POST-054) https://rofufe.co.uk/crustless-pumpkin-pie-recipe-super-easy/
POST-055) https://rofufe.co.uk/white-chocolate-and-sweet-corn-blondies-recipe/
POST-056) https://rofufe.co.uk/mini-ferrero-rocher-cheesecakes-averie-cooks/
POST-057) https://rofufe.co.uk/what-is-a-relationship/
POST-058) https://rofufe.co.uk/what-are-the-differences-between-bank-and-critical/

previous
The PV Hobby Horse, a small cargo ship in the manufacturer’s default medium grey, sat at one end of the docks. Mid-bulk transports took the other occupied slots, while the big ships were loaded by drone on the opposite side of the station.
Sidra Boston, captain of the Hobby Horse and professional bounty hunter, found herself facing a trip back into aslodzhin space to fulfill a promise. The trip was going to cost. Any other species’ space, she’d find someone that needed a small cargo delivered, but not so the aslodzhins. They already had her and her ship registered as a private vehicle for the purpose of bounty hunting, and their rules were as strict and inflexible as their carapace.
On a whim, she checked for any bounties put out by the aslodzhin courts. That she found one surprised her; the fact that the bounty was so low it wouldn’t even cover docking fees didn’t. Still, the skip was reportedly on this station, and it saved her a few credits.
Sidra wandered the station, stopping in the first eatery she encountered. They did a passable burger and fries, but the milkshake tasted like sweetened sludge, and was undrinkable.
She paid for her meal and looked at the warrant again. The hikarin female shouldn’t be difficult to find. Hikarins were tall, often well over two meters, thin, fine-boned, furry, and had six limbs, sometimes walking on four, sometimes on three and sometimes on two. The center two limbs were long and strong enough to act as legs, yet they had grasping feet-hands. This station, in human space, had few hikarins, and even fewer with the rare, orange fur of her bounty.
Finding her quarry was easier than expected. She sat against the wall in the main concourse and held a sign asking for food or assistance to get to Lizshak, a world in aslodzhin space.
Sidra didn’t have any weapons or cuffs on her, but thought she’d give it a try. “Minsahee?” she asked.
The hikarin nodded. Her large eyes were sunken, her fur a matted and dull orange-brown beneath crusted clothes. “Can you help me get home?”
“Minsahee, I have a warrant for your arrest for failure to appear before the aslodzhin court. You can come with me quietly, or I can go back and get my cuffs and shackles and we can do this the hard way.”
Minsahee’s eyes filled with tears. “You mean, you’ll take me to Lizshak?”
“I wasn’t planning on going that far, but I’ll get you to aslodzhin space, Station 47, and the court will take you wherever you’re meant to stand trial.” Sidra extended a hand to help the hikarin to her feet.
She was too weak to walk on two limbs, instead leaning over to walk on four, and even then, her steps were unsteady. Sidra put an arm around her and was surprised at how bony the woman felt under the fur.
“Do you need a doctor?”
Minsahee leaned against Sidra. “No, I’m just tired.”
Sidra didn’t see a need to put the hikarin in the cell built into the cargo bay, and instead offered her a bunk in an unused cabin. “I’m trusting you not to be stupid,” she said. “Remember, I could take you on my worst day and your best, so don’t make me lock you up.”
Minsahee said nothing. Instead, she lay on the bunk, once again on the verge of tears.
Sidra grabbed a meal bar from the pantry and gave it to her with a jug of water. “There’s a washroom right next door if you need it. Once we’re in the hyper lane I’ll have time to answer any questions.”
At least the return trip to aslodzhin space would be quiet. She’d spent the last two weeks with a crippled turgen in the cell, cursing her every minute he was awake, until she finally snapped, “You wouldn’t stop! You threatened to kill the hikarin you’d already hurt, and the aslodzhin officer, and me! How was I to know you can’t walk or stand without the use of your tail, anyway?”
The court was at first reluctant to pay the bounty, given his condition. Once they saw the bodycam footage, though, they relented.
This was a strange one, though. She’d picked up skips in various states of injury or illness, but never one that seemed on the verge of starving to death.
Once they were in the lane, course plotted in, she returned to the cabin Minsahee was using. The door was still open, and the empty wrapper for the meal bar was folded neatly and laid next to the pillow on the bunk. The hikarin had drunk half the water and was sleeping curled up in a ball.
Sidra closed the door and slept in a chair right outside it. It wouldn’t do to have the gal try to sneak to the cockpit and reroute the ship to Lizshak.
When Sidra woke a few hours later, Minsahee was still asleep. She heated up a can of potato-leek soup with ham and filled a bowl for herself. It was just as she started on her meal that Minsahee entered, carrying the half-empty water jug and meal bar wrapper.
Sidra looked up at her. “You hungry?”
Minsahee nodded and Sidra got up and poured the other half can of soup into a bowl, put a spoon in it, and set it on the table opposite herself. She sat back down and nodded at the bowl.
The hikarin got the message and sat to eat. She ate as if it was the last meal she’d ever get. Still, she only managed to eat half of it.
“Thank you, Captain.”
“So, Minsahee, why Lizshak?”
“I have—had a home there. Maybe I can go back to my job after I serve my time.”
“Your warrant didn’t say anything about your crime. You mind telling me?”
“Not a crime, a civil infraction.” Minsahee still held on to the meal bar wrapper until Sidra pointed at the recycler where she finally deposited it.
“What was the infraction, and how much time are you facing?”
“Mandatory three standard days for failure to appear for an appointment to have my signature notarized.”
Sidra’s spoon stopped halfway to her mouth which hung open. She set the spoon back in the bowl. “Say that again?”
“I was closing out a lease, which required a notarized signature. I had an appointment at the court notary but had to leave the day prior for Amherst station where you picked me up.”
“Why is that?”
“My hemi-brother was injured and in intensive care there. He was my only remaining family.”
Sidra sighed. “Was. I take it he didn’t make it?”
Minsahee shook her head. “I spent every credit I had getting there and had no way back.”
“How long were you on Amherst?”
“I don’t know in standard days, but seventy-one human days.”
“Shit.” Sidra went back to eating her soup. “Do you feel a little better with some food in your belly?”
“Yes, Captain. Thank you again.”
“I’m going to lay out a few simple rules on my ship. One: never enter the cockpit unless I tell you to. Two: never cycle an airlock unless I tell you to. Three: Clean up after yourself. That includes putting your leftovers in the fridge over there and finishing them later. I hate waste. Four: if you’re using the washroom, flip the switch just inside the door up, so I know you’re in there, and flip it down when you leave.”
“Yes, Captain, I will do those things.”
“As long as you don’t break the rules, you can call me Sid. Is it okay if I call you Min?”
Minsahee nodded. “Yes, I’d like that.”
Sidra stood up and cleaned up her dishes. “Not rules, but a few helpful things. If you want to wait to eat when I eat, that’s fine, but if you’re hungry, don’t be afraid to come in and feed yourself. Drinking water is available from the labeled tap over there. First aid kit is right there, too, but there’s nothing in there to make me go night-night or get you high. If you need to, feel free to use my shampoo. I take it you haven’t had a good wash in a while, right?”
Minsahee looked down at the table. “Right.”
“Hey, don’t be embarrassed. It’s not your fault. Social Services on Amherst should’ve done something to help.”
As Minsahee put her leftovers in the fridge, Sidra flopped down on the sofa and started up a holo series. She hadn’t been able to pay any attention with her last passenger, so it seemed like a good time to catch up.
She heard the shower start and stop several times. At least she knows how to wash without wasting water, Sidra thought. During quiet parts of the holo she could hear pained grunts and sharp intakes of breath from the cabins.
Sidra paused the holo and went to check on Minsahee. Her door was open, and she was trying to untangle bright orange fur with her fingers. Her clothes lay in a pile beside the bed.
Sidra grabbed a comb and brush from the washroom and tapped on her door. “Would you like some help?”
“I don’t want to be a bother—”
“Nonsense. You can throw those clothes and the bedsheets in the sterilizer and come sit in the galley with me. I’ll work on your back while you work on your front.”
“But I’m naked.”
“So? See anyone else around here?”
Minsahee picked up the clothes and sheets and put them in the machine that Sidra pointed to. It started automatically, and she followed Sidra back to the galley.
“I’m gonna sit on the sofa, just sit on the floor in front of me and I’ll get started on your back.”
Once they’d settled in, Sidra resumed play on the holo and began to comb the mats out of the hikarin’s fur. She was careful not to pull too hard, instead treating it as she did the rescue cat she’d had years before.
“Captain, why would you do this for me?”
“I told you, Min, call me Sid.” She took a deep breath and let it out. “Maybe I just don’t want the court to think I abused you on the way.”
Minsahee shook her head. “That’s not it. You could’ve brought me in exactly as you found me, and they wouldn’t care. So why, Sid?”
“Most of the time my job’s pretty lonely. I guess it’s just nice having a skip that isn’t trying to run, or kill me, or anything of the sort.” She laughed. “You’re the first bounty I’ve ever picked up that wanted to go serve your time.”
“I can’t get work until I do,” she said, “so I should.”
Once Sidra had worked out the mats on Minsahee’s head, back, and upper arms, she handed the comb to her and began to brush out those areas. All the while, the two watched episode after episode of the holo.
They stopped partway through the evening to eat; Minsahee reheating and finishing her soup and Sidra making herself a sandwich. Even though her clothes were clean, Minsahee didn’t rush to dress. When Sidra had finished with the brush, Minsahee took over, brushing her forelimbs and legs, chest, belly, and neck.
As one of the holo episodes ended, Sidra stopped it and stood. “I’m going to shower and go to bed. If you want to keep watching you can, just no spoilers.”
“Spoilers?”
“If you watch more episodes, don’t tell me what happens. I like to find out for myself.”
“I think I’m just going to finish brushing out my legs, and then go to sleep myself. I’m not ready to put clothes on with how good my fur feels right now. Besides, I think the show’s more enjoyable with a friend.”
Sidra nodded and left the galley. A friend, she thought, is that how she sees me? The sterilizer was on the way to the cabins, so she pulled out the sheets and clothes, made up Minsahee’s bed, and laid her folded clothes in the center of it. The four-sleeved top had a large rip on one of the lower sleeves, but Sidra didn’t have any way to repair it.
She stepped into the shower, wet herself down, scrubbed, and rinsed quickly. She walked out carrying her clothes and wrapped in a towel. Minsahee waited for her just inside the door of her cabin. “Thank you again, ca—Sid.”
“Get some sleep, Min.” Sidra dropped her clothes and the towel in the sterilizer on her way by and lay down to sleep in her own cabin. She knew for sure now that Minsahee wasn’t going to sneak onto the bridge or try to strangle her in her sleep.
The next morning, Sidra pulled the treasure she’d picked up on Amherst out of the pantry. Two real potatoes. She’d planned on gorging on home fries, but since she had company, she’d share. Shit, she thought, company? I thought I was hauling a skip.
As she finished chopping the potatoes, she answered herself aloud, “No, she’s a good woman. She just missed an appointment, we all do. It’s the bugs that are the baddies here.”
“Did you say something?”
Sidra jumped, knocking the knife off the counter. It landed on her foot, leaving a long gash. “Ow, shit!”
“Lay down and elevate your foot,” Minsahee said with more force than Sidra thought her capable of. She pulled the first-aid kit off the wall and dropped down next to Sidra. In a matter of seconds, she’d cleaned the wound, and begun pulling out the suture kit. “I’m sorry, Captain, it’s deep and it needs stitches.”
“What was your job?” Sidra asked.
“Second-rank-emergency-trauma-physician-first-class,” she answered, as she sprayed a numbing agent on the injury.
“Aslodzhin titles. That would be like, what, an ER doctor in human space?”
“Similar,” she said, while stitching up Sidra’s foot. “The only things we don’t do are those we pass off to surgeons or specialists.”
Within a matter of minutes, Sidra’s foot was stitched and bandaged, and Minsahee helped her to the sofa where she could lie down and elevate her foot. Only after she was settled did she notice that besides tending her wound, Minsahee had cleaned up the blood, tidied up the suture and bandage packages, and repacked the first aid kit.
“Thanks, Min. Or I guess I should say Doctor Minsahee.”
“There’s no need for that. But I will have to take care of you for a few days. You need to stay off that foot as much as possible.”
