although Guards, members of The Companions, Vigilants of Stendarr, and the player's followers will still stand and fight.
The mod author mentions that this mod was created out of frustration of every person trying to be a hero and not surviving, which is exactly the reason I recommend you install this mod in your game.
Skyland AIO
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/34179
When it comes to modding graphic mods in Skyrim, it quickly becomes a rabbit hole, as there are hundreds, if not thousands of graphic mods available for Skyrim, including texture and flora overhauls, landscapes and water replacers, snow mods, and it goes on.
Therefore, I will just be recommending one, Skyland AIO (All in One), which is a collection of all Skyland mods bundled together featuring high quality and resolution texture overhauls for architecture and landscapes.
Skyland is created using 4K 3D scans of real-world surfaces and offers the most realistic visual overhaul in Skyrim, covering cities, towns, and villages to forts, dungeons, and caves, as well as landscapes from the Rift to the Reach and beyond.
Out of all the graphic mods I have installed in Skyrim, this does appear to be one of the more consistent one, but just bear in mind that the mod itself does weight in at around 6GB.
Skyland LOD
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/87412
The Skyland LOD (Level of Detail) mod provides a preset LOD or level of detail for when you have the Skyland AIO mod installed, which in other words means that you will be able to the see the Skyland modded textures at greater distances.
I recommend that you install both Skyland AIO and the accompanying LOD for the best experience.
SkyUI
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/12604
The User Interface (UI) for Skyrim was designed with a controller in mind, so it can be a bit jarring if you are using mouse and keyboard.
The SkyUI mod describes itself as an elegant, PC-friendly interface mod with many advanced features, one of which is to add new HUD elements, and my favourite is visible duration for summons and flesh spells, as in the vanilla game, the only way you could check this was to open up the menu.
The mod also supports third party mod integration, which will allow you to configure a mod through the mod manager section in the game’s menu, instead of using an in game spell or power.
For someone who uses a mouse and keyboard for RPGs, this mod is a godsend, and I strongly recommend it.
SSE Display Tweaks
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/34705
The SSE Display Tweaks mod provides an all-in-one solution for smooth FPS-unlocked gameplay, including physics fixes, borderless full screen performance boosts, refresh rate control, highly configurable frame rate limiting, various bugfixes and more.
In other words, you can now play Skyrim at a frame rate higher than the standard 60FPS, and most importantly, without the game engine bugging out, which typically happens if you manually disable V-Sync through the game’s config files.
As someone who has a 165Hz refresh rate monitor, Skyrim running at 120FPS is fantastic experience, so I strongly recommend installing this mod if you have similar hardware.
Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/266
One of the running jokes about Bethesda games is that they tend to be buggy at release, which over time get patched, however years later, there are still several bugs left in Skyrim.
Most are minor, usually item placements, perks not working correctly, weapons that do not have crafting recipes, or exploits to do with training skills.
The Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition mod is a comprehensive bug fixing mod with the goal to eventually fix every bug in Skyrim Special Edition that was not officially resolved by the developers to the limits of the Creation Kit and community-developed tools.
Without a doubt, this is one of the most important mods you should install when playing Skyrim on PC.
Wet and Cold
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/644
The Wet and Cold mod adds weather-dependent visual effects and AI enhancements to the player and NPCs.
More specifically, in colder climates, the player character, NPCs and some creatures will now have a visible breath animation when breathing, rainfall and snow will now appear on the armour and clothing, and depending on their race, NPCs will actively seek shelter when it is raining or snowing.
The mod also adds new weather-related clothing to the game’s levelled lists, typically scarfs, gloves, or hats, which are often equipped once the weather turns, or alternatively found on bandits located at snowy locations.
Much like the Footprints mod from earlier, this functionality should have been implemented into the original game.

