Bars clubs near me

Hello everyone! So, when it comes to relationships I feel like a late bloomer when it comes to it. I’ve gone on a few dates but nothing that led to a relationship. Heck, I still haven’t had my first relationship yet. And it feels like it’s harder to find people in person, but that also could just be me a shy person until I get to know someone and feel comfortable around them. So I’m giving Reddit a shot(again 😅) and see if it works out. Gotta shoot your shot after all. Alright with this long intro out of the way, let me share a bit about myself.
Well, I’m 24, located in Maryland, and I have the ever so exciting job of working retail full-time. Although being at Costco is fun, never a dull moment there.
In my spare time when I’m not working, I’m usually gaming. Recently Street Fighter 6 came out and I’ve been having a blast with the game even though I’m getting my ass kicked most of the time haha. But it’s still a fun game and I can’t wait to start traveling to tournaments for it like I did when I was really into competitive Smash Bros pre-pandemic lockdown. If I’m not gaming, I’m usually reading manga or comics, watching too many video essays on youtube on the most random of topics, going to theme parks(I’m a huge thrill junkie), playing pool at my local bar, checking out museums, taking a walk around the city(usually DC), going out to eat cause I’m a huge foodie, or just staying home and taking a long nap causeI’m exhausted from work. I tend to be either very spontaneous on what I want to do or be an absolutely homebody and not do anything. 😅
When it comes to who I’m looking for, I don’t have major requirements but I do ask you’re in the age range of 18-30 and you’re local to the DMV area. I do want to meet in person with someone close by so long distance is a no go. If you have any questions for me, I’m more than happy to answer in messages. Hope to hear from ya soon!

There aren’t many people on here so I thought I’d post my health bio in case anyone is looking for answers and finds my info helpful.
2003 age 22: flew to Madagascar, which was nearly 24 hours of airplanes and then we also did several boat rides, of at least an hour each. I was on an anti-malarial medication. I noticed that when I walked, it felt like the jungle was whizzing by me. I felt very weird, a bit dizzy and like my brain wasn’t keeping up with everything around me. The episode lasted about 4 weeks, and I assumed it was the anti-malarials that were doing it to me.
2008: flew to Belize. Again was taking anti-malarial medication. Again we had a lot of boat rides, including a full day of snorkeling off a small boat. I felt like I was still on the boat after I got off. That feeling lasted about 6 weeks. I saw an ENT who said maybe it could be a reaction to the anti-malarials, gave me an 8” thick medical textbook and suggested I sit in his office and look it up myself. I decided to go home and try google instead (which wasn’t nearly as robust as google today is). I felt like I was walking on a trampoline, and even when I wasn’t moving, I was still rocking.
2009: I flew to see my dad and was fine in the way there. A couple days after returning home, I felt the rocking feeling start, faintly at first and then getting stronger. It felt like I was on a boat being tossed by the sea. The feeling got stronger and stronger and I went to see a different ENT. He ordered an MRI and I had a complete sinus blockage, but he still didn’t think that explained everything. He sent me to a neurologist who laughed at me and said “well it’s not MS. I don’t know why you’re here.” For about a month, I couldn’t get out of bed; I was so exhausted and weak, and the vertigo was so strong. I had a weird g-force feeling like I was being physically pushed to one side or another. After about 8 or 9 weeks, the episode faded away. I did have a sinus surgery but only after I was better. At this point, I knew something was up. I found info about mal de Debarquement online but it was limited. It also sounded like it was something people got and had forever, not episodic like mine.
2011: triggered again but this time by a car ride. All my family lived out of town so I had to travel if I wanted to see them. Suspecting that planes were a trigger, we decided to drive from Arizona to Oregon. I got triggered and again the episode lasted 2 months. I again felt weak along with bouncing, rocking vertigo and disorientation. We decided to move to be closer to my mom and sister since traveling was clearly a trigger for me.
I went on to be triggered in 2012 by stress after a surgery (endometriosis) and in 2014 by a 1 hour ferry ride. Both times my symptoms were rocking vertigo as if I were on a boat, plus exhaustion, migraines, exercise intolerance. My labs and other tests all came back basically normal. I started seeing Dr Jeff Brown, who co-wrote the first article about MdDS, and he diagnosed me with M de Debarquement but said he was mystified by my episodes, but thought we could try Xanax and prednisone before travel next time I fly. In 2015 I got to test it out, and I flew and didn’t get triggered! I would have been thrilled except I felt there was no way to know if the preventative measures worked or if I just wouldn’t have been triggered.
In 2017 I was triggered due to a lot of stress, plus a 20 minute light rail ride downtown. I had a small lesion on my face and was diagnosed with shingles on the vestibular nerve. The episode was so intense, it felt like two layers of vertigo at once. I could feel like MdDS rocking but also a slow rotational spinning. It was completely debilitating. It lasted 2 months. I had vestibular testing done and it came back that I have endolymphatic hydrops, so Dr Brown added “atypical Ménière’s disease” to my Mal de Debarquement diagnosis.
2018: i tried the Xanax before flying again but I took too little and was triggered.
2019: flew to Panama and did not get triggered! Used about 2.5 mg Xanax for the first flight and a top off of another 1.0-1.5 mg on the second leg. Success!
2021: I got triggered on a 45 minute kayak trip. The episode lasted a year, and about 4 months in, I had the “2 layers” of vertigo again plus one 24/7 migraine for two months. I was out of work for 2.5 months. I was so weak I couldn’t walk around the block. I used to walk 5 miles for fun, and I couldn’t even walk 3 houses up the street and back.
2023: I was triggered playing a VR game (only 6 months after the previous episode faded away). So far this episode has lasted 4.5 months. I keep narrowing my life little by little. No flying? Let’s drive. No long car trips? Let’s try short trips. No short trips? Let’s try VR.
I don’t go many places anymore and I just go to work and go back home. I garden, I paint, I play with my cat. I used to not get dizzy/vertigo in the car, but now I do. I have trouble looking at screens and reading. I listen to audio books. I still have no real answers and no treatment plan. It’s been really hard.

Hello,
I live in a large condo community in Arizona, maybe 80 units. I recently got a violation letter in the mail for noise disturbance due to a dog. However, I don't have a dog. If there was a dog in the area making noise I wouldn't know because I was gone for about a week when that supposedly occured. I have asked to fight my case with the association and am waiting to hear back.
My question is - I am unfamiliar with this process - how does this usually go? How does one prove they don't have a dog? Surely if someone did they could just hide it.
I really don't want to have to pay a fine for a dog I don't even own and also this violates my lease (having a pet) so I may have my lease terminated and I can't afford to move elsewhere. I am also going to be charged by my property association for the letter received on top of this.
The only thing I have going for me is a plumber had to come last week for an emergency visit due to my downstairs neighbors thinking a leak was coming from my unit. So the man was inside and evidentially no dog. But it was 2 hours before he came out after the property contacted me so maybe they'll say I hid it.
Also, I think my downstairs neighbor may have a small dog - but I've never heard it bark. So maybe it did that day and there was confusion? I don't want to throw them under the bus. I checked my ring outdoor cam that day and no one came up to my door to listen for a dog or try to pinpoint it. (Unless the camera missed it)
Any advice? Also, I'm awkward and speaking in front of people gives me nearly a panic attack so I'm going to have that working against me.