“Ugh.”
“What were you preparing to cook?”
“I was going to make us some home fries. The potatoes are chopped and ready.”
“I don’t know what home fries or potatoes are, but if you talk me through it, I can make it for you.”
As Sidra lay on the sofa, eating home fries, she looked at the hikarin woman seated in the chair across from her, savoring them, taking her time.
“You know, Min, I think these may be the best home fries I’ve ever had. I don’t know whether it’s the potatoes, the cook, or the company.”
“Like I said, everything’s better with a friend.”
“We’ll have to do this again.”
“When I finish my time?”
“That sounds like a plan. I can hang around and wait a few days for you. Maybe even find some potatoes there on the station…wouldn’t that be something?”
Minsahee cleaned up the mess in the galley and made sure Sidra had water close to hand. “I’ll go make sure the cabins and washroom are clean. If you need anything, call.”
“They’re clean enough. Let’s watch some more of this series.” The next episode started, and Sidra looked at her foot, then at the hikarin woman curled up on the floor watching with her. She’d always worked alone, but maybe she could do with a doctor on board…or even a friend.
Reedsy prompt: Write about two people striking up an unlikely friendship.
Original Post

(Looooooong post alert)
Hi all.
I only joined Reddit a couple weeks ago after years of occasional lurking, and I posted this on a general sub, and got roasted to the point I had to delete the post to prevent going into negative post karma (I went from 90 post karma down to about 10 over a few hours).
At the risk of seeing a repetition of a barrage of abuse (I was called an idiot/ loser, and my replies got downvoted into being hidden), I re-post it here, just curious if the FIRE crowd has a different perspective.
For the record, I AM NOT doing what I'm doing to scrimp and penny-pinch. I genuinely enjoy my healthy packed lunches over unhealthy bought lunches that takes up 1/2 my lunch break while waiting in queue. I buy tech that suits my needs instead of paying extra for features I don't need. The things I enjoy in life most (running, walking, snap photography on my phone, family movie nights at home) happen to be free or cheap. As for heating in winter, I grew up in South Island of NZ without heating in winter, and my winter school uniform was shorts and I used to ride my bicycle to school through frosted grass, so I'm not about to start heating up the house for the mild Sydney winters. My kids aren't cold, and they keep taking layers off.
So here's the post. Fire away folks!

I am a 40M suburban dad in Sydney. Dual income, 2 children under 6.
I work in a professional capacity, and while I don't want to reveal my annual income, I'll drop a hint and say I paid over 100K in personal income tax last year (wife paid a bit less but not a lot less).
With that sort of income, many will say that just about everything is affordable to me. I am aware there is a cost of living crisis out there, and don't wish to come across as insensitive. However I would l like to share some of my tips on how to live on the cheap.
​
1) My groceries are cheap
I don't eat meat/fish/eggs/dairy. Yep, full plant based diet since early 2021, for my health/animals and the environment (I've heard all the arguments against veganism so let's not get into it here).
I live on beans/ rice/ vegetables/ fruit/ nuts and seeds. I go through two bags of the 'McKenzie's 12 blend soup mix' per week, at a cost of $4.60 per week. Brown rice I eat costs $19 for 5kg (I usually stock up when they are half price, at $9.50). I consume 200g of rice per day, which is about $2.66 per week when bought on special.
My other staples are steamed/sauteed broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, zucchinis, sweet corn, sweet potato, eggplant, kale, and fresh cherry tomatoes, red capsicum, cucumber, lettuce, as well as chia seeds, hemp seeds, roasted cashews and almonds. These aren't expensive items either.
I don't eat vegan sausages/burger patties or cheese. I eat a whole foods plant based diet.
My snacks are fruit. Usually apples, bananas, kiwifruit, grapes are staples, with occasional berries when they are cheap.
Also I don't buy any processed food. No potato crisps (they were $3-4 per bag when I stopped buying them, but I've recently seen them selling for $6.50 a bag), no biscuits, no chocolate, no lollies, no cakes or cookies or anything with refined sugar.
​
2) I don't buy lunch when I'm at work
I pack my own lunch the previous night, while I'm cooking dinner. Lunch is basically a 2/3 serving of the vegetables/beans/rice I had the night before. as I find bought lunches are unhealthy, and aren't substantial enough to fill me up. My packed lunch probably costs me $3-4 in ingredients.
I used to buy lunch every day, at a cost of $10-12 daily, which meant around $2500 per year on lunch alone. Now it probably costs around $840.
​
3) I don't drink alcohol
I went through a craft beewine/cheese/cured meat phase for about 10 years, but gave these up not long after I gave up eating meat or other animal products. I've spent 0 cents on these foods in the past 2 years.
When I was a regular drinker, beers at the pub used to be $7.50 for Tooheys/Resches/Carlton Draught and $9.50 for the likes of Balter, Pirate Life, Feral, but I believe they cost up to $12.50. No thanks.
​
4) I don't buy coffee or eat in cafes.
I went through a trendy cafe phase in my 20s and 30s, and thought nothing of paying $24 for a cafe breakfast and $4.50 for a large flat white. Now I make my own coffee at home. I buy green beans at a cost for $12 per kg and roast them myself (I bought a coffee roaster for $950 four years ago which has paid for itself many times over), and use 10g of coffee per cup, which works out to be 12 cents per cup. My soy milk costs $2 per litre, and I use around 150mL per cup of coffee, at a cost of 30c per cup. So my coffee costs around 42 cents to make.
I haven't eaten in a cafe for about 5 years now.
​
5) I almost never order in, or get takeaway
Not that there are many good plant based meal delivery/takeaway options out there anyway, and I find ordering in/takeaway meals to be expensive, unsatisfying, lacking in substance and not worth the cost. I avoid refined sugar and there is far too much in most takeaway meals for my liking. I eat them begrudgingly, occasionally (when my wife orders them).
The cost of a meal is the cost of material, labour, business insurance, electricity/gas, rent, advertising, accounting + the profits.
The cost of my own meals are the cost of the materials + gas/electricity. Huge difference.
I honestly enjoy my own meals more.
​
6) My fitness routine is free
I don't go to the gym. I do 100 pushups, 20 pull-ups, and 50 sit-ups every day (without fail). I also run a total of 15-20km weekly, and enter 2 marathons a year at a cost of around $100-140 per event. My running shoes cost me around $120-140 every 18-24 months.
​
7) My entertainment costs very little
I pay $120 per year for a Disney+ subscription, mainly for my children. It has more content than I could watch in my lifetime. We do a Family Movie Night once a week, usually Disney/Pixar animation films.
I also watch stuff on Youtube, and don't pay anything to skip ads or anything.
I have been to the cinema twice in the last 7 years, to see the latest James Bond and Top Gun 2. I stopped going to the movies regularly when the cost of a movie ticket hit $20, also around the time streaming services became available for $10 a month.
​
8) I don't use heating in winter or cooling in summer.
I am rugged in up 4 layers at the moment. I wear a thermal top, a knitted top, a polar fleece jacket and then an Oodie on top.
In summer I don't use the air con. It's singlets and shorts in summer, and when it gets too hot to sleep, it's a fan on timer to switch off after 1 hour, and it works every time.
I live in a townhouse and pay around $200 per quarter for electricity (for a family of 4). My next door neighbour pays $800 per quarter, as he heats/cools his home all the time.
​
9) I don't spend much money on clothes or shoes
My favourite clothing brand is yd, my socks are from Target and my shoes are $120 Adidas sneakers.
I have clothes and shoes for every weather and every occasion, and don't buy new clothes or shoes unless I'm replacing old ones to be thrown out.
​
10) I don't spend much money on the latest tech.
My hp laptop cost me $1200 in 2017. Still runs like new, and unlikely to need an upgrade for another 5 years. My phone is a Samsung S20 FE, which I bought 2.5 years ago for $750.
My Galaxy tablet cost me $280 earlier this year. I buy a new one every 5 years on average.
I can't fathom paying $3000 for a 14 inch Macbook, $1500 for an iPad, or $1400 for an iPhone.
My mobile plan is through a cheap provider at $25 per month.
​
​
So there you have it, the reasons why I believe I spend less than 90% of people while earning in the top 1%.
​
I'm not penny pinching or forcing myself to live like a pauper to save money while denying myself the pleasures I want. We go on overseas holidays 2-3 weeks every year, live in a nice spot in Sydney, own two luxury European cars, and own some pretty nice things.
My hobbies are reading, blogging, going out (which means exploring my favourite parts of Sydney, and taking snaps), posting on various internet forums, watching movies at home.
I grew up in a middle income household and being thrifty was instilled in me from a young age. When I was a student I lived liked a student, and when I started earning I didn't really change my spending habits.
Thanks for reading!

I rent out the main bedroom with attached private bathroom in my home. Everything from the title of the listing, in the first sentence of the listing, and the first message I send to anyone looking to book my place clearly states that this is a HOME SHARE.
The very first message I send to guest looking to book clarifies again, “just wanting to make sure that you understand this is a private bedroom and bathroom, but it is in our personal home and myself and my cohosts will be in residence.”
Met the girl when she checked in, she was super sweet and saying that she was here for her birthday and they were going to be going out to dinner. She messaged us in the app asking what the house rules were and if we would be home all weekend (whaaaat?). Sent her the house rules and explicitly said absolutely no one who is not on the reservation is allowed on property, no parties or gatherings etc. also Referred her back to our listing.
The next morning we see four people coming out of the bedroom that was supposed to have three. Then when we came home there were six people in the house.
They got drunk and high and started blasting music in their car in the driveway at 245am. After bringing in a huge speaker and blasting it in the room which we told them they could not do.
Destroyed the kitchen and several pots and pans. Ruined our duvet cover and spilled fruit juice on the floor, walls and storage organizers in the room.
We did kick them out so now waiting on the negative review. Contacted airb&b immediately when we noticed more people than were on the reservation and throughout the night as things were happening.
We do not usually charge a cleaning fee but do have it in our house rules that a cleaning fee will be charged for things like this. Also told the guest that they would Be charged a cleaning fee. Trying to figure out what is fair. They also stole one of our blankets.
My cohosts and I sat down and revamped our entire vetting process, as well As what we would do in those situations. so live and learn.

Did you know you can kill weeds with vodka? Remove stains on clothes with aspirin? Make jewellery gleam with tomato ketchup? Here are 40 surprising tips to save you time and money
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and for ... aluminium cans
To create a simple Chinese lantern, mark two lines around a clean empty can, about 2.5cm from the top and bottom. With a sharp craft knife, make vertical cuts about 1.5cm apart between the lines. Make a cut across the bottom of two adjacent strips to make an opening for a candle. Gently press down on the can to make the strips bend in the middle. Insert a tea-light through the opening, then tuck the cut ends of the opening strips inside the can. Finally attach a hanging loop. You can spray-paint the can before cutting it if you like.
​
and for ... apples
If you've been heavy-handed with the salt shaker when cooking a soup or stew, simply drop a few apple (or potato) wedges into the pan. After cooking for another 10 minutes or so, remove the wedges, which will have absorbed the excess salt.
​
and for ... aspirin
Before giving up hope of removing a stubborn perspiration stain from a shirt, try this. Crush two aspirins and mix the powder in 100ml warm water. Soak the stained part of the garment in the solution for two to three hours.
​
B is for ... bread
You can remove most dirty or greasy fingerprints from painted walls by rubbing the area with a slice of white bread. Bread does a good job of cleaning nonwashable wallpaper as well. First cut off the crusts to minimise the chance of scratching the paper.
​
and for ... baby oil
Buff up a dull-looking stainless steel sink by rubbing it down with a few drops of baby oil on a soft clean cloth. Rub dry with a towel and repeat if necessary. This is also a terrific way to remove stains on the chrome trim of kitchen appliances and bathroom fixtures.
​
and for ... bicarbonate of soda
Even the smelliest shoe or trainer is no match for the power of bicarbonate of soda. Liberally sprinkle powder in the offending loafer or laceup and let it sit overnight. Discard the powder in the morning. (Be careful with leather shoes as repeated applications can dry them out.)
​
C is for ... crayons
Crayons make an excellent filler for small gouges or holes in resilient flooring. Select a colour that closely matches the floor. Melt the crayon in the microwave on medium power over a piece of greaseproof paper, until you have a pliant glob of colour. With a plastic or putty knife, fill the hole. You can use a softened crayon to cover even quite deep scratches on wooden furniture.
