Tuesday, January 31, 2017

[FP] Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookies keto

http://ift.tt/2kT6LTk

I've been craving chocolate chip cookies! These really hit the spot. The recipe below is the same one for sugar cookies and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.

 Ingredients ½ cup butter, softened ½ cup Swerve 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup almond flour ¼ cup coconut flour 2 tbsp unflavored whey protein 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 4oz dark chocolate, chopped

Instructions Preheat oven to 375°F In medium mixing bowl, cream together butter and granular sweetener with electric mixer. Stir in egg and vanilla. In small bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, whey powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir dry mix into wet mix. Chop chocolate and add to dough. Scoop tablespoonfuls of batter on silicone or parchment paper lined baking pans. Bake 8 to 10 minutes (edges should be nicely browned). Cool for five minutes, then transfer each cookie to wire rack to cool completely. Store covered in refrigerator. Best served next day (they will be crumbly right after baking)

http://ift.tt/29iBp4y



Submitted February 01, 2017 at 10:15AM by cheeseisthenewbread http://ift.tt/2kT8Pur keto

I politely told new EQP that we do not want to be visited by HT or EQ presidency 6 months ago. EQP continues to disregard request. exmormon

EQP, while a polite guy, continues to drop by at least once a month because he has something he has to "deliver personally". EQP is also one of the assigned HTs to my family, according to what he told me 6 months ago. Tonight he showed up again (last day of the month- you know how gob loves stats). Dropped off a refrigerator magnet with Christ on it. At least he's not asking to come in, but it pisses me off that I specifically told him to his face that we did not want HTs, and I know damn well by him showing up every month at my door with some handout that he's disregarding my instructions and fudging a 'visit' for his report. BTW, DW is TBM, and I attend SM almost every week with the family.

Suggestions for my next conversation with him?

TLDR; EQP continues monthly drop-bys despite instructions otherwise - advice?



Submitted February 01, 2017 at 09:07AM by oldmoose65 http://ift.tt/2kpXmWn exmormon

The difference between men and women funny

If the butter could run men wouldnt stare 5 minutes into the refrigerator and yell "BABE! WERE OUT OF BUTTER" just for her to come, take a 0,5654 secound glance into the refrigerator herself and take the butter out. Regreting who shes married.



Submitted February 01, 2017 at 08:05AM by KingOfJura http://ift.tt/2jTThZz funny

[CA] Renting and landlord won't repair icemaker legaladvice

I and some friends have been renting a townhouse in CA. The refrigerator has a built in ice maker which has broken. I contacted the management agency and they sent out a repairman to inspect it. After the holidays and several unanswered emails, the management company says the owner has declined to have it fixed since it is a "luxury".

I checked our lease agreement for relevant text and found this line:

"The following items of personal property are included in the Premises without warranty and Landlord may maintain, repair or replace with appliances or parts that may not be new or of similar make and model to the existing item: Stove, Refrigerator, Microwave, Dishwasher, Washer & Dryer, Ladder (stored in garage storage)"

The fridge is clearly named but I'm unsure of two things. 1. Does "may" obligate the owner to fix appliance issues? 2. Is the ice maker breaking sufficient to activate this clause if the fridge is otherwise functional?

Obviously the ice maker breaking is fairly trivial and I can always buy a tray for the freezer and I will never take this to court, but I figure this is actually a slightly interesting academic question and relevant to any future appliance issues of more significance.

I plan on sending an irritated email in any case, but any ammunition you can provide would be appreciated.



Submitted February 01, 2017 at 08:33AM by VerrKol http://ift.tt/2jToYQj legaladvice

Can I easily change this outlet to a 3 prong? HomeImprovement

I have the outlet in the picture below. I need to swap it out to a 3 prong because I wish to plug in a small refrigerator and everything in the manual says not to use adapter, etc, so I'd like to do it the right way. I tried to move it around a little bit and noticed it has two black and two white wires attached to it but promptly stopped as I accidentally touched it to the metal box and was quickly reminded as to why electricity freaks me out. This outlet is literally about 5 feet from my electric panel . I've tried watching YouTube videos but i always end up getting more confused. I do have another outlet further down the wall I would probably want to replace too. Thanks for any help!

http://ift.tt/2kRWS8r



Submitted February 01, 2017 at 04:37AM by imunknown2u http://ift.tt/2jSLEmi HomeImprovement

People often return to the refrigerator, even when they know there's nothing in there to eat. Showerthoughts

No text found

Submitted February 01, 2017 at 03:04AM by zegall http://ift.tt/2jSyYct Showerthoughts

Kenmore elite fridge sealed system leak appliancerepair

We had a sears technician come look at the fridge cause it wasn't cooling, and he said it was a sealed system leak. He recommended getting a new fridge cause that issue is hard to fix and will usually go bad again.

The fridge is still under warranty, but it won't cover labor, taxes and fees. Is it worth trying to fix it? We didn't buy the fridge (just moved in 6 months ago), but it was super expensive! ($3,300) Seems like it would be a waste just to recycle.



Submitted February 01, 2017 at 03:29AM by broken_fridge1 http://ift.tt/2jSv3yO appliancerepair

Stopped counting calories, not sure how to eat by hunger Fitness

Hello!

I've been counting calories for the last 3-4 years on and off, but I recently decided not to continue doing so. So now I'm trying to eat like normal people, but healthy of course.

The thing is that I'm no longer sure on how to eat by hunger. It feels like I want to eat all the time, and that I have to restrict myself not to go to the refrigerator. I want to eat even though I'm physically full. I'm also thinking about food a lot, and I've binged a couple of times.

I can't remember if I was this way before, or if I've messed up my relationship to food. Could you guys briefly describe your relationship to food? Can any of you relate or have any tips on how to overcome this, and thus solely eat by hunger?



Submitted February 01, 2017 at 02:41AM by TheGroovyChili http://ift.tt/2ko3Vc6 Fitness

what's the difference between a gay man and a refrigerator ? Jokes

The fridge doesn't fart when you pull your meat out



Submitted February 01, 2017 at 12:22AM by 7assibo http://ift.tt/2kdwdDA Jokes

[Request] New dad at home with my infant son, payday is tomorrow, wouldn't hate some pizza. Random_Acts_Of_Pizza

I took a week off of work to spend time and bond with my infant son. He's pretty fascinated by Batman: The Animated Series (I'm so proud!), and the only thing that would make this day better would be some glorious pizza so I don't have to scavenge in the dark recesses of the refrigerator. There's a Pizza Hut, Dominos, and Papa John's in my area.



Submitted January 31, 2017 at 10:47PM by crimson_713 http://ift.tt/2jR9X45 Random_Acts_Of_Pizza

What were the best nicknames for linemen, linebackers and corner backs in nfl history? nfl

Obviously "Refrigerator" Perry would be on this list. Who else should be on it?



Submitted January 31, 2017 at 10:09PM by thenewstampede http://ift.tt/2kd1jv3 nfl

I live in a house on a flood area that floods regularly and am trying to mitigate the damage as much as possible HomeImprovement

So, I live in a house that floods pretty regularly. I'd say once a month a get an inch of water across my whole ground floor. About once a year I get 3-6 inches. These are tide based floods, so it recedes pretty quickly.

While I know the only REAL solution is to pay $150,000 to raise it above the base flood elevation level. It'll take some time to put together the money for that.

Until then I am trying to find solutions so the cleanup will go 'easier' when the next flood comes around. Here are my ideas.

My outlets are already all raised high on the walls. I have a Projector mounted to the ceiling instead of having a TV with hanging wires. All floors are tile directly on the cement foundation.

I purchased plastic legs 6" legs for my couches and love seat that should raise them above water levels and I can wipe off after the flood passes.(I'm tall, so not an issue for seating)

I am looking into replacing my kitchen cabinets with outdoor 'stainless steel cabinets with legs instead of baseboards.

I will be installing wall ovens and stove top instead of a freestanding oven/stove combo and have already elevated my refrigerator.

I am going to go around and replace the bottom two feet of drywall and insulation with wonderboard, rigid foam insulation, plastic baseboards and will be painting the whole place with Zinsser mold and mildew resistant paint.

Am I missing anything?



Submitted January 31, 2017 at 10:27PM by Ridewithme38 http://ift.tt/2jR2BNP HomeImprovement

When I was 20, "what am I doing here?" was an important existential question. Now that I am 66, "what am I doing here?" involves staring at an open refrigerator. Showerthoughts

No text found

Submitted January 31, 2017 at 09:19PM by traverlaw http://ift.tt/2jQMFeF Showerthoughts

Anyone using compact batteries instead of a fuel generator? preppers

I was looking at the "Goal Zero 23000 Yeti 400 Solar Generator", just because that's what The Wirecutter web site recommended. Anyone using one of these?

  1. Can someone point me to instructions for calculating how much maH one would need to , for example, run a refrigerator?
  2. For bugging in, would it be better to just buy some boat batteries and an invertor?

Thanks.



Submitted January 31, 2017 at 07:28PM by loac http://ift.tt/2kn91F1 preppers

Monday, January 30, 2017

Storing scoby's. Kombucha

I was doing some reading in 'kombucha kamp'. It says storing scoby in a fridge is a no no and to never use a refrigerator stored scoby to make kombucha. Just used my refrigerated (48hrs) scoby to start a new batch. BTW it was closed tight in a mason jar

Do i dump the whole thing out?

If not, what are the things to look for to make sure the scoby isnt dead?

I also have scoby in like 1/2 a cup of starter liquid. Do i add 1.5 cup of vinegar in this? and store in dark?



Submitted January 31, 2017 at 10:20AM by extroverthermit420 http://ift.tt/2jO8aMY Kombucha

Asking some questions on worldbuilding (Medieval Fantasy genre) worldbuilding

Greetings r/worldbuilding.

I'm an amateur worldbuilder, and haven't actually done anything yet but I have been visualizing my world(s) on my head and want to start putting it down properly. Recently (err, just last night) I signed up for Inkarnate so I could try it out and I can say with its limited set of tools I can do a lot on it. I saw that other post that talks about it, so I'm aware of what it is and what it's not (and also the low opinions of people who considers Inkarnate as some sort of abomination in mapmaking). I wanted to use the tool to "draw" my world as quick and easy as possible, and I do not mind if I do not develop artistic skills of actual cartography along the way. I just need to "write" down my ideas before they poof off my head.

But enough of that.

I posted here hoping to seek knowledge of enthusiasts here to answer some questions lingering in my mind. Your pieces of advice may be worth gold to me so replies are appreciated. You may opt to answer all of them (respective dieties of your world praise you) or you may answer only some of my questions you feel like answering.