On the day that I posted this, 5-28-2023, it would have been an entire year since I started collecting the daily word that Bing offers every day. For those of you don’t know, if you search for “Word of the day” on Bing, you will find a unique vocabulary word that is specific to each day. That’s what I’ve been documenting for the past year.
I started collecting the words back on May 29, 2022. I kept them in a plain text document that I named word-of-the-day.txt. This document was going to store my words in a specific format, which you will see below. I appended to this document every day in the summer using Windows Notepad, until I eventually moved the document to my Google Drive. This allowed me to hook up multiple automations to it, like a Siri Shortcut that would get the latest word and allow me to append it. Once April of 2023 (or even earlier) came around, I decided to change to only updating it every 6 days since my life was getting a bit busier then. And when I wasn’t automating, I would manually add the daily word as part of my MicrosoftRewards routine (sometimes, but only when I had the extra time for it)
Doing this isn’t as easy as going back to add all 365 words right before I published this. That is because there is a limit to how far back one can go in the daily words — after 7 days a word disappears from the end of the list and is lost forever. This meant that I had to stay on top of the word list, which I did do pretty consistently until I missed on day on June 30th. But that’s ok, as we all make mistakes.
While I was keeping track of the words that Bing offered every day, I learned some interesting things. Discovering a new word every day slowly strengthened my vocabulary to be more eclectic. I used these words in various things like stories, or just to confuse people that had never heard of the words. And with more words, what started as a hobby to collect the words became a project to archive the WOTD for an entire year.
A lot can happen in a single year. When I started, I didn't even have a Reddit account, and it was late May around the time where everyone gets out of school that I started making the list. Now it’s the end of another school year. I am completely different person.
So with that context and reflection, I would say that it is about time to show you the list that I’ve been collecting:*
```

~2022~

[001] May 29 - tenacious - tending to keep a firm hold of something; clinging or adhering closely [002] May 30 - empathy - the ability to understand and share the feelings of another [003] May 31 - prate - talk foolishly or at tedious length about something [004] June 01 - cerulean - deep blue in color like a clear sky [005] June 02 - redolent - strongly reminiscent or suggestive of [006] June 03 - diaphanous - (especially of fabric) light, delicate, and translucent [007] June 04 - sillage - the degree to which a perfume's fragrance lingers in the air when worn [008] June 05 - desultory - lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm [009] June 06 - mercurial - (of a person) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind; of or containing the element mercury [010] June 07 - fawn - a young deer in its first year; a light yellowish-brown color [011] June 08 - estuary - the tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream [012] June 09 - mellifluous - (of a voice or words) sweet or musical; pleasant to hear: [013] June 10 - zippy - bright, fresh, or lively [014] June 11 - lush - (of vegetation) growing luxuriantly [015] June 12 - bucolic - relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life [016] June 13 - verdant - of the bright green color of lush grass [017] June 14 - regal - of, resembling, or fit for a monarch, especially in being magnificent or dignified [018] June 15 - pyrrhic - (of a victory) won at too great a cost to have been worthwhile for the victor [019] June 16 - picturesque - visually attractive, especially in a quaint or pretty style [020] June 17 - myriad - a countless or extremely great number [021] June 18 - gleaming - (of a smooth surface) reflecting light, typically because very clean or polished [022] June 19 - deafening - (of a noise) so loud as to make it impossible to hear anything else [023] June 20 - aberration - a departure from what is normal, usual, or expected, typically one that is unwelcome [024] June 21 - pleonasm - the use of more words than are necessary to convey meaning (e.g. see with one's eyes), either as a fault of style or for emphasis [025] June 22 - Instigate - bring about or initiate (an action or event) [026] June 23 - dubious - hesitating or doubting [027] June 24 - noxious - harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant [028] June 25 - calumny - the making of false and defamatory statements about someone in order to damage their reputation; slander [029] June 26 - abscond - leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection of or arrest for an unlawful action such as theft [030] June 27 - predilection - a preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something [031] June 28 - equivocal - open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous [032] June 29 - pernicious - having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way [033] June 30 - ??? [034] July 01 - languor - the state or feeling, often pleasant, of tiredness or inertia [035] July 02 - obsolete - no longer produced or used; out of date [036] July 03 - ambiguous - (of language) open to more than one interpretation; having a double meaning [037] July 04 - patriotism - the quality of being patriotic; devotion to and vigorous support for one's country [038] July 05 - carouse - drink plentiful amounts of alcohol and enjoy oneself with others in a noisy, lively way [039] July 06 - insurgent - a rebel or revolutionary [040] July 07 - oligarchy - a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution [041] July 08 - loyalist - a person who remains loyal to the established ruler or government, especially in the face of a revolt [042] July 09 - veracity - conformity to facts; accuracy [043] July 10 - rescind - revoke, cancel, or repeal (a law, order, or agreement) [044] July 11 - malarkey - meaningless talk; nonsense [045] July 12 - epoch - a period of time in history or a person's life, typically one marked by notable events or particular characteristics [046] July 13 - abrogate - repeal or do away with (a law, right, or formal agreement) [047] July 14 - laconic - (of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words [048] July 15 - prepossessing - attractive or appealing in appearance [049] July 16 - sonorous - (of a voice) imposingly deep and full [recovered, assumed] [050] July 17 - bombinate - buzz; hum [051] July 18 - altruistic - showing a disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others; unselfish [052] July 19 - upbraid - find fault with (someone); scold [053] July 20 - maelstrom - a powerful whirlpool in the sea or a river [054] July 21 - illusory - based on illusion; not real [055] July 22 - lethargy - lack of energy and enthusiasm [056] July 23 - ethereal - extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world [057] July 24 - syzygy - a conjunction or opposition, especially of the moon with the sun [058] July 25 - phosphene - a ring or spot of light produced by pressure on the eyeball or direct stimulation of the visual system other than by light [059] July 26 - vacuous - having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless [060] July 27 - oleaginous - rich in, covered with, or producing oil; oily or greasy [061] July 28 - ignominious - deserving or causing public disgrace or shame [062] July 29 - parsimonious - unwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy or frugal [063] July 30 - treachery - betrayal of trust; deceptive action or nature [064] July 31 - verisimilitude - the appearance of being true or real [065] August 01 - luminescence - the emission of light by a substance that has not been heated, as in fluorescence and phosphorescence [066] August 02 - susurration - whispering, murmuring, or rustling [067] August 03 - accost - approach and address (someone) boldly or aggressively [068] August 04 - clamor - a loud and confused noise, especially that of people shouting vehemently. [069] August 05 - mendacious - not telling truth, lying [070] August 06 - dilly-dally - waste time through aimless wandering or indecision [071] August 07 - neophyte - a person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief [072] August 08 - purist - person who insists on absolute adherence to traditional rules or structures, especially in a language or style [073] August 09 - bellicose - demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight [074] August 10 - duplicity - deceitfulness; double-dealing [075] August 11 - deus ex machina - an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel. [076] August 12 - supine - (of a person) lying face upward [077] August 13 - nebulous - in the form of a cloud or haze; hazy [078] August 14 - viscosity - the state of being thick, sticky, and semifluid in consistency, due to internal friction [079] August 15 - lampoon - publicly criticize (someone or something) by using ridicule, irony, or sarcasm [080] August 16 - fatuous - silly and pointless [081] August 17 - effervescence - bubbles in a liquid; fizz [082] August 18 - defenestration - the action of throwing someone out of a window [083] August 19 - acumen - the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain [084] August 20 - tempest - a violent windy storm [085] August 21 - repartee - conversation or speech characterized by quick, witty comments or replies [086] August 22 - chuffed - very pleased [087] August 23 - iridescent - showing luminous colors that seem to change when seen from different angles [088] August 24 - archetypal - Very typical of a certain kind of person of thing [089] August 25 - forbearance - patient self-control; restraint and tolerance [090] August 26 - stoic - a person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining [091] August 27 - officious - assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering way, especially with regard to petty or trivial matters [092] August 28 - maudlin - self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness [093] August 29 - oblivion - the state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening [094] August 30 - scintillating - sparkling or shining brightly [095] August 31 - lithe - (especially of a person's body) thin, supple, and graceful [096] September 01 - superfluous - unnecessary, especially through being more than enough [097] September 02 - zenith - the time at which something is most powerful or successful [098] September 03 - evocative - bringing strong images, memories, or feelings to mind [099] September 04 - cobbler - a person who mends shoes as a job [100] September 05 - vitriolic - filled with bitter criticism or malice [101] September 06 - stolid - (of a person) calm, dependable, and showing little emotion or animation [102] September 07 - eurhythmic - (especially of architecture or art) in or relating to harmonious proportion. [103] September 08 - fallacious - based on a mistaken belief [104] September 09 - multifarious - many and of various types [105] September 10 - rhapsody - an effusively enthusiastic or ecstatic expression of feeling [106] September 11 - cogent - (of an argument or case) clear, logical, and convincing [107] September 12 - gregarious - (of a person) fond of company; sociable [108] September 13 - vilify - speak or write about in an abusively disparaging manner [109] September 14 - toady - a person who behaves obsequiously to someone important [110] September 15 - deride - express contempt for; ridicule [111] September 16 - rapturous - characterized by, feeling, or expressing great pleasure or enthusiasm [112] September 17 - bibliophile - a person who collects or has a great love of books [113] September 18 - fugacious - tending to disappear; fleeting [114] September 19 - lollygag - spend time aimlessly; idle [115] September 20 - bae - a person's boyfriend or girlfriend (often as a form of address) [116] September 21 - jovial - cheerful and friendly [117] September 22 - sycophant - a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage [118] September 23 - wayward - difficult to control or predict because of unusual or perverse behavior [119] September 24 - maverick - an unorthodox or independent-minded person [120] September 25 - vociferous - (especially of a person or speech) vehement or clamorous [121] September 26 - eclectic - deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources [122] September 27 - bane - a cause of great distress or annoyance [123] September 28 - pedant - a person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or with displaying academic learning [124] September 29 - writhe - make continual twisting, squirming movements or contortions of the body [125] September 30 - foliage - plant leaves collectively [126] October 01 - eerie - strange and frightening [127] October 02 - bogeyman - an imaginary evil spirit or being, used to frighten children [128] October 03 - catacomb - an underground cemetery consisting of a subterranean gallery with recesses for tombs, as constructed by the ancient Romans [129] October 04 - cryptozoology - the search for and study of animals whose existence or survival is disputed or unsubstantiated [130] October 05 - kafkaesque - characteristic or reminiscent of the oppressive or nightmarish qualities of Franz Kafka's fictional world [131] October 06 - cipher - a secret or disguised way of writing; a code [132] October 07 - morbid - characterized by an unusual interest in disturbing and unpleasant subjects, especially death and disease [133] October 08 - eldritch - weird and sinister or ghostly [134] October 09 - superstition - excessively credulous belief in and reverence for supernatural beings [135] October 10 - omen - an event regarded as a portent of good or evil [136] October 11 - miasma - a highly unpleasant or unhealthy smell or vapor [137] October 12 - poltergeist - a ghost or other supernatural being supposedly responsible for physical disturbances such as loud noises and objects thrown around [138] October 13 - harridan - a strict, bossy, or belligerent old woman [139] October 14 - serpentine - of or like a serpent or snake [140] October 15 - incarnadine - a bright crimson or pinkish-red color [141] October 16 - pallor - an unhealthy pale appearance [142] October 17 - apparition - a ghost or ghostlike image of a person [143] October 18 - abhorrent - inspiring disgust and loathing; repugnant [144] October 19 - banshee - (in Irish legend) a female spirit whose wailing warns of an impending death in a house [145] October 20 - dismal - depressing; dreary [146] October 21 - labyrinth - a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze [147] October 22 - sarcophagus - a stone coffin, typically adorned with a sculpture or inscription and associated with the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Rome, and Greece [148] October 23 - twilight - the soft glowing light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon, caused by the refraction and scattering of the sun's rays from the atmosphere [149] October 24 - bizarre - very strange or unusual, especially so as to cause interest or amusement [150] October 25 - foreshadow - be a warning or indication of (a future event) [151] October 26 - fiend - an evil spirit or demon [152] October 27 - lycanthrope - a werewolf [153] October 28 - scythe - a tool used for cutting crops such as grass or wheat, with a long curved blade at the end of a long pole attached to which are one or two short handles [154] October 29 - lusus naturae - a freak of nature [155] October 30 - wraith - a ghost or ghostlike image of someone, especially one seen shortly before or after their death [156] October 31 - jack-o'-lantern - a lantern made from a hollowed-out pumpkin in which holes are cut to represent facial features, typically made at Halloween [157] November 01 - logophile - a lover of words [158] November 02 - eloquent - fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing [159] November 03 - sesquipedalian - (of a word) polysyllabic; long [160] November 04 - irony - the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect [161] November 05 - homophone - each of two or more words having the same pronunciation but different meanings, origins, or spelling [162] November 06 - homograph - each of two or more words spelled the same but not necessarily pronounced the same and having different meanings and origins. [163] November 07 - elegy - a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead [164] November 08 - palindrome - a word, phrase, or sequence that reads the same backward as forward [165] November 09 - antithesis - a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else [166] November 10 - bookish - (of a person or way of life) devoted to reading and studying rather than worldly interests [167] November 11 - phenomenon - a fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause or explanation is in question [168] November 12 - denouement - the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved [169] November 13 - woe - great sorrow or distress [170] November 14 - blithe - showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper [171] November 15 - trouvaille - a lucky find [172] November 16 - empirical - based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic [173] November 17 - trite - (of a remark, opinion, or idea) overused and consequently of little import; lacking originality or freshness [174] November 18 - diction - the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing [175] November 19 - hubris - excessive pride or self-confidence [176] November 20 - motif - a decorative image or design, especially a repeated one forming a pattern [177] November 21 - anachronism - a thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, especially a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned [178] November 22 - gourmand - a person who enjoys eating and often eats too much [179] November 23 - recant - say that one no longer holds an opinion or belief, especially one considered heretical [180] November 24 - erudite - having or showing great knowledge or learning [181] November 25 - omniscient - knowing everything [182] November 26 - novella - a short novel or long short story [183] November 27 - metaphor - a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable [184] November 28 - anagram - a word, phrase, or name formed by rearranging the letters of another [185] November 29 - expunge - obliterate or remove completely (something unwanted or unpleasant) [186] November 30 - sough - (of the wind in trees, the sea, etc.) make a moaning, whistling, or rushing sound [187] December 01 - advent - the arrival of a notable person or thing [188] December 02 - gelidity - the quality or condition of being extremely cold or icy [189] December 03 - niveous - snowy or resembling snow [190] December 04 - awe - a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder [191] December 05 - Scrooge, Ebenezer - a miserly curmudgeon in Charles Dickens's novel A Christmas Carol (1843) [192] December 06 - levity - humor or frivolity, especially the treatment of a serious matter with humor or in a manner lacking due respect [193] December 07 - tranquility - the quality or state of being tranquil; calm [194] December 08 - ephemeral - lasting for a very short time [195] December 09 - surfeit - an excessive amount of something [196] December 10 - staid - sedate, respectable, and unadventurous [197] December 11 - ubiquitous - present, appearing, or found everywhere [198] December 12 - virtuoso - a person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit [199] December 13 - winsome - attractive or appealing in a fresh, innocent way [200] December 14 - Grinch - a mean-spirited person who spoils the enjoyment of others; a spoilsport or killjoy [201] December 15 - mirth - amusement, especially as expressed in laughter [202] December 16 - quirky - having or characterized by peculiar or unexpected traits or aspects: [203] December 17 - toboggan - a long, light, narrow vehicle, typically on runners, used for sliding downhill over snow or ice [204] December 18 - evanescent - soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing [205] December 19 - zephyr - a soft gentle breeze [206] December 20 - hearth - the floor of a fireplace [207] December 21 - tidings - news; information [208] December 22 - garland - a wreath of flowers and leaves, worn on the head or hung as a decoration [209] December 23 - cornucopia - a symbol of plenty consisting of a goat's horn overflowing with flowers, fruit, and corn [210] December 24 - crackle - make a rapid succession of short sharp noises [211] December 25 - Yuletide - archaic term for Christmas [212] December 26 - fervor - intense and passionate feeling [213] December 27 - whimsy - playfully quaint or fanciful behavior or humor [214] December 28 - kith - one's friends, acquaintances, and relations [215] December 29 - equanimity - calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation [216] December 30 - insidious - proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects [217] December 31 - revel - enjoy oneself in a lively and noisy way, especially with drinking and dancing

~2023~

[218] January 01 - clinquant - glittering with gold and silver; tinseled [219] January 02 - Elysian - relating to or characteristic of heaven or paradise [220] January 03 - coterie - a small group of people with shared interests or tastes, especially one that is exclusive of other people [221] January 04 - eke - make an amount or supply of something last longer by using or consuming it frugally [222] January 05 - vestibule - an antechamber, hall, or lobby next to the outer door of a building [223] January 06 - lucid - expressed clearly; easy to understand [224] January 07 - livid - furiously angry [225] January 08 - perspicuous - clearly expressed and easily understood; lucid [226] January 09 - vex - make (someone) feel annoyed, frustrated, or worried, especially with trivial matters [227] January 10 - puerile - childishly silly and immature [228] January 11 - splendour - magnificent and splendid appearance; grandeur [229] January 12 - wistful - having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing [230] January 13 - capybara - a South American mammal that resembles a giant long-legged guinea pig. [231] January 14 - martyr - a person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs [232] January 15 - gimmick - a trick or device intended to attract attention, publicity, or trade [233] January 16 - brood - a family of birds or other young animals produced at one hatching or birth [234] January 17 - malady - a disease or ailment [235] January 18 - zeal - great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective [236] January 19 - hamartia - a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine [237] January 20 - supernova - a star that suddenly increases greatly in brightness because of a catastrophic explosion that ejects most of its mass. [238] January 21 - celestial - positioned in or relating to the sky, or outer space as observed in astronomy [239] January 22 - peart - lively; cheerful [240] January 23 - serendipity - the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way [241] January 24 - blatherskite - a person who talks at great length without making much sense [242] January 25 - constellate - form or cause to form into a cluster or group; gather together [243] January 26 - recalcitrant - having an obstinately uncooperative attitude towards authority or discipline [244] January 27 - waif - a homeless, neglected, or abandoned person, especially a child [245] January 28 - moulder - slowly decay or disintegrate, especially because of neglect [246] January 29 - limpid - (of a liquid) completely clear and transparent [247] January 30 - travesty - a false, absurd, or distorted representation of something [248] January 31 - quixotic - extremely idealistic; unrealistic and impractical [249] February 01 - eidolon - an idealized person or thing [250] February 02 - desideratum - something that is needed or wanted [251] February 03 - ensorcell - enchant; fascinate [252] February 04 - aurora - a natural electrical phenomenon characterized by the appearance of streamers in the sky near the northern or southern magnetic pole. [253] February 05 - jaded - bored or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having had too much of something [254] February 06 - limerence - the state of being infatuated with another person, typically experienced involuntarily [255] February 07 - obfuscate - make obscure, unclear, or unintelligible [256] February 08 - idle - (of a person) avoiding work; lazy [257] February 09 - peart - lively; cheerful [258] February 10 - scintilla - a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling [259] February 11 - gangling - (of a person) tall, thin, and awkward in movements or bearing [260] February 12 - sublime - of very great excellence or beauty [261] February 13 - ineffable - too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words [262] February 14 - moonstruck - unable to think or act normally, especially as a result of being in love [263] February 15 - nostalgia - a sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past [264] February 16 - panacea - a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases [265] February 17 - razz - tease (someone) playfully [266] February 18 - kin - one's family and relations [267] February 19 - melodious - relating to or characterized by melody [268] February 20 - fractious - (typically of children) irritable and quarrelsome [269] February 21 - idiosyncratic - relating to idiosyncrasy; peculiar or individual [270] February 22 - spurious - not being what it purports to be; false or fake [271] February 23 - quandary - a state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation [272] February 24 - pulchritude - beauty [273] February 25 - rhetoric - the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the exploitation of figures of speech and other compositional techniques [274] February 26 - naturalism - (in art and literature) a style and theory of representation based on the accurate depiction of detail [275] February 27 - histrionic - excessively theatrical or dramatic in character or style [276] February 28 - onomatopoeia - the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named [277] March 01 - gawky - nervously awkward and ungainly [278] March 02 - akin - of similar character [279] March 03 - garrulous - excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters [280] March 04 - lofty - of imposing height [281] March 05 - pugnacious - eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight [282] March 06 - relative - considered in relation or in proportion to something else [283] March 07 - liminal - relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process. [284] March 08 - gratuitous - done without good reason; uncalled for [285] March 09 - solicitous - characterized by or showing interest or concern [286] March 10 - quaint - attractively unusual or old-fashioned [287] March 11 - inane - lacking sense or meaning; silly [288] March 12 - pert - (of a girl or young woman) attractively lively or cheeky [289] March 13 - esoteric - intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest [290] March 14 - schadenfreude - pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune [291] March 15 - odious - extremely unpleasant; repulsive [292] March 16 - numinous - having a strong religious or spiritual quality; indicating or suggesting the presence of a divinity [293] March 17 - loquacious - tending to talk a great deal; talkative [294] March 18 - impecunious - having little or no money [295] March 19 - sanguine - optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation [296] March 20 - pungent - having a sharply strong taste or smell [297] March 21 - charming - very pleasant or attractive [298] March 22 - soliloquy - an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play [299] March 23 - penurious - extremely poor; poverty-stricken [300] March 24 - jamboree - a large celebration or party, typically a lavish and boisterous one [301] March 25 - rapacious - aggressively greedy or grasping [302] March 26 - incontrovertible - not able to be denied or disputed [303] March 27 - promulgate - promote or make widely known (an idea or cause) [304] March 28 - opportunist - person who takes advantage of opportunities as and when they arise, regardless of planning or principle [305] March 29 - gallivant - go around from one place to another in the pursuit of pleasure or entertainment [306] March 30 - iconoclast - a person who attacks or criticizes cherished beliefs or institutions [307] March 31 - pinprick - a prick caused by a pin [308] April 01 - petrichor - a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather [309] April 02 - ungainly - (of a person or movement) awkward; clumsy [310] April 03 - abject - (of something bad) experienced or present to the maximum degree [311] April 04 - lurid - unpleasantly bright in colour, especially so as to create a harsh or unnatural effect: [312] April 05 - spire - a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, typically a church tower [313] April 06 - proclivity - a tendency to choose or do something regularly; an inclination or predisposition towards a particular thing [314] April 07 - convivial - (of an atmosphere or event) friendly, lively, and enjoyable [315] April 08 - unfeigned - genuine; sincere [316] April 09 - penchant - a strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something [317] April 10 - sanctimonious - making a show of being morally superior to other people [318] April 11 - inimical - tending to obstruct or harm [319] April 12 - taut - stretched or pulled tight; not slack [320] April 13 - rue - bitterly regret (something one has done or allowed to happen) and wish it undone [321] April 14 - pithy - (of a fruit or plant) containing much pith [322] April 15 - impetuous - acting or done quickly and without thought or care [323] April 16 - disperse - distribute or spread over a wide area [324] April 17 - sinuous - having many curves and turns [325] April 18 - plethora - a large or excessive amount of something [326] April 19 - meadow - a piece of grassland, especially one used for hay [327] April 20 - persnickety - placing too much emphasis on trivial or minor details [328] April 21 - rusticate - suspend (a student) from a university as a punishment [329] April 22 - dichotomy - a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different [330] April 23 - bardolatry - excessive admiration of Shakespeare [331] April 24 - halcyon - denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful [332] April 25 - gad - go from place to place in the pursuit of pleasure [333] April 26 - collusion -secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy in order to deceive others [334] April 27 - ration - a fixed amount of a commodity officially allowed to each person during a time of shortage, as in wartime [335] April 28 - clergy - the body of all people ordained for religious duties, especially in the Christian Church [336] April 29 - mitigate - make (something bad) less severe, serious, or painful [337] April 30 - paradigm - a typical example or pattern of something; a pattern or mode [338] May 01 - May Day - 1 May, celebrated in many countries as a traditional springtime festival or as an international day honouring workers [339] May 02 - denouement - the final part of a play, film, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved [340] May 03 - voracious - wanting or devouring great quantities of food [341] May 04 - sciamachy - sham fighting for exercise or practice [342] May 05 - vindicate - clear (someone) of blame or suspicion [343] May 06 - panegyric - a public speech or published text in praise of someone or something [344] May 07 - indomitable - impossible to subdue or defeat [345] May 08 - sedulous - (of a person or action) showing dedication and diligence [346] May 09 - baby boomer - a person born in the years following the Second World War, when there was a temporary marked increase in the birth rate [347] May 10 - plaudit - an expression of praise or approval [348] May 11 - audacious - showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks [349] May 12 - intrepid - fearless; adventurous [350] May 13 - multifarious - many and of various types [351] May 14 - eclectic - deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources [352] May 15 - evanescent - soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing [353] May 16 - normative - establishing, relating to, or deriving from a standard or norm, especially of behaviour [354] May 17 - lucent - glowing with or giving off light [355] May 18 - erudite - having or showing great knowledge or learning [356] May 19 - encomium - a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly. [357] May 20 - husbandry - the care, cultivation, and breeding of crops and animals [358] May 21 - meticulous - showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise [359] May 22 - niche - a comfortable or suitable position in life or employment: [360] May 23 - lugubrious - looking or sounding sad and dismal [361] May 24 - magnanimity - the fact or condition of being magnanimous; generosity [362] May 25 - cornucopia - a symbol of plenty consisting of a goat's horn overflowing with flowers, fruit, and corn. [363] May 26 - nascent - (especially of a process or organization) just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential [364] May 27 - pulchritudinous - beautiful [365] May 28 - contingent - subject to chance
365 Days/Words
```
I’m not in control of this list, you there might be some duplicates. Just enjoy the post, as I’m sure that this is something contrasting from the Bing Ai that a lot of people are posting about. I saw that the moderators commented on my post thinking that it was relating to Bing AI.
You can ask me a question about this project in the comments below:

Moi again lol.
Previous post: Update to 35F looking to settle down and start a family: Phoenix, AZ or Sacramento, CA? Or any recommendations? - California is now off the table for me. https://www.reddit.com/SameGrassButGreenecomments/13q9ujh/update_to_35f_looking_to_settle_down_and_start_a/
edit: It just occurred to me that I could write off the trip to Vegas this summer, because technically I was already there last summer and was okay with the heat (even if it was slightly less than normal). Maybe I should go to Phoenix in Aug just to see if I should rule it out or keep it in the pile.
Background: I'm a 35F in Austin, TX and would be moving March 2024. I'm very happy to report I've just accept a new job offer ✨✨ where you can work remote from pretty much anywhere, except California, New York, Hawaii and Alaska. Ideally I want to met a man and start a family in one of these places. One of the main reasons I'm leaving Texas is due to the abortion laws, as well as all the hate laws they are producing towards minorities. It would also be a nice change not worrying about the electricity failing every time it gets cold too 🙃
(1) Reno, NV

• I've never been but would schedule time to visit this upcoming September. I was originally looking at Sacramento, but since California is now a "no", Reno might be a good fit
• I'm originally from Chicago so I grew up with cold weather and snow, but I would prefer no snow and cold lol. However, sunlight is more important than cold weather and Reno has about 300 days of sun, which I like. How cold does it get in the Winter and Summer?

(2) Summerlin/Henderson, NV

• I've been to Vegas 3 times, and specifically went last August to check out the area, which I really liked. But when I went this past August, it was a bit cooler (around 100F) than normally, so I want to visit again this upcoming August to see if I could stand the 110F weather
• I've heard Las Vegas is a very transient area to live in, maybe it's better in Henderson or Summerlin? Not sure how it would be for dating or meeting friends
• I'm currently sober and am not sure how much of the culture is around drinking? Even in Austin, most socialization is done around drinking. I'll make-do by ordering Topo or sparkling water at the bars

-OR- Phoenix, AZ

• I visited in October 2021 and absolutely loved it. I was actually planning to move out in May 2022, but then Roe v. Wade was overturned and I decided to stay in Austin another year to figure out what I wanted. I would want to visit in August to see how I do with the heat. Quick note: I also went out to Tucson on my trip, nice city, but I liked Phoenix/Scottsdale much more
• Abortion is currently at a 16 week ban (Texas is at 6 weeks). I know AZ has been red, but they have a Democratic governor, so it seems much better than Texas overall
• I have a feeling dating will probably be the best in Phoenix

Of course, I could check out both Vegas and Phoenix this summer, but the more I think about it, I do want to check out Reno. I keep coming back to Las Vegas, but I feel like Phoenix offers more (dating to settle down, better schools, better healthcare).
I could also do Vegas and Phoenix this summer, and then go out to Reno later in the year around November and December. But then I would have to schedule vacation to the place I finally chose around Jan 2024 (to find an apartment) and March to move out there.

Notion has emerged as an essential writing tool over the past few years. It already allowed users to manage virtually every aspect of the content creation process in an easy to use interface. That’s why I was excited to see that Notion just lauched its AI tool, Notion AI. But what exact is Notion AI and what are the potential uses of Notion AI for writers? Read on to learn more!

What is Notion?

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Notion is a digital workspace that allows you to organize and manage various aspects of your life, including tasks, projects, notes, and more. It is a flexible, all-in-one platform that combines the functionality of various productivity tools, such as project management software, note-taking apps, and databases, into a single workspace.
Notion features a customizable interface that allows users to create pages, databases, and templates that suit their specific needs. It also supports a wide range of integrations with other tools and services, such as Google Drive, Trello, and Slack.
Notion is available on desktop and mobile devices, and it offers both free and paid plans with varying levels of features and capabilities. Its popularity has grown rapidly in recent years, making it a popular choice for individuals, teams, and businesses looking to streamline their workflows and increase productivity.

What is Notion AI?

Notion announced on February 22, 2023 that all users could access notion’s latest tool, Notion AI.
Notion AI is an artificial intelligence assistant that can be used natively within Notion documents, spreadsheets, or other Notion products. Notion AI uses the same GPT-3 language model that is behind ChatGPT.

What Are The Features of Notion AI?

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Notion AI contains a number of features designed to enhance productivity for writers within Notion.
Notion AI allow users to:
- Create a content calendar to plan ahead and stay organized with your blog posts.
- Write catchy headlines that will grab your readers’ attention and encourage them to read further.
- Use visuals, such as images and videos, to make your blog posts more engaging and memorable.
- Make sure your blog is mobile-friendly, as more and more people are accessing content on their smartphones and tablets.
- Use social media to promote your blog and reach a wider audience.
- Engage with your readers by responding to comments and encouraging discussion on your blog.
- Focus on a niche or specific topic to establish yourself as an expert in that area.
- Collaborate with other bloggers or brands to expand your reach and bring new perspectives to your blog.
- Use SEO techniques, such as keyword research and meta descriptions, to improve your blog’s visibility on search engines.
- Experiment with different types of content, such as listicles, how-to guides, and interviews, to keep your blog fresh and interesting.
You can see a full list of the current Notion AI features in the screenshots below:

Notion AI Pricing

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Anyone (including users with a free Notion plan) can try Notion AI for free, in order to test its capabilities before purchasing the add-on subscription.
However, once you’ve used all your complimentary Notion AI responses, you will see a message that a Notion AI add-on subscription is necessary to continue using AI features. You’ll then need to purchase the Notion AI add on.
The Notion AI add-on costs $8 per member / month for users choosing the annual plan (an additional $96 per year) if you already have a paid Notion account.
If you have a paid Notion plan and choose to purchase the Notion AI add-on but pay with monthly billing, or decide to keep your free Notion account and only upgrade to receive Notion AI, you will be charged $10 per member / month ($120 per year).

How Can Writers Use Notion AI?

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Having experimented with Notion AI (both as an early beta tester and using the plan currently available to all users), here are some of the top use cases demonstrating the value of Notion AI for writers:
​