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and for ... carpet remnants
Place a series of carpet offcuts upside down and cover them with bark mulch or straw for a weed-free garden path. Use smaller scraps as mulch around your vegetable garden.
​
and for ... coffee grounds
They're full of nutrients that acid-loving plants crave. Save them to fertilise rose bushes, azaleas, rhododendrons, evergreens and camellias. It's better to use grounds from a drip coffeemaker than the boiled grounds from a percolator as the drip grounds are richer in nitrogen.
​
and for ... compact discs
Use them as garden/driveway reflectors. Drill small holes into a CD and screw it ito a gatepost or stake. Install several of them to mark out a night-time path to your front door.
​
and for ... correction fluid
Dab small nicks on household appliances with correction fluid. Once it dries, cover your repair with clear nail polish for protection.
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D is for ... dental floss
Secure a button permanently with dental floss - it's much stronger than thread. Make hardwearing repairs to outdoor items. Because dental floss is resilient but fine, it is an ideal replacement for thread when you are repairing an umbrella, tent or rucksack.
​
E is for ... emery board
If a favourite pair of suede shoes have become stained and tired, an emery board can revive them. Rub the stain lightly with the emery board, and then hold the shoe over the steam from a kettle to remove the stain. This technique will work for suede clothing too.
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F is for ... fabric softener
End clinging dust on the TV. To eliminate the static that attracts dust, dampen a duster with a little fabric softener straight from the bottle.
​
and for ... freezers
Place candles in the freezer for at least two hours before burning. They will last longer.
​
G is for ... golfing equipment
If a screw won't grip because its hole has become too large, dip the tip of a golf tee in wood glue and tap the tee into the hole. Cut the tee flush with a craft knife. When the glue dries, you can drill a new pilot hole in the same spot.
​
H is for ... hairspray
To keep a child's priceless work of art at its very best before you put it on the pinboard or fridge door, preserve it with hairspray to help it last longer. This works especially well on unstable chalk or pastel pictures as it stops them from getting smudged so easily.
​
I is for ... ice cube trays
Here's what to do with a half-drunk bottle of red or white wine. Freeze the wine into cubes that can be used later in pasta sauces, casseroles or stews.
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and for ... ice cubes
If you're putting sealant around the bath, run an ice cube over it to get a nice even bead - it will never stick.
​
J is for ... jars
If you've taken a break from gardening, help your gloves dry out by pulling each one over the bottom of an empty jar. Stand the jar upside down on a radiator or hot-air vent. Warm air will fill the jar and dry damp clothing in an instant.
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K is for ... ketchup
Keeps silver jewellery sparkling. Soak it in a small bowl of ketchup for a few minutes. If it has a tooled or detailed surface, use an old toothbrush to work ketchup into the crevices. To avoid damaging the silver, don't leave the ketchup on longer than necessary. Rinse and dry.
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L is for ... lemons
Get rid of tough stains on marble. Cut a lemon in half, dip the exposed flesh in some table salt and rub it vigorously on the stain. You will be amazed how well it works.
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and for ... ladders
A straight ladder or front part of a stepladder makes a shallow planter with ready-made sections that look appealing filled with annuals, herbs or salad greens. After a couple of years of contact with soil, a wooden ladder will decompose.
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M is for ... milk cartons
Keep drinks cold at a barbecue or party with ice blocks made from empty milk cartons. Rinse them, fill them with water and put them in the freezer. Peel away the container when you're ready to put them in the punch bowl. If you intend to use them as cooler blocks, leave the container in place.
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N is for ... nail varnish
Preserve the important information on labels with a coat of clear varnish. Keep a shirt in good shape by putting a drop of clear varnish on the thread in the buttons. It prevents fraying and loss of buttons.
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and for ... newspaper
Slow-ripen tomatoes that are still on the vine in autumn. Wrap each one in a couple of sheets of newspaper and then store them in airtight containers inside a dark cabinet or cupboard at room temperature. Check each one every three or four days; they will eventually ripen to perfection.
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O is for ... olive oil
Make your own furniture polish. Combine two parts olive oil with one part lemon juice or white vinegar in a clean recycled spray bottle, shake it up and squirt it on. Leave the mixture on for a minute or two, then wipe off with a clean cloth or paper towel. If you're in a hurry, apply olive oil straight from the bottle on to a paper towel. Wipe off any oil that remains with another towel.
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and for ... oatmeal
Add luxury to a regular bath. All you need is 200g oatmeal and your favourite scented oil. Grind the oatmeal in a blender, put it in a cheesecloth bag, add a few drops of scent and suspend the bag under the running water as you fill your bathtub.
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and for ... oven cleaner
To remove paint or varnish from wooden or metal furniture, try oven cleaner. It costs less than commercial strippers and is easier to apply (if you spray it). After applying, scrub off the old paint with a wire brush. Neutralise the stripped surface with vinegar, then wash it off with water. Allow to dry. Warning: never use oven cleaner on antique or expensive furnishings - it may darken wood or discolour metal.
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P is for ... plastic bottles
Create a drip irrigator for plants. Cut a large hole in the bottom of a bottle, then drill two to five tiny (1.5mm) holes in or around the cap. Bury the closed bottles upside down about three-quarters submerged beneath the soil near the plants you need to water, and fill with water through the hole on top. Refill as needed.
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R is for ... rubber flip-flops
Slip a rubber flip-flop on to your hand and rub carpets and rugs in the direction of the pile. Any pet hair will form into balls that can then be vacuumed up. This works well on upholstery, too, including car seats.
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S is for ... sand
Fill a large bucket with builder's sand and pour in about a litre of clean motor oil. Plunge spades, hoes, rakes and other tools into the sand a few times to clean and lubricate them. To prevent rust, you can leave the tool blades in the sand for storage.
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and for ... salt
Watermarks from damp glasses or bottles left on a wooden surface are unattractive. Make them disappear by mixing one teaspoon of salt with a few drops of water to form a paste. Gently rub the paste on to the ring with a soft cloth or sponge until the spot is gone. Restore the lustre with furniture polish.
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T is for ... tennis balls
Give yourself a relaxing and therapeutic back massage: fill a long tube-shaped sock with a few tennis balls, tie the end and stretch the massager around your back as you would a towel after a shower.
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and for ... tights
To find lost small objects, cut the leg off an old pair of tights, making sure the toe is intact and pull it over the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner hose. Secure with a rubber band. Turn on the vacuum and you will soon find your valuable attached to your homemade filter.
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U is for ... umbrellas
Make an instant trellis. Remove the fabric from an old umbrella and insert the handle into the ground to support climbing vines such as clematis. The umbrella's shape, covered with flowers, will look terrific in the garden.
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V is for ... vodka
For a quick and easy weedkiller, mix 30ml vodka, a few drops of washing-up liquid and 400ml water in a spray bottle. Apply at midday on a sunny day to weeds growing in direct sunlight because alcohol breaks down the waxy cuticle covering on leaves, leaving them susceptible to dehydration. It won't work in shady spots.
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is for ... WD40
For fast relief from a bee or wasp sting, spray WD-40 directly on the bite. It will soothe the pain at once.
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Y is for ... yoghurt
Put 200ml plain active-culture yoghurt into a blender, along with a handful of moss and about 200ml water. Blend for about 30 seconds. Use a paintbrush to spread the mixture wherever you want moss to grow - between the cracks of a stone path, on the sides of flowerpots - as long as the spot is cool and shady. Keep misting the moss with water until it is established.
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Z is for . . . zips
Ever lost your car keys in the sand at the seaside? Stitch a small zipped pocket to one corner of the underside of your beach towel, just big enough for keys, sunglasses and maybe a few coins.
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And if you're feeling really bold ...
Four bizarre problem-solving suggestions
· If you want to post a fragile item to a friend, wrap the item in disposable nappies before sealing the package. You can be sure your gift will arrive in one piece.
· To get chewing gum out of hair, apply some peanut butter to the matted gum and hair and rub the gum until it comes out. Your child's hair may smell like peanut butter until you wash it, but it is a better solution than having to cut the gum out.
· Wash lettuce in a washing machine. If you are expecting lots of people for lunch, place one pillowcase inside another. Fill the inside case with lettuce leaves. Close with string or a rubber band and throw in the washing machine. Now run the rinse and spin cycle.
· Get the comfort of a salon treatment when giving yourself a home pedicure. Just place marshmallows between your toes to separate them before you apply nail polish.
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Lots of thanks to u/Killsode-slugcat for helping me work through this chapter with editing.
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Memory transcription subject: Tevri, Venlil Romanticist
Date [standardized human time]: August 11, 2137
With eyes still closed, I stretched my legs and arms, paws pushing up against the inside of my sleeping bag. A sigh of contentment escaped my mouth.
I let the world in—light falling down in shafts that struck my still-waking eyes. No trees were around to provide cover from the rising sun that hung low in the east. The sounds of life surrounded me, occasionally being broken up by particularly strong gusts as well as a hint of something else.
My head turned to that hint, who still slept somewhat soundly off to my side. Last night Jack had set up his own sleeping bag less than an arm’s length from my own, citing our lack of a fire as the reason to gather closer to each other.
He tossed and turned, occasionally, muttering incoherently. At least he’s found some rest. After carrying me for over half of yesterday, he had certainly earned it.
It was actually quite surprising how well he had managed it all. His slim build compared to other humans that I had seen was betrayed by a hidden strength and incredible endurance. I suppose millions of years of evolution tends to allow such a thing.
Some part of me still felt bitter about what he had done the night prior to our last, but it was clear to me that his apology was sincere. I gave a quiet snort. He probably wouldn’t have carried you on your shoulders if he wasn’t at least somewhat sorry.
The covers of my too-big bag were thrown off and I sat up, holding my knocked knees with my paws.
Rocky rolling hills with low-grown shoots of grass lightly waved towards me. The nearby mountain range looked down upon us with its well-kept snow despite the summer season. Even three days of standing beneath them didn’t eliminate their wondrously looming presence.
I reached over to my nearby pack and grabbed my pen and journal. I clung to every thought that passed its way through my mind, marking them down the old fashioned way. There was something special about writing my feelings down on something physical rather than some pad or computer. It felt real in comparison to the alternative.
It was incredible to me how one of, if not the most dangerous planet to be found within known space was simultaneously one of the most fantastically beautiful worlds I ever had the pleasure of setting foot on. What a travesty it would have been had the federation actually managed to glass the biosphere. Ironically it had been the Arxur that prevented such a disastrous outcome. Those same savages had…
“Gah!”
Jack shot upright from where he had lain. He heaved harsh breaths, chest rising and falling as though he had just sprinted up the incline of a hill. I looked on with alarm, but didn’t think to disrupt the startled man. His eyes stared down at the dirt in front of him as he hung his hands between his legs.
“You okay?” I asked. He whipped to look at me like he had forgotten I was there. Slowly, he turned back to face the dirt. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” He took a curt sniff and ran his hands across his face as he took a deep sigh.
He was lying.
The restless sleep, the violent rise into consciousness, the obvious distress within those wild eyes—all signs of nightmares. It had been years now since I last worried about such things, but I knew all too well how difficult they were to deal with.
A thought, as intrusive as it was unwelcome, pushed its way through the crowded thoughts of my mind, forcing my heart to skip a beat. What would be enough to scare a predator—human—to scare a human within their dreams? Instantly, I shoved it back from wherever it had come. He needs you right now, just like how you needed her.
I gently crawled over to the distraught man and set a paw on an arm while he leaned forward. At my touch, he turned his head towards me, staring with those forward-facing eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked.
A slight snarl of a smile crossed his face, but no answer came. Jack stood up and stretched his arms outward, leaning back and forth.
“C’mon, let's pack up and head out. S’always good to start out early.” He extended a hand down to me where I sat still. How could he just brush something so terrifying off so easily? My tail flicked absently I guess they always have been a rather resilient species. Why should they be any different mentally? I relented to his proposal, grabbing his hand and allowing him to pull me upright.