Some context about my world before I get started

I am setting my world in "Medieval" Fantasy, though the Medieval part is still tentative for me since I have yet to set to stone my technological time period, but for the most part my world is filled with swords and magic ("magic" to elaborate later), and early concepts of guns as ranged weapons. Technological marvels are mostly in the style of steampunk gizmos and gadgetry and are not yet prevalent in the world including but not limited to airships (and trains?? up for question later) for transportation, bio-domes to grow food in harsh cold environments, and automatic crossbow turrets for defense.

For a brief background on my "magic" system, "Magic" is basically a manipulation of Mana inside a living being's body and the omni-present Ether in the environment (structure may be cliche at this point, but I do want to use standard tropes to ease understanding of the basics of my magic system). Ether takes the form of the four basic elements of alchemy (Earth Fire Wind Water) represented by the four general directions, then Light and Darkness above and below respectively, and Time in the outermost layer. "Magic" is applied and used regularly in society and is developed side-by-side with technology to further progress nations. Through its basic structure magic (more particularly Etheric Manipulation) can also be used by animals instinctively.

Sentient inhabitants of my world are mostly humans. Demi-humans and humanoids like Elves, Dwarves and Halfling do not exist in my world, but there are human-like races like Orcs and Goblins that are categorized as "Fiends" in-universe much like other species are categorized as Beasts and Reptiles. As such, technological and magical progress in my world can mostly be attributed to Humans with some special exceptions.

Four great nations in my world have vastly different cultures. To ease understanding for now I'll label them as Victorian Era Knights, Norse Hogwarts, Persian Gladiators and Wuxian Elves (They're still humans though they act like the traditional tree-hugging elves inspired by Chinese Wuxia fantasy). Of course their names won't be as such, like the "Persians" won't call themselves Persians, but those are my placeholder names since I'm basing my actual nations from those cultures.

Finally, while I want to make a vibrant world by itself, I may want to allow certain points of realism be compromised for the sake of adaptation into game and novel. That's not to say that such adaptation will actually come true, but I may consider certain aspects to be adjusted so as a would-be Player Character would not be walking 10~20 Kilometers in-game just to get to the next town, or perhaps I need to congest points or people of interest for a Hero or Heroine to interact with. Of course, finding that right balance is part of the challenge.

I guess that's sufficient context for now. Onto my concerns then.

[Questions about nation-building]

  • I need to make vibrant cities and villages with respective districts like Industrial, Commercial and Residential. Perhaps they're not totally district-ified, but all the functions should at least be present in each city / village. That said, considering a fully functional captial city, is 1 kilometer radius (3.14 square km if my calculation is not mistaken) enough for all that?
  • In a similar question above but for small villages, is 0.5 km radius (0.785 sq km) good enough for around 250~500 residents while having at least one major industrial or commercial function, like a floral village or a fishing village?
  • What is the standard distance between two settlements (capital, village, hamlet)? I saw in some video in Youtube (posted here, I forgot which one) say it's 10 kilometers. Is it okay to lower that to 5 kilometers? That seems to be a reasonable travelling distance for horses on roads.
  • How does a province created and how big is a province? Is it possible to declare an area as a province with only one village plus its surrounding area of 5 km (78.5 sq km)? Or perhaps it's too small?
  • Crazy idea but... is it reasonable for a Village to be owned by a different nation each year? Let's say a Village is contested due to its Gold and Silver mines, then that Village will be fought over by the four great nations and every year (or maybe even every month) it switches national ownership. Is that possible in the real world and what are its repercussions?

[Questions about technology]

  • While I have airships in my world for international travels (in place of airplanes), I only have coaches and caravans for travel inside a nation. Is that too wide of a gap in technology? I don't want to introduce steam / coal trains in my world as that may be cause for air pollution which compromises health and the Etheric composition in the air, but if need be I may cook up an Ether-powered train in my world. But a more important question is... does humanity need Trains? To top that question, if I introduce trains do I also need to introduce cars? But that might break my supposed "medieval" fantasy setting and I prefer sticking to mostly mounted transport (commonly horses in roads and griffins for limited flight)
  • Is it bad worldbuilding if I introduce modern (20th century) commodity in my Medieval Fantasy world while attributing it to magic? Some things like Magic-powered Refrigerators, Heaters, Light bulbs and lanterns, "Magic Televisions" and the like.

[Questions about culture]

  • Victorian Era Knights. This nation is the center of my dilemma that my "Medieval Fantasy" won't be so medieval anymore if their level of sophistication and architecture reflects the 1800's. Basically, this nation of mine should still be all about traditional Arthurian swords and staves, but I also like the style of the buildings and classiness of Victorian Era, who pride themselves as the Era of "refined sensibilities". Would it be bad and convoluted for a fantasy world to just pick up the culture and class of Victorian but not the Technology equivalent to 19th century?
  • Would it be culturally insensitive of me if I had the great nation of Persian Gladiators be built close to a much more ancient but presently broken civilization based on India and Hindu mythology? Historically they weren't on good terms, perhaps some people out there may get offended about the placement of my fantasy nations, but hopefully I won't do it tasteless and I wouldn't raise an India-Persia controversy in my world.
  • I wonder... is it okay if I let modern culture in my world as part of a radical movement in the world of entertainment? Like a group of young female bards got tired of singing tavern songs and started forming an idol group, or maybe a certain dramaturge pride himself for making Noir-style theatrical plays.

[Questions about the Inkarnate tool]

  • How do I make my map bigger? Is there a way to increase canvas size?
  • Any extensive guide out there that I can use? I already saw the ADVICEPOST here, but I was thinking about literally how to use the tool.
  • Are there any keyboard shortcuts available? I found myself instinctively pressing Ctrl Z whenever I make a mistake, only to be left dumbfounded that nothing happened. Is there an Undo / Redo button at least?
  • Is there a copy-paste feature here? Say I want to copy the lowermost portion of Map A, then paste it to the uppermost portion of Map B just so it feels seamless (and probably easier to combine later).
  • Apparently, the object tool allows me to put my own assets onto the map. Is there somewhere that offer free assets for use in Inkarnate?

Those are my questions for now. I know it's reeally lengthy, and at this point it's a miracle if anybody actually read everything I wrote down. But hopefully somebody does read it and answer my questions.... please. m(_ _)m



Submitted January 31, 2017 at 10:32AM by Black_Heaven http://ift.tt/2kaZRtb worldbuilding

Branching a 20A circuit between a refrigerator (GFCI) and a gas stove. Code? Issues? HomeImprovement

I'm finding conflicting info about this, so I wanted to check with yous guys: I have a 20A circuit that currently goes to a GFCI outlet where the fridge used to be. We're remodeling the kitchen, and I'm moving the fridge to the other side of the room. I'd like to branch off that receptacle box to another nearby dedicated outlet for the gas stove.

These guys say it's cool (since it's a 20A circuit).

These guys say it isn't (refrigerators and stoves need dedicated circuits).

And finally, regardless of code - does this make sense? The gas range shouldn't draw very much current. Are there any issues with the ignition spark and the GFCI receptacle? Should I wire the stove downstream from the GFCI or visa versa?

Cool, thanks in advance.



Submitted January 31, 2017 at 09:24AM by PhilaJunto http://ift.tt/2joN9Kh HomeImprovement

[LF] Last 2 fossils, kitchen furniture, and wishlist [FST] Furniture, WA items, clothing, bells, etc. ACTrade

I am looking for the following items as first priority:

  • Styraco Torso

  • Plesio Tail

  • Kitchen Corner

  • Deluxe Range

  • Refrigerator

I also have my Wishlist

I can offer bells, holly starts, sweet olive starts, or my trade lists.

Furniture

Floors/Walls

Clothing

Thanks :)

Will gladly Rate Mayors!

Here is mine RMM



Submitted January 31, 2017 at 07:17AM by foxy704 http://ift.tt/2kaWum7 ACTrade

Defrosted frozen milk? breastfeeding

I put frozen milk in the refrigerator last night for daycare on today. But this morning she woke up with a fever so we stayed home. Just took her temp again and it's still high so another day at home tomorrow. What do I do with this milk? It was still partially frozen this morning but not enough that I was comfortable putting it back in the freezer. Will it still be ok on Wednesday? She's been comfort nursing all day so I can't just feed her bottles tomorrow and pump to replace it. I'd hate to just throw it away. I have enough of a freezer stash but it's 14 oz. It takes me 3-4 pumps to get that much.



Submitted January 31, 2017 at 05:53AM by nlwric http://ift.tt/2kayEXL breastfeeding

Need some assistance with a fermentation chamber setup. Homebrewing

I've got an old refrigerator with small space heater inside, and it's controlled via an Inkbird STC-1000, it's installed in my garage, and it generally works great, however now that winter is here, the temperature is much lower, I'm getting massive temperature fluctuations in my chamber because the space heater heats things up too fast. I've been attaching the temp probe to the side of the carboy with some tape over it to insulate it slightly. Any ideas what I can do to make the temperature more regular?



Submitted January 31, 2017 at 05:27AM by biggles604 http://ift.tt/2kO3fJJ Homebrewing

Defrosted frozen milk? breastfeeding

I put frozen milk in the refrigerator last night for daycare on today. But this morning she woke up with a fever so we stayed home. Just took her temp again and it's still high so another day at home tomorrow. What do I do with this milk? It was still partially frozen this morning but not enough that I was comfortable putting it back in the freezer. Will it still be ok on Wednesday? She's been comfort nursing all day so I can't just feed her bottles tomorrow and pump to replace it. I'd hate to just throw it away. I have enough of a freezer stash but it's 14 oz. It takes me 3-4 pumps to get that much.



Submitted January 31, 2017 at 05:53AM by nlwric http://ift.tt/2kayEXL breastfeeding

Anyone use infant water to brew? Coffee

So after making the millionth bottle of formula for our little guy one night, I was looking at the jug of infant water we use and noticed the list of minerals that were added to it:

  • Calcium chloride
  • Potassium bicarbonate
  • Magnesium chloride

Based on posts I've read here on the topic of water, those are three minerals recommended for ideal brewing water. Now, I haven't had time to do a side-by-side with the filtered water I use from the refrigerator but I was just curious if anyone else has used this to brew with. Seems like a much easier way to nail down the water variable than making your own concentrate.



Submitted January 31, 2017 at 03:52AM by Human20634 http://ift.tt/2kI0VEK Coffee

What a nice refrigerator...wait what? funny

http://ift.tt/2kabjp3

Submitted January 31, 2017 at 02:35AM by mrkillbill http://ift.tt/2kLAIZl funny

My store closing. 9 used 4' shelves, & 5 used showcases, & a used show (86 Street/4th AVE) FreeStuffNYC

I'm going to close this store at 86th Street/4th Ave R Train Subway Station, Brooklyn by 2/26/17. I have 9 sections of 4 feet long, used store fixtures/shelves, & 5 showcases, & a refrigerator-showcase for free . You have fixtures, and shelve [...]

from Craigslist http://ift.tt/2imwsNP

via IFTTT



Submitted January 30, 2017 at 10:17PM by fiplefip http://ift.tt/2kjL3Lw FreeStuffNYC

You know that book you've been reading for months? Have fun not knowing how it ends. pettyrevenge

I decided to help this girl out and let her move in with me when she was going through some family shit. I was just moving into my two bedroom apartment and thought a couple extra hundo every month would help me out with furnishing the place until she was ready to figure stuff out on her own. I had only known her a couple of months, but she managed to fool me on the quality of her soul.