1. Summarizing Written Content

Notion AI offers an easy to use, one click command, that automatically summarizes a portion of text highlighted.
For the purposes of this example, I entered the text of a recent WSJ article, Fed Minutes Show Most Officials Favored Quarter-Point Rate Rise.
​
The original article text is listed below:
Most Federal Reserve officials thought slowing the pace of interest-rate increases at their meeting three weeks ago offered the best way to balance the risks of doing too much or too little to combat inflation, but some warned against the hazards of slowing or stopping rate increases too soon.
“A number of participants observed that a policy stance that proved to be insufficiently restrictive could halt recent progress in moderating inflationary pressures,” said the minutes of the Jan. 31-Feb. 1 meeting, released Wednesday.
Fed officials unanimously approved raising their benchmark federal-funds rate by a quarter percentage point to a range between 4.5% and 4.75% on Feb. 1. That increase followed six larger increases, including a half percentage point in December.
Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday the central bank will raise interest rates a quarter-percentage-point. Powell said more increases will likely be needed to continue lowering inflation.
The minutes of the gathering said that “almost all participants agreed that it was appropriate” to raise rates by a quarter point, or 25 basis points. Many of these officials “observed that a further slowing in the pace of rate increases would better allow them to assess the economy’s progress… as they determine the extent of future policy tightening,” the minutes said.
But a few participants favored or would have also agreed to a larger half-point move, the minutes said. “The participants favoring a 50-basis-point increase noted that a larger increase would more quickly bring the target range close to the levels they believed would achieve a sufficiently restrictive stance,” the minutes said.
Their discussion suggested another increase of a quarter point was likely at their next meeting on March 21-22. Since then, new data indicated stronger economic activity and slower progress on inflation than previously expected, which could keep the Fed raising rates longer than anticipated before the latest reports.
At the time of the recent meeting, Fed Chair Jerome Powell was facing increasing skepticism from investors over whether the central bank would continue raising rates because economic activity had been mixed around year’s end, with signs that consumer spending had moderated and weakness in the hard-hit housing sector was spreading to manufacturing. Investors were also anticipating rate cuts later this year.
The Fed raises rates to combat inflation by slowing the economy through tighter financial conditions—such as higher borrowing costs, lower stock prices and a stronger dollar—that curb demand.
Most Fed officials projected in December that they would raise the fed-funds rate to 5.1% this year, which would imply quarter-point rate increases at their next two meetings, in March and May. More than a third of officials anticipated lifting the rate above 5.25%. No officials projected rate cuts this year.
Some officials at the meeting observed that any continued easing in financial conditions could require the Fed to raise rates to higher levels or keep them at higher levels for longer than anticipated.
In the three weeks since they met, fresh U.S. economic reports showed that hiring and retail spending surged in January. The unemployment rate fell to 3.4%, a 53-year low, surprising economists who have long anticipated that Fed rate increases would slow economic growth soon. Economic growth also has rebounded in Europe, further easing worries of a global recession this year.
As a result, investors now expect the Fed to lift the fed-funds rate to around 5.4% in June–more than central bank officials had projected in December.
Inflation’s swift decline late last year also stalled in January. The 12-month inflation rate edged down to 6.4% last month from 6.5% in December and a recent high of 9.1% in June, according to the Labor Department. The department’s widely followed gauge, the consumer-price index, rose a sturdy 0.5% in January from the month before, a sign of still strong price pressures.
Two Fed presidents said last week they would have supported a larger half-point rate rise at the last meeting, rather than the quarter-point increase approved. One of them, Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester, said officials aren’t limited to quarter-point steps. “We can move faster, and we can do bigger [increases] at any particular meeting.”
St. Louis Fed President James Bullard also said he would support moving as quickly as possible to raise the fed-funds rate to 5.4%. “I don’t see much merit in delaying our approach to that level,” he told reporters last week.
Most other Fed officials have expressed a preference for quarter-point increases. Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin told reporters last week he liked that approach “because I believe it gives us the flexibility to respond” depending on how the economy evolves.
Mr. Barkin said he didn’t favor moving rapidly to an estimated peak rate before pausing because he isn’t confident the central bank can gauge how much its past rate moves are slowing the economy. “That theory, to me, requires more confidence in understanding” the effectiveness of tighter rate policy “than I have,” he said.
Overall inflation had slowed in recent months largely because of falling prices of energy and other goods. Large increases in housing costs have slowed, but haven’t yet filtered through to official price gauges. Mr. Powell has nevertheless justified continued rate increases by pointing to still-tight labor markets, elevated wage pressures and high inflation for labor-intensive services.
Mr. Barkin noted the surprising strength in January spending and hiring, but said he wasn’t ready to substantially revise his economic outlook because of the potential for unusual seasonal volatility, including a longer holiday spending season in the fourth quarter, warmer weather and changes in how employers are managing their staffing given recent difficulties hiring workers.
Investors’ shifting expectations about the Fed could already be helping the central bank because interest-rate policies work through financial markets. Changes to the anticipated trajectory of rates, and not just what the Fed does at any meeting, can influence broader financial conditions.
Since November, anticipation of a milder interest-rate path led financial conditions to ease somewhat after tightening substantially last year. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, for example, jumped from 4% one year ago to 7% in November. It then edged lower, to around 6% earlier this month.
Over the past two weeks, however, financial conditions have tightened again as investors anticipate an interval of higher short-term interest rates. Mortgage lenders have reported rates are returning back to 7% in recent days.
After a few seconds, Notion AI generated the following text summarizing the article:
The minutes of the Jan. 31-Feb. 1 meeting of the Federal Reserve show that most officials favored slowing the pace of interest-rate increases to balance the risks of doing too much or too little to combat inflation. However, some warned against slowing or stopping rate increases too soon. The minutes also suggest that another increase of a quarter point is likely at the next meeting on March 21-22. Fresh U.S. economic reports showed that hiring and retail spending surged in January, which could keep the Fed raising rates longer than anticipated before the latest reports.
Investors’ expectations about the Fed could already be helping the central bank, as interest-rate policies work through financial markets. Changes to the anticipated trajectory of rates, and not just what the Fed does at any meeting, can influence broader financial conditions. Since November, anticipation of a milder interest-rate path led financial conditions to ease somewhat after tightening substantially last year.
Over the past two weeks, however, financial conditions have tightened again as investors anticipate an interval of higher short-term interest rates. Mortgage lenders have reported rates are returning back to 7% in recent days. Two Fed presidents said last week they would have supported a larger half-point rate rise at the last meeting, rather than the quarter-point increase approved.
St. Louis Fed President James Bullard also said he would support moving as quickly as possible to raise the fed-funds rate to 5.4%. Most other Fed officials have expressed a preference for quarter-point increases, as they believe it gives them the flexibility to respond depending on how the economy evolves.
Overall inflation had slowed in recent months largely because of falling prices of energy and other goods, but large increases in housing costs have slowed, but haven’t yet filtered through to official price gauges. Mr. Powell has nevertheless justified continued rate increases by pointing to still-tight labor markets, elevated wage pressures, and high inflation for labor-intensive services.
While not perfect, this is a really good summarization of a complex article/topic. And the Notion AI tool also provided options for further editing this text, including making the summary longer, rewriting the entire summary, or replacing a section of the article.

2. Changing Tone of Text

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Another great feature of Notion AI is its ability to change the tone of text.
For example, I used the following excerpt from a Washington Post article on winter weather:
A strong, intensifying storm system continued its trek across the Lower 48 early Wednesday, unleashing high-impact winter weather that could cause widespread power outages and grind travel to a halt. At least 75 million Americans are under winter storm, ice storm, blizzard warnings or winter weather advisories.
In addition to hefty precipitation in much of the Midwest and parts of the Plains, there could also be snow in notably low elevations — including in areas that rarely see measurable snowfall. Even the Los Angeles County mountains are included in a rare blizzard warning — the first issued by the National Weather Service office there since 1989. Snow levels could descend to below 1,000 feet elevation as extreme anomalous cold at high altitudes whips up a serious elevation storm.
That same lobe of frigid air aloft is also spawning a surface low that’s marching across the country. Over the Upper Midwest and the northern Plains, up to two feet of snow could fall in what the National Weather Service office in Minneapolis is calling a historic winter storm. It could prove to be a top-5 event in the Twin Cities, where blizzard warnings slice through the metro.
On the southern fringe of the snowfall, mild air a mile above the ground will favor freezing rain, with a quarter- to a half-inch of ice accumulation, or glaze, possible in some areas. Parts of the Corn Belt and Michigan are expected to be hardest hit, including places like Dubuque and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, or Lansing, Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor in Michigan.
The storm should finish its cross-country assault in the Northeast late Thursday into Friday, where additional winter storm warnings are in effect for northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
I then used the Notion AI change tone function, and selected the “casual option”:
The Notion AI tool then quickly generated the following text:
Wowza, we’ve got a major storm system heading across the US of A, bringing some serious winter weather that could knock out power and put a stop to travel plans. That’s no joke, folks! It looks like around 75 million Americans are under winter storm, ice storm, blizzard warnings or winter weather advisories, so you know this is serious business.
And get this, it’s not just heavy precipitation we’re talking about – parts of the Midwest and Plains could get snow, and we’re talking about areas that don’t usually see snowfall. The Los Angeles County mountains are even included in a rare blizzard warning – the first one issued by the National Weather Service office there in over 30 years! The snow could even come down to below 1,000 feet elevation. Yikes!
There’s a lobe of frigid air up high that’s causing all of this, and it’s also spawning a surface low that’s going across the country. In the Upper Midwest and the northern Plains, we’re talking up to two feet of snow in what the National Weather Service office in Minneapolis is calling a historic winter storm. That’s right, it could be a top-5 event in the Twin Cities, where blizzard warnings are all over the place.
On the southern edge of the snowfall, freezing rain is likely, and some areas could see a quarter- to a half-inch of ice accumulation. The Corn Belt and Michigan are expected to be hit hard, including places like Dubuque and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, or Lansing, Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor in Michigan.
This storm is going to finish up with a bang in the Northeast late Thursday into Friday, where more winter storm warnings are in effect for northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Stay safe out there, folks!
While perhaps a bit over the top, it definitely demonstrates the AI tools ability to create content using different tones.

3. Writing Social Media Posts

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While the previous two use cases demonstrate the Notion AI tool’s ability to synthesize and mimic different forms of text, this next example shows its power to create text based off of very short prompts. Specifically, how it can quickly generate social media posts.
I selected the option from the Notion AI menu to write a social media post. It asked for me to enter a prompt to complete this sentence:
Write a social media post about_____________
And I simply entered “spring cleaning.”
In response, it generated the following social media post (including the hashtags):
Spring is here and it’s time for some cleaning! Whether it’s decluttering your home, organizing your closet, or deep cleaning those hard-to-reach areas, now is the perfect time to get started. A little bit of cleaning can go a long way in making your space feel refreshed and renewed. Don’t forget to donate any items you no longer need to charity or recycle them responsibly. Let’s all welcome spring with a clean and organized home!
#springcleaning #declutter #organization #cleanhome #refreshed #renewed #donate #recycle
While not perfect, I didn’t give the AI tool much information, so I was fairly impressed with this output.

4. Writing a Blog Post

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Similar to the last use case, I wanted to further text the Notion AI tool’s ability to generate written content. So I selected the “write a blog post” option and entered the following prompt:
The tool generated the following blog post:

The Benefits of Jogging

Introduction

Jogging is a popular form of exercise that has numerous benefits for both physical and mental health. It is a low-impact exercise that can be done anytime and anywhere, making it a convenient choice for people of all ages and fitness levels. Jogging is also an affordable form of exercise, as it requires no special equipment or membership fees. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the benefits of jogging and how it can improve your overall health and well-being.