Breakfast—much like last night’s meal—consisted of dry pre-prepped rations. Without surrounding trees from which drywood could be scavenged, we were left fireless. The ‘breakfast bars’ as Jack called them were a sufficient substitute for warm food. Every meal with the human increased my interest in the cuisine of his species. I hadn’t imagined it would all be so wonderfully varied and delicious.
The bar itself was chewy, made of oats, filled with dried fruits and sweetened by sugar. Each bite gave a satisfying crunch as my taste buds reveled in the impeccably delightful taste.
After hydrating and filling ourselves with calories, we set off once more on the trail.
This time, I was actually able to walk properly, though less than an hour after we departed, I was left wishing that Jack could scare me sleepless again—that way I could guilt him into carrying me.
While we continued, I walked without thinking much about the placement of my paws. I worried for my human friend. His mind was clearly plagued by something terrible, but the answer of what continued to evade me. The only lead I had were my own experiences, and in chasing that lead, my mind wandered back to the past.
As I was dragged from our home without protest, Devra lambasted our parents. Velnik cowered to the side as he watched the ordeal, helpless with widened eyes. Dad practically had to peel my sister away from mom as I was shoved into our vehicle. The echo of her shouts faded away.
It was the first time my parents admitted me for predator disease screenings.
An iron grip held my hand and led me forward through the stark featureless halls of the facility. A glance over my shoulder revealed my parents walking along. They dared not to risk a look in my direction. Tears welled at the edge of my eyes as the echoes of distant screams shocked my ears and flooded my brain with fear-chemicals.
My tail wrapped around my body and my ears bent towards the ground. Why did they want to throw me in here with the monsters? All I did was explore.
The facility worker threw me in a chair within a purely white room other than the single large black wall. From the ceiling hung a projector that faced one of the three white surfaces. After the worker left, my eyes floated through the room, narrowing at a sight that practically screamed of its existence. Dark lines were scrawled into the furthest corner of the sterile chamber.
I didn’t have the time to think about its implications when the screen clicked on and the lights dimmed, enhancing the image before me.
The metal chair fell backward with me in it, creating a resounding clang that bounded back and forth across the walls.
My hands slipped and slid across the slick floor, carrying my body backwards. This scramble led the wall to smash against my back. Without a thought, my claws joined the countless other marks of those who had come before me.
A towering, onyx-shaded visage of the malevolent beast prowled beyond the edge of my vision, obscured by tears of terror that practically blinded me. The blood-orange eyes glowed greedily and its mouth was stuck in a perpetual snarl. Viscera of a horrifically familiar color dribbled down its chin from where the meat was in the Arxur’s razor-sharp teeth.
With a click, the sanguine show moved forward to yet another horrific display. Another click. Another. One more. Click. Click. Click. Silence.
My eyes were as raw as my bloodied paws. Their scraping and scrabbling joined me with the other souls who had faced this same experience. When the lights flicked on and the worker came back to collect me, I curled up trying and failing to back away. She stood me up, patting me down before pulling me from the room. Everything was a collective white blur, compressed into a single moment of unfocused voices until I heard the vehicle’s door slam.
The ride home was silent as I leaned my head against the padded surface of my seat. Shallow breaths rose and fell from my chest while Mom and Dad stared ahead. They hadn’t looked at me once since we left the facility—or even talked to me—since we left the facility.
Among the many questions I had, one clung to the surface of my mind before being swallowed by its sea of screams. Why?
When at last we arrived at home, I barely even noticed. Only when the door to the passenger cabin flung open did I somewhat rise from my stupor. A sudden surprise wrapped around me and pulled me from the car, dragging away from my supposed guardians.
In an instant, I was rushed to my room and placed upon the familiar comfort of my bed before being coated by two layers of warmth; one was the plush cloth of a blanket and the other the fluffy warmth of my sister’s fur. “It’s ok, Tev. You’re home. You’re safe.” My empty eyes had no tears left to give, so Devra lent me hers.
You’re home. You’re safe.
“Tev? Tevri?”
My repeated name yanked me from the memory. Ugh, I’ve got to stop wandering off like that.
“You in there sheep?”
With a grumble, I responded. “I told you to stop calling me that.”
Jack uttered a mischievous chuckle. “C’mon, let's get over this next hill then break for lunch. Sure seems you could use a rest.” Despite it going unnoticed moments prior, I now felt my heart pumping hard and each breath heaved just as harshly. A short break will probably do me some good.
Together, we crested the hilltop and sat down both our packs and ourselves. I greedily lapped up water from my bottle while the man beside me calmly took several swigs from his own canteen. The food he grabbed was a pair of packaged items that he called ‘pasta salad.’
The small noodles were coated in a layer of creamy sauce and mixed with a variety of colorful vegetables that I didn’t recognize, but just like everything else cooked up by these humans, it was delicious. The sweet, creamy sauce contrasted nicely with the savory taste of the noodles and the soft texture of the pasta paired with the lovely crunch of the vegetables made for a wonderful meal.
As I munched on my food, the wind lazily played with my tail. My heart drummed onward, steadying into an agreeable rhythm before finally, my breathing leveled out.
A field of purple flowers greeted us, climbing and falling with the rolling land. Down below us was the river we had loosely followed, bordered by nondescript bunches of shrubbery. Rapid white waters splashed up and against rocks, breaking the flow and sending up spray.
When together we finished our food, we sat there, enjoying the world around us. “So, Tevri,” as Jack spoke, I met his forward eyes, “we’ve been out here for two days now and I still know next to nothing about you. Why don’t you tell me a bit more ‘bout yourself.”
The sudden question caught me by surprise, but I tried my best to answer anyway. “There isn’t much to tell. I write stories and poetry about the nature of worlds I’ve visited.”
“Well, you must be one hell of a writer to throw around money like you do.”
At the compliment, I felt a rush of warmth to my face. “I—”
Jack’s calm demeanor became one of surprise in an instant. “Is your face ‘sposed to do that?” A pair of my paws clapped to my face, trying and failing to hide the spreading orange.
“Y-yes!” I squeaked. “It’s p-perfectly fine.”
“Huh, right.” He didn’t sound convinced in the slightest. “Well, uh, what about your family? You’ve met mine already, why don’t you tell me about yours?”
Just as the orange began to fade away, a shroud of mist met my eyes and my voice sunk with my ears. “I’d rather not.” The whiplash of jumping from a sense of contentment, to embarrassment, to sad longing was jarring to say the least.
“Ah.” He held his silence for a moment, allowing the blowing breeze and the distant rush of water to fill the space between.
“I’m sorry.”
“S-sorry? Sorry for what?”
Jack gave a huff. “You know it's funny really. You Venlil, us Humans. I never really saw it before, but even just a few days around you, it’s shown me just how similar our people really are.”
Again, wind and water.
“If it means anything, I’ve felt your loss.”
What?! How does he know? How could he possibly know?
He must have picked up my confusion before he responded. “After the battle of Earth I got used to hearing that answer of yours.”
Oh.
Jack rose, swinging his pack around his shoulders. “C’mon sheep, sun’s not getting any higher. Let's get going.”
“YOU—!” The dour mood was immediately washed away by my guide’s hearty laughter. Again with the emotional whiplash.
It was amazing how easily he managed to do that. Try as I might, I couldn’t stay mad at him. As I shook my head, I followed my guide’s motions and grabbed my bag to join him.
For a while we walked quietly, but once again, Jack tried to strike up a conversation. “So, you mentioned you’ve visited other worlds. What were they like?”
I gave the human equivalent of a shrug with my tail. “Some were better than others, but for the most part, they were quite beautiful.”
“You have any favorites?”
My ears perked up. “Oh yes! The sky cities of Nishtal were incredible. Dwelling among the clouds, it was a rather uplifting experience.” Jack groaned with a smile still on his face.
“That might be one of the worst puns I’ve ever heard.” In response, I simply chuckled.
“Nishtal, huh?” The smile on his face faded. “That’s the world of feathered sacks-of-shit, right?”
“What? The Krakotl? Don’t be dense now, they aren’t all that bad.”
Jack scoffed. “That’s easy for you to say. They didn’t try to wipe the Venlil from existence.”
“If they succeeded during the battle of earth, they very well could have. Not that it matters anymore. Nishtal’s skies are clouded by the ash of their once-lush swamps and their cities have been plucked from the skies. Their world died.”
Jack gave a gruff grunt. “What goes around comes around I guess.”
I was genuinely shocked at what I heard. The anger that began to bubble within me was not the same lighthearted stuff from earlier. “How can you say something like that?”
“They brought it upon themselves,” he barked.
“That bastard Kalsim was the one who brought destruction to his people and you know it. Billions of Krakotl were killed or captured by betterment. Can you honestly tell me, or even yourself, that any species deserves such a fate?”
Silence.
“No. No I guess I can’t” Mentally, I gave a sigh of relief.
With my tail, I gave him a gentle flick. “The Krakotl are functionally endangered now, you know? They may have killed a billion humans, but for each life taken, tens of their own were paid.”
My voice began to choke. “I had—have—friends among the Krakotl. If you think that the mourning you humans experienced was harsh, I just want you to think; how would you feel if less than a percent of your people survived death or capture”
These words of mine were followed by an air of silence. I wasn’t sure what it was exactly, but something I had said clearly struck a chord with the man. Unlike me, Jack seemed to ground himself in reality, but for the first time since I met him, his distant unfocused eyes made it clear enough that his mind was elsewhere.
The remainder of the day flew by beneath this same blanket of silence.
We passed from the wide grassy knolls into a sparse forest that was more brush than tree. The trail led beneath their branches and through the tall shrubbery, rarely veering one way or the other.
When we eventually stopped to make camp for the evening, the sun was still slightly above the horizon. The campsite was similar to the one we had stopped at on our first day. An old steel fire-pit was set in the middle and a steel food container lay to the side.
Even as we set up, the cold quiet remained.
Progress was slow. Jack usually did the majority of the work, but tonight, his movements were taken with less purpose than I was used to. More than once, his hands fumbled, dropping something only for him to robotically reach down and pick it up again.
Once he did finally unpack his belongings, he left to find wood for the fire. At least this time, I found myself less frightened than when he had last done so. The deafening silence of my thoughts was more disconcerting than the idea of any hunters prowling nearby.
Whatever I had said, it didn’t just strike a chord. No, this had shaken him. Not even those nightmares of his had affected him this deeply.
In much the same way that I hadn’t wanted to talk about my own family, it was clear that whatever this was, he had no desire to elaborate further. I did find it odd however that only after mentioning the near-annihilation of the Krakotl did he seem to change. Perhaps it had to do with whoever he had lost? If this was the case, then I couldn’t fully blame him for his hatred towards the Krakotl. Grief is a powerful accelerant for the fires of rage.
On the other paw, my poor heart broke for the poor avians. So many lost. So few left. When the news had arrived back on Venlil prime, I devoted every moment possible to comforting my grieving friends; to Dualo, Oqui, Icatl and Haiula.
For some though, the grief of their new reality was too strong. Several of my dear friends had been unable to overcome that grief. My ears fell and my head bowed. If nobody else would remember them, I would ensure I never forgot them. They deserved that much.
Despite the clouds looming over my mind, my ears perked up at the sound of footfalls and I turned to see a bundle beneath Jack’s arms. Minutes later, a brilliant blaze burned before us.
It felt good to have a fire again. The protective warmth felt like a familiar embrace. From my pack, I grabbed the same blanket my guide had lent me the day before and wrapped it across my body.
While I found myself shrouded in comfort, Jack prepared our food above the pit. It was yet another warm meal of packaged food. The smell of spice wafted up to the tips of my taste buds as he stirred it about with a metal ladle.
The clink of utensils against our metal bowls rose above the crackling flames. Their sun still peeked out from behind the trees, though soon enough, it fell and with it, came the night’s chill.
Countless stars that you simply didn’t get to see on Venlil Prime appeared in the night sky. A glance told me that I wasn’t the only one impressed by their appearance. My wide field of vision managed to capture nearly the entire sky. I wonder, which of those stars is home?
A gust of wind blew by sending shivers down my spine. The effect of the Wendigo’s story hadn’t been completely lost on me, but the terror it inspired had at least died down to a manageable amount. Staying near to Jack certainly helped.
Speaking of him, I’d had enough of this silence.
“Hey Jack, how would you like to hear a campfire story?” I asked, tossing aside the quiet that had covered.