Anyway, she arranged for her family to bring over their two pick-up trucks and help us move all of our stuff into my apartment so I could avoid the big move-in costs. It was a thanks for me allowing her to crash at my place with her own bedroom for less than 1/4 the price of rent.

So morning of move-in comes and I had passed out on my ginormous LoveSac in the living room. Woke up to her tapping me on the forehead.

"saaucii.... saaucii... are you up?" I just opened my eyes and stared at her, like, well, now I am fool. "I've been going over things... and I can't move in with you today... and my family isn't bringing the trucks of course, lol"

I just blinked at her a couple of times and stated "I need you to get away from me before I punch you in the face." Not the best way I've ever been woken up.

Anyway she bailed- and fast- while I got up and started raging around the house while ordering a uHaul. I didn't see her much around the house while the boys helped me load the truck, but when I did she skittered like a cockroach from every room I entered and flinched like an abused dog when she felt me stare at her.

Never had anyone be afraid of me before, and for once, it was pretty nice and felt well deserved.

Anyway, we're both the typical nerds- maybe a little over-obsessed with reading and video games and such. I came across the book she had been engrossed in the past month while I was throwing the last of my stuff into the truck. I held it in my hands for a while, deciding.

Then I tore out the last page of dialogue and stuffed it in my pocket.

That book page held a place of honor on the front of my refrigerator in my new apartment the whole year I lived there. Served as a solid reminder that I was a nerd badass and a good reminder to rely on no one but myself.

edit:: forgot to mention she did this to me the day of move-in, so added that lovely piece in there.



Submitted January 30, 2017 at 10:17PM by saaucii http://ift.tt/2jngLYs pettyrevenge

My store closing. 9 used 4' shelves, & 5 used showcases, & a used show (86 Street/4th AVE) FreeStuffNYC

I'm going to close this store at 86th Street/4th Ave R Train Subway Station, Brooklyn by 2/26/17. I have 9 sections of 4 feet long, used store fixtures/shelves, & 5 showcases, & a refrigerator-showcase for free . You have fixtures, and shelve [...]

from Craigslist http://ift.tt/2imwsNP

via IFTTT



Submitted January 30, 2017 at 10:17PM by fiplefip http://ift.tt/2kjL3Lw FreeStuffNYC

Need help with office setup. Coffee

New job, small office, I'm the only coffee drinker. I have access to an electric kettle, refrigerator, filtered water and a microwave.

Need a setup for good brewed coffee with a minimum of hassle and storage requirements. No appliances, everything has to be carried in/out of the office with me. I drink a minimum of 2 cups a day, and often 3 or 4.

I was thinking possibly making a cold brew at home, and then bringing it to work and just mix it with boiling water to make it as easy as possible, but I'm very open to other ideas.



Submitted January 30, 2017 at 08:57PM by cisturbance http://ift.tt/2kKpa8K Coffee

How could you watch the raft scene from Temple of Doom and then think the refrigerator scene from Crystal Skull is too ridiculous? movies

https://youtu.be/SL1jWJummOo?t=1m

Submitted January 30, 2017 at 07:53PM by memestheword http://ift.tt/2kjqoHr movies

Why doesn't it get dusty in my refrigerator? NoStupidQuestions

I can have things in there for months and they never collect dust. Why?



Submitted January 30, 2017 at 01:21PM by mnfloro http://ift.tt/2kKw0Ha NoStupidQuestions

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Day 1 Post: I've reached my limit. loseit

Hey all,

I'm hoping you don't mind the day 1 post. I know it's encouraged to post in the weekly thread, but I couldn't find it haha.

I am 21 years old, 6' 2", and I would estimate myself to be 200lbs. I know I'm not extremely overweight, but I hope I'm in good company here.

My family has always been overweight, ranging from a little hefty to extremely overweight. For as long as I can remember (which, let's be honest.. I'm only 21 so not that long! Maybe at 13-15 years old) I've had a rule I promised to hold myself by... if there was ever a day that I couldn't look straight down - chin touching chest - and see my private parts, I would stop my terrible eating habits and start losing weight.

Well, that day came last week as I was standing in the shower. So, I'm here, and I'm ready to lose some weight.

Fortunately for myself, I recognize my biggest problem is my beer intake. I've developed a nasty habit of drinking 3-6 beers a night with co-workers and I realize that is probably the biggest reason I've started gaining weight so rapidly.

Unfortunately for myself, I don't think it's going to be an easy road. I'm almost entirely sedentary (9-5 desk job), and eat out for almost every meal.

I've developed somewhat of a plan, and have reached out to people I think can help. The first being a new catering place in my neighborhood that specializes in easy, and healthy, meals for working professionals. It's not cheap by any means, but I'm hoping having 3-4 healthy meals ready and sitting in my refrigerator each week will help break my reliance on fast food.

The second I've been working on for a couple weeks and has actually been an easy transition. That's cutting out sodas for Tejava ice tea instead. A couple drops of stevia for sweetness and I'm just as happy.

The third is my standing beer date every weeknight which will be the hardest. It will require the most will power to cut back on.

Anyways, thanks for listening to my admittedly boring story. I'll set up my flair tomorrow morning and get to work. We're all in it together!



Submitted January 30, 2017 at 12:07PM by turn-down-for-what http://ift.tt/2jtXaRr loseit

Accidental injestion trees

Hello,

A little background - I have never had Marijuana in my life. It so happened that I accidently had a piece of chocolate (later realizing it was an edible cannabis) late yesterday night (~11 pm). I woke up at 2 am - not feeling good at all. I felt like I had some bad reaction from dinner last night.

It was only until morning that I realized it was cannabis infused chocolate bar (our roommate has a medical license and he forgot he left this bar in the refrigerator).

I was asleep (on-off) until 1 pm. After waking up I began reading articles online on how to get rid off this edible high. Apparently I must have digested 10 to 20 mg THC. I have tried the following:

Black pepper seeds, coffee, frequent hot showers, orange-mango juice, high protein cookie (sugary) and drinking water. My question is quite simple - how do I get rid off this edible high?

I know that I would never be consuming it ever in my life (even accidental - boy, I will stay away from any chocolates in the refrigerator), but my focus is now to get off this edible high so that I can get back being normal.

Any suggestions to get rid off this feeling? How to mitigate high effects?



Submitted January 30, 2017 at 10:24AM by helprhetoric http://ift.tt/2jl4qnw trees

IAMA guy who is still alive despite the fact that, over 24 hours ago, I ate shrimp which had been in my refrigerator for 2 weeks. AMA about being a Highlander and spitting in the face of death. casualiama

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Submitted January 30, 2017 at 10:41AM by Particle_Man_Prime http://ift.tt/2k7LbeF casualiama

[WP] Your refrigerator noticed that you aren't following through with your New Year's resolution. It decides to track matters into its own hands. WritingPrompts

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Submitted January 30, 2017 at 09:12AM by ke1234 http://ift.tt/2jtstvY WritingPrompts

We found a treasure map in a vending machine. nosleep

If that sounds like an odd title to you, believe me—we were just as surprised.

A couple weeks back my buddy Dave moved into a dilapidated trailer park at the edge of town. The premises were populated by all kinds of old junk—mostly rundown vehicles, but also some machines and appliances. Right outside Dave's door was a Pepsi machine that hadn't been used in years. If my knowledge of the Pepsi logo's history is accurate, the logo on the front was scrapped sometime in the late 80's or early 90's.

After several failed attempts to open the thing, we said 'fuck it' and hooked it to the back of Dave's truck, which solved the problem in short order. Inside was a single Pepsi bottle, but there was, thankfully, none left in it. Instead there was a piece of paper, upon which was a roughly drawn map and a set of coordinates, along with the words “I left it here. Come and get it.” It was clearly a printed copy of a much older document, with dark lines representing the original's wrinkles and tears.

Let's cut to the next day. It was about 10 am and I was flying down North Carolina Highway 41 at 120 miles per hour after getting in a race with some hippie motherfucker. My 1998 Nissan Pathfinder was keeping just about even with his much newer Volvo, and I was pretty sure I could beat his ass in the end.

But then, I shit you not, some idiot came walking right into the middle of the highway not more than a hundred yards ahead of us. I slammed on the brakes, and let me tell you, I didn't think that a car could go from over a hundred to zero that fast. Dave, who was leaning forward, got snapped back against his seat, and the line of coke he was preparing on the dashboard went just about everywhere. I wasn't paying attention to that, though; I was staring at the spot in the road where that fucking hippie had just run over the mystery jaywalker. At least, that's what I thought I'd seen. But there was no body in the road—nor was there anybody anywhere, for that matter. It was like the guy had just...vanished.

“What the fuck, man!” shouted Dave. “You just wasted the last of my coke!”

“You...you didn't see that?”

“See what, you getting curbstomped by that treehugger?”

“Shit, maybe I'm seeing things,” I muttered. I waited for Dave's inevitable sarcastic response, but it didn't come. He was too focused on the map.

“What is it?” I asked, leaning over to get a closer look.

Dave pointed a finger out the window. “We're here,” he said.

Off to the right, a dirt road trailed off toward a quaint little barnhouse. A tall, gnarled oak stood to the side. There was no highway shown on the map, but the rest was the same, down to the curves in the road and the placement of the barn and tree. If we'd continued the race, we would have passed it and been forced to turn around later on. Was that just a coincidence?

After I parked the car on the side of the highway, we grabbed a pair of shovels and a sledgehammer from the trunk and headed toward the barn. The map showed that the treasure—or whatever it was—was inside.

The barn was in far worse condition than it appeared from far away. The paint was peeling off, and much of the wood was rotten and mildewy. After smashing the lock on the door, we found the inside hadn't fared much better. Termites had made their home here, and had left the pillars so chewed-through it was a wonder they could hold up the ceiling. Flies and ants were equally abundant.

It didn't take us long to find what we were looking for. Thanks to the barn being empty, the metal trapdoor was easily visible in the corner.

The area underneath the barn was dank and rank, and yes, thanks, I know that's the greatest rhyme anyone's ever conceived. How rank was it? Well, I once left on a week long vacation and while I was gone, the neighbor's asshole cat got in and unplugged the power cord to my refrigerator, which was full of food. The smell of mold in this basement was ten times worse than what hit me when I opened that refrigerator door. It was bad enough that I thought I might pass out.