Hello ! I am a 22 yo looking to get into a career in a trade (plumbing, electrician, welding, carpenter, home inspector) instead of just having shitty food service jobs but i am hesitant on paying lots of money to learn something i may potentially hate. I would love to shadow someone at work to see what an actual day in the life is but if not possible, maybe sit chat over lunch where i can damn near interrogate you. PM me please !! I could use all the help and guidance i can get right now. Thanks for reading :)

Hi,
is it just me or is nearly all the gameplay and UI very clunky?
Like everything feels so slow, clunky and unsmooth.
For example, - you mount up on your horse and horse walks clunky and then using movement speed buff sometimes isn't working or you get perma slowed by some mobs that you can barely see.

• UI just feels extremely unsmooth for a 2023 game. It reminds me of some mobile game UI, or some old PlayStation game UI.
  
• Skill animations and hit animations all feel EXTREMELY slow and clunky. Like it takes a good second between pressing a button and doing the action. Unacceptable for a 2023 game. Especially for an ARPG.
  

There is just no movement or quick action involved in the gameplay. And it's sad.
And the game feels very dead without a global chat or group finder in 2023. Why am I forced to use the games discord server, instead of a multiplayer games ingame chat?
I could control my mouse with my eyes, with my PCs Accessibility feature and use a foot pedal to use the two skills I need. And I still would be as fast and good as I'm now.
Why is that?

Hey everyone,
My Cathay Pacfic flight is scheduled to get to Kansai Airport at 9:30pm September 15th. So I didn't think at all when booking this when the train lines from the airport (or throughout Osaka) wrap up for the night as I was more concerned with getting my travel done in a single day.
While Ill be joining my sister, neice and nephew in Osaka from the 16th and we will be staying together over the next 2 weeks in Japan, this inital night is stressing me out.
The plan was to be based in Namba so we are near Dotonbori for a few nights and then stay at USJ as thats a major highlight of our trip.
While I have a Suica card already, I forgot about customs as im a novice traveller and would also need to sort out Wi-Fi, get my checked luggage and put money on said Suica card in a reasonable time as the last rapid train is 11pm and last trains in general at midnight.
Would it be best to stay overnight at the Kansai airport and would they have food options at that time? Or try and find a place in Namba and see if I can walk there from Namba station?
We will be staying the night of the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th in Osaka then off to Kyoto early the 19th. Any accomodation recommendations? Travelling party of 4 but would split into two twin bed rooms preferable to save some cash.
Outside of USJ we are super excited to eplore Dotembori and will go to Shinsekai, Osaka Castle and the Umeda Sky Buidling so a good base for a few days post my inital stay potentially at the airport and before the Park Hotel at USJ is what we are after, any recommendations or help is much appreciated.
Matt :)

I love a good make out sesh when it's done right, but this one persons lips are no where near proportioned to mine and it feels uncomfortable and I don't enjoy it. not only that, just their lips in general are not attractive to me (shape and size) so I feel no urge to kiss them, is this normal? they are a nice person but damn I love kissing and I don't feel drawn to it straight away with them. should I break it off?
if I tell them then there's nothing they can do about it... would probably make them feel bad about themselves even. but what if I break it off and it could potentially be something I grew into if I stayed? I need to know some of your thoughts on this

I feel like it's really hard to find a place to go to if I wanna find other tranmasc guys. I went to Hennirettas and it didnt hit. Are there any places i can go to find others? Transmasc friendly is or raves as well... I just wanna party and kiss guys