“Hmph. A promise is a promise. Didn’t really have a fire last night to tell a story ‘round did we. Guess it’s only fair to give you a chance.”
My tail gave a flick of excitement at his agreeance. “I must warn you, this is a bit less of a story and more of a poem. It’s one of the last few that I wrote before my travels across the Federation ended. It isn’t quite as long of a tale as that Wendigo story you told me, but it means a lot to me.
Jack gave a thoughtful nod. “Very well, I call this poem ‘The Wandrer’s Curse.’”
“Across the stars we wandrers go, not caring much for threat or foes, The skies we see are not our own, But from them wonder’s always shown.
From Nishtal’s clear and crystal skies, To Fahl where golden deserts lie, And ‘cross the cradle’s fruitful lands, Our own horizons do expand.
It is amidst these very sights, That we the wandrers oft delight, For friends we seek and friends we find, Across the worlds of species kind.
Thru mountains, oceans and the woods, Where those long past once walked and stood, The wandrers seek to find the past; A simpler time, no clouds o’er cast.
Despite the friends which we have made, The clouds above us cast their shade, Upon the surface of our minds, And seek our hearts with chains to bind.
It is our lot to flee from pain, Brought on by smashing, lashing rains. Til weary broken and undone, We fall with legs which fail to run.
But such is life—that beautiful thing, That brings one joy and suff’ring. So with this final cloudless verse, Remember thee, the wandrer’s curse.”
At the end of my poem, the crackling fire picked up where my words left off. My eyes raised to the heavens once more and I realized just how wonderful this life was. There was something truly sublime about existing right here during this exact moment; under the stars, surrounded by trees the whistling, beside a warm fire that staved off the cold.
Sharing it with Jack made it that much better.
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https://pix4free.org/assets/library/2020-12-13/originals/alaska022.jpg (Cover Image)
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Looking for quick and delicious breakfast recipes to kick-start your mornings? Look no further! Check out our collection of easy breakfast recipes that are bound to satisfy your taste buds and provide a healthy start to your day. From fluffy pancakes to wholesome oatmeal creations, we have you covered. Explore the versatility of ground cinnamon and discover how it can add a delightful twist to your breakfast favorites. Whether you're craving scrambled eggs with a hint of warmth, a mouthwatering stuffed sweet potato recipe, or a satisfyingly healthy toast option, we have recipes that will make your mornings unforgettable. Don't have much time? No worries! Our quick parfait recipes are perfect for those busy mornings when you need a nutritious and flavorful option on the go. Spice up your mornings and discover new breakfast horizons with our easy breakfast ideas!

So the first food is like some type of sweet cinnamon-ish bread. The second is a Buffalo Chicken Wrap and Sweet Potato Fries. The wrap didn’t have any ranch or sauce in it or anything. Definitely could have taken better pictures. Any help with estimation would be appreciated.

Old timer fan here from the U.K! Favourite band growing up. at 13 I picked up City of Evil and was learning to play guitar at the time, pretty much became obsessed haha. Got the deathbad tattoo across my chest, room used to be covered in posters, memorabilia etc.
Then as I got older, I kind of grew off the obsession and grew out of it I suppose. Like Nightmare was okay to me, I felt Hail to the King was cheesy, and the stage felt confused like they were trying something that never quite managed to hit a sweet spot.
Set the scene...it's a sunny day, I'm in the front garden just doing some gardening, vibing listening to music. I've also got my trusty vape, so I'm nice and high and just chill, in my own little world. So I'm sitting down listening to music picking out weeds etc and I think to myself "hmm, I've not actually listened to the new a7x properly yet just snippets, I'll listen to it now" going through the motions, listening and liking. Not sure if it's worth noting, but I have very good quality earbuds and the music at full blast (plus the loud setting on Spotify)
Then comes the end of Ordinary.....WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!!! WHAT WAS THAT!!! I felt something a song has literally never made me feel before, it was almost like a sudden rush of addrenaline, very similar feeling to like being on a rollercoaster. As the pitch was getting higher and higher I closed my eyes, the feeling got more intense and I started to panick thinking my ears were going to fucking burst, completely took over all my senses. So I'm sitting there stomach doing summersaults, addrenaline going, ears being invaded and I panick...but then I start to laugh because I'm panicking about a song, like what the fuck is that. So I'm laughing as it gets to the very end and then suddenly it shifts over to Death. The sudden shift, the buildup, it was like being on some type of ride...almost like an interactive experience instead of just listening to "a song" if that makes any sense?
It shift over to death and then for some weird reason the sudden quick change to calm/soft music instantly transported me back to the City of a evil album. This got me thinking for a good few minutes about my teenage years, how good those years were, waves of nostalgia. I just sat there eyes closed listening to the beautiful opening of Death for a couple of minutes, remembering the good old days I suppose.
I know this new album might divide a lot of people, but to me it really is fantastic. It's different, it's exciting, there is something about this album that resonates with me, I can't quite put my finger on it. I feel like since the Rev died they've reeeeeeally struggled to find themselves artistically and their "sound" , especially when you Factor in Matt's voice, because he just can't do what he used to do in my opinion....but that's okay, I'm not saying that's necessarily bad, just different. And I think that's what this album is about to me really, something that's different that challenges and stimulates your mind.

I wanted to share the routine I just got done with for today’s arm day, just so I can tweak it moving forward. The tricep work is rather mediocre since I’ve just now learned to cover my weaknesses: 4 x 10 skullcrushers (15lbs), 4 x 10 overhead extensions (15lbs), 5x5 weighted chair dips (33lbs additional weight), all with 45 second rest. Now the part I’m kinda wanting to tweak the most is the bicep portion: 1:40 rest for all exercises since I found that to be the sweet spot atm given the weight I was using, 5x5 dumbbell curls, 5x5 hammer curls, and I initially planned to do 5x5 pinwheel curls to round it off, but I didn’t because I went so hard on the previous two, and also because I got distracted, all with 33lbs per arm. It’s obvious I need to beef my triceps up quite a bit, but I want to hear some other ways I can make this borderline-insane routine better.

Probably not in the way you are thinking… it’s not that they’re too small or too big or too saggy, but I hate them. I hate when people look at them. I hate that I have to wear bras or bikinis to cover them up, which somehow even makes them look more “desirable” by making cleavage. I hate that anytime I wear any shirt they show. Any time I exist, they’re there. It doesn’t matter how baggy my clothes are, which I intentionally wear. On top of that, I hate when people ask me why I wear clothes twice my size because something slimmer would be much more “flattering.” “Oh sweet girly,” I’ve been told. You just haven’t found your style yet. It probably wouldn’t make a difference if I was wearing lingerie or the baggy clothes I wear. The fact is, I am female, and I am being treated thusly.
I wear scrubs to school. They’re SCRUBS. They’re not the sexy kind. Just regular-fit large scrubs to protect myself from biohazards. I caught my professor looking at my breasts. He wasn’t looking me in the eyes when I asked him a question. I knew where his eyes drifted. We were talking about the brain and he accidentally said “breas-I mean brain” in response. To my face. He apologized and we moved on but I have this professor for another year. Now I know what he thinks of me when I’m around him. I am an object and not a student. This was months ago. I can’t say anything now… can I? It was just a mistake? He asks me why I’m so quiet in class. It would ruin my reputation and maybe his. A tenured professor - he’s gotten so many student past their board exams. Who’s this hashtag MeToo attention-seeker? She probably made it up. Gosh, cancel culture is getting so out-of-hand. She can’t prove anything anyways.
I envy men. Not that men don’t have problems too— I’m not denying that. I just wish my chest was not an object for someone else’s gaze. I sometimes think of what life would be like if I had breast cancer. Of course, I don’t want to die and I’m deeply terrified of cancer. But what they caught it early? They recommended a lumpectomy? No, just do a double mastectomy. I’d say that it would be peace of mind for me… that the breast cancer would never come back of course. But really it would free me from something else. I would be free of the prying gaze of those around me. I would be free of the sexualization of my chest and I would wear my scars proudly without a shirt or a bra or my shame. I would cry no tears for loss of them.
Maybe it’s some form of internalized misogyny or (self)victim-blaming, but I cannot fix the sexualization of the female body. I fear it will never go away. My breasts should be considered what they truly are - an organ for feeding infant and not for groping or gazing and certainly not for anyone else’s objectification of who I am. I am not a rack. I am a person, please stop. Look me in the eyes. Maybe all I can really do is for me to get this offmychest.

This transcript is from the livestream called "OMG Let's Beeze" instead of a Highlight.
skin looks bad where's my filters and there we go hi babe you're first hello
hi Lulu you're so early - yeah I know it's just all us now...the beezers, the beezers are first babe is first king Beezer. Gemini gem, what's new and exciting ? guess who's back...Lynn the pig and Grandma's back, back again...warmly...I know I'm terrible sorry you know just have a lot going on...Marissa 24 months you are the loyalist of beezers, I swear! radiation, you deserve every arm shake of that, I call them girl...hi shoot kickers and rats Ava hi, hi beezers
oh my God it's hot in this room.. why, why is it hot in this room? oh yeah so don't fear don't fret
um I'm in the spare room with the door shut there's no pets in here and I don't know if it's because it's vapor but uh this dissipates like instantly. it's not like lingering. tobacco smoke like two minutes later, you would not be able to smell anything in this house of... any kind of tobacco at all. you'll bring the fan really I would, so. appreciate that, honestly
Golden Girl, one year ~oh my gosh~ you deserve that too loyal Beezer ~~ Ready, Set! when did you guys all start watching me? I need to know... I'm curious what caught you onto my channel hi Carolina [Music]
these are... do I look like a virtuous woman? don't answer that... I will follow him, follow him, wherever he may go... I don't want to have that in my head all of a sudden [laughs] and on my hijab... style is kind of weird today. it looks like I have like a floppy chin. you know? like, three years ago no way...I can't believe I've been on YouTube for how long now
sanela, hi...
how long has it been? foodie Beauty days. Beauty foodie days... a couple of you now you get to see me in my marriage Arc. I'm very, very thankful for that. when I look back on some parts of my life, I'm, like, still, like, sometimes... I still wake up and I'm, like, I can't believe I'm here in the Middle East married to a wonderful man, you know? it's crazy. it's, like, surreal almost. I don't know
yeah, it is warm in this room. I don't know why... they're just, like, well... it's well ventilated but I don't know... maybe just because I'm so used to having the fan on me all times. you love the henna ink? thank you ~ yeah it's um very dark... I chose the black. they're like, do you want black or do you want red? so I'm like a half black but um... it's very nice you know?
my lovely angel, hey baby, oh you have to show them your beard cut! you had a beard trim... if I searched Amber... thank you so much for bringing that to me because.... oh wait.. the.. she said... yeah, it should be okay right? yeah, yeah the reality
[foreign]
the content room.... the content room needs to be a few... a few uh degrees lower, okay? nice... yeah, thanks... that's perfect. thanks for making me comfortable, my sweet love... you're welcome honey
sir, on YouTube during the Amber and Johnny Trail... Amberly came up? no way hi visas ~ oh my God ~ doesn't he look like 20 years younger? surprise...we could really see her mouth no more beard hair. you're still my handsomest man...handsomest man.... handsomest man
you guys...you guys are used to him with his beard now, huh, but whenever we met each other, this is, like, the look he had this one called the Summer Style. yeah it's too hot...yeah it's too hot for all the facial hair right? does it make a difference? yes, yes
he's too handsome - careful Chantel he's not going anywhere right? yeah
thank you guys oh I missed a bunch of comments okay
baby I'll keep using with them...yeah thank you, babe/ okay guys see you in the chat yeah and uh, they'll come live with me one of these days soon and do his own streams
hey I forgot the lights look better in the dark...is there two lights in here or one? [Music] turn one off...Okay, thanks. not all of them yeah...
hello Beezus foreign [Laughter]
[Laughter] thanks baby
[Music]
creepy spooky looks good with your hair, looks dark and handsome
[Laughter]
oh yeah...if you got a new mask [Laughter] it's spooky. that's cool.. it looks cool. I like it thank you honey [Laughter] happy Halloween everybody! eyesight shot yes my favorite movie actually. besides The Shining. which are both Kubrick movies... by the way, okay, which lighting makes me look nicer? the other one? I think this one wait check try the other one again.