It was dark, so we turned on our flashlights. The scene that greeted us wasn't what we expected. We were in some kind of medical laboratory, I think, though the rusty, dust-covered equipment wasn't like anything I'd ever seen. There was a single bed in the room, and while it was too dirty to be able to tell for sure, I'm pretty sure there was blood on it. And then there were the jars. Dozens of them lined the shelves. Most were empty, but several had...things in them. I'm afraid I can't be more specific. Some were obvious, like a human skull, or finger bones. Others were amorphous blobs that could have been anything.

“This is messed up,” I said. “Come on, Dave, let's get out of here. I'm thinking this was someone's idea of a sick joke.”

Dave didn't appear to be listening. “Dave? Seriously, man. Let's go.”

“I think I saw something move in one of those jars,” Dave said quietly.

“All the more reason to leave, then,” I said.

He ignored me and walked over to an empty jar. Then he leaned over so his face was practically touching the rim. “What are you doing?” I demanded. “It's empty, Dave. You're fucking scaring me.”

Dave lifted his face away from the jar and turned around. He mumbled something which I didn't hear very well, but I'm pretty sure it was, “I don't want to die.” Then his body began to convulse and he fell over backward, hitting his head on the table before reaching the floor.

“Dave!” I shouted. I rushed to his side and turned him over so he was on his back. What I saw nearly made me scream. Dave's eye sockets were empty, with little black insects crawling around inside them. He opened his mouth, and—Jesus, there were his eyes, they were on his fucking tongue! I instinctively drew my arm away as he stuck his tongue out, but it grew out like Pinnochio's goddamn nose and he licked me just above the wrist.

I felt a burst of tremendous pain, and I looked at my arm to see what looked like a patch of rust, right where he'd licked me.

I hate myself for this, but I ran. I scurried up the ladder quick as I could and slammed the trap door shut behind me. We'd leaned our shovels against the wall, so I grabbed mine and made a beeline for the door. It was only once I was outside the barn that I turned around, and—I shit you not—right behind me was Dave, who only a moment ago had been incapacitated. I hadn't even heard the loud groan of the trap door being opened.

Dave charged at me and I took a stance, ready to hit him with the shovel if I had to. I didn't have to; a bullet did the job for me.

Apparently we'd been on some farmer's land. The farmer said Dave ran right at him, acting like a “murderous maniac”. That's not the version of the story I remember, obviously. But some details in my story are impossible to confirm. Like, when I think back, the barn we came out of wasn't the same one we went into. It couldn't have been—it was in far too good of a condition. So I doubt the laboratory is there anymore, if it ever was there to begin with. I wish I could tell the police about all of it, but I doubt they'd believe me—even without the results of the drug test.

What's the truth in all of this? I doubt I'll ever find out, to be honest. But there is one other thing; you know how Dave licked me on the arm? Well, that arm is dead. The doctors say I'll never be able to move it again, but they've got no clue what happened to it. So unless my arm decided to just stop working on its own, for no reason, then I'm thinking that the things I saw were real. And if that's really true, then I have just one response:

What the fuck?

X



Submitted January 30, 2017 at 06:54AM by Chezecaek http://ift.tt/2jkD3tP nosleep

Tried a basic speaker setup for the first time today. Comparison and thoughts versus current headphone setup. headphones

Background -- I've tried several headphone, amplifier, and DAC setups over the past six months. Last month, I finally settled on the Benchmark DAC1 and Sennheiser HD800 [stock].

I love the HD 800's, because they have really nice textured bass that extends a lot lower than the HD 600's. I wanted to add a little more bass, so I tried a Behringer Ultracurve Pro equalizer to increase the low end. Unfortunately, no matter how much I messed with the equalizer, the HD 800's never produced the bass that I wanted.

I was planning to buy the LCD-2's but I decided to give speakers a try instead. Following the recommendations of /r/audiophile, I bought a set of JBL LSR 305 speakers and a Polk 12" sub-woofer to really beef up the low end. Cost me around $450 shipped to my apartment.

Previous Speakers -- I have a Bose Soundlink Mini and a UE Boom.

Impressions -- I hooked up the JBL's and Polk sub-woofer to my Benchmark DAC1 and started listening. I started listening to several classical tracks, and didn't really notice much of a difference in terms of sound signature compared to headphones. Everything was clear, crisp, and balanced.

Then I tried some EDM, and the bass hit me out of nowhere! My windows, blinds, plates, cups, chair, hair, desk, ceiling lamp, bed, drink, and even the ice cubes in my refrigerator started shaking. I could feel the bass in my chest and even my head was starting to throb.

I quickly turned the sub-woofer off, and the speakers started to sound like headphones again.

I can't believe what I've been missing from my music! Not even the most expensive setup I've owned, a Benchmark DAC! + Woo WA22 + HD800 came close to a $450 speaker setup. It's like all my headphones completely ignored the deep rumbling sub-bass in my music. I started relistening to my albums, and this was true for every non-classical song I tried.

My HD 800's went in their box, and will soon be sold on eBay or /r/Avexchange. I can't justify keeping them after trying speakers, or more likely, a sub-woofer.

Conclusion -- I regret spending so much money on headphones, since I could've gotten a lot more performance for far less money spent on a basic speaker setup. The main issue with headphones is that music isn't just heard through the ears. It's also felt elsewhere in the body. No headphone setup can ever replicate the deep thunderous bass in music.

Today felt a lot like the day I bought my first supersport motorcycle... a lot cheaper, faster, and way more fun than even the most expensive sports car.

I don't really have any incentive to upgrade, or even keep my headphones at this point. Just like I sold my car after I bought a motorcycle, I'm selling all my headphones.

In my opinion, you really owe it to yourself to try a cheap set of speakers, especially before you consider a $1000+ headphone upgrade. If you like bass, then you must have speakers to truly appreciate the sub-bass.



Submitted January 30, 2017 at 02:29AM by Advice_For_You http://ift.tt/2jLjRBN headphones

Is it possible to install a fridge in my room? Advice

Hi. I live with my mother, and if there’s one thing I’m tired of, it’s having to take off my headset, get up from my chair, open my door, walk to the kitchen, open the refrigerator, take whatever I need, close the refrigerator, open the cabinet to get a plate or a glass, close the cabinet, make the food or drink or whatever, head back to my room, close the door, sit back down, and equip my headphones once again whenever I want something to drink or eat.

I was wondering if it’s at all possible to install a refrigerator in my room, and if so, where I can get a cheap refridgerator that’s not too large.



Submitted January 29, 2017 at 07:47PM by PapiDimmi http://ift.tt/2k5VL5M Advice

You caged me, now you lie about me? TrueOffMyChest

Scoundrel. Dead beat. Liar. Hypocrite. Loathsome dog. All of that is you, you piece of shit.

I have tried, oh god, have I tried, to be polite, cordial, kind, for our kid. I have put on a smile, when all I want is to scream. I have laughed, when your very presence makes my stomach churn.

Yet, here we are.

When I met you I was a broken mess, and I fell to hard, to fast. I was willing to give you the world. I ignored the threats to dump me if I smoked, if I went to visit friends, if I didn't spread my legs for you whenever you wanted. I ignored them, even when you said you'd leave if I didn't give you a baby. I ignored when you threatened to leave me for when I was scared and a month pregnant. Why? Because I thought you fucking mattered.

You don't.

When you would keep me from my family. When you would take my money, not even letting me buy any maternity clothes. When you would yell at me for forgetting the clothes in the drier.. I fucking ignored it. Why? Because I loved you.

I don't.

When we got our new place, when I was so depressed I could hardly drag myself from bed to care for our daughter, that is when I knew something needed to change. Not for me, but for her. At first I begged you to be nicer, I begged you to stop getting mad over every little thing I did or didn't do. I'm just tired you would say, as if I weren't tired caring for a newborn, but you'd get better.

For about a week.

You would belittle and degrade me all the time. I was scared of you. Not that you would hit me, you knew that wouldn't end well for you. No. I was scared of the yelling. Do you remember when I, a twenty-five year old woman, had a drink at my best friends baby shower? I remember. I remember crying because you called me a horrible mother, a lazy mother, yelling and going on a tirade, throwing a tantrum. All because now you had to spend a few hours being primary care giver to the child we created. Do you remember how you wouldn't let me go to the gym? How you would give me the silent treatment every time I went? How I would cry myself to sleep? I fucking do.

I remember how we never had money, but now that I am gone, and you actually have to spend money on child support (literally the most money you've ever given me), you can afford an Xbox? Three gym memberships? Dinner every night? You couldn't even spring to put food in our refrigerator and made me get food stamps because I thought we were that poor, but now you have all of these things? I wore holes in my shoes when you would get $80 nikes- I should have known better. Selfish prick.

And when I left, when I couldn't take the name calling, the isolation, the threats, when you told me I was your problem, I gave you a chance. I told you to change and I'll come back. I said grow up and learn to be kind, learn to be humble and giving. What did you do? Nothing. You stayed you, but begged for more and more time.

Then you asked if we would ever get back together. I tried to explain, I tried to tell you that you had to change first. But you cut me off, yes or no, that's all you wanted.

No.

And then you left. You stood up and walked away from me and our daughter. Your words to me? I can't be around you anymore. I was giving you a chance and you gave it up because you didn't want to change?

Oh, and when I go out on a date, when I have sex, suddenly I cheated on you? Really? You were the one who said you couldn't be around me. You were the one that walked away when I was trying. Now I am the monster?

Fuck you, little boy.

I can't even give you credit for the apology you gave me. It wasn't sincere, you even told a mutual friend it wasn't. Of course this friend would tell me, she was married to someone like you, she doesn't want to see me forgive you based on a false apology. She doesn't want to see me miserable like she was. I know you, you would say she is lying, but a text message, from your number. Is that just a convincing hoax?

And I almost did forgive. I almost did believe it. Jesus, what is my problem? I'm so eager to trust, and you try to take advantage of that.

I hate looking at my phone and seeing messages from you. I know they are just you calling me a whore, a slut, and trying to hurt me. I hate that you have to lie about me to make yourself the victim. I hate you. Just you and everything about you.

Of course, I won't say any of this. Not to you, not to our friends. You are the father of my child, and for her sake I will try to be kind.

"Knowing that my ex is even a little unhappy makes me happy," A little bunny showed me that message. Thanks.

But, you know what? You aren't hurting me. Not anymore. Irritating, sure. But you are hurting you. Our friends and family see me being kind, outgoing, and gentle, while you say bullshit behind my back. Do you know how that looks for you?

And we both know how important looks are to you. I remember how you yelled at me for two hours because I had the audacity to cry when I upset you and the window was open. What would the neighbors think?! You asked.

Fuck. I hate you. You were the biggest mistake I made. The only positive thing to ever come from you was our little girl. Other than that? Nothing. Literally nothing.

So you go ahead and get high, party, fuck that 21 year old girl. All the while calling me a slut and a whore. I'll be here being a mother, loving our daughter, and living my own life.