Physical Benefits

Jogging is an excellent way to improve cardiovascular health. It helps to strengthen the heart and lungs, lowers blood pressure, and reduces the risk of heart disease. Jogging also helps to build endurance and increase stamina, which can improve athletic performance in other activities.
In addition to its cardiovascular benefits, jogging can also help with weight loss and weight management. It is an effective way to burn calories and boost metabolism, which can help to shed excess pounds and maintain a healthy weight. Jogging also helps to build muscle and tone the body, giving you a leaner and more sculpted appearance.
Jogging is also good for bone health. It helps to strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis, a condition that causes bones to become brittle and weak. Regular jogging can also improve joint health and flexibility, reducing the risk of injury and improving overall mobility.

Mental Benefits

Jogging is not just good for physical health, it also has many mental health benefits. It is an excellent way to reduce stress and anxiety, as it releases endorphins that promote feelings of happiness and relaxation. Jogging can also boost self-esteem and confidence, helping to improve overall mood and well-being.
Regular jogging can also improve cognitive function and brain health. It has been shown to improve memory, concentration, and overall brain function, reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia in later life. Jogging can also help to improve sleep quality, which is essential for overall health and well-being.

Social Benefits

Jogging can also provide social benefits, as it can be a great way to meet new people and make friends. Joining a jogging group or running club can provide a supportive and motivating environment, where you can connect with other like-minded individuals who share your passion for jogging.

Getting Started with Jogging

If you are new to jogging, it is important to start slowly and gradually build up your endurance. Begin with short, easy runs and gradually increase the distance and intensity over time. It is also important to wear proper shoes and clothing to prevent injury and ensure comfort while jogging.
To make jogging more enjoyable, try listening to music or a podcast while you run. You can also join a jogging group or find a jogging buddy to keep you motivated and accountable.

Conclusion

In conclusion, jogging is an excellent form of exercise that can benefit both physical and mental health. It can improve cardiovascular health, aid in weight management, strengthen bones and joints, reduce stress and anxiety, boost self-esteem and confidence, and improve cognitive function and brain health. Jogging can also provide social benefits, making it a great way to meet new people and make friends. If you are looking for an easy and convenient way to improve your health and well-being, jogging is a great place to start. So put on your running shoes, hit the pavement, and enjoy the many benefits of this simple yet effective form of exercise.
Overall, I was very impressed with how quickly it generated this grammatically correct and well written blog post. It’s worth noting that once the Notion AI tool finishes generating the text, there is a button you can click to make the article longer, which it also does with ease.

5. Finding Action Items

​
Last, I wanted to test the “finding action items” tool. To do this, I found a publicly available copy of a county’s meeting minutes over their local water authority (see PDF here):
​
I then ran the text through the AI tool, using the “find action items tool”:
​
Notion AI generated the following:

• - [ ] Purchase hydrants to replace existing hydrants in the Pinebrook Water System
• - [ ] Complete the activation of the system, replacing the hydrants, and other miscellaneous punch list items to complete the Pinebrook Water Interconnection Project
• - [ ] Engage legal counsel to advise on the assignment from Global Foundries to Onsemi
• - [ ] Request a preliminary meeting with the Poughkeepsie Joint Water Board to discuss issues and concerns regarding the assignment from Global Foundries to Onsemi
• - [ ] Speak to the Deputy County Executive, Ron Hicks in regard to the request to assign the water sale agreement to Onsemi
• - [ ] Consider retaining auditors, RBT to review Onsemi’s financials
• - [ ] Follow up with Ron Haase, Rust & Co. about purchasing the Market Street Plant

Overall, I was very impressed with the ability of the AI tool to generate action items. Since many Notion users (students, office workers, etc.) use Notion for note taking, this seems like an extremely valuable feature.
Conclusion
The examples of Notion’s AI tool make a strong case for adding the Notion AI tool to your writer toolkit! And the examples above only represent a fraction of the total use cases. Notion is already one of the best productivity tools for bloggers, and the addition of Notion AI for writers further cements its place on this list!

I'm 100% P&T for PTSD. My "occupational and social impairment" means I fall under TDIU rules as far as employability.
I'm trying to provide for my family, but after Mortgage, utilities, Healthcare (CHAMPVA is not enough), food, and gas, I have nothing (and sometimes debt). It's not a budgeting issue. I've tightened my belt as much as I can.
I feel like I have to go and get more money so my kids can have a better life. But I was never able to keep a job after the Army. I'm scared if I go back into the work force, I'll loose my disability payments AND eventually get fired. I've applied for SSDI, but I don't think that will be enough, even IF I able to get it.
Is anyone in the same boat? Did anyone have severe PTSD and was able to adapt back into society? Did anyone try to work, loose everything, and now regret it? Has anyone found a "sheltered or protected workplace?"
EDIT: Bought my house in 2022 and now I'm upside down. I'd move if I could (I hate the south). I've already said it's not a budgeting issue. I don't need to confirm if I'm TDIU, I've already talked to the VA about my particular circumstance. And if I could return to the work force instead of collecting disability, I would. There's a reason I'm 100% P&T for PTSD.

In the center of the house was a crackling fire, radiating warmth to those huddled around it. Outside, the wind was howling, snow slowly but surely piling around the walls and onto the roof. In this weather, perhaps the coldest in memory, there was little to do. Yet, even so, the adults were working on small crafts, repairing tools, clothes and making arrows in the dim light.
The words of a girl could be heard, "Oma", she said, looking to the old woman with affection, "would you please tell the story of the Winter Wanderer again?"
Oma smiled, looking up tiredly to meet the eyes of the girl. "Of course, little one.", she replied. Her breathing was shallow, and she could feel the chill in her bones, yet, all that seemed a little more distant when all eyes settled on her, eager to listen. These tales that she herself had listened to in winters long ago she now told and retold.
She began, "Long, long ago, before the trees of this house were even saplings, when the great ancients still walked the world..."
A noise interrupted the woman, and the little girl took the opportunity to ask a question. "The great ancients? What were those Oma?", but the girls older brother pulled her closer and shushed her gently. "Let her continue."
A rasping breath, "...there was a young man, who lived far beyond the mountains, hunting strange game, as he had done, and his father before him. The mountains were the only home he knew. It was the middle of summer, yet seemingly overnight, the sun disappeared and snows began to fall. Winter had come, sudden and colder than the man had ever met before. The wind extinguished his fire and froze the water. Even as he left his camp, seeking a safer shelter, he found that not even wild animals survived the cold, dropping dead never to wake again. In any other weather, the man would have been ecstatic at the find, but here it brought only a sense of desperation. Looking up to the stars, near giving up, he saw a great falcon amongst them..."
Someone threw a new log on the fire, and sparks rose towards the roof, "...the hunter knew not then whether his fate was to die in that terrible storm, but he followed the bird as it flew. Even as it flew, and the hunter followed, the ground rose and the weather became even colder. Multiple times, he was about to give up, but the sight of the majestic bird spurred him on, surrounded by those same shining stars. Weary, cold and starved they finally reached the very tops of the mountain, and the young man was stunned by awe. A great land stretched beyond, green and yet untouched by the claws of winter. The great falcon fell from the sky, deathly tired from its long flight towards warmth, but the hunter, despite also being on the brink, knew to save the bird that had faithfully led him to safety, feeding it and carrying it with him down into the warmth of the valley."
Wide-eyed, the girl asked, "What happened after that Oma? What happened?"
Smiling, the old woman replied, "Now, little one, now, get some sleep, we will continue this story tomorrow."

Serengrys

The lands inhabited by the Serengri lie along the southern edge of Tritoneas forested mountain range. The forested land is perfused by rivers and streams flowing from the mountains into the lands below. These serve not only as a source of sustenance in the form of fish and fresh water, but also as avenues of travel by canoe, connecting the sparsely settled Serengri people.

Livelihood

The Serengri live fairly spread out, finding sustenance from a multitude of different sources, largely hunting animals and gathering plants & herbs. This is usually supplemented by either herding or wild-rice agriculture and fishing along the rivers. However, in drier areas farther from the rivers it became necessary to use some basic irrigation systems in order for the rice to survive. In this small-scale agriculture, sickles have served as an important tool.
During winter months, grains, smoke cured fish and meats provide a steady diet, whilst the Serengri can hide away in their earth & wood homes built by mallet & shovel to make crafts out of wood, tanned hides and other materials at their disposal.

Society & Culture

Most Serengri live in relatively isolated settlements up to a handful of families - related by blood related to the matron - the eldest wedded woman. Inheritance and management of these multi-generational lands and settlements hence follows matrilineally. A clan can consist of roughly a dozen such settlements, tied together by marriages, where the husband of the most prosperous matron is considered the leader, representing the clan in political and diplomatic matters.
There are also a few larger settlements, having grown into existence due to their importance as minor trade hubs - tying the local region together and serving as gathering spots to mediate disputes and for the annual autumn festivals. Here, a law-giver, chosen by "vote" from amongst the local clan leaders, oversees matters of commerce, order and conflict.
When seeking courtship a young man must prove themselves worthy of the hand of a woman, showing that he can provide for her. This can come in many forms, such as being a craftsman or trader, through a dowry from his family, thus securing an alliance or by constructing a new homestead at an existing settlement or new location.
As such, it is not uncommon to find young men setting out with little more than a backpack and some tools to break a new plot of land and prove themselves worthy of the woman they are courting. So far, this has worked quite well with the sparse populous and a declining reliance on hunter-gatherer methods, but whether it is sustainable is yet to be seen.