I love you, honey pinch
whoa~ this one.. yeah, this one. the other one reminds me of a bait my basement. when I was a kid we had this...okay let me catch up here ...I travel mayonnaise [Laughter]....okay see you later alligator! someone... someone has to sound bite that [laugh] I've got that one there sorry, guys. I'm gonna be gonna contain my chin... and also... okay let me catch up here... I swear.
okay, um ,thanks Golden Girl...yeah, this is the henna but it goes like to here. I usually don't show you guys my wrists but you can see for the the purpose of the henna. so I washed my hands a bunch of times and it's still... I did the dishes. it's still on strong so I'm happy about that. are you going to address? uh, did you tip the artist? what what a weird question, duh... Whitney, actually tips are not very common here, but yeah I did. um, what are you looking for honey?
my phone? I think you see it you left your phone here no in the bedroom maybe yeah. um are you going to address all the fires in your home country?the fire...? there's fires in Canada right now? oh really?! yeah, in Quebec... Quebec area. I think eh.. um.. yeah, in specific, uh, area or what? yeah, I have to look it up. I'm not really sure. like, I know in Quebec region but was like five years ago.. it's fine, I think, yeah, I don't know ...like how severe it is... but there's, like, it's causing a lot of smog like in the US as well.. it's like going everywhere is all that I know.
[Note: some regions of Canada and the US had highest impurity rates globally from the particles in the air making the air dangerous for some people]
Michelle, they will be safe, yeah. thanks for the super chat. um, are they gonna start blaming me for the wildfires? yeah, I don't know. I mean, want to hold a vigil or what you like? the trim? it's a lot of the hair. yeah, the beard trim, yeah. thank you, uh Ali L, welcome to put your feet already [ __ ]. please, um, what in the kinky's going on okay?
we're in a room... welcome to budget piece and we're just like beeze, oh, I'm really behind... basic basic, it was smoky in Toronto. the air is bad really? well, I heard that it's bad.. like the small the the smoke or whatever...we got Eyes Wide Shut... that reminds me Andre Marie that was, like, one of my favoritest movies. favoritest movies ever! I love it. this is a weird hijab style... it was just like I had to get ready fast. so, I'm in the spare room right now. hi Ali L, welcome, welcome!
I know I haven't been going live really but ~oh my gosh~ we have so much going on in our lives and the new the pets are keeping me really busy. I have, like, a whole routine like I don't know how people do it with kids... like, I think I would die. like, I don't know if it's just like mentally I'm just not able to cope, with, like, too many responsibilities. because like taking care of home and then taking care of, like.... has been taking care... he takes care of me too... but you know what I mean? and then, like, Howie I have to spend time with Howie in a room by himself. he's he's in a room by himself now and the cat's in a room right now with her, like, food and water because we don't smoke with the pets.
like, you know at all... so um, so, then I have to like get up and like spend some time with howie... give him his vegetables, let him run around kiss him a thousand times and then Julia wakes up. Julia, yeah... welcome back guys! sorry I'm poor, that's okay... it's going to Wisconsin?
Julia cats are good at sneaking. I swear! I swear, she's snuck in the room when I was like coming in to see Howie. I didn't even know she was right behind me so she came in and she kind of just like just stared at him. but I think she...I don't know... she did one thing kind of weird like once, but it never happened again, so I'm okay with it, you know? I'm like, I hope it doesn't become a problem. she doesn't ...I don't think she likes the door being closed and me coming in here and paying attention to him. so one time that she was outside and I wasn't here she like pooped right up front of the door. I think it was like to say, like, "hey this is my territory this is my home, you little rodent" kind of thing but then ever since then she hasn't done it. like, she only did it once, I think, to like, assert her territory and then she just never did it again. she just, like, you know, poops in her box fine and she pees in her box fine and yeah... so far so good, mashallah. like. knock on wood but she's very very loving. she's like. I should have named her shadow she will not...if she's awake she will not...she, like, will not leave your side. like, she's the most loving cat. and if you, just like, you can... she's like a rag doll. like, you can just grab her and and hold her and just, like, and just like, she's just like... floppy and just loves attention and she's constantly....constant, constantly purring but she's also kind of naughty.
like, she's....when she gets the Zoomies, she freaks out and runs around everywhere, jumps all over the place and, like, she plays with things she shouldn't be playing with, you know? so it's like at that age she's, like a kitten right? so we have to like, um, you know, we have to, like, hold on. there we go... we have to feel uncentered. we have to, like, teach her you know? but she's... I say, you know, a lot, but she's like, she's so loving you know?
Hi Megan! so you think you can cats too well? yeah... my solid. what? well, my cheese salad? yeah hi pnv! yes, I hope you're having a good day at work. hi turbo toots! yo guys, yo Salah baby, baby... so yeah she's baby. how are you? do you love Julia? so she's adopting very well. my female cat gets mad at my own Grandma cat and she'll pee in the litter box extra messy. like, I won't even squat...makes a mess, yeah.... cats have strange Behavior sometimes you know? but yeah, I don't know. like, she's she's very hyper sometimes because she's just a kitten right? so I have to make sure to play with her a lot with her feather toy and, like, I have to like daily scoop out toys under the couch because she always gets them lost in there.
[Note: it seems Salah is teaching her basic cat care like a child]
sometimes if I open a bottle of water, like the cap, I'll just throw it. like, hey here's another toy that's not under the couch right now because and she just loves it!
foreign first class falcon getting a hair transplant... where in Turkey? you've always wanted to try that henna? thank you... yeah. it's really cool. I'm glad I tried it out. maybe next time I get it, um, I'll just get the uh,... it's like having a tattoo. like, it's a really cool... like, it looks like a really cool tribal tattoo or something I don't know? when I was watching her do it and it didn't take long at all. she's just, like, you know....
the Kitty's in another room while I'm smoking. and howie do have.... we the other day... I thought he was stuck in his tunnel but he was like, just listening or something... I don't know... because he put a bunch of his corn kernels in the tunnel overnight and he was just sitting in the tunnel, like, this like, like, stiff, like, a mannequin. so I started freaking out. I was like Howie! Howie! so I took all the tunnel apart and I'm holding it like this and he's in it and I'm like trying to go like this and he finally woke up and went... I hear horror stories you people scare me or like he could get stuck in a tunneling so here I am thinking oh my God he's stuck in the tunnel but no he can still, he still has so much room! he can turn around but ~uh oh my gosh~. anyway, I freaked out. that's like, the most exciting thing going on right now. actually Julie is the sweetest Beezer.
she's sleeping.... yeah, [reading comments in live chat] "my daughter has four cats and they were so picky that they each needed their own litter box". yeah... like, when I had the other cats like. we had that big litter box upstairs and then we had another one downstairs and because I was thinking like bbj's old, like, what if she can't make it? like, she had accidents a lot. because, you know, like, mostly starting when she got older. other than that, she was like a good cat her whole life, you know? and Sam no problems. but they ended up just using one litter box, so you know...
my fiance as a kid that honestly don't like... he doesn't even cover his poop. honestl?y Julia doesn't really either. she just goes and leaves it but so I go and I, like, cover it and then I scoop it. it avoids mess on the scooper. but she she gets the worst Zoomies after she goes to the bathroom. I always know when she goes and it's like, "okay, time to go get the scoop the Box" because she, um, I guess I'm keeping everything ultra clean now. and especially, like, you know, we have a smaller... it's smaller than my old place. so it's like you know if you don't ...the smell will just permeate as well. so yeah... she like runs around freaks out
I hear her go like she's so I'm going to the bathroom. people don't put leashes on their dogs. I want to go out. you had a Nashi zombies? yeah? wait... now she's are available right now in Canada, I'm missing out! no, the only matches I find here are coleslaw in them. like, Burger King is the only nashie. like, the Zoomies, I had to explain like salah never had a pet before, right? so this is all new to him so I had to explain what this is... Zoomies were... so I'm looking up Tick Tock videos of Zoomies. Like, he's like, is something wrong with her? I'm like, no, this is normal. check it out and, like, some cats get like the really bad zoomies, you know? it just happened in Florida? young and mischievous, yeah young and full of energy so...
I find smoking shisha makes you um thirsty. yeah, I'm going live a little earlier today because it's like 10 30 here and we're kind of tired. I don't know if you can tell, but I'm a little sleepy. so I don't know how long I'll be on but I wanted to say "hey" because I missed you guys. like, if I don't feel like if I don't go live for a little while, I feel weird. like, oh my God! I missed you guys! you know?
[Note: Chantal has pretended her chats and followers are her second family when she makes them dispensable and has a high turnover. It's a false audience relationship in this regard.]
I can't believe they have the the Nashi in Florida! what the hell?! that's so weird.... it's quarter after 11 here already. that's crazy! as you can see I haven't been able to quit shisha and I don't think I did I didn't do uh\, I didn't do a good mukbang today. so, I'm not gonna put it out. it was kind of boring. I don't know.... maybe I will.... maybe I won't... we'll see.
sorry for always adjusting this....these chiffon ones I could never... I love how they look the most but I could never fix them properly. they never stay in place.. even if I like put them here under my chin see? can you get lavender to smoke, relax you? [reading comments] I don't know can you get lavender shisha... but I think it's only fruit flavors... but I'm not really sure. the water looks good. yeah, these are the water towers in Kuwait. yeah, I just drink a lot of water. like, this is the water bottle water we drink. we buy, like, our whole wall is like full of like water bottles. even if we have a filter, it's like the water in Kuwait in the summer, like, I wanted to have a coldish shower right? I put the water on the coldest setting it was hot. Like I couldn't even shower it was that hot. it was like, so hot I had to wait till evening time to have a shower because the water cools down in the evening. but in the daytime if you want to shower be prepared for the hottest water! it's so hot it was like it felt like 45 degrees today. so... but the AC and the new car is really nice.
Michelle.. and um, we, had like a slush today but I'm not sure about the lavender. Golden Girl, good question... um what did I have for dinner? actually I ate KFC because I was craving it and they have this new flavor of like chicken it's like Flamin Hot Lays and they have chicken tenders...and I had these twisters... and you know I tried to mukbang but I was just, like, in one of those moods where I'm like, what does it look like I'm wearing? shoulder pads? what the heck does it look like I'm wearing shoulder pad?....um, just like a really tired,hot.... not in a really talkative mood. kind of, like, I am now... so I'm like, I should probably do a live stream, you know? I don't know ....I, I really, just yeah.... I wasn't really in the mood. so I was just, like eating kind of quietly and I think most people um.... what was I gonna say? like, like, conversation with my videos, you know what I mean?
what month does it start getting the hottest? um, I don't know.... babe, what like month, like April... no the hottest actually probably like June? July? like it's gonna be like now but it's gonna get like I think even hotter.
[Note: Useless fact: The longest day of sunlight is on or around 20 June. It takes the earth 30 days to absorb and emit the heat so hottest days in many regions in the northern hemishperes is on or around 20 July]
so why he jumped his face like as big as FFG?!! LMAO! not even close! [Laughter] sorry... but it's true... this is, like, this is material all bunched up by the way but yeah I have a double chin.
July, August, September... um September too? oh great so we have... so here it's like reversed in Canada. the longest season is winter and here is summer [Note: Wait until Chantal learns about the equator]
thanks Golden Girl! thank you! remember this lip gloss... it's the...you guys remember when I went to buy this the Estee Lauder one? um will be 50 to 60. does it hit 60 like every summer? oh my God! I can't imagine... like, I have to go outside even for just a minute to experience what 60 degree weather is like... and we have to do like a test... like, I want to do that fried egg test. we have to put an egg on the pavement and see if it fries... but you know I can go peek my head out come right back in the building because the building is well air conditioned...like even downstairs in the lobby.
I don't know where people get this idea that we don't we don't have AC. it's not like...it's not a third world country um...there's AC everywhere and actually there's, like, um, I don't know like people put charity water tanks all over the town, like, different parts of each City. so, so, like, you can have clean drinking water and then there's like tunnels with like AC so people can have a break and walk through the tunnels instead of being outside. so there's, like, a lot of Refuge... is it respite Refuge? I don't know what word I'm looking for.... there's a lot of.... like, you get a break from the Sun.... if you even just going into malls, like, all the malls are very well air conditioned. um, so I would not be able to, yeah that's hot... I would not be able to survive here without AC. even Salah you will test it and we'll be grilled.