Sincerely -Scream_It_Out

P.S. I had sex again. It was great sex. And even though I am usually above name calling, I think I deserve it now: It was wonderful to fuck a man who didn't literally crush me under his weight.



Submitted January 29, 2017 at 03:03PM by Scream_it_out http://ift.tt/2jrpfJu TrueOffMyChest

Saturday, January 28, 2017

My mother emotionally abused me for years and is a malignant narcissist with borderline personality disorder, and I've developed a health condition from the PTSD. I've never told my full story before, so here I go... offmychest

I've never really told anyone my fully story before and just discovered this sub Reddit, so, here I go:

Lisa (fake name) and Jack (biological father) divorced when I was two. I was coached by Lisa that my then-stepmother was the devil, and Jack was a horrible person who was responsible for everything bad in my life. Lisa then met my stepdad (now legal father) Carl, and within a few years they got married and Jack handed over his legal rights as a father to him and overnight. Him and the rest of my massive extended family completely disappeared from my life, and all I was told was that I wasn't going to see him anymore.

Lisa would guilt and shame me with anything I did that she didn't fully agree with. I recently learned from old family friends that when I was very young, she would restrict me from certain foods in an unhealthy way, which I'm now coming to understand where my guilty feelings come from whenever I would have anything sugary, and my instinct to sneak and hide it. One time on vacation when I was 10, we went for a walk and I apparently said something she didn't like, so she said "If you don't do as I say, I won't tell you what to eat anymore." For whatever reason, that translated in my 10-year-old brain as an awful thing, so I was forced into apologizing. Later that day when Carl's mother offered me cookies, Lisa, sitting right behind her, glared at me in disapproval, so I politely rejected the offer. Looking back on it now, those instances were extremely bizarre and not normal.

I started realizing something was wrong with the way she was treating me when I was about 13. After overhearing her drunken verbal abuse to Carl, I came downstairs and told him to divorce her, but he was too deep in denial then. I was simply labeled as an angsty teenage brat who would "rebel" against her loving, generous mother who loved her daughter more than anything. My entire family believed this too, and would never accept anything I would say as truth. Lisa was a very pretty, tiny woman, which made it VERY easy for people to underestimate her, and she was very good at hiding her tracks and placing blame on me. I grew up from age 13-21 stuck in a family that would brag about how amazing of kid I was (I didn't drink/smoke/run away, etc), and how honest and loyal I was to people, yet would turn a deaf ear every time I defended myself against Lisa, which always made me look like your typical teenage brat. Constant remarks from Lisa would be things like, "Where did I go wrong raising you?" I felt unheard, backed into a corner, angry, and gaslit for over a decade.

She blamed the death of my dog on Carl, saying that he refused to pay for her treatment, which was 100% false. One time when I was 12 I found Jack's email and wanted to message him-- I was never told what really happened or why Jack chose to give Carl full custody of me, so I was curious. Lisa came into the room, went down on her knees and dramatically yelled to me that he raped her, so "why would you ever want to reach out to a rapist?!" She then coached me to write a mean email to him... I don't really remember exactly what I wrote, but it wasn't good. I found out years later that Jack never raped her, and he was actually an okay guy, despite some major personal problems. Looking back, that situation was all entirely coached by Lisa.

When my sister Leah was born in 2007 (I'm 17 years older than her), it got so much worse. I could see Lisa milking up the entire pregnancy as a way to get attention turned to her, which made me want nothing to do with it/I tried not to go near her at all, but it was the best way for her to control me as well. Normally a pregnancy would, naturally, be about the mother and her journey, but the way Lisa lapped up the attention in any and every way she could was sickening, and all of it targeted toward Carl and I. I have a fear of holding babies (they're so fragile), and when I respectfully explained this to Lisa, I saw a fire in her eyes as she thrusted the baby into my arms and yelled, "You WILL hold your sister whether you like it or not." One time when she came into my room holding Leah, she slammed my laptop on my fingers after I had asked her to leave, as she had been yelling. She's also yelled at me in front of Leah that she doesn't want Leah to know I exist, she doesn't want her to know that I'm ever in the house, or that she even has a sister because of how bad of a person I am. That was all motivated by me explaining to Lisa about my anxiety of holding infants.

She was a gymnastics coach at my high school and used that as a way to keep tabs on my only form of social life. When I asked her to give me space and freedom to enjoy the only thing in school that I liked (I had no social life), she told me that "she was there first" and had every right to keep volunteering as a coach. I suffered for four years watching her try to befriend the few friends that I had, and was bizarrely awkward about hanging out with them and seeking their acceptance. Looking back on it now, I can see that she was trying to make up for her horrible experience in high school by using MY own experience to her advantage, even when it hurt me. I was miserable. She would even subtly talk negatively about me to my friends in a manner that's really not appropriate for an adult to do.

I worked at a summer camp for 4+ years as a counselor, and would spend 3 months there while driving back home every now and then during my days off. In 2010, when I was at the peak of resisting and rejecting her heinous behavior towards me more and more, she turned my bedroom into a guest bedroom without warning-- repainted the walls, removed my bed sheets, etc. I was heartbroken, especially since my family knew how sensitive I've always been about having a place to call home. For years she'd always like to remind me that whenever I visited Jack on the weekends when I was younger, he never bothered to give me my own bedroom (I'd sleep on couches) and I should absolutely hate him for not making me feel at home or giving me my own space. The irony of her doing the same thing to me later on still confuses me. That Christmas Eve when her side of the family was here for the holidays, she got so angry at me (for whatever reasons) that she locked me out of the house in the snow with all of my food in the refrigerator (I was training for a Cirque du Soleil audition) and claimed that she would call the police on me if I didn't leave. I snuck back into my room from the side entrance and hid in my room all of Christmas. This happened more than once for reasons I don't understand.

At the end of the summer when I was about to come home from working at camp for the last 3 months, Carl sent me a warning text to let me know that Lisa was planning to ambush me and kick me out of the house the day I got back from camp. (Carl was being emotionally abused and was in a form of denial. The only way he could manage to help me was letting me know about things like this in secret.) In response, I came home in the middle of the night and packed anything and everything I could into my suitcases and car, and waited until morning. When I heard Lisa leave the house in the morning, I sprung out of bed and used the next two hours sprinting back and forth from my car to the house and stuffing anything I could fit into the car. I was dripping in sweat and exhausted, and knew she could be back at any moment. It was one of the most satisfying moments of my life driving away from that house for good without her realizing that I had moved out before she had a chance to tell me to leave. When she texted me that I need to leave, I responded with, "What do you mean? I'm living with Carl." (They were divorcing at the time and he had moved out.)

My dream has been to get into Cirque du Soleil since I was a kid. Whenever I'd show videos of my heroes in certain shows and how I aspired to be like them when I was older, Lisa would sarcastically and very clearly respond with, "Wow, those must be the BEST PERFORMERS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD to be able to be in a show like that," and saying other very obvious things to hint that I wasn't talented or strong enough to ever get into the company. Her apparent claims to knowing what it takes to be in those shows came from her gymnastics background in college, but it was that much more discouraging to hear this from my own mother. This went on for years until I left the house.

In college when I was struggling with the "freshman 15," I told her that I was going to abstain from sugars for the rest of the semester. Within a week, she sent me a care package of two dozen brownies. When I came home during my college break, I said something apparently not to her liking, so she ran upstairs, grabbed the "Proud Parent of NYU Student" and said, "See this? This means NOTHING to me." And threw it in the trash. Another example of her "gift giving" was weeks after I had had a conversation explaining my disgust for animal fur, and told her how upset I was about how they were essentially tortured. A few weeks later for my birthday, she gets me a very expensive fur coat, and quickly said, "If you don't want it, I'll take it." Stuff like this was constant, and always unapologetically in front of Carl and my little sister, and her extended family, who are still in complete denial that there's anything mentally wrong with her.

My parents had given me a car for my 17th birthday, and the title was understandably in her name since I was so young back then. Being a newer driver, I'd sometimes get parking tickets for an overrun meter, or accidentally forget to move my car when parking in NYC. Anytime even the smallest thing came up (and it was not often), Lisa would grasp it as a chance to shame and guilt me for being a horrible and irresponsible child driver. Any meter ticket would get forwarded to her email or sent as a letter, and she would jump on it immediately. By 2013 when I was living in Chicago, far away from her grasp, she would still text me about the smallest infractions. The car was her last remaining connection to me, and the only excuse she had left to text or call me.

At one point she demanded that I "give her car back in 24 hours," which was not possible since she was in Connecticut and I was in Illinois. A few weeks later I had to drive back to CT to visit friends and she somehow found out, as she has a habit of Facebook stalking me and making up fake accounts. The next morning I got a call from the police telling me that if I don't hand over Lisa's car to her, they'll be forced to arrest me. Lisa had gone to the police station to falsely accuse me of stealing her property, all knowing that Carl was in California with no way to help me while I was alone in his house. As I was on the phone with them, I could hear her in the background pretending to cry. I told Carl, and the moment he threatened to Lisa that he would stop paying the car insurance, she texted me saying that she "called it off, sweetie." It was then that I told her to never speak to me again, and that was the last thing I would ever tolerate from her in my life.

The next morning, she texted me that she was outside and coming into the house to drop off laundry and to walk the dog, "so you should probably go upstairs if you don't want to see me." I told her to leave the laundry on the porch and that I would walk the dog, and to leave and stop encouraging unwanted communication, since I had JUST told her less than 12 hours ago to never contact me again after she had tried to get her own daughter arrested for reasons I'll never understand. I locked the door, and that's when the yelling started. She would not stop banging on the door and yelling, and exclaiming random things to me like, "You're hurting your baby sister!" in desperation. She kept using the dog as an excuse to come in, so I took the dog, opened the door a crack, and the dog ran out to her before she had a chance to push the door in. It was a horrifying moment realizing the insanity of my own mother in those few seconds of opening the door--- she was pressed against the door, and as soon as she realized what I was doing, she started to scream with her eyes bulging, trying to force herself in as forcefully as she could. I slammed it and pressed my body against the door so she couldn't break it down, and her screaming escalated. (I had to record the entire thing on my computer's photo booth in case it turned ugly, and so my family would finally believe me.)

There was no logical reason for her to continue yelling and pounding on the door as I was staying silent the entire time/not instigating, and she was starting to scare me. I ended up, ironically, calling the police to get her off the property. Turned out to be the same police I was on the phone with the other day, and they finally realized what had been going on and said that if she came back they would arrest her. I haven't seen her since, but apparently she's had thyroid cancer and even tried to use that as a manipulation tactic. Last text she wrote to me a few months later was, "Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I have cancer." I responded with, "That's terrible, I hope it works out for you." and blocked her number. She still to this day tries to use Leah as a means of getting to me, and it's been very hard to have a relationship with Leah at all since Lisa is so insanely controlling and overbearing with her, just as she was with me. It's bizarre because I am seeing exactly the way I was raised, except now it's with Leah. Lisa and Carl divorced when Leah was 3, which was exactly the same age I was when Lisa and Jack divorced.