As table setting, I haven’t listened to MBMBaM in three years, give-or-take, so I have no clue what the modren era (😎) of the show is like. However, I have been hate-listening to a movie podcast enough that I’ve actually turned a corner into liking it, so I feel spiritually ready for this. Plus I’m a little drunk, which has never been a bad decision for anybody ever.
0:00 - I’ve always kind of disliked the intro, especially the “cool baby” part, and sadly that has not changed with time.
0:20 - First time hearing the new theme song, which is fine if a little twee for my taste. I weirdly hate how they deliver the “1, 2, 3, 4” up top, but that’s just nitpicky. We can’t all be DeeDee Ramone, you know?
1:10 - Introductions. Travis introduces himself as “noted intellectual and middlest brother”, and Griffin just says “…And I’m Griffin… McElroy”. I didn’t laugh, but I did actually find that slightly funny, so I’m optimistic for how this goes.
1:35 - Justin has invented a new game that he wants to play called “Simply the Guests” where he tells them who guested on a celebrity’s podcast and they have to guess the celebrity. Travis points out that the title is a touching tribute (to Tina Turner, he clarifies a few seconds later) and there’s a bit where Justin and Griffin pretend not to know she died that Justin interrupts with a parody song. Is this too soon? I can’t tell, but I also only get my celebrity death news from Simpsons memes.
2:31 - I’ve had to pause and restart enough times that I’ve realized how shitty the web player is, since I have to click like three times before it registers as being on the page and actually trying to play instead of just highlighting the button, and if I try to click the 15 second rewind button it usually skips to the ~11 minute mark right above the button. However, I refuse to actually download the episode because if I do that, Jesse Thorne wins.
2:38 - My voice teacher would not approve of Justin’s technique.
2:58 - Justin only has one round prepared, but expects it will take longer than they expect. Griffin rightly questions if it’s actually possible to play this game based on the information that will be provided. Travis says that sometimes when he comes up with a game, it’s like when you start off at level 1 fighting Sephiroth and die, but it just takes you to a cutscene and is all part of the game. I’m struggling to think of games he’s come up, which is maybe a metaphor for how I never finished FFVII. Justin says it should be easy if their heads are on a swivel, and 50-50 if they’re half paying attention.
4:30 - Justin is giving the guests in order as they’ve appeared: Billy Ray Cryrus, John Carter Cash, Billy Bush, Albert Pujols. Griffin laughs and makes a joke about how his head is on a swivel but it hurts, and I’m shocked and a little disappointed that it wasn’t a joke about how one of the greatest Cardinals of all time has a name that’s pronounced “Poo Holes”.
5:00 - The next guests listed Adam Carrolla, Clint Black, and Gary Busey. Travis incorrectly guesses Blake Shelton. Justin says Katie Couric was the next guess, and Griffin’s postulation of Kevin Sorbo is apparently pretty close.
6:10 - Dr. Drew is the next guest. Travis asks if they would be willing to guest, and Justin says he likes to think they’d have a nice long talk about it. Griffin guesses Randy Quaid. Justin neither confirms nor denies, but instead finishes listing the guests - Sharon Stone, Martin Short, Mike Lindell (the MyPillow CEO), Jim Brown, and Anthony Fauci. I actually kind of like this game, because what the fuck? 8:40 - Justin says he’ll give them an episode title for any celeb mentioned. Travis picks Sharon Stone, who covered “Pandemics, Social Justice Movements, and Animal Actors”. Griffin picks Pujols, who covers “Baseball, Downs Syndrome, and Living the American Dream”, and asked if there were other baseball players on the list.
10:05 - Justin admits he skipped Jimmy Morris because he didn’t know who that is. I didn’t either, but I have the power of Google and in the time it took him to explain why he was skipped, learned that he starting playing for Tampa Bay Devil Rays when he was 35 and The Rookie was based on him.
10:30 - Travis and Griffin discuss “Sorbo adjacent” celebrities and Justin scolds them for not talking to each other, saying that’s what a podcast is and that he’s trying to do a podcast. To paraphrase a joke from Jon Gabrus, it’s three straight white men talking, we already know it’s a podcast.
11:30 - Travis suggests Dennis Quaid, since he has a strong connection to baseball and Christ. Griffin agrees and Travis is in fact correct. Ironically, that means that Jimmy Morris was probably the most helpful clue, since Dennis Quaid starred in The Rookie. Justin offers a bonus for naming the show, and says it’s something with “Dennis”. Griffin accurately guesses “The Dennissance”.
13:45 - Justin mentions Morris was the titular rookie, and claims that people forget Dennis Quaid. They discuss the Quaid siblings a bit and advise Dennis to get back in the podcasting game.
15:15 - First question of the episode: “My boyfriend and I were looking for a bar before your Columbus TAZ show and walked by one that looked empty and not our vibe, but it had tinted windows so it was hard to tell. We walked to another bar and inside the door person flagged us down and said someone was looking for us. We were already inside this other bar when the woman who was working at the first bar said she saw us looking in and said “Please come into my bar - we have cheaper drinks. We were confused and startled and decided to stay at the bar we were already at, but we weren’t sure if we regretted it because this person went to the effort to chase us down half a block, cross a busy street, went through a revolving door to get to us. Also, the drinks at the bar were expensive. Should we have gone back to the other bar instead?” - Confused in Columbus. Not to brag, but I’ve been to a lot of bars in my lifetime and can say with some confidence this didn’t happen.
16:05 - They immediately answer that, no, they should not have gone back to the other bar. Travis accurately points out that weird pursuit aside, if they have that little business then 100% of the focus would be on them. Griffin thinks they would have had a tremendous amount of power and would get their drinks immediately, and the bartender might have cool stories. They discuss how bad the design of this bar is that it’s impossible to see inside, both because they crave attention and so that someone will notice in case they go missing.
18:45 - Travis says if he ran a restaurant across from another restaurant, he would go up to patrons at the competitor and try to lure them away. Apparently Tom Green did this with pizza delivery as a TV show, and Justin thinks he would have Shark Tank’d it if it was a viable option.
19:36 - Travis says Tom Green would’ve probably called it “Shart Tank”. I laughed out loud.
20:00 - Griffin says in Austin they basically have to have barkers for the various bars given the amount of competition for foot traffic and Justin thinks they should just go for hyper-local advertising.
21:00 - Travis offers Griffin an investment opportunity, claiming he needs angel investors. Justin is incensed that he isn’t offered the chance, and Griffin says it’s because he has no money but maybe his “crypto shit’s gonna pay off some day”. Justin says he doesn’t have “crypto shits unless I’ve been eating cryp-tacos” (Griffin pitches crypto-salsa) and that Superman hates cleaning up Krypto shits.
21:44 - Travis points out that Superman named his dog after a thing he hates. I swear this had to be a Seinfeld joke at some point, since the two things I know about Jerry Seinfeld are (a) he loves Superman and (b) he’s not funny. Actually, I know a third thing, which is that he dated a 17-year-old when he was 38. Anyway, fuck that guy.
21:50 - Travis pitches having a long stretch of connected bars by buying all the existing bars and knocking down the connecting walls. Griffin and Justin point out that’s essentially the Disneyland model, and Justin mentions the Goofy sour balls.
21:51 - I Googled “Goofy sour balls” and thankfully it was a real candy. Griffin indignantly says that they stopped making them and that “Goofy took his sour balls away”. Travis says “He washed them” and they ignore him. I laughed out loud again, man’s really winning me back. They continue on this riff, making more and worse versions of the same joke.
24:07 - Question 2: “I’m enrolled in summer college courses. In one of my classes, a guy in front of me likes to stretch backwards over his chair with his eyes closed. His head basically ends up right on my desk and he will breathe in my face. I’ve had to move my laptop to stop him from laying on it. Am I the weird one for staring at the guy as he disrupts all my belongings and my personal space? He does it more than five times a class. It’s very awkward and makes it hard to focus on the lecture. Should I say something? Help me brothers, how do I stop this stretching bandit from stealing my peace of mind?” - Cramped College Co-Ed in Canada.
24:57 - Justin has an immediate suggestion. I assume it’s the actual solution, which is to say something like an adult or just switch seats, but nope, it’s the old chestnut of put some jelly on it. Griffin suggests surprise massage. Travis clarifies that they’re definitely ignoring the “excuse me, could you not do that” option, which Griffin confirms because it’s not very funny. This takes me back to when I used to regularly listen, since part of the driving force for me stopping was the sheer number of questions that could be solved by two seconds of slightly awkward conversation. I totally get it, social anxiety is a bitch and I’ve absolutely been there, but the lack of funny kinda stems from the question. They all agree, and Travis suggests adding broken glass to the jelly.
26:57 - Griffins goes back to the massage suggestion, with “dual percussive massagers”. Justin suggests hovering over them and saying “There’s my sweet boy” and Travis suggests a “little kiss on the forehead” which, thankfully, they immediately shoot down. Still, I’m uncomfortable.
28:00 - Justin points out that, if someone actually followed the advice they give, the problem would be solved, it’s just a question of consequences. There’s some more discussion of the Quaids but my spirit is a little broken and I can’t bring myself to rewind to accurately transcribe any of it.
29:43 - Money Zone: Travis says, “Well Justin,” and Justin misidentifies him as Griffin. So far, hardest laugh of the episode. The ad is for Zocdoc, which Justin mispronounces a lot. I assume any service that advertises on a podcast is actually just a money laundering scheme, medical stuff doubly so, but it does remind me that MaxFun podcasts are the only ones where I can tell the ad copy was done in a single take with no edits. I admire it, in a way. 32:45 - A MaxFun ad for “Just the Zoo of Us”, which is apparently a podcast where they rate animals on their “effectiveness, ingenuity, and aesthetics”. It kind of worked on me, which is to say I’m debating the merits of getting a Zoobooks subscription as a childless woman approaching her thirties.
33:30 - A MaxFun ad for “Feeling Seen”, where the editor likes to play the game of taking a sip of coffee anytime the guest says how good a question is, how smart the host is, or cries unexpectedly. I cannot stress enough how much this makes me not want to listen. I don’t even have anything snide to say, I’m just genuinely put off by it.
34:19 - Griffin introduces the Wizard of the Cloud: How to “Talk Nerdy” to someone, which is meant to help you talk to the “cute nerd in your science class” by becoming more adorkable to them. Justin and Travis are disgusted by the word “adorkable”, which feels like a real split with their brand of appealing to mid-2010s Tumblr users.
36:00 - Travis points out that this article presupposes that nerdy people only want to be seduced with nerdy things, and will shun all other romance. The original pickup line is “Are you a carbon sample? Because I definitely want to date you. If you’ve seen The Big Bang Theory, you already know science and physics nerds are the best” Travis punches it up with “I’ve got a theory that we should Big Bang.” Currently he’s batting a thousand for me.
36:55 - Wikihow asks “Can math be sexy?” They talk about how sexy 8 is and Travis makes a 69 joke, so I retract my previous statement. There’s a gross astronomy-based pickup line saying “Do you mind if my comet enters your solar system” and “Hey, nice asteroids”. Mercifully, no “Can I touch Uranus?”
38:30 - More bad pickup lines, now about computers. Apparently “You’re hotter than the bottom of my laptop” is a good come-on. The video game lines are equally impressive, and Wikihow recommends that distracting gamers away from their games is easier said than done. These are more sexually charged than before, but no more clever.
43:30 - We’ve arrived at Star Wars. Wikihow says “Jedis are tough nuts to crack, so you may need to use the Force to woo them effectively.” It’s been a while, but I’m fairly certain Jedis aren’t allowed to fall in love and that’s kind of a whole thing with the prequel trilogy. Also, are we not doing phrasing anymore? Cuz Jesus, they should take a second pass at that.
43:46 - Wikihow suggests several “Yoda-approved pickup lines”, and they do some bad Yoda impressions like “pull down some trim, you will” and “wet, you will get”. This is apparently a thing they’ve done before called “Clipping Yoda”. Justin makes a “something something something, I thought they smelled bad on the outside” joke.]
46:08 - They discuss the very limited situations when the suggested “I find your lack of nudity disturbing” is acceptable, then move on to the Lord of the Rings lines which are equally questionable. Travis brings up the theory that Frodo doesn’t know Legolas’ name, and now I wanna rewatch LotR.
50:09 - Justin suggests coming up with their own lines, which results in “You make me feel like John Rhys-Davies in Sliders, cuz I wanna climb in those holes” and Griffin looking up “nerd movies”.
51:40 - Question 3: “My bank has been advertising a home ownership service to help folks buy and sell homes. I usually ignore them, but this time they’ve been offering a chance to win a flattop grill package with a $100 gift card to a very expensive butcher. I’ve been really wanting to get my dad a new grill. Brothers, I have no way of buying a house, let alone sell one. They’re contacting me, trying to help me buy a house. How do I explain to them I’m only entered to maybe win the grill and have no interest in the service?” From the Poor Hopeful in B (?).
53:00 - First of all. Second, they suggest the asker (a) admits they were only in it for the grill or (b) saying they have a budget of $750 for a furnished home. It devolves into a riff about Bobby Flay and pitches for “Flay Bobby Flay” and “Bob Bobby Flay” to see if he floats.
56:15 - Plugs for stuff and the end of the episode.
Closing Thoughts: I actually enjoyed that, although with a lot of stopping and starting to write this. Also anyone who likes Clipping Yoda may also like Action Boyz, because pedophile Yoda is a surprisingly rich vein to mine. I don’t think I’ll ever actually pick up listening again, since I have about 280 episodes of Off Book to get to first and this whole recap has made me really contemplate my mortality, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it