I remember one morning where one morning we woke up and he opens the curtain... actually, we do this every morning, like mashallah, I have to say it...we, we open the windows and we see the the beautiful ocean view.. and I'm like, one time I was like okay.. let's go out and he was like if you go out at this time you will be Chicken on coal! so, we have to wait until a certain time like after 4 or 4 30. I'll melt like cheese.
I wonder if I put cheese out if it will melt... hi Anastasia! sunblock will be useful...yeah, I need to get some, babe, true. creepy comfort and crime, [reading live chat] oh I just seen you... I just saw you ready...welcome, welcome to the very important users! thanks for becoming a Beezer!
yeah and I don't think that I'll be experiencing a winter, you know? not an all gun wood for like the next long while so I don't know when I'll go back to Canada for a visit.... but if I do go back, I'll be like a tourist right? because I don't have a place there anymore so, well it'll be weird be like a a Canada tourist.
[Note: Chantal doesn't understand her own citizenship status with Canada because she doesn't have a physical mailing address or residence. However, she is still a Canadian citizen].
cheese melted 'michelted'... you want to watch a horror movie, babe? I don't know... I might fall asleep but that's okay... what's a good horror movie from like the 2000s that we have? I don't know...
we tried finding "the ring" [horror movie] but we couldn't. why don't we last watch? oh, escape room one and two? those are good movies there's Escape rooms here but they're expensive I tried it several times to fry an egg here in Kuwait and it was successful. really?! no way?! you just leave the egg thereafter and like animals will eat? [reading live chat comments] a day when I lived in Vegas when I was in high school, I fried an egg in the street... no way! it gets hot like that? and it's just, like, are there some states where it gets super hot like Texas... say in Vegas.... I guess Death Valley is one of the hottest place... is quite hotter than Death Valley.. I'm happy to not see you in winter in Canada again.
yeah ...that's true... you leave a for the winter that's smart... that's what, yeah, my, I have family members who do that. Anna, hi dream! Insidious is good.. he watched... I don't think he liked Insidious. I don't know why... he likes more gross movies we watched a really gross zombie movie called "yummy"... oh my God... but it was pretty good movie, I guess. but just like one of those movies I'd only watch Once... don't ask me about security emoji. I can't believe the last horror movie watch was The Exorcist and it's like in the 70s that's so long ago...
[reading live chat again] it gets really hot in Vegas... really? like over a hundred? The Descent, oh, is that about a monster? I'm Chucky hi I'm Chucky you want to play no Chucky I want to burn you in fire and lava seriously I would drive and throw him in a volcano and then you go home and he's on your bed I'll burp I'm waiting to murder you God The Descent I think I watched it a long time ago you know what's really creepy? okay, the catacombs, like stories about the catacombs freak me out... like, all those tunnels under Paris? imagine getting lost in there! you'd be dead...you slept with your parents? I used to get scared and sleep with my mom too... she was like come on now there's nothing! you know, your parents get annoyed? no wonder... they probably want to break from us. I don't blame them. it's about the group of girls in a cave... ah but there's like a monster right? I think should I tell the Tank Engine ~oh my God~ that is my favorite picture! can you send it to me by emails? like, and [laugh] oh my God ~ actually the Crypt ~oh babe look at the picture [Music]
oh my God! that made my day! my potato face, choo choo, that, you know, what Thomas the Tank Engine used to be my one of my favorite shows as a kid... and Babar, potatoes ~ oh my God you're living like 15! oh I live in central California and it can get to 112. you that's hot! we will watch Descent movie... okay that I think that's I saw, that movie oh
Cassie oh my God! I need to quit smoking... I can't even [laugh] no oh my God that's so funny! all righ,t that's a perfect picture. I love that! I don't know if that was meant to be hate, but it made me laugh. so like my magnet, I found one of my abayas that's been missing. it was in the suitcase. we haven't unboxed yet. I keep forgetting ...do you unpack this one suitcase finally? did it you know... the hardest part of um putting together your home is organizing. I like finding, like, nice containers and all this stuff. I got um these nice little baskets, little baskets to put under the TV so we can put all our stuff in there you know? like watches and stuff like tha...t Chargers and especially we have to cat proof the home so, like, every, lik,e even this.
I'm not gonna put it take it off and I'm not gonna put it somewhere because the cat will lose it... remember I used to have that problem with the bees or Cuts I had with um with Sam and BBJ with my earrings? I would always only have one... yeah hi Cassie! did you uh forget your biscuit again? yeah ,thank God my family's okay now... but uh you know I'm kind of worried... like, I don't know the fires are getting bad eh?
pretty sure what New York looked like yesterday from the smoke... no, I have to look at all this up. I guess I've just been really self-absorbed. I haven't really been paying attention, but yeah are there wildfires like every year in California or like, the Wildfire is just like, remember how bad they were in Australia a couple years ago... a few years ago? I had a lot of beezers and viewers then in Australia. I was worried... about there's a lot of school and outside activities canceled? oh wow! that's bad! I'm sure the kids love that! hi blacks,hey long time no see! I missed you guy,s you know ?I used to pray for some kind of natural disaster when I was in school years... anything to get out of going, you know, like, are you sure the buses are not canceled today? you're still going I'm getting great, like, one before my mom had a car I'm getting Grandpa to drive you ...no I don't want to go to school [Laughter]
I used to pray for any illness... I know it's bad, but any cold any flu you... now I even remember like being in class with some kid who would be sneezing and you could tell they're getting sick and I'd be, like, you know, they'd be, like, okay, pick a partner for your for your uh project? okay, I want to go with the sick kid so I can catch his flu so I don't I can miss school. uh anything I hated, I hated going... I hated getting up in the morning since I was born. I was even late coming out of the womb, like, my mom had to have a C-section. I didn't want to come out... I was late... I was supposed to come out... mine was I supposed to be born I think the 26th... Kelly's pretty bad but it's been cool, like a cucumber...really how much snow? oh, it has to be like 30 centimeters or more for them to cancel school well it has to be a lot.
[Music] oh the flyers in Nova Scotia
[Laughter] the other options of school was wishing for a disaster... yeah, I was like please give me the flu! everyone's getting the flu but me, I swear it must have been the Papaya juice my mom used to give me in my lunches. I hated Papaya juice. I don't think I ever told her and just suffered in silence... a lot of vitamin C... give me the Capri Sun! it's very smoky where I am in Northern Ontario jeez lemon mint, cough, hey where were you I've already been... I've already been.
coughing what the [ __ ] I swear... I ate it going to school like, honestly, whenever, like, my mom would check and I had a fever, I was like "yes" because like when you're young, you think you're Immortal... you don't care if you have a cold, you know what I mean? you don't care if you have a fever... you're like, whatever, I can survive this now. well now I worry a bit... you know? I was born at uh yeah warmly I have a dark sense of humor .I was born at 4 30 in the morning. I blame that! I'm being a night owl, yeah... I was born just after midnight explains a lot. Julia's so cute! how is she? I know everyone is going through it but I'm going through it. you only... oh we're always setting you positive energy blocks... hope you're okay, what's up? you can share with us
um Julia is amazing she's just a Beezer she's a bit of a Beezer and uh but she's so cute and she's so cuddly. like, he's probably the the cuddly she's even more cuddly than BBJ if that's possible. early morning babies are babies born between 4 AM and 8 AM grow up to be persistent. they are generally intelligent and always prepared for different situations. they might face... wow do you know what time you were born babe? that I'm not in that category at all... so I was born what who has a dark web passport what the heck I'm so out of the loop
oh what did Golden say? oh Southern Ontario it is really widespread? yeah, that's what I heard but I didn't know how bad... oh my gosh! it's your husband's birthday? happy birthday zero support! that can be tough.. we're here for you... honestly, like, I like ,to beeze and like why not? we're all humans we all go through hard things. even though we're on the internet doesn't mean that we can't share and you know, be here for each other. you don't even have to explain what's going on all you need to say is you have you're having a hard time you know? to be born during business hours you're, like, I'm not being born during business hour,s mom you got to make those bucks! oh okay, since you've had a date, uh are you like the type that doesn't, you know ,what? getting a babysitter is not that easy... I know, I remember my mom trying to get a babysitter sometimes for me. it was hardened the babysitters I was left with. sometimes remember I told you my story times about one babysitter Beth. ew. yeah
I had some bad babysitters I always tattled on them and never had to see them again. though, so that was good, but yeah it's not as easy you know, it's not as easy as that what people are displaced oh my God. well Canada is really big... there's a lot of places to go but not if the fire's spreading that far. that's crazy !I really hope that everything people stay safe and everything goes well "we have two kids and one special needs so hard I just need a flip a couple of hours sometimes I just don't get that I love my girls but I hope no one takes that out" [reading live chat again]. yeah hey that's totally understandable.. it's very overwhelming... you know, you do your best but he got burnt out. like, caregiver burnout is a real thing... and actually when I worked in healthcare, we used to have a lot of people who would go into homes just to help with respite for people who were burnt out, you know? so at least you recognize that maybe there's some kind of like organization like that you know......Tracy, 18 months? oh my gosh! hi Tracy! I'm glad to see all you beezers here these stats are not accurate but we have to say it yeah, yeah, babe...you set her hair on fire oh my gosh that's Criminal! did you go on a group home after that?
I'm so protective too so that doesn't help uh you just don't let anyone go in yeah I understand. that, you know, you're leaving like loved ones in the care of strangers so it's hard.
hello Tracy! oh that's sweet babe! Maya lobby with your side and bless you sweets. parenting is hard yeah, like you know, I couldn't even imagine! I'm having a you know, like, being a pet mom is challenging. sometimes, honestl,y I couldn't imagine because some universities provide daycare at affordable rates.. that's true... my University had a daycare... excuse me, um I'm glad I never had to visit you know? something about daycare is creep me out... I remember being in daycare, like, I remember the smell of like old microwave dinners the cots... the cots that we had to take naps on. I had to go to a daycare after school and they made us have a nap every, every, every class. I went to as a young kid. there's always a kid who pukes. I don't know why, but there's always a pukey kid. sometimes I was a puke kid on the bus and then they always made us play with this like water and cornstarch mixture daycare. oh I'm glad I'm an adult as much, as... as much as life could be crap when you're an adult I don't miss being a child.
hi Katie Katie! she lost a few strands thank you guys, to see each event! hey, you're in the right place the hen is not itchy like thank goodness. you know, because I did look it up and apparently people have more issues with the block. which I didn't know... but they made me sign a waiver and I was wondering why. but now I know allergies... but oh thank goodness. yeah "I love being a mom but it can sure be hard not having any yeah not having any support" is definitely tough for sure, thanks Fox! yeah permanent is harder for sure... you'll have to replay later yeah I've been on for about 47 minutes.
what's Loch key, hey Chloe ,Tabor! am I saying that right? welcome, welcome! We're Gonna Save beeze hello! oh yeah Ali's a new Beezer. I missed the economy when I was a child. now I'm working everything... ye,s you're right. the economy was and it seemed people back then like in the 80s you know, um, from the I was born in the 80s... so old oh my gosh, everything was different, you're right. like, people had, like, you know? were able to sustain a life with jobs. you know, like, I don't know the quality of things just seemed better. I don't know how to explain it... like, even I don't know... maybe I'm not remembering that right. whenever you're a kid everything is just like the world is like mysterious. now when you start learning everything about it... it's like, you know,... well before I became like, religious, there was a huge period of time where everything just felt hopeless and meaningless... and I was like atheist for a point and I was like what the heck is the point of this, you know?
it's so mundane and tedious and you know... and now it's not like that wine and grapes come.. company yeah bringing up children because you're always having to dedicate all of your time to them. like, you're responsible for the bringing up of a whole human! like, that just terrifies me... like, even having a cat... hi witchy! hi beaters! sommelier! that's what it's called... nice that's interesting but if you can, you're strong you seem very strong .blacks so, if anyone can do it, it's you. I don't believe God gives us anything more than we can handle and honestly? even though it tests our limits, like, I don't know if people just think everything is just going to be sunshine and rainbows all the time. like, life is how can we be tested as people, if we don't go through hard things, you know, so it's just I see things in a very different perspective than I did even just last year, you know? and just getting rid of that hopeless feelings um helps me deal with depression in a lot of ways... there's a lot of ways I try to deal with my depression. um instead of ignoring it, uh, there's still a lot of things and tools I could use... but I find that my faith medication and just proper self-learning techniques of how to deal with anxieties and things, you know ,more emotional intelligence... that I'm really trying those things have been really, really, really hard to learn.
oh my gosh! yeah, I heard they're insane on me. that's what we've been saying! just bought Resident Evil 4, Jack ...nice have you been playing? have you started playing? I didn't know you were a gamer... no, I don't go to therapy here. therapy is ridiculously expensive here ridiculous like I think well from what a research I did it's like very very expensive like very but not just that um it's I guess I just cope with like learning like watching a lot of videos... reading a lot about emotional intelligence, coping techniques. like, this social media can be very useful for educational things. like, that um also I you know pray a lot and turn to my faith read the Quran and just, I don't know ...I feel like I've matured a little bit in that way, you know? an online therapist? that's like, yeah, I keep forgetting about that... move a TV? oh my gosh it must be strong! I think one therapist I checked was like 500 K.D that's like two thousand dollars, unless I got that wrong. maybe it was 500... I don't know... definitely give that to the when I when it piles on. just gets a lot it... does health issues it just piles on? yeah it seems insufferable. so like, uh, insurmountable sometimes content over meditation how you cope with negativity that's a good idea, thanks, Jack. thanks guys for noticing... he used to be a gamer what's your favorite all time? I don't know if I'm... in a minute... I'm gonna check it out again, actually and see. because I was a while ago. I checked... I don't even know if I have it right. but I remember being expensive a lot more than Canada.