Since escaping her grasp, I've developed an autoimmune condition that flares up whenever I'm under a lot of stress. It was a combination of genetic predisposition and my body simply not being able to withstand stress anymore, so it shut down. I still struggle with PTSD and anxiety, and physically shake when under a lot of stress when it involves other people. I'm so much healthier and happier since 2013 and am on the road to remission, but it's still quite a ways to go. I can only hope that Leah gets through this with the support of Carl, because I am physically unable to be around Lisa without having a PTSD response and activating my condition. Hopefully Leah will understand when she is older and can see for herself just like I did.

Also: I got myself into one of the top professional circus training facilities in the world, and am in Cirque du Soleil's international database under a special file called "future talent." Suck it, Lisa.

Thanks for listening <3



Submitted January 29, 2017 at 11:06AM by throwaway4444444442 http://ift.tt/2jDqQiC offmychest

Level Refrigerators? GoRVing

If RV 'fridges need to be level to operate on propane, why aren't the innards that matter on gimbles? I wanna know.



Submitted January 29, 2017 at 09:54AM by regnillub http://ift.tt/2jDiGqo GoRVing

Me [21F] with my cousin [21F]. How to help when she doesn't see the problem. relationships

There is a lot of background here so I will shorten it as much as possible.

My aunt and uncle were never great parents to my cousins. My cousins were home schooled for all of their schooling before high school before they were enrolled in the same school as me. They were constantly compared to me growing up and there was a lot of resentment.

Both of my cousins struggled once they got out of high school. The older one, Alison, had an especially hard time. The younger one, Addie, was always the golden child compared to Alison. Their parents, especially my uncle, pushed both girls into fields that they were not interested and they both failed out of technical school. They both now work, although both have a string of short-term jobs across the last 3 years.

Anyway, recently my aunt's behavior towards Alison has become far worse than it normally it. She gets mad at Alison for not doing a household chore correctly and punishes her by either taking her phone or threatening to kick her out of the house. Today, Alison had her phone taken away for not cleaning out the refrigerator "correctly" and she just got it back after convincing her mother it was for school. She was told once again that she would be kicked out if another mistake was made.

Alison and Addie's parents are currently having financial issues (whole another story about my uncle not getting paid and not trying to do anything about it). I originally thought that my aunt was just stressed until Alison told me that Addie was given $50 for a date with her boyfriend today. Alison also recently came out to her mother (against my advice), which may have contributed.

Essentially, I need help convincing Alison that she needs to get out of this horrible situation. I am having lunch with her tomorrow. She has always been so dismissive of her mother's behavior towards her as not being normal. My family is fully prepared to take her in and help her until my cousin graduates with her degree in 8 months. We had this discussion before, when my aunt threatened to throw her out earlier and Alison said she could survive 8 more months.

Please help me. I'm tired of seeing her get treated this way.

tldr: Aunt is treating my cousin horribly. I need to help convince her to get out.



Submitted January 29, 2017 at 08:45AM by AliceWonderGirl http://ift.tt/2jhI7zb relationships

Room treatment for a hobbyist audioengineering

Currently I record and mix in a completely untreated room. My standard setup is to program drums, record bass direct-in, and close-mic my guitar amp.

Lately I've been thinking of adding a little bit of foam treatment to the room and potentially upgrading my monitors. But I wonder if I'd be better off just getting a solid set of headphones for mixing.

Part of the reason is that the room I'm recording in (kind of a combined living room/ kitchen) is set up a little weirdly. On one side, the door / windows go right against the corner of the room, so there's only about 10" above them that a corner bass trap could fit in. On the other end, my refrigerator is tucked into a corner (not much space else to put it) with a little space above it, and cabinets / countertop on the other side preventing any real space to put a bass trap.

So I guess three questions come out of this:

1) Since I'm close-micing the only instrument I'm using to record, does the lack of treatment in the room have a hugely negative effect?

2) Due to the lack of places for effective bass traps, is it worth trying to treat the room?

3) Is buying a good pair of headphones just a better investment for now?



Submitted January 29, 2017 at 07:01AM by gruntledungle http://ift.tt/2jJcbQj audioengineering

LPT: When you buy a new Refrigerator LifeProTips

When you buy a new Refrigerator - consider buying, from the parts store, an extra door shelf and freezer shelf.

You will most likely be using it for the next 10-15 years so the utility gained is worth the cost. I just did this with a new side-by-side. Well worth it. Also, If the "butter" shelf is removable, replace it with a standard shelf.



Submitted January 29, 2017 at 07:12AM by Clivebw http://ift.tt/2keWLX7 LifeProTips

IAMA guy who just ate shrimp that had been in the refrigerator for probably 2 weeks after I had initially eaten some of it, AMA before I'm greeted by death's cold embrace. casualiama

I bought it and froze it, then I ate some and refrigerated the rest, apparently it's not supposed to be in the refrigerator that long. The only good thing is I did cook it in a skillet fairly thoroughly before eating it with cocktail sauce. Never the less I may be fucked, if I do die it will have been from doing what I love so I have minimal regrets.



Submitted January 29, 2017 at 06:40AM by Particle_Man_Prime http://ift.tt/2keRhvC casualiama

Room treatment for a hobbyist audioengineering

Currently I record and mix in a completely untreated room. My standard setup is to program drums, record bass direct-in, and close-mic my guitar amp.

Lately I've been thinking of adding a little bit of foam treatment to the room and potentially upgrading my monitors. But I wonder if I'd be better off just getting a solid set of headphones for mixing.

Part of the reason is that the room I'm recording in (kind of a combined living room/ kitchen) is set up a little weirdly. On one side, the door / windows go right against the corner of the room, so there's only about 10" above them that a corner bass trap could fit in. On the other end, my refrigerator is tucked into a corner (not much space else to put it) with a little space above it, and cabinets / countertop on the other side preventing any real space to put a bass trap.

So I guess three questions come out of this:

1) Since I'm close-micing the only instrument I'm using to record, does the lack of treatment in the room have a hugely negative effect?

2) Due to the lack of places for effective bass traps, is it worth trying to treat the room?

3) Is buying a good pair of headphones just a better investment for now?



Submitted January 29, 2017 at 07:01AM by gruntledungle http://ift.tt/2jJcbQj audioengineering

LPT: When you buy a new Refrigerator LifeProTips

When you buy a new Refrigerator - consider buying, from the parts store, an extra door shelf and freezer shelf.

You will most likely be using it for the next 10-15 years so the utility gained is worth the cost. I just did this with a new side-by-side. Well worth it. Also, If the "butter" shelf is removable, replace it with a standard shelf.



Submitted January 29, 2017 at 07:12AM by Clivebw http://ift.tt/2keWLX7 LifeProTips

I thought the dryer shrank my clothes.. Jokes

turns out it was the refrigerator



Submitted January 29, 2017 at 04:30AM by ApexWebmaster http://ift.tt/2jqrEnB Jokes

Samsung RS265TDRS Refrigerator Not Cooling appliancerepair

About a month ago the refrigerator started making a noise if the fan was hitting something. The noise stopped but I noticed that the temperature was around 50F. In the back of the lower drawers there is ice.



Submitted January 29, 2017 at 04:39AM by longmvu http://ift.tt/2kfc7LJ appliancerepair

White refrigerator (Ridgefield) FreeStuffNYC

White refrigerator. Missing door handle. Works well. Must pick up

from Craigslist http://ift.tt/2jIUlNq

via IFTTT



Submitted January 29, 2017 at 03:17AM by fiplefip http://ift.tt/2jBZSrz FreeStuffNYC

I have an extra, already baked apple pie from a local bakery leftover from Xmas in the freezer. Better to just defrost in the refrigerator and eat? Or defrost, warm up in the oven, eat and keep the leftovers in the fridge? Cooking

No text found

Submitted January 29, 2017 at 02:34AM by DaydreamKid http://ift.tt/2kFkdKl Cooking

White refrigerator (Ridgefield) FreeStuffNYC

White refrigerator. Missing door handle. Works well. Must pick up

from Craigslist http://ift.tt/2jIUlNq

via IFTTT



Submitted January 29, 2017 at 03:17AM by fiplefip http://ift.tt/2jBZSrz FreeStuffNYC

Whirlpool Gold Refrigerator Evaporator Coil Partial Ice Over - Poor Cooling Performance appliancerepair

After routine maintenance, I removed the evap coil cover and saw this: http://ift.tt/2jIDZoe

Initial research points this out to be an internal system failure. The freezer is only getting to about 20-21F, ice cream is soft, ice isn't very hard. A couple weeks ago when this started, I troubleshot it and removed lots of pet hair from the condenser coil, that didn't help. All fans, etc. are working.

Two weeks ago when the ice cream got soft, I removed the panels and vacuumed up tons of pet hair thinking maybe the condenser coil was blocked. Despite removing all that stuff, two weeks later and the ice cream hasn't gotten any better. I didn't do a full defrost, but after two weeks you'd figure it'd sort itself out.

I have a home warranty, but I have a 26 Cubic Foot fridge and the contract says "under 26 cubic foot", FML, given how those guys will get out of everything, I'm guessing it's not worth even using them.

Fridge is 6 years old and everything else works, just the cooling performance. From what an appliance guy told me, the partial freeze over is not good and repair is likely not worth it.



Submitted January 29, 2017 at 01:51AM by -DB-Cooper http://ift.tt/2jBKA5Y appliancerepair

[OC] The Galactic Salt Road: Albert's Kitchen - Chapter 13: Early Mornings and Angry Cooks HFY

The thumping and scraping sounds around me eventually woke me up. I blearily lifted my head, trying to find what was creating the racket. It would have gone better if I could actually see anything. My eyes were gummy and everything was out of focus in my morning-impaired brain.

“Wazzapenin’?” was my very eloquent greeting to the general environs of my bed. I could see two black outlines moving about. They stopped when I mumbled the question with my cracked voice.

“Oh, sorry, mate. We’re almost done. We just need to get a few things together and we’ll let you get back to sleep. That is, if I can just find my bloody sights. I know I placed it here somewhere.” The one near the door said. He dropped down on the floor and started searching under a bed.

“You sure you left it there? We were all kind of messed up from last night. I could still taste the blood in my mouth. Damn, I might have bitten my tongue. It feels really swollen. It’s hard to use it. Tell me if I’m saying it right; Blue. Blueeee. BLUE! Yep, no tongue action for the moment.” The other black blob was a woman, judging from her voice. She has an interesting timbre on her voice, kinda like she was on the verge of singing, almost. All of those thoughts didn’t register to me. I was still floating in between wakefulness and sleep so I just laid my head down and let the comfortable bed allow me to drift back to unconsciousness.