hey guys i was gonna ask you all for some advice in if i should get the final mouse tenz medium for 150 someone is selling it near me on facebook market place. anyone have any issues with the tenz mouse

Hello everyone! So, when it comes to relationships I feel like a late bloomer when it comes to it. I’ve gone on a few dates but nothing that led to a relationship. Heck, I still haven’t had my first relationship yet. And it feels like it’s harder to find people in person, but that also could just be me a shy person until I get to know someone and feel comfortable around them. So I’m giving Reddit a shot and see if it works out. Gotta shoot your shot after all. Alright with this long intro out of the way, let me share a bit about myself.
Well, I’m 24, located in Maryland, and I have the ever so exciting job of working retail full-time. Although being at Costco is fun, never a dull moment there. And here’s some pics of me to show what I look like. In my spare time when I’m not working, I’m usually gaming. Recently Street Fighter 6 came out and I’ve been having a blast with the game even though I’m getting my ass kicked most of the time haha. But it’s still a fun game and I can’t wait to start traveling to tournaments for it like I did when I was really into competitive Smash Bros pre-pandemic lockdown. If I’m not gaming, I’m usually reading manga or comics, watching too many video essays on youtube on the most random of topics, going to theme parks(I’m a huge thrill junkie), playing pool at my local bar, checking out museums, taking a walk around the city(usually DC), going out to eat cause I’m a huge foodie, or just staying home and taking a long nap causeI’m exhausted from work. I tend to be either very spontaneous on what I want to do or be an absolutely homebody and not do anything. 😅
When it comes to who I’m looking for, I don’t have major requirements but I do ask you’re in the age range of 18-30 and you’re local to the DMV area. I do want to meet in person with someone close by so long distance is a no go. If you have any questions for me, I’m more than happy to answer in messages. Hope to hear from ya soon!

My ideal place to stay is a place that offers private rooms with ensuite bath and a communal kitchen, living area and workspace.
A higher tier hostel basically.
Reason? I like to meet other travelers.
I don't drink or go clubbing so the chances of meeting other travelers/expats/DNs for me is significantly lower than those who do.
It's very isolating staying in a condo. Feels like solitary confinement sometimes, and over time, it gets to you. I'd like to be able to go to the kitchen and run into travelers who I could connect with and have a nice conversation with over coffee and pancakes. So a hostel with private rooms that accommodate long term leases more or less.
Any such gems you'd like to share?

Totally new to this, would love critique on my first chapter. Give it to me real. I want to improve: this may just be a hobby but I love it!
What you see on Page One.

Read Seekers, until daytime fades to candlelight, For magic is found when ink breathes life to parchment, When bookbindings break and cradled words take flight. It’s the safety of cozying up near the warming hearth, And the rising steam from a wellworn mug It’s that smile when you turn the page in delight. 

That cool little quote thing before a chapter starts that gives you background.

West of the Citadel Clouds, Bordering Mountain Pines and fickle Seashine Lies the renowned Port Cardica Where sailors sing and blight-born orphans dream. 