Tech

Regional Package: Tritonea
Key technology: Tanning
Major technologies: Herbalism, Basic Irrigation
Minor technologies: Sickle, Falconry, Shovels, Backpacks, Smoke Curing

[WP] describe a mythical creature who is chasing you in the woods. In the end it catches you but doesn’t kill you, what do you do?
I wasn't entirely sure where it all went wrong. It started off great. Just a normal day enjoying the beautiful summer weather. Hung out with thr boys; we had a few beers then went to the bar and had a few more beers. Of course after closing out the bar we had to stumble to our respective homes. I lived the furthest away so I normally cut through the forest that separated the downtown from the suburbs. This shortcut usually saved me 15 to 20 minutes sober and considerablt more when intoxicated.
I had made this trip dozens if not hundreds of times but this trip felt different. I had this chill up my spine as I left the bar. It felt as though eyes were boring a hole through my soul. I figured I was just way more intoxicated than I realized. It wasn't until I reached the edge of the forest I noticed a shadowy figure following me. As I ducked into the forest I heard what sounded like a loud snarl or hiss. It was blood curdling and terrifying. Before I even realized I was running through the forest as fast as I possibly could. Being drunk and rather uncoordinated this probably felt a lot faster than it was but the cool night air and the rush of adrenaline quickly sobered me up. Before I knew it was covered in sweat; whether it was from running or fear i couldn't say.
I ran as fast as I could. I was determined not to let whoever or whatever it was that made that noise catch me. With my chest burning and my lungs gasping for air I finally stopped running. I tried to catch my breath as a light rain begin to fall. My body already damp from sweat was now shivering and covered in goosebumps from the rain. As my breath began to return I heard it. The snapping of twigs and swishing of branches. A low snarl and swift footsteps. Whoever or whatever that thing was it was still chasing me and gaining on me quickly. I searched my surroundings quickly scanning for any possible hiding spot. I was realizing I couldn't out run it but maybe I could hide from it.
Searching was difficult due to the tiny amount of light the trees allowed through from the moon and my own poor night vision. I spotted a large oak tree with a semi exposed network of roots that might be able to conceal me. I made a mad dash and dove in like an action hero out running an explosion. In my hiding spot I struggled to keep warm. The dirt was partially washed away creating a nook in the exposed roots. It wasn't much in the way of shelter but it felt slightly safer than being completely exposed. As an added bonus it blocked some of the wind blowing through my damp clothes chilling me to the core.
I pulled my knees into my chest and made myself as small as possible. I slowed my breathing taking long deeps breaths trying to listen to ever tiny movement. I closed my eyes hoping this was all some bad dream.
I thought I was imaging it at first. The smell of wet dog, a gust of warmth against my skin. Then the low snarl right beside my ears piercing me to my very core. I was too terrified to look. I was still telling myself none of this was real.
"Get up kid!" Whatever chased me down snarled in gruff and raspy voice. "I said get up!" This time more forcefully.
I quickly jumped to my feet still trembling. The hairs on my neck standing up. The cold hand of fear wrapping around my heart. I couldn't stop thinking about what a cowardly way to die this would be.
"Here! You're lucky I didn't just keep it after all this trouble!" The gruff voice spoke again.
I quickly looked up and made eye contact with what was chasing me. He looked similar to the bartender but he stood much taller and slightly hunched over. I'd guess he stood about 7 or 8 feet tall. His eyes a piercing yellow and his hands now resembled claws. His fingernails shapes into a deadly point. Even in my current state I immediately recognized him as a werewolf.
"Stop staring and take the damn thing!" He was clearly very agitated now.
I quickly looked to his outstretched hand and saw my wallet. "That's my wallet!" I exclaimed.
"Wow clearly your intelligence is of a higher quality. Of course its your wallet; why else would I have chased you from the bar to here? You're not some naive human assuming I was hunting you did you? Because that would be pathetic and I would probably end up keeping this."
"Oh no definitely not. I'm not one of those people!" I laughed nervously as I took my wallet back.
"Sure whatever you say. Just be more careful next time. Later."
And with that he bolted off leaving shivering in the roots of the oak tree. I quickly ran the rest of the way home with my wallet clutched safely in my hand. Once inside I stripped off my wet clothes and jumped into my nice warm bed. Feeling safe and comfortable under the covers. As I drifted off to sleep I could swear I still heard howling nearby.