People have said that I was not a morning person and I agree. I’ve long accepted the fact that I was an asshole when woken up when I didn't have anything planned for the morning so it was not a surprise to me that I got mad when the guy looking for his sights suddenly went “Oh bugger!” and slammed on my side, throwing me off my bed. I dropped on the ground in an ungraceful heap, the air knocked out of me. I rolled on my back and let the momentary pain run its course. I could hear some cussing coming from on top of my bed.

“Gah! Bugger me, Who put that shoe there. Mate, I’m really sorry. I-”

“GADDEMMIT!!!”

I didn’t know what came over me but I jump up roaring from beside the bed. I was madder that I’ve ever been before. At the back of mind, I was thinking about how it was probably not a good idea that I took a shared room. Knowing my morning tantrums, it was stupid of me to expect that I wouldn’t be disturbed. Anyway, that single moment of thought didn’t stop the primitive part of my brain from taking action. I grabbed at the closest things within touching distance and threw them with as much force and anger as I could. I just kept throwing at the offending people when a terrified scream finally snapped me out of my rage. I stood there, crouched with knives in my hands. The woman whose scream turned me lucid has ducked behind a bed, knives imbedded very close to her head and legs that were sticking out. The man on my bed was in a similar situation. He rolled off the bed just in time as my throwing knives stitched towards him at regular intervals until he was pinned to the ground by a knife that caught my blanket he was entangled in. His eyes were huge and his arms were splayed in front of him.

“Stop! Fuck me, I’m sorry mate. Please, drop the knife. No need for that.” He was trying to keep calm but his voice trembled badly. I was also trembling but mostly from adrenaline. The anger slowly bled out, giving my foggy brain a chance to come into full lucidity. I dropped the knives I was holding in each hand on top of my side table and rubbed my face. My hands were shaking but I could feel myself starting to calm down. The woman was peeking from behind the bed while the man just slumped on the floor.

“Sorry. Not a morning person.” I said. The woman got up and slowly moved her way towards the pistol I could see hanging by the bed she was hiding behind. The man pulled out my knife with an effort and extricated himself from the twisted blanket.

“Bloody hell, you could have just said so, mate. Jesus, I thought I was going to cark it. Fuck me, you’re a hell of a thrower.” The man stood up and took a respectable distance from me. The man was a tall and lithe, sinewy muscles running cords visible on his bare forearms. His skin was sun-baked, well browned and cracking in some places. His face also evidenced his time under harsh environments. He has gray steel eyes and a long pointy nose. His long, black, burnished hair was tied into a ponytail. He has a thin mouth the complemented his squinty eyes, giving the image of the man always frowning. He turned to look at the woman who was now holding on an energy pistol.

“’Ow ya goin’? You good?”

“I’m good but I’m now thinking about shooting somebody.” Her face was hardening and I could see anger simmering behind it. I looked at the man, helpless in not being able to articulate why I suddenly turned psychotic. I think he understood because he waved the woman to reholster the gun. She reluctantly did so but she kept eyes on me, standing beside the holstered weapon.

“She’ll be right. No worries. I got tripped by that shoe. I was bent down looking for my sights so I didn’t see it. Are we good, mate? I didn’t know you were mad as cut snake.” The man said. He has a very strong accent and it was hard for me to completely understand what he saying but I got that he was very concerned about my sanity. I was starting to blush with embarrassment and mortification. That has never happened before.

“I don’t know what came over me. I swear, this was the first time that that happened. My god, I almost skewered somebody. Don’t worry, I’ll transfer rooms as soon as I can. I’m really sorry.” I wanted to dig a hole and die in it. What the hell was going on with me? I collected my clothes and started putting them on. I continued babbling, thinking about how horrible the morning would have been if I’ve killed someone.

“It has been a stressful week. I’ve been running around Sheer Alkan, testing the alcohol market. I’ve got a meeting with the brass and I’m still working on the sourcing of the trail mix I’m working on for the men of Woglinde. Those had me zipping around in a rental, driving all over-”

“Wait, you’re that bloke the other troopers were talkin’ about? The one that gave them a coldie?” The man interrupted my incessant stream. The woman also was surprised with the question.

“Uh, if you’re talking about the ale, yeah, that’s me.”

“What’s ale? They were saying something about getting some free beer.” He clarified.

“Ah. Ale is a kind of beer but apparently, that doesn’t matter. Listen, I don’t know if it would make it up for you but how about both of you try some of my ale? They’re pretty good. Take it as my apology. What do you say?” I grasped at the notion of me being known by troopers and tried to capitalize on it. The woman cursed then put her hands on her waist.

“I guess I can’t kill you now. It’s hard to find a good brewer.” She said. The anger was gone from her face as a small smile replaced it.

She is a very pale woman. Her blonde hair was almost silvery white. One thing you immediately notice is how symmetrical her face is. It’s true that symmetry is very pleasing to the eyes. She has bright blue eyes and a cute button of a nose. Her thick lips were unpainted but were still a good shade of red. Her skin was freckled here and there but it didn’t detract from her beauty. Her petite, shapely stature gave off a vibe of vulnerability. It was easy for people to miss how deftly she handled the pistol earlier if they were too focused on looking at her face. She definitely doesn’t fit the mercenary stereotype.

“Kinda early for that, isn’t it?” The man commented as he looked at the chronometer on the wall.

“Oh, get off it. This is not going to be the first time you had a morning brew. C’mon, I wanna have a taste of it. I’m Aoife Byrne by the way. I’m with the Flosshilde.”Aoife came forward to give a handshake.

“Name’s Ethan Jones. Also of the Flosshilde.” Ethan also shook my hand. I was relieved that they quickly dismissed the morning excitement. I also introduced mylself.

“Albert Mayon. Cook in the Woglinde.”

“A cook, are you? And from our sister ship nonetheless. I keep on running in on you buggers. Even those wankers in the Wellgunde are stomping around. What the bloody hell is goin’ on? You know anything?” Both of them were now looking at me with interest, hoping for an answer.

“Sorry. I have no idea on what’s happening. We just got called back home but they didn’t tell us anything. I probably know less than you guys. I’m just a cook. I’m normally stuck behind a counter. I don’t normally rate operational information.” I said.

“Typical. Again, we know nothing. Let’s not think about that anymore. How about that beer?” I could see Aoife almost drooling from the prospect.

“You sure you can afford to get pissed? We still have to hunt today. I don’t know if you can even taste anything with that fat tongue of yours. That tree swinger got a good hook, doesn’t he?” Ethan asked with a chortle. Now that I was looking closely, I could see that Aoife has a split lip. There was some bruising on her lower right jaw. It seems that they got in a fight last night.

“Thank god that he was drunk. He could have probably knocked a couple of teeth off if he wasn’t too busy trying to stay upright. I didn’t know that they could drink that much!” Aoife said in wonder.

“They got some good grog, them Inugorians. If they could get pissed and expect to not fall off a tree then they better have superior alcohol tolerance limits.” Ethan added sagely.

“Will you stop with the tree swinger shit!? You know they hate that.”

“Well, they could get stuffed. It’s not like I’m lying.”

“Sure. Next time, you say that in front of their faces. Let’s see you try taking a punch from a sober one, you racist asshole.”

“Hey, I’ve no problem with the bastards. They’re good fighters and excellent mates. They just need to be taken down a peg or two. Doesn’t mean I’m suicidal.”

“Thought so. Well, let’s have that beer then.” I was listening to their banter and jumped a bit when the attention suddenly shifted to me. I asked for a moment as I collected the knives scattered about the room. I surprised myself on how many where thrown. I had to pull out eight of them, five on my bed. I grimaced as I thought about how I am going to explain the damage to mama-san. I filed that for later and waved for both of them to follow me. We tromped our way to the kitchen. We passed mama-san who was talking with some people in the sitting room. We didn’t bother her as she looked to be in a serious conversation. The kitchen was buzzing with staff working on breakfast. I asked the head cook if we could enter his domain. Most people think nothing about entering a kitchen but I know better. The head cook admonished us to keep out of the way. We kept far away from the preparation tables and made our way to the freezer units. I moved over to the beverage refrigerator and took out a bio locked plasticrate. I opened it up and took out two chilled bottles of ale. I handed them to the eagerly waiting hands of Ethan and Aoife. They quickly opened them up and clinked their bottles with a ‘cheers!’ and both downed half of the contents of the bottles in one long pull.

“Ah. Nothing like good beer, eh?” Aoife said as she smacked her lips.

“Top drop, mate. A bit weak and too fruity for my taste but good on ya.” Ethan said. He winked at me then emptied his bottle. Aiofe did the same. We talked about the ale for a while. I took notes of their critique and added it to the collated observations of my other tasters.

“Listen, mate. We have to get a move on. The morning’s burnin’ and we have to get out of here. You ready, Aoife?”

“Yep.”

“Oh okay. Sorry again for the knives…and all.” I lamely added.

“No worries. Almost made me slash my pants, tell you that.”

“What were you looking for anyway?” I asked. It was curious as to what was damn important that he was making such a racket so early in the morning.

“Oh, my crossbow sights. I cleaned it yesterday but I somehow misplaced it. Bloody hard hitting anything at a distance without it especially being out in the whoop whoop.”

“You’re going hiking?”

“Hunting, mate. Hunting. You don’t need sights to hike up a mountain.” Ethan said with a laugh. That made sense.

“Oh, right. What are you hunting anyway? I didn’t know you could do that here.” In Ceres, Flower made some side cash guiding hunting groups. They always had to be careful in controlling the sabre population. Left unchecked, they would decimate the transplanted fauna. There were a number of sabres that are allowed to be hunted every year but that is strictly regulated.

Antuana. They’re kinda like wild boars except a lot bigger and more aggressive. Tyr has an open bounty on the things. They’re not endemic here. They speculated that some merchanter brought down some in the past and let some lose. They’re considered as a pest since they ravage farmlands and chew on crops. There seems to always be a lot of them. Hunters like to bag a few every mating season. They’re good eating.” Aoife explained. She finished her ale and gave the bottle back. I digitally tagged it with my ArmComm and returned the bottle in the crate. I tag the bottles with the corresponding drinker so that I could have a clear record of who drank it and what they like or didn’t like about it. Their opinions would be included in my spreadsheet.

“Good to know. Well, good luck on your hunt.”

“You ever hunted before?” Ethan suddenly asked.

“Yes. Um, to be specific, I’ve joined a hunting party before. Never actually shot anything before. My aim is… something left to be desired.”

“You busy right now? Got anything to do?” Ethan pressed. I think I know where this was going but I let it play out.

“Not really. I was just planning on checking out some sights by the sea. They say there are some good fishing spots there.” Ethan looked at Aoife and she nodded.

“How about you join us? A little Red Tiger bonding experience. It would be fun.”

“I’m a bad shot though. I’m also not used in moving through the forest. I might scare the game away.”