Korean Pizza what's on that? I have an online there like uh Korean Fried Chicken. I have an online therapist and it's been good not sure how much it would be in Kuwait. though yeah I'd have to check the Korean. I've heard of sushi Pizza, that sounds gross to me. has anyone have sushi Pizza? reading the Bible, yeah whatever.... reading whatever religious text that you follow can be very calming, yeah... even just like when you're praying... it's like calming. Resident Evil 2 right here... another Resident Evil fan! Salah your favorite is Resident Evil 4 right? because you love Ashley so much. Sushi burritos, whoa, "you can't take care of others with an empty cup" that's true, yeah... that's why they say you have to take care of yourself first, but I mean how realistic is that? it's so hard to do ,you know, to find time for yourself when it's just constantly like, you know....
I can't even compare but even with a kitten like I forget how much work they are because I was so used to having adult cats, you know? for a long time but I remember, even BBJ was a Beezer. Sam was a Beezer, you know ,and you have to cat proof your house. you have to keep an eye on them when they're awake, and sometimes when she's sleeping, I'm like oh finally! you know? like, she's not busying because like I have to like get up so many times to like make sure she doesn't get to the through. Like I have to hide every wire.. every everything, everything in the house. but she's worth it... actually gross, okay Golden Girl, no problem. short rib pizza? oh my gosh! that sounds so good! yum! yeah happy birthday to him... I'm so proud of you having a higher power and seeing purpose. do you drink ever at all or no drinking? a Mormon? oh really Chloe oh you were Mormon? um no I don't drink anymore... um any kind of um mind-altering substance you know is is like forbidden it in Islam. but um CBD is... is okay though because it's not like mind-altering. but drinking is definitely... drinking is like illegal here. you won't find... you won't find out any legal alcohol here. I don't know about illegal... I don't know anything about that... but you won't find any legal alcohol here. you know,
oh my God ,what did you do all day? well it depends on the day lemon mint. I mean, like, a regular domestic day? is that what you mean? because it just depends you know, like, I... I'm planning on doing some day in the life of videos. Maybe. you know but you know, it just depends. depends on the day. um regular domestic stuff most days you know taking care of the pet the pets keep me busy um you know cleaning just stuff. like, that doing videos talking to family. we go out sometimes, go run errands. go get coffee. go get dinner. whatever. go to the movies ,stuff like that. how's the beezing kitties? she's so mischievous I do give her already some kind of chicken Pate she loves it... hi baby...alcohols... yeah, I believe that too. more dangerous than media need a Beezer membership buddy. yeah, I really haven't can't believe I haven't come up with merch yet.
hey babe, hi baby... what's up for you, baby? oh did she give me a creepy chocolate. hi, I miss you... you're so handsome. I love math thank you, honey. I think it looks cool. what kind of mask is this guys? is this the Anarchy mask? I like your hair guys.. don't tell her it's Secret [Laughter] it's that V for Vendetta mask isn't it? you ever see that movie V for Vendetta? no, foreign Edition? ah, yeah, I think it is vendetta. The Purge has started. chocolate creepy chocolates, thanks babe. I didn't know we had any more of these. I thought we ~I~ ate them all. I'm kidding! are you alone there without me? yes, I'll come soon. software on it, love you, love you most, love you mostly look pretty. Tracy we were actually... we were out shopping and he's like what do you think of this mask? it was like a store with all masks in it. this is a milk. have you ever had these? they're good. I'm gonna try.. I'm not really hungry. I had too much to eat but hmm I put your tea and sasqually... my God she's a pig... foreign I go through like two of these a day! it's not diabetes I should do a review of Quake snacks, yeah. because they do have a lot of different ones. like, you've seen some of them in my grocery hauls you know the pop pops? they have a lot of like a lot of things... a lot of things are flavored with zatar you guys know what that is? around oh.
[Laughter] Julius here hi!
hi baby, oh, oh she doesn't want to be held right now. hi, honey... she looks like church... hi baby... let me holder better.. okay. honey it's okay. it's okay. it's okay.... she might be scared of your man... she's purring. oh really? oh baby girl
hi sweetie oh you're a sweet girl here oh poor girl okay yeah yellow.. say bye. say bye! yeah I sing to her. you kno,w the song, um the queen hi! to me vintage SO thanks Chloe! my shisha's done anyways. so you want a Calico? she looks like church from um pet cemetery. her eyes the same color. she's so she's so cute anyway.s um oh yeah so you want a fat ginger cat and call him Garfield? zatar is like a seasoning made out of like Thyme and like I think sesame seeds. I don't know, lik,e exactly what's in it... but it's mostly made of thyme so it's really tasty. actually I want to go cuddle Julia now. she's... but she eats a lot. she eats a lot mashallah. she eats a lot she has a good appetite on her. she's so small. I think kittens eat more right? because they're growing but we feed her wet and dry and I give her some cremo treats. those creamy treats, she really loves those. so yeah that's Julia next time I'll show you Halloween Howie try sumac yeah, I have tried sumac before. like, in babba ganoush and stuff. it's like sour a bit. eh or something.. I don't know... I know what I know what it tastes like... I need to whiten my teeth or just wear red lipstick. look what you have here Harry he's here on this side is here on this side. hi Emily! let me grab him for the cage
[Music] hi Emmy here he is oh you big boy Hey Big Boy
[Music] oh Howie don't fall out there's a cat now! I'm kidding! hi everyone! rattler I love you so much, you big fat boy! damn son, he's cute. say "bye, hello, bye-bye yellow" back to your home. he doesn't want to get off my hand yeah it looks like a final grumpy Haggard rat freak and oil thanks, babe. vitamin C, really? I didn't know that, she's cut...e you don't want to come off my hand because he doesn't want to go back in the cage. is that a rat? I'm gonna tease him now. are you a rat are you a mouse are you a hamster? I always say that to him he's a hamster. but he looks like a mouse. I don't know he's a freak of nature. I don't know what to say but yeah he's um he's so cute. I love him he's my big boy, Howie! I let him run around and he was Beason... he got he kind of got stuck under the door but no not actually stuck but he was trying to get out. he's a ratster. oh my God, yes... are you a register? he looks like a hamster to me, yeah. he's like a big chubby hamster and he likes to just like, we this is the second wheel we get him. so we got him a wheel and we moved all the hang out of the way and it's turning fine. you know, the guy at the store was even like, this moves really well. so we put the new wheel inside and remember, whenever we got first got him, he was in that little cage? he was playing on that little wheel but this feels way bigger instead. of he doesn't like that it moves. he doesn't like that it moves so he went out of his way to move the hay, all the hay I took the trouble of moving out for him he put it all back to so that the wheel would be stationary because he likes to sit in the wheel and clean his bum, so he likes to have a clean bum cleaning station and it has to be stationary. he's got his own little like hamster rap personality. he likes to go to the bathroom in one corner. um he chooses wood. he loves his corn. any I have a medley a hamster food medley with like all different nuts and seeds but he only eats certain things. and I could tell when he's had it like I have to replenish his food because only these little grain. he doesn't .I think there's like quinoa... I'm not sure. there's like these tiny little circle pellets he doesn't like them. so he leaves them. he only eats the the certain things inside the medley. he's so picky and weird. I don't know he's a weirdo. That's What I Love About Pets. they all have their own like different little personality. you know personalities? chinchillas they're so cute... yeah they had some at the pet store. I couldn't believe some of the animals they had there! like they had meerkats. they had tucans, like, some people have pet tucans. they're very demanding like, like, having having an exotic pet like that?
anyways guys I think I'm gonna go because it's like late here and I want to go to bed and you know, relax. getting some coffee PJs? oh excuse me... Birds scare the crap out of you, really? I love birds. you have weasels? get out of here! like, the weasels from um Roger rabbits? does Harry still get to run? yeah like he's most of the time in this room, I only came in here to smoke but I don't have my shisha... finish I think it's finished um other than that every day like twice a day. first I come in replenish his, like, spot clean, give him some fruits and vegetables. replenish his Kibbles. then I take him out. he always comes out of his little hay hen and goes like he knows I'm in here. and then I let him run around. and there's like still Parcels in here from moving and stuff. he likes to climb them like they're Mount Everest for him. he's weird. I don't know who he climbs but he likes to run around and then I put him back in attend to Julia. then I come back at night and let him play a bit, you know? but I have to stay in here like I don't.. I could let him stay but I don't know I prefer to just ever since he tried to get up the bottom of the door. I watch him now that I'm in here. he can't be unsupervised he's not trusted. he lost my treasury, so I just set up the gaming station and just watch videos or whatever preferable. if Julia's asleep because she gets very Territorial and like, jealous if I'm in here with the door closed. so kind of thing, anyway... it was nice chatting with you guys um thanks for watching me play with my hijab for an hour uh yeah so what was I gonna say.
I guess that's it, I'm tired. so um thanks for beezing and I hope all of you guys days get better and easier and we'll chat next time. I guess, yeah, um maybe next stream I'll try to think of something fun to do. I like just coming on here and just chatting though really I don't know I like just talking and socializing it's like a form of socialization for me I guess but yeah my beezers so guys thanks for a reason without a reason that's what I'll call it be then without a reason um and I'll see you in my next video or my next live stream so toodaloop, bye guys.

Hi, I (23, f) have gained 22kg in the past 8 months, not much has changed in my life other than going from a 3 nights pub shifts to full time 5 day desk job. Don’t really eat much more but I do have proper and consistent meals as my partner and I cook at home and have incorporated more salads and veggies than I used to eat which was barely. I do have sugar cravings but they are not bad, usually I need something sweet after a meal. Not necessarily a big thing can be a chocolate bar.
My day usually consists of waking up early, walking 20min to work. Cup of coffee with either oatmeal, biscuits or nothing for breakfast. Lunch either cooked from home or a pasty, or ramen. One more cup of coffee for the day and perhaps a small sugar snack. Walk home 20min, clean up and unwind and have a home cooked dinner then game or watch and sleep. (Water throughout the day as usual)
I have not been active at all since I was 15 and have always stayed at 55-58kg even when I ate and snacked more in the day. I am 167cm tall (5’6).
Fall 2021 I have put an implant and my weight went to 64kg despite doing same job (pub/nightclub), then dropped back to my normal within 1/2 months. September 2022 I have slowly gained weight and by December I was again roughly 64kg. January until now I have gone up to 79kg. However clothes I bought in March are now tight on me so I know that I have kept gaining weight throughout despite no change in my life.
I have had a blood test done and came back normal as my gp suspected thyroid issue.
Unsure if I am just crazy or is there something actually wrong with me as logically this weight gain is not normal at all.
Please help..

Does eating sweets makes me have a fat belly? And if i stop eating sweets (chocolate, sweet drinks etc)? And work out in my house would i be able to see results?