Started doing a lot of travelling and camping and would definitely benefit from an awning, mostly as a sun protection (extreme harsh sun here in Australia), not so much against rain or snow (pretty much never).
I got a 'normal' size Mazda 6 station wagon which is very long with a ton of space inside but not very tall- with roof racks the awning would be just around 155cm/60in or so above ground. Even if the outer side of the awning is raised it still might look stupid. I don't mind not being able to stand under it but sitting in a camping chair seems totally possible, and that's the main reason obviously.
I see plenty of Subaru Outbacks with awnings but even though they don't look it they are way taller than the 6. Anybody got experience with an awning on a regular car? What's your opinion, will I look dumb or should I adopt the 'who gives a toss what others think I'll do what I want" attitude.
I do have a large roof box up so if packed/driving an awning wouldn't look odd but when rolled out it might be just a little funny lol
Anyone with regular size car and awning experience please let me know how it's working.
Cheers

Started doing a lot of travelling and camping and would definitely benefit from an awning, mostly as a sun protection, not so much against rain or snow (pretty much never).
I got a 'normal' size Mazda 6 station wagon which is very long with a ton of space inside but not very tall- with roof racks the awning would be just around 155cm or so above ground. Even if the outer side of the awning is raised it still might look stupid. I don't mind not being able to stand under it but sitting in a camping chair seems totally possible, and that's the main reason obviously.
I see plenty of Subaru Outbacks with awnings but even though they don't look it they are way taller than the 6. Anybody got experience with an awning on a regular car? What's your opinion, will I look dumb or should I adopt the 'who gives a toss what others think I'll do what I want" attitude.
I do have a large roof box up so if packed/driving an awning wouldn't look odd but when rolled out it might be just a little funny lol
Anyone with regular size car and awning experience please let me know how it's working.
Cheers

Started doing a lot of travelling and camping and would definitely benefit from an awning, mostly as a sun protection (extreme harsh sun here in Australia), not so much against rain or snow (pretty much never).
I got a 'normal' size Mazda 6 station wagon which is very long with a ton of space inside but not very tall- with roof racks the awning would be just around 155cm/60in or so above ground. Even if the outer side of the awning is raised it still might look stupid. I don't mind not being able to stand under it but sitting in a camping chair seems totally possible, and that's the main reason obviously.
I see plenty of Subaru Outbacks with awnings but even though they don't look it they are way taller than the 6.
Anybody got experience with an awning on a regular car? What's your opinion, will I look dumb or should I adopt the 'who gives a toss what others think I'll do what I want" attitude.
I do have a large roof box up so if packed/driving an awning wouldn't look odd but when rolled out it might be just a little funny lol
Anyone with regular size car and awning experience please let me know how it's working.
Cheers

https://imgur.com/a/l0XbTwe
A lot of thought and adjustment has led me to this layout (see photo link above). I've been living stably with this layout for close to a year now.
As my own imagination is limited, i'd like to know your suggestions if any improvement can be made. Feel free to adjust the furniture drawn in yellow, or suggest additional/removal of furniture.
Constraints:
-the air conditioner blow draft is drawn. no chair should not be placed there.
-wall outlets are drawn. they can be extended with a power strip but not transferred.
-the wardrobe is tall and should not be placed by a window along it's width. maybe along its depth is possible
-the sofa bed (open position) requires space at its foot for the user to deploy the legs and store its legs. the foot of the bed cannot be flush against a wall
any help here is appreciated. or let me know if this is already the best layout. thanks!

Frost collected on the windows as we drove further into the woods. Next to me, my wife of eight years and bringer of many headaches. Now I'll be fair, I contributed to some of those headaches for her as well. But let's face it, we were having marital problems. I know, a cliche sort of story, but a common one in today's modern society.
We were heading to my grandparents' old cabin up north. My aging ancestors said that it would be the best place for us to "reinvigorate the romance" as they put it. Lovely.
But that's not why I'm recording these papers. No, it was something far graver than a failing marriage.
It was 2012 and we had our typical routines. I was an entrepreneur, investing in the stock market with the hopes of making it big. To make the money in this risky scheme of mine, I had to work a regular job just like everyone else. I worked in a factory for cars while my wife, Cassie, was trying to become a hairdresser.
The topic of money was always a strenuous issue for us. Constantly we fought about where the money should be going. Cassie believed that we should save as much as we can, while I was more willing to take the plunge into the market and try to milk this capitalist engine for all its worth.
As you can see, putting those two together created a nasty scenario where two people who wanted to have the best of youthful intimacy, slowly got destroyed by the years of conflicting interests. I still thought she was the most beautiful woman in my life, but the way that she stood in the way of my goals for a better life was starting to make me question this relationship to go on. Hence the cabin.
Now it is December and it's getting close to that date everyone seems to be obsessed over. The end of the world. What a load of baloney.
So that's a little background as to why we're going out to the woods.
But the drive itself was unbearably quiet. Not once did Cassie say anything. She didn't put up much of a fight either when I suggested that we go out to the cabin. Deep down, I think a part of me wondered if maybe she thought this was all in vain and wanted to get it over with. I believe a part of me believes that as well. Perhaps this is all a wasted effort and the ending result will be our inevitable divorce.
But who knows, there's always that slim chance. And when I looked up at the sky, I saw that there was a meteor shower already happening above.
"Hey Cassie, look," I said with childish delight.
She looked up from her window with a stoic expression. But I noticed a slight twinkle in her eye. From what I could tell, she was surprised to see such a glorious display from the beauty of the stars above. Although astronomy was always more of her thing, I still found joy in the little things.
"I'll admit, I wasn't expecting that."
"Right, and once we're at the cabin, we could—"
It just hit me when I realized it. I had no plan going forward. My goal was to get her out of the house. What are we supposed to do the moment we get to that cabin? It's not like I'm going to ask to be intimate right then and there. You got to work things up to stuff like that; especially with how strained our relationship is.
This was going to be more debilitating than I thought. No matter what scenario I thought of, nothing seemed appropriately timed. Make her dinner, watching TV sounded kind of stupid considering that we did that a whole lot back at the house, and frankly I'm not the most creative when it comes to trying to mend a relationship.
"You want to go for a walk later?" she cooed.
My eyes drifted over to her. Looking at her as she fidgeted with her long, light blonde hair.
A small smile grew on my face. At least she was trying to make an effort too. Perhaps there is hope after all. "Sure thing Cassie. I don't mind."
Once we arrived at the cabin, it was within no time that we settled in. Although fully furnished, there was dust everywhere. Surprisingly few cobwebs, so spiders weren't going to be an issue. The old, cabin-like aesthetic with furniture that looked like it dated back to the 1800s and was handcrafted made the entire home feel like it was holding some dark secrets of a mysterious past.
Thankfully my grandparents had