Chapter 1
A Slip Away from Death
Like most boys, Jake chose snoring in the pews over memorizing the Church’s proverbs. A clear mistake, he realized, as the Pastor's warning that “prayer follows danger” proved true. Hanging precipitously from the cliff’s edge, Jake recited every Creed he could remember in a futile attempt to appease any watching Gods.
“Prosper in his light, heathentry outside his sight,” he prayed, feet kicking in a desperate search for better footing.
It was a stowaways’ stanza, a tenet meant to share wisdom in ways the thickest of Port Cardica’s orphan dockboys could understand but, like most doctrine, its religious meaning was lost in translation.
Instead, the impoverished boys interpreted it as a practical warning to keep their heads down. Everyone knew the city’s Nobles revered the Book and claimed their prosperity was proof of Gods’ favor. Of course, beggars knew better: one downward glance at them revealed the decay fueling Cardica’s burgeoning wealth. Still, the poor learned to philosophize quietly. Someone was to blame for the hoveltowns, bird droppings, and penetrating seafood stink, and it better not be you.
For his part, Jake blamed himself. If he’d scaled the cliff wall with just a bit more care and a bit less haste he’d never have slipped. Instead he’d been forced to violently slow his descent, bruising bones and trading skin for friction on the vertical slope. It wasn’t a graceful maneuver by any means, but it beat falling hundreds of feet into the freezing current below. Thankfully, years as a guttersnipe had honed his reflexes – his gangly arms lacked the strength of a Swordsquire or the coordination of a Majpupil, but his daily dance with starvation demanded nimble fingers and quick wit.
That experience wasn’t paying off. As Jake shuffled his feet around to find better purchase, his hands slipped on the accruing condensation from the ongoing manastorm. His grip flagged, then failed, and he had neither the magic nor the strength to escape the weight of gravity.
“It isn't written, it isn’t written” Jake recited frantically as he began to plummet. The other dockboys would laugh at his superstition, but he didn’t care. Many claimed the Creeds were lucky, and Jake desperately needed some luck. Instinctively he spread his arms out as wide as possible, hoping to extend his reach and grip onto something.
By some miracle, It worked. The resounding sound of cloth ripping accompanied Jake as he slammed into the stone cliff, teetering to a stop. He hung like a rag doll, held up only by the hem of his matted, brown tunic; the cheap weavings had snagged and torn on an outcropping of stone.
“Aughhh” he mumbled.
He had survived, but everything hurt. Looking down to inspect the damage, Jake saw that his calloused hands were raw and pebbled, but a quick flex confirmed he hadn’t broken any fingerbones. Breathing a sigh of relief, he gasped at the telltale sting every kicked streetrat knew so well.
“Po-Poet’s hand,” Jake swore.
He grabbed the cliff wall to stabilize himself and, seeing as it had worked so far, continued reciting the few Creeds he could remember. A minute passed before he was able to think clearly, but slowly Jake got his breathing under control and continued his self-assessment.
Overall, he felt like things couldn’t have gone much worse. His cracked ribs hurt and continuing the heist would only exacerbate the damage, leading to scarring or permanent hobbling. Jake had seen many dockbeggars with similar injuries from fights or beatings, unable to walk straight without being plagued by the stitchers cough.
For this reason alone, Jake briefly considered giving up. He quickly dismissed the idea – it might be madness to continue climbing in his condition, but he’d come too far to back out now. He’d planned this heist for months, obsessively pathing his break-in while waiting for a night when security would be light. In retrospect, he’d been a fool; his overly cautious preparations left no possibility for a second attempt before his 15th birthday.
No, despite his injury tonight was still his best hope to successfully steal a Scriptors’ Grimoire before Binding Day. Failure would mean enslavement as a Ruddite or worse, full Automation. He’d just have to trust the windy weather to mute his movements and the harvest moons to light his way.
So, teeth chattering with cold and fear, Jake resumed the ascent. His ribs sang in agony as he put one hand in front of the other, slowly turning small divots into handholds, footholds and leverage. Each bouldering movement made him wince, but over the years he’d honed the art of turning sweat and grit into capillary action. He’d had no other choice; richmen shared a passion for building impenetrable estates, forcing thieves to develop an unshaking hand at scaling them.
Five painstaking minutes of climbing later and Jake regained his original position. Salty sweat matted his brow and stinged his eyes but he persevered. He blinked slowly to clear his vision and shuffled his feet left over right, shivering his way across an inch-wide protrusion. Just a few meters above him stood the lip of the granite outcropping and access to the marble fortress built upon it. Jake tasted copper as he bit the inside of his cheek in anticipation – If the heist went well he’d finally change his destiny and be able to swear upon the Sermon’s Book on his own terms.
But first he had to finish the climb. He knew the manor’s sentries rotated hourly, eyes glued to the sky as they watched for flyingmen and attacks from above. He also knew that all these guards would be literate, but none especially gifted. After all, no one powerful enough to be a Writer would stand watch over another man's fortune. The chartered Maji Wordlings, on the other hand, could easily detect Jake if he hadn’t planned for them in advance. He chose tonight because it was the season’s Lenting, meaning the majority of Maji would be in communion until the sun rose.
“What is written” a gruff voice proclaimed, startling Jake.
It was muffled by the wind, so it took him a moment to realize it was coming from directly above him. Jake craned his neck and peered up; to his horror he could see the silhouette of a guard's shadow on the cliff wall.
Petrified, Jake hugged his body to the cold granite, hoping the darkness of the windy night would hide his form. His entire plan hung on the simple thesis that in a world of magidetectors and magflight, no one would expect an unbound to scale the walls. Great in theory, but what if a guard just happened to look down?
“Is Foretold and Forbidden,” another voice chanted, completing the customary greeting. “All safe on the watch?”
“All is safe and silent, as usual,” the first man grunted.
“Don’t sound so upset,” the second laughed. ”We chose this job because it’s easy, remember? No more treading through the mud, no more war with those blasted barren beasts and their infernal warlocks.”
“That’s true, althou..”
The men’s voices were swept up in the wind as they paced further down the stone perimeter. They hadn’t seen him, but, just to be safe, Jake stayed low until he could no longer hear the stamping of metal-toed boots on stone. Then, fingers white and aching in trepidation, he waited another 30 seconds.
Finishing his count, Jake peaked over the edge. It took all the courage he had earned as a thief and every bit of boldness he had learned as a beggar, but he managed it.
The coast was clear.
Jake carefully pulled himself over the ledge before falling into a crouch. He looked around and exhaled painfully, releasing a breath he had not realized he was holding.
In front of him lay an outdoor walkway culminating in a rippling fountain circumscribed by five basalt pillars of progressively increasing height. Everflowing torches adorned each of the columns and burned despite the rain, casting rings of golden light throughout the open atrium. At the foot of the fountain rose a gold-leafed speaker's lectern, a pure white sculpture of the Sermon Book chiseled open upon it.
Jake stared openmouthed at the power radiating from the fountain before abruptly coming to his senses. Without a doubt this artifact was a Magisma, an extremely expensive construct meant to amplify its controller’s magic. Leaving it outside was a casual display of wealth and power meant to shock and impress, but Jake didn’t have time for that.
Instead Jake blended into the shadows cast by the monument as he sneaked his way across the grounds. After passing the walkway the torchlight dimmed considerably, forcing him to hobble his way in the dark. A bright flash startled him, but the acid smell of tobacco that accompanied it indicated the guards he’d seen earlier were smoking to pass the time. Realizing they were distracted, Jake sped up and almost tripped on the jutting crystals of an emerald rock garden. Embarrassed, he paused to listen for anyone approaching.
Everything was quiet except for the constant pitter, patter and hiss of rain from the manastorm. It seemed his home-invasion had so far gone unnoticed, but the hair on Jake’s neck rose. An unsettling feeling of being watched set in and every few seconds he reflexively looked over his shoulder.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, he made it to the Manor wall. Keeping to the shadows, Jake hid behind the tallest thing he could find; a towering yellow flower with leaves the size of platters that he had never seen before. Staying low, he muddied his knees and toes on the damp ground, but thankfully the foliage protected him from the rain. As his eyes adjusted to less light, Jake noticed all sorts of exotic fruits surrounding him; blood red berries in the shape of teardrops levitated inches off the ground, while turquoise bubbles floated up from vibrant greenery, collapsing quickly into little orange stones that looked remarkably like candy. Jake’s belly growled at the idea of tasting these treats, but he dismissed his urges. Stanzas warned that “those who leave riches unread become starving men” but Jake knew hunger well. He would jeopardize his mission by eating something that might make him sick tonight.
Instead, he focused on gaining entry to the manor. Searching his surroundings, Jake located the iron front doors about 6 meters to his right. They were guarded by life-like statues on either side, one a Korai of the Poet, hand outstretched in greeting, the other a two headed wolf, with both snarling maws crying out to the moons. The door itself was blacked with age and inscribed by a massive oval spellwork that glinted in the light cast by a hanging lantern.
Listening closely, Jake groaned at the buzz of silverscripting coming from the insignia. Every thief knew that spellworks grew more powerful over time, and anything audible would be too powerful for any Unbound to lockpick.