"Nothing ever grows here."
This was a sentiment my father expressed often, referring to a particular plot on the east side of our property, murmuring the words bitterly. No matter what crops he planted there, no matter the attention he gave them, they would either wither and die or grow in a sickly, twisted fashion.
When I was young I watched him work the land and brought him food and water as the sun beat down upon us, dreading the day that he often told me would come- the day I was old enough to toil alongside him.
My interests were books, knowledge, the arts. Things they taught at school, and the more interesting topics I could learn about from Thomas, our neighbor who lived a mile down the road from us. Though he was several grades above me, Thomas was always kind, treating me as one would a younger sibling and entertaining my curiosities. It was from him that I found myself immersed in works of fiction and fantasy, things that my father would glance at and grimace.
"These things aren't meant for people like us, Leroy. No, we weren't dealt a hand to indulge ourselves in the luxury of idle pleasures for men who do not work with their hands."
He never said these things with a tone of anger or resentment, but rather in a measured way, meant to let me understand that he would derive no pleasure in keeping me from my interests or from walking to the school in a few short months. No, he said these things regretfully, wearily. He too, had once dreamed of a life away from his family's struggling farm. The only of his three siblings to survive adolescence, he chose to stay and aid my grandfather after my grandmother passed and he began succumbing to the bottle.
While my father never gave in to such vices, seeing him grow stiffer and harder of breath each day, I knew that I soon would assume the role he had once played for his father. And so I clung to my remaining days of freedom with a feverish fervor.
​
"...and it's entirely made of ice?" I asked, insistent and intrusive at Thomas's side.
"No, it's a continent covered by and surrounded by ice…" he replied distractedly, keeping his eyes on his book as we walked, "The, uh, Vikings found it I think… maybe the Spaniards. It's interesting though, no one owns Antarctica… Besides maybe the penguins."
"The Spanish find everything.”
“Mm. The Nazis went there too. My father told me.”
“Does he ever talk about the war?”
Thomas raised an eyebrow but didn’t look up from the page. His father, Sheriff Russell, patrolled Mt.Harmon with an efficiency that could only have been instilled by combat. Nothing ever happened in our sleepy little town, and he often seemed disappointed by this.
“Does yours?” Thomas replied.
“No. Mostly worries about the Russians these days. ”
“You’d think we’d be tired of war by now, wouldn’t you? And yet we continue to find new and horrifying ways to kill one another. Seems if we invent the weapons we’ll invent a reason to point them at someone.”
“Why do we keep making them then?”
“It’s profitable.”
There was a long pause between us. I decided to change the subject.
"What are you reading?"
"Frankenstein, or; The Modern Prometheus. It's by a woman named Mary Shelley. Gruesome throughout, it's about a monster created by a man who becomes a monster himself… You'd like it, I think. You can borrow it when I'm finished."
“How does one become a monster?”
“Inwardly. You’ll see when you read it. Conversely, the monster begins to appear more human.”
I pondered the meaning of what he had said and we neared a bend in the road. Thomas suddenly stopped in his tracks and dropped Frankenstein to his side. He stared straight ahead, eyes squinting at something through thick coniferous branches. I followed his gaze, finding nothing.
"Do you see that?"
"No…" I whispered. I followed his finger until I was able to see the camouflaged Great Horned Owl roosting there. Its sharp eyes were trained on us.
“How bizarre,” Thomas remarked.
“Not really. That’s one of the most common species of owl in this region.”
“It’s not bizarre that it’s here. It’s bizarre that it’s awake in daylight and that there are so many in one place.”
Taken aback, I realized the forest we were staring into was staring right back at us. Dozens of these owls were scattered throughout the trees.
“Incredible… Enjoy this moment, Leroy. We’ll never see anything like this again.”
We lingered for a while, soaking it in. After a silent agreement was reached that we had appreciated them sufficiently we turned away and journeyed on.
​
“You’re getting better with that,” I noted, watching my father adjust the radio’s dial to his favorite station. He often asked me to tune it for him.
“There is a part of me that still dislikes it greatly. Yet I find myself compelled. It doesn’t do us well to be uninformed.”
The broadcast spoke of the weather. The next week was to be warm, uncharacteristically so for this time of year. To this he grunted, “Figures.”
“How does that figure?”
“Maybe it doesn’t. But it gives me something to blame. Might as well be the weather.”
“And what do you blame on the weather?”
“Whatever you want. It’s the perfect scapegoat.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Let the cat out.”
I journeyed to the porch with the orange creature weaving itself between my feet. It wasn’t our cat, but it was here often enough for us to feel responsible for it. We weren’t sure who it belonged to, if anyone. It scampered out into the night, where a thick fog had settled over the grass. I listened to the chirping of crickets mingle with the muffled chatter of the radio while settling into a creaking rocking chair. The glow from the lamp inside gave off just enough light as I examined the cover before opening Frankenstein, flipping through to see what annotations Thomas had made in his scribbled, slanted way of expressing his thoughts between the printed lines. They always intrigued me as much as the original work. I smiled, returning to the first page.
It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils…
​
“...Well, what did you think of Duck and Cover?”
Thomas was clearly excited to discuss the schoolwide atomic weapon safety protocol video we had been shown that morning. I was less than eager to reply. Practicing the drill had left me feeling ill.
“A desk would never save us from an explosion of that magnitude.”
“Clearly.”
“Why not build a bunker?”
Thomas laughed, “It costs money. Besides, would you want to be trapped in a bunker for years until the radiation decays? I’d rather die, frankly, than become a human sardine.”
“Valid…”
“If the government really wanted to make dealing with the aftermath convenient, they’d have us each dig our own grave beforehand. When the alarms blare we would simply lie down in them, and wait.” Thomas crossed his arms over his chest and mimed falling backwards.
I forced the resemblance of a chuckle out of a throat that had constricted.
“You don’t look well.”
“Why should I?” I turned to him, exasperated, “I don’t have a desk at home. Even the illusion of shelter might be nice.”
Thomas softened his voice, “I’m sorry, I was trying to make light of the absurdity of it all… I try not to mention that you’re leaving school. I force it from my mind so often that it sometimes slips away completely.”
“It’s not just that.”
“Then what?”
“...Doesn’t it bother you? To know that there are decisions being made for us? Ones that we do not get a say in- like who to bomb, or being forced to hide under a desk in the face of certain death?” I could feel my eyes beginning to water.
“...Of course it does.”
“And yet you laugh about it?”
Thomas shrugged, “I try to. Sometimes that’s the only option left.”
​
“What was your reasoning in choosing a Chevrolet over a Ford?”
My father was patching a tire, I was pestering him while he worked in the barn.
“Truth be told, I could give a damn about brands, makes or models. They all drive, they all break down, they all require special attention to certain faulty components… I simply needed a truck, and this is the one I could afford the day I was buying.”
“So you don’t ever find yourself admiring a Ford?”
“Sure. The grass is always greener, as they say...”
“And as you say. That's an idiom you use often.”
“Perhaps. I’m a practicing pragmatist.”
“You consider yourself to be a pragmatist?”
“...Should I surmise from your tone that you disagree?"
“I… didn’t say that.”
“Not in so many words.”
A pair of owls hooted rhythmically from somewhere to the east. He placed the tire back on the hub, giving me a stern look before winking at me as he began tightening the bolts to the rim. His point was made and my tongue was tied. He gave a curt nod at my concession and lowered the jack, running his hands across the repaired tread to make certain that no air was escaping. Once he was satisfied that it had been patched successfully he wiped them on his coveralls and stood up, grunting and groaning as his tired limbs protested just as loudly.
When he spoke again his voice had lost some of the sharpness it typically held, “There was another matter I wished to discuss with you before this task took precedence this evening”
“I’m all ears.”
“Tell that to the mouth you’re always running…” he chuckled softly, his usual gruff timbre still absent from this remark, “Leroy, I’ve decided to hire some help around here.”
I stared at him, sizing up the implication of what he’d said.
“Do you forget who manages your finances?” I asked, incredulous, knowing that we didn’t have a quarter to spare.
“That only adds to my point. You are a child, yet you understand these things as well, or perhaps even better, than I.”
“Indeed, which makes your statement even more foolish.”
The gruffness came back to his voice with his response.
“Not at all. There is hope for you yet. You haven’t made the poor decisions I have and tied yourself to this cursed piece of land… Nothing grows here. And what does is meager…”
“...Meaning that you will need my help to succeed.”
“Nonsense. You will be at school for the spring and the fall, and in the summer you will have chores. But I cannot bear keeping you here with me. I will hire help.”
There was a finality to what he had said. A weight had been simultaneously lifted from my shoulders and placed firmly in the air between us. Impenetrable and inarguable. I found my lips trembling.
“Were you ever happy here?”
My question took him aback. He regarded me for a while before he spoke, his voice once again lowered to a softer cadence and volume.
“...I suppose I was for a time. We told ourselves we would return home to a hero's welcome… To parades and medals and our loved ones. And we did… To all the fanfare and the admiration… For what we had done. Who we had killed. The enemy- young men just like us. Scared, tired, hungry, sick men that we were told to kill with distorted reasoning, manipulation, for fear of being called a coward or a traitor… Through similar methods they were coerced to do the same to us. At the end of the day, we were only ever trying to survive, no matter which uniform we wore.”
He leaned against the frame of the Chevy.
“So I was happy to survive… I was happy to return to my infant, my wife…” he sighed heavily, staring down at the ground, “And then she left us... She was not happy here.”
“We… Couldn’t we have gone with her?”
“No,” he shook his head, “No, it wasn’t like that, Leroy… She was- is- a spirit meant to be free. She would have never been happy with us. Perhaps I was a fool for ever thinking that she could be…”
I had never heard him speak of her this frankly. I could see his eyes sadden as memories of their time together flashed through his mind. I nearly regretted broaching the subject.
“She was- she is- a good woman, in her own way,” he concluded, looking back at me.
“...And you are a great man,” I told him.
He rubbed his face with his sleeve, quickly concealing the mist forming in his eyes from my sight. When he lowered his arm he was once again composed.
“And you are a great son, Leroy.”
​
The next morning Thomas was not waiting on the porch for me on the way to school as usual. Instead I was greeted by Sheriff Russell after I knocked on the screen door. Seeing him dressed in a robe and slippers instead of his uniform was oddly disorienting.
"Good morning, Leroy. I'm afraid Thomas has had a fever through the night. His mother believes it best for him to stay in bed for the day. Just getting over mine," he added, seeming to feel the need to justify his attire.
"Oh, well pass it along to him that I hope he feels better soon."
"I'll do that, I'll do just that..." Russell yawned, coffee mug in hand. The sound of bare feet bounding down the steps came from inside and Thomas appeared, looking pale and tired.
“Young man, you ought to be resting!” Darcy poked her head around the corner to half-heartedly scold him.
“I’ll go back up in a minute, Ma, relax!”
Russell scowled at him.
“Did Pop show you this?” he asked, grabbing something off of the kitchen table and pressing it against the screen for me to see.
"Is that what I think it is?"
"Only if you believe it to be a Geiger counter."
“I figured we ought to have a few at the station in case we… Well, you never know these days,” Russell said grimly, “They’ve been giving off odd readings though.”
“Have they been calibrated?”
“Do you really think I didn’t zero them in?” Thomas answered before his father could speak.
“It’s just a question… Were they stored with packets of desiccant? Have you made certain that the ionization chambers have not rusted? That the welds are intact? They will be useless if any air gets inside.”
Thomas looked toward Russell to reply.
“I… don’t know. Well, Leroy, Thomas always told me you were sharp,” Russell said, seeming to have gone from seeing me as a child to an equal in that moment. Darcy reappeared around the corner.
“Thomas, get back in your room and rest!”
He grimaced at her.
“I’ll be better in a day or two,” he grumbled, “I’ll see you then.”
“Feel better. Good to see you, Sheriff,” I said, turning to depart.
“One moment, Leroy,” he called, and I returned to the porch, “Have you ever been to the library in Augusta?”
“No, sir. I’ve never been to Augusta at all.”
“You don’t say? Well, with as much as the two of you read, it occurs to me that it would be a worthy pilgrimage to make. What do you say we all take a trip down once we’ve recovered? I imagine they have a few books in the capitol library that you could never find in our little town.”
“I… I’d love to, Sheriff,” I murmured, flustered by this act of kindness, “I’ll… I’ll ask my father.”
“Good man. And Leroy, you may call me Russell,” he smiled.
​
This was the night that the monster visited me.
It waited until my sheets were soaked in cold sweat and my teeth chattered uncontrollably to make itself known.
It rose out of the darkness, a form that slowly took shape out of billowing shadow. And then it was before me. Massive. Cadaverous. Its suppurating flesh crudely sewn together in multicolored patches.
But worse was its grin. Something so hideous was not meant to express the joy it conveyed from the cruelty of its intentions. Blackened teeth and bloodshot eyes bore into my very essence as the form of Mary Shelley's literary creation was brought to fruition before me. The scream in my lungs would not release itself. It felt as if a great weight had settled over my throat and ribs.
But no, it was the screaming in my ears that made the tapestry of my nightmare begin to fray.
My eyes shot open and the tethers of sleep paralysis released their grip on my limbs.
There it was once more, shrill and agonized, the sound of something suffering in the throes of its final moments before death.
I was on my feet. My door slammed against the wall. My father's door was already open. As I careened down the hallway I was just able to make out his silhouette, a shotgun in his hands.
"Stay here, Leroy," he barked.
A change had come over him. He was no longer the stiff-limbed, patient father I knew. His posture straightened, his voice was callous. He burst into the night, once more a soldier storming into battle. Even in my panic I could not help being awed by the transformation I had witnessed.
A shot fired…
And another.
Then a complete and deafening silence.
I crept to the door, pushing it open just enough to peer out. An impermeable fog clung to the air, making it impossible to make out anything past the porch.
"F-father?"
My toes were on the top step now, slowly inching their way to the damp grass.
Still. Silent.
"Dad?!"
The owls began hooting and the crickets started up their chatter once more. Altogether, the creatures around seemed to release a breath they had held collectively. Even the fog relinquished its grip on my vision.
I could just make out his slumped form. My feet slapped against the cold earth as I sprinted my way toward him, anticipating the worst.
"Dad, are you okay? Dad!"
Then he was on his feet once more, gripping me by the waist and hoisting me up.
"There is nothing for you to see, Leroy... Nothing at all. Close your eyes, son. Please, close your eyes…"
Despite the desperation and sincerity in his voice my curiosity got the better of me. I squinted through my eyelids, just able to make out the pile of scattered limbs through my lashes. I forced bile back down my throat and clenched my eyes tightly, shocked to find myself wishing to return to the nightmare that had awoke me.