“No worries, mate. You could be our offsider. We have an extended hunting license that covers other members of our party. You could bag yourself some good tucker. What do you say?” Ethan said. Aoife agreed and added her voice in the mix.

I thought about and considered that if I could bring done some game, I could have it delivered to the Woglinde. It would spice our menu up. The more I thought about it, the more appealing it got. I decided it was a good idea but I wanted to bring somebody with me.

“Would it be okay to invite another person? She’s the head cook of the Woglinde. She just got off the ship yesterday.”

“Franny’s here? Hell, that’ll be fun. Sure, call her up. We’ll get our equipment. Meet us by the front door.” Ethan thumped me on the shoulder and swigged his bottle, emptying it. He tossed it to me and I almost dropped the thing. Taking a second to tag the bottle, I then called Franny on my ArmComm. It was early but she picked up. She had her communicator or audio only.

“What? Do you know how early it is?” Her cracking voice oddly clear even in her interrupted sleep.

"Sorry, sorry. I just wanted to ask you if you want to come with me on a hunt. Some of the guys from Flosshilde invited me to join them on an Antuana hunt. Figured that we could use the meat for our meat culture vats. Beef and chicken are getting a bit old." I explained. I could hear some rusltling and a thump or two. Franny yawned before answering.

"Antuana hunt? You're right. I'm getting tired of beef stroganoff myself. Sure, I'll come. Give me a couple of minutes then swing by to pick me up." She dropped the call without waiting for me to talk back. I just shrugged and went back to my shared room to get some stuff. I've been on hunts before, mostly as an assistant to Flower whenever he's out taking some rich guys for sabre culling. At first, I felt kinda queasy about it and not a bit disturbed since baby was with us all the time. I had the unreasonable thought that baby might not take well to us murdering her bretheren. Of course, she's an animal but an intelligent animal nontheless. It took me a while to get used to the idea and started to actually enjoy it. Flower did explain how important it is to the ecosystem that the population balance among the predators and prey be maintained. It threw me off the first time Flower invited me on a hunt. The idea of a zoo keeper hunting down animals was totally not something I imagined.

I changed into something a little bit more practical for the hunt. I had the opportunity to expand my wardrobe so I was not worried about proper clothing. I decided to wear the Vellager shirt under my vest since it was light enough and it breathes. My vest was a simple leather one with breast and side pockets but it does come with a color control. I dialed the color to something that would not look out of place in the Tyrian countryside then pulled on a pair of sturdy pants. I wasn't really planning on shooting anything during the hunt so I just strapped on my bandolier and a small sling bag. If this hunt is like the others I had before, there's going to be some outdoor cooking to be done later. I had a small spice box that I always keep for this kind of situation. I grabbed a hat that I got for free during one of the group tours I joined when I was gawking at the different sights around Tyr then made a mental check that I have everything. Satisfied, I left the room and briskly made my way to the front door. Mama-san was still talking with people so I just waved at her as I pass her by. She smiled at me but her attention was to the people she was having such a serious talk with.

"Ready?" Ethan asked. He has his crossbow case on hand. Aoife also has one and was also carrying a large bag with her.

"Yeah. Franny said to pick her up at her hotel." I replied. We made our way to the parking lot and walked along the parked cars. We stopped in front of a green grav truck. Ethan had us load our stuff in the back then hurried us inside. He didn't want to waste daylight as much as possible. I gave him the address to Franny's hotel as we pulled out of the parking lot. The hotel was not that far from the Tiger's Den so we got there in less than five minutes. I sent Franny a message that we were on the way when we left to pick her up and she was already waiting when we arrived. She looks disturbingly perky after complaining how early it is. She was waving at us with her hat as we pulled up beside her. She got in beside me at the back after judiciously shoving me farther to the other side.

"Move, I don't like being crowded." she instructed.

"But I'm already squashed here. There's a lot of space, Franny." I complained, pointing at the obvious seating space between us.

"Well, it's not enough. Don't crowd me or I'll punch you in the dick. Hey, I know you. You're Ethan, right? You're that guy that fell off the stage after getting drunk and tried singing and dancing during sing-a-long night, right?" Ethan frowned at the memory while Aoife slapped her knee and howled in laughter.

"Bugger. I was hoping people have forgotten about that. Yeah, I'm Ethan. This here is Aoife. We're both from Flosshilde. You're that bluey that Garron tried hitting on, right? Let's just say that man is... not the full quid." Again, the man's dialect was making it difficult for me to understand what the hell he was saying. What is a quid? and did he just call Franny a 'bluey'?

"Sometimes, people just need to learn the hard way." Franny sagely answered. We were pulling out of the hotel's driveway and were going south. Both Ethan and Aoife chuckled at Franny's advice.

"Yeah, a broken nose will get your attention." Aoife commented. The road trip lasted almost an hour. I spent the time getting to know the other Red Tiger mercs and found them an agreeable lot. Aoife, particularly, is quite the chatterbox. She has no compunctions in sharing gossip. Man, the amount of sex they have in Flosshilde sounds exhausting.

We were way out of any inhabited areas when we came upon a ranger outpost. It's a squat building that looks very utilitarian. It was made of local wood though so it still looks nice. Ethan parked the truck and we spilled out onto the grassy ground. We collected our belonging and made our way to enter the building. The reciveing area of the ranger station was a pretty spartan affair. There was an information holo terminal on the left side of the largish room and a printed map of the area on the wall on top of it. Some comfortable looking sofas were scattered around the room and some living room chairs were placed around a coffee table. A receptionist counter at the end of the room was the object of our attention. An older Barral was standing behind it, fiddling with something out of view.

"Greetings. Welcome to station 15. How can I help you?" The ranger rumbled.

"We're going out for an Antuana hunt. What's the current rate?" Aoife answered for the group. The ranger and Aoife got into the details for the hunt while Ethan waved us towards the nearest table. He placed his crossbow case on the table and opened it up.

"Let's get geared up. No use waiting for later when we need it." Ethan advised. He took out his crossbow and it was massive. The arms on the thing were thick. I don't know much about crossbows but I could definitely say that this particular one would do some damage.

"Woah. That thing's huge! Wait, how big is this Antuana?" It never occurred to me to ask earlier.

"No worries, mate. We got it covered."

"But how big is it?"

"Big enough."

"But how big!? Ethan? Franny?" The man just chuckled and walked out the station shouldering his crossbow. Franny gave me a pitying look then patted me on the cheeks. She was also packing a crossbow. She followed Ethan out. I got irritated and made my way to the information terminal. I made a local search on Antuana and the image of the animal was projected in front of me.

"Well, shit."

The Antuana is essentially an oversized armored wild boar. It stands about a meter and a quarter but it is almost three meters in length. The average weight of observed Antuanas is about 180-220 kilograms. Only a small percentage of that is fat. The animal is also fast. It runs on six stumpy and powerful legs and when charging, it could reach speeds up to sixty kilometers per hour. The boar is armed with long, curving tusks that, combined with its weight, could gore you and throw you over its head. Its leathery skin is way harder than it looks. The hunting guide suggested to use armor piercing rounds, or in our case quarrel tips, to penetrate it. The guide also warns the prospective hunter that though the boar is almost blind, it's nose is very sensitive. It could also hear from quite a distance. Caution is advised.

Of course caution is well and truly advised.

I left the terminal and joined Ethan and Franny outside. The two hunter were excitedly talking about how we were going to work together during the hunt. I paid close attention to what they were saying and came to the conclusion that I was way over my head.

"Uh, guys? I'm not exactly a good shot so, how about I take a seat back and let you guys do your thing?" I suggested when there was a break in their conversation.

"What, and miss out on all the fun? Nah, no worries. Tell you what, we'll bag a couple and you watch us on how we do it. Franny told me about your aim. C'mere, I've something for you." Ethan walked back to the truck and opened the utility trunk. He pressed a recessed button on the side and a panel popped out. He opened the hidden compartment and took out a rod, about half a meter long. He waved me back as he closed the trunk. He faced me and held out the rod horizontally. He pressed a button and the rod extended to full length. A spear head also slid out of one end.

"Here. Franny talked about how good your throwing arm is. Show me." I took the proffered spear and held it in my hand. I jiggled it a bit, checking for balance. I looked around the area and decided to try it on a nearby tree. The extremely large tree that was shading our truck from the bright sun was perfect. I eyed the distance and took a throwing position at about a hundred meters away from it. I hefted the spear for a throw but was interrupted by Ethan.

"Hang on, mate. That's a bit far, ain't it?" He asked while looking at the distance I was about to throw dubiously. I lifted my right arm and showed him my force multiplier. He wasn't familiar with it so I just told him to watch. I again took my stance and taking a moment to check that the multiplier was activated, I threw the spear with a grunt. The projectile zoomed towards the tree like it was shot from a bow and embedded itself deeply on the trunk with a loud thwack.

"Fair suck of the sav! I didn't expect that!" Ethan exclaimed. We walked together to check my throw and it went in deep. I pouted at the result.

"What? That was bloody good, mate."

"Ah, it was alright. Could have been better."

"What do you mean?"

"I was aiming at the knot." I pointed at the middle of the knot. The spear was about a dozen centimeters from the center. It was not a bad throw, considering. Maybe I was expecting too much. After all, it was my first time throwing a spear.

"Believe me, that's good enough. How about you practice on it while we wait on Aoife?" I nodded and pulled out the spear. It has a molecular spear point so it took some doing to pull it out. I was able to throw a couple more times until I felt that I was getting better at it. I could hit a stationary target at a hundred meters dead center. I felt comfortable with the spear and more confident on my future participation in the hunt.

"You're really good at that. Good move in getting those knives. It still doesn't mean you won't be working on your shooting scores, okay?" Franny reminded me as I sat on a bench in front of the building.

"I'm working hard at that. I think I'm getting a bit better but those are stationary targets. I don't know how will that translate to combat." I admitted.

"You got your knives now. Your pistol is going to be your backup. It sounds insane, now that I'm thinking about it. Still, what matters is that you are now a bonafide threat during boarding engagements."

"Wait, you got boarded? I've got to hear this. Franny, spill." Ethan excitedly requested. Franny gave an abridged version of our engagement in Ceres space. Ethan was surprised at the boldness shown by the slavers.

"What the bloody hell is going on!? Slavers taking on Red Tiger merc ships is just stupid. The Woglinde isn't exactly a tramp freighter." Ethan was mystified by the whole thing. We talked a little bit more about it until Aoife finally made her appearance. The ranger followed her out and they went to around to the back of the building. They came back after a couple of minutes but this time, they were leading a bunch of saddled Saguk. The birds were walking placidly behind the ranger who was holding the reins. Aoife has a large smile on her face then gestured at the green feathered birds.

"Our noble steeds." She grandly announced.

Looks like I'm going to be learning a lot of things today.

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Submitted January 29, 2017 at 01:40AM by Soopah_Fly http://ift.tt/2jIGmY5 HFY