Hello, like the title says I am autistic, have severe treatment-resistant depression (for over a decade now), and also have ADHD. This is all relevant because it greatly affects what type of job I can do, not just which ones I can perform well at but which ones I can keep a job at without having to quit due to it making me miserable. I’m bad at trying to explain things about myself due to the aforementioned issues but I will try, feel free to ask any questions you have and I will do my best to answer. I’ve talked to people about this issue before (family, my therapist in college, friends) but they just end up getting frustrated with me because none of their suggestions would work, which is kind of funny since I experience the same frustration except I can’t just walk away, this is my life.
I will include more info about my work and educational background below, but I was wondering if a job matching the following description exists, and if it does, would I be in any way qualified for it: The job consists of me doing whatever productive thing(s) largely on my own, largely unsupervised, with few disturbances; there needs to be at least a little critical thinking involved, not something like an assembly line repeating the same exact same over and over; it can’t involve much manual labor; I could wear earphones to listen to podcasts / music etc. and have my phone out at least some of the time as long as I got the work done satisfactorily. Does anyone know of a job like this?
I currently work at the front desk of a hotel. I started in the field almost exactly a year ago, I started out working nights only after it was suggested to me as a job that didn’t involve doing much actual work. However, I was too good at the actual job parts of the job so I got moved to working day shifts. Eventually they kept increasing the amount of work I was expected to do (some weeks I ended up working 80 or more hours) without any corresponding pay raise, until I couldn’t take it anymore and got a job at a different hotel after working there for 6 months. It’s been almost 6 months at the new hotel, and while they don’t work me half-to-death hours-wise like the old hotel, the job itself involves quite a bit more work, and the schedule is crazy. (On the new “regular schedule” starting next week, in one week I will work two 7am-3pm shifts, one 3pm-11pm shift, and two overnight 11pm-7am shift… with one “day off” between working an overnight and a 7am.)
The problem is not that I am bad at my job, in fact I am very good at it, but the toll it takes on my mental health. Also, I want to move to a bigger city soon, and at those hotels usually more than one person works at the front desk at a time, and I can’t do a job where I am always being observed. My favorite parts of my job are preparing the reservations for check-in, there are lots of details that need paid attention to, different types of reservations have to be set up differently, and I am very good at doing so accurately, I’m good at following a sort of flowchart in my head, being aware of multiple rules at once if that makes sense, and when I was first trained for the job I was told I picked it up the quickest out of anyone the managers had ever trained. I like assigning rooms to guests based on their preferences, making the keys, personalizing their registration cards based on details like their rewards club status and whether they’ve stayed at the hotel before, etc.
As for other jobs I’ve tried, I was a substitute teacher for a few months (did not enjoy besides when I got to just read a book for most of the day because the work left for them was worksheets, I’m not a fan of children and I don’t like explaining things to people, or rather I am bad at it due to my language processing disorder) and worked as a cashier at a grocery store for less than a month because I was actually about to end it all from how miserable it made me. As for my education, I have a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science (regretfully) from a good school (Carleton College) with a not-great GPA (2.75-ish) and am unable to pursue further education due to an inability to write essays (due to ADHD, and a lack of funds).
I am sorry if this was too long or unfocused, but any help or advice would be deeply appreciated, as my mental health is suffering a lot and I do unfortunately need to make money to survive. It would also help if the job paid at least as much as my current job (I make $16.50 as a hotel front desk clerk in a city close to Nashville) as I am trying to save up enough money to move out of an emotionally abusive family living situation.

Hi all. Awesome subreddit! I will be in PV near Playa Amapas for most of July with wife and two daughters, 6 and 2. Our youngest, while overall healthy, has a neurological disorder. She doesn’t talk, walk or crawl, though she is active and engaged in her way. She struggles with digestion but otherwise has a happy disposition and is working hard to participate in the world. We would like to try to help her enjoy as much of PV as possible.
I’m interested in any advice, information or suggestions anyone may have. A couple specific questions:
What is our best option for both immediate and general medical care?
If I need children’s medication for acid management like simethicone or omeprizole, any pharmacy recommendations?
Best access to beach or beach club suggestions? I can carry her anywhere but if there is anything that makes life easier….
Family friendly restaurants that are worth going to. We love going out but it takes a lot of work making sure everything goes smoothly. It needs to be worth the effort and also not a burden on the restaurant should it not be so smooth.
Children’s playgrounds, gathering spaces and the like where both girls can engage with other kids.
Thanks for reading this far and any thoughts shared will be much appreciated!

If this is not the right place to ask this let me know.
Hi all I'm after some opinions on which PC handheld would better suit me as I'm struggling to decide. I'm based in NZ so prices will be in NZD. If anyone has any experience with these devices I implore them to share.
Basically I'm looking at four options:

• Steam Deck (64GB ~$1100NZD) (512GB $1500NZD) (Local Retailers)
• ROG Ally (512GB ~$1500NZD Local retailers)
• GPD Win 4 (16GB 1TB $1650NZD from droix.net) ($1900 after tax and import fees)
• AYANEO Geek (16GB 512GB $1900 from local retailers)

I intend on playing titles like: Celeste, Xcom 2, Forza Horizon 5, Circuit Superstars, Dead Island, Fallout 4, Hades etc
Also some emulation like PS2, GameCube and older(not a priority just nice to have). I'll likely be playing near a power source for heavy games so battery life isn't the biggest priority. It would be nice to be able to get long playtimes out of lighter games on battery but not as important my other goal, to be able to crank settings to medium at a smooth 40-60fps at 720p/800p. 3-4H with lighter games like celeste I would hope is reasonable but i can live without it.
If I went with steam deck, I like the look of the ui and ergonomics, I'm a little concerned about the size being fatiguing but I do find a switch uncomfortably small for sessions longer than 30 minutes so maybe its okay. I would get a 64GB as I'm comfortable with electronics so I can upgrade the SSD. But I'm worried about running Linux and having to deal with little issues and incompatibilities with my steam library. I'm also worried about overall performance compared to the other options.
If I went with the ROG Ally it appears to have similar ergos to the steam deck and more power with the Z1 chip but with the trade off of worse ui and maybe worse battery life. Otherwise it runs windows which i know can be a pain but I am more familiar with so I'm less worried about trying to solve any issues that pop up. Though maybe I should be with the lack of transparency in the OS
The GPD WIN 4 looks like a good form factor and I like the inclusion of the trackpoint and keyboard and gpds approach to kb/m input with the gamepad controls. Once again it has the windows consideration to take if anyone could chime in on windows vs steamOS/linux on these handhelds. But I have concerns about the apparent variable build quality of GPD products and the fact that it wouldn't be sourced from a local retailer so local consumer protection's won't apply and Ill have to wait weeks if not months for any potential warranty support. It's also pricier than the rog ally and steam deck and I'm unsure of the performance improvements if any of the 6800u.
Ill admit I don't know too much about the AYANEO Geek. Just that its 6800u powered and has the same resolution screen as the steam deck and has hall effect triggers and sticks.
I don't mind spending the extra money on a win 4/ayaneo geek if it makes a significant difference in hitting my performance targets but if that's not the case why not save the extra $400

(Hi, everyone. Sorry for the inconvenience, but my friend, SCL, tried posting here with his new account, and apparently his account just stopped working. So, I'll paste his entire post here, and hopefully, the message gets through, this time.)
I apologize for how long this is gonna be.
In 2014, French YouTube user CyraxDiffusions uploaded this: Parker & Szczesniak - The Adventures of TINTIN - Complete Score from the Animated Series
It's a five-minute-long compilation of audio clips from what's supposed to be, as said in the title, the full soundtrack of the animated series, supposedly uploaded when the CD wasn't even released yet. Well, if you listen carefully, you can tell that most of the clips heard in the video are recreations, except for the last two, which were originally on the 1993 soundtrack release!
According to Cyrax, he was contracted or something by the makers of the soundtrack to upload that compilation online. The CD was put up for sale on eBay a few times, and sold. For money. Which is problematic.
Many years later, this "complete soundtrack" found its way to YouTube. It can currently be found here (albeit with two tracks missing): The Adventures of Tintin (1991) - Ray Parker & Tom Szczesniak
(Someone else - I won't say their name - had previously uploaded the soundtrack before it was taken offline months later. I did a bit of research and found out, on this very subreddit, that the video was copyright-claimed by CyraxDiffusions, further implicating the latter.)
It's very clear that this is a scam. 13 of the 23 tracks are the real thing, as they are the 12 tracks originally found on the 1993 CD, plus the TV version of the theme song (which wasn't on that CD).
The nine other tracks are all recreations. Some of them actually sound pretty good and close to the originals, while others are off-key, sound way too cheap, etc. You might notice that a lot of people in the comments (on both videos) don't seem to realize this. Most people don't have enough of a good ear to notice (and might be blinded by nostalgia a tiny bit, and to be fair, who wouldn't be?), but I've spent so many years watching the series, and I swear: I'd recognize the real music tracks anywhere. For comparison's sake, go to Tintin&SnowyGuy's channel, who's done a great job at extracting instrumental tracks from the episodes themselves! The difference is crystal clear with some tracks, like "Professor Calculus", for example.
I've tried to get answers from CyraxDiffusions, but all he did was dodge my questions and eventually block me, but not before letting out that the soundtrack was made using a Roland XP-80... which didn't come into existence until 1996, a few years after the show had first been aired. I've tried to warn people on YouTube about this soundtrack being a scam, but haven't had too much luck in the listening department. (The previous person who uploaded the soundtrack just straight-up blocked me and the person I was chatting with, instead of hearing us out, simply saying "they're the real tracks" and blocking us. The same thing nearly happened with the person behind the current YouTube upload linked above.)
CyraxDiffusions proclaims to be a professional account, but I did some research a few years ago, and found him posting a sexist comment on some random video through that same account, which pretty much confirms he's full of BS. No professional would do that. I can't find the video right now, but thankfully, I screencapped it, back when I saw it.
CyraxDiffusions also uploaded some other things, including a compilation of clips from a new soundtrack album for the 1986 film "The Wraith", supposedly with permission from "New Century Studios"... I couldn't find any information about them. What I can confirm is that, while the songs (which were already released before, of course) are definitely the recordings used in the movie, the instrumental tracks are, once again, poor recreations. (Again, for comparison's sake, here's the REAL instrumental soundtrack, which came out a couple years ago, as a bonus for the movie's Blu-ray.)
Both of these "half-fake" soundtracks were sold online with quite similar descriptions, suggesting that the same person/people is/are behind them. I took screencaps when I came across them a few years ago.
Here's an old forum page on which you can find people talking about CyraxDiffusions apparently selling recreations as real, legit stuff.
So, yeah, bottom line, this Tintin cartoon soundtrack CD ^{(link to Discogs page, with negative reviews included}) with the basic white cover and lack of info on whoever published it (whether or not it is CyraxDiffusions himself)... if you ever come across it online, DO NOT BUY THAT SOUNDTRACK, ON CD OR NOT. It's undeniably a scam, and whoever made it does not deserve to be given money for it.
Also, one last screencap, which I feel is very strong evidence against Cyrax.
~ SCL, fan of Tintin since childhood.

hello sorry this might be a bit of a long story and very jumbled up, but I’m needing some advice on how to proceed with my relationship. What and is there anything I can do? I (18f) have been dating my bf (18m) for almost 2 years in October. When we started dating I knew about his anxiety and some of the trauma he had in his life. He dropped of high school in may last year. In June we took a break because my mental health deteriorated and I didn’t know what to do so I broke up with him and explained I wasn’t doing well. In that time he started talking to a few girls. We worked things out and started dating again in July. In august he got diagnosed with PTSD. He got prescribed medication and that started making him act out impulsively. He quit his job and that afternoon got pay monthly phone. He brought tickets to his home town. Ignored me most of the time he was there. Then broke up with me and told me he didn’t love me and didn’t feel anything for anybody. All of this happened about two weeks after he started and the events all happened in a week. I mentioned that he was acting different and thought it could be the medication he’s on. I did some research sent it to him. He eventually went to a doctor got off it and was feeling better. Then in october we had an argument he went home and I wanted to apologise so I tried calling him. It took over 3 hours for me to get a reply telling me he didn’t want to talk. I checked his discord status and it said he was playing Roblox. I joined the game trying to talk to him and saw he was playing with his friend and was hanging with a girl. After a while he said he wanted to break up and that he was done. I checked his following on instagram because last time we broke up he followed a bunch of girls. It showed he followed a new girl. I recognised the name from the user of the girl he was playing with and realised he was playing with her and ignoring me. He them followed another girl he followed in our first break up. This really hurt and after a while we got back together. At the moment I’m studying with a job and he still doesn’t have a job and I frequently pay for his phone ($80 a month), I’ve payed for it for the past 5 months. We hardly ever go on dates because he doesn’t have the money and I’m usually the one paying. I hardly see him because he doesn’t want to bus and he can’t drive. I can’t afford to pick him up either because I’m studying and working at the same time so I hardly have money for gas for work and school minus driving across town. It’s also been hard cause I want to go out with my friends clubbing but he gets really jealous when I’m gone so I try invite him but he gets really anxious the whole time. I’ve been feeling really distant from him and I’m just craving feeling loved and happy in a relationship again. I really want to be his friend but I don’t want to feel hurt every time I see him.

This is weird and not a thing folks normally go through. So I think I’m really just venting
But to preface things, my family is in no way NACHO. I’m one of those parents who stepped up when an absent parent stepped out. You will notice I use SD or daughter interchangeably, they’re both the same person. I have been raising these kids as my own. Our kids have lived with me more than half their lives. We’re all actually very close.
Especially my SD and I. They definitely think of me as their mom but for the older kids that relationship/perspective developed over time. I didn’t push it. There was a point where we thought BM might try one day. So with the older kids I am also a friend.
Thing is I’m pregnant. All the SKs were excited to have a new younger sibling and excited that it would strengthen the connection we have as a family. But when SD realized she wouldn’t be the only girl anymore she kind of freaked out.
Supposedly just because she doesn’t want to share her room. FWIW in our home she is the only person with the luxury of her own room. But I think there’s more to it than that. We get our kids therapy I strive to be the best possible mom I can be. But parental abandonment always leaves a mark.
So I think she’s a bit scared that the existence of another girl may put her on the back burner. This isn’t true and she hasn’t outright said so. But she’s 13, it’s a dramatic age. She’s been through a lot and I get it. I could be wrong but we’re really close and it’s pretty doubtful.
Right after we found out we were having a girl and she stormed off and started crying, her dad went to calm her down.
We already had some plans to go on a fun outing with my 7 year old niece. She adores my niece so I hoped it would cheer her up about shaving a sister. That said, she was bummed so I got her a special snack and we headed on our way.
We picked up my niece and we told her about the baby and things were going great. Then another driver suddenly ran a red light and came barreling into my car. Since they were speeding and because of the layout of the road I never saw it coming.
There was a massive thud. All the airbags deployed Both the girls were screaming, but I looked over and my daughter appeared to be alright. I think I asked if she was okay and she said something like kind of although she was clearly shaken. I was in pain but all I could think was I needed to get the girls out of the car. Keep in mind that I’m very pregnant
I told her to get out of the car and that I needed to get her cousin out. The car kept rolling forward. I couldnt stop it from the inside. The doors wouldn’t unlocked automatically. I had to hold the car with all my might, reach in and unlock the door manually. I finally got the 7 year old out!
But I couldn’t understand was the 13 wasn’t out. I was yelling cause we were all in shock and the car was starting to catch fire. She said she couldn’t get her door open. (Turns out it was bent out of shape. ) was struggling to hold the car and hold it open. But i stood my ground. I told her to club out of my door. When she wasn’t getting out quickly I asked why, her foot had gotten stuck on seatbelts I untangled her.
Afterwards we were in shock lots of passerby’s had stopped and made the police report for me, unanimously agreeing I was not at fault. And neighbors came out to help us.
Some where in there I did notice my daughter never said thank you. I was a little sad l about that. But she was probably in shock and w/e we were safe. That was all that mattered. But still I couldn’t shake the low key vibe that maybe there was some resentment that I saved the little kid first.
Our car went up in Flames. It was so totaled there was no odometer for the insurance company to read. I was in soo much pain. Obviously the paramedics wanted us to go to the hospital.
The 13 year old was the least hurt and complained about just wanting to go home. Her dad and I explained how important it is to go to the hospital right away for insurance. Although, there is generally more pain 1) as adrenaline wear off and 2) they next day.
Now that the kids where okay I was worried about the baby. FWIW, so was SD. They ran a bunch of tests on me. Baby and I both seemed fine although I was I. A ton of pain. I definitely do have a bunch of painful minor injuries. But the hospital still sent me home that night. Daughter had been released way earlier. A few days pass and any time the 13 yr old was asked if she wanted to recount things or say what she remembered, she got super annoyed. Till eventually she randomly said something about how she saved herself and I only got my niece out of the car.
My husband thought I should let it go. But I was really more scared this tied in with her abandonment issues. So I wasn’t okay with just letting her believe I left her to fend for herself or something.
This time I actually pushed her to reacciona what happened. I pointed out the massive gaps in the version she was telling. I pointed out that I didn’t think she was lying. But part of trauma is blocking things out and there seemed to be a lot she didn’t remember. Eventually she did acknowledge that did untangle her from the car and helped her out but she still seemed to ignores rest. Including the part of me holding the car to slow it from running into a tree and pole. (Which my body is still sore from.)
I think that in all reality she knows I would never just leave her. But that fear is still kind of ther win the back of her mind due to BM.
Tbh this was probably the worst fight we ever had. We did hug and kind of make up. things are mostly better now, but she’s still pretty mood and it’s got m kind of worried about her struggling a lot with accepting that the baby will also be a girl, but the doesn’t mean she’s getting replaced.

MK11, which while good for it's time, was still a game you had to pick and choose who you matched with if you wanted a quality experience.
3/4 bars and Wifi? Probably will be a bad experience. 2/4 bars and wired? Also probably going to be a bad experience. 4/4 bars, or 3/4 if it was wired, is your only truly safe bet, and encountering players with that good of a connection was surprisingly rare. There's nights where I went into Kasual Versus and spent 10+ minutes just denying players until someone had a good connection.
SF6 has just released and so far my experience has been unbelievably good. It practically doesn't matter what the connection readings are, matches are smooth, lack hitching and have great ping. It's so good that it's basically indistinguishable from playing offline most of the time.
So, with MK1 on the distant horizon, my biggest hope right now is not for specific characters, returning mechanics or feature richness, it's that the netcode can meet the new expectations laid down by SF6, that I can finally play a MK game and not have to be picky as hell about who I played against. I really don't want to go back to how things were in MK11, where you either had to sift through a lot of players to find the ones with a really good connection, or you had to risk playing with someone and have the match feel like it's underwater the whole time.
EDIT:
Also, just in case anyone wants to accuse me of being the problem.
https://i.imgur.com/uXqedNo.png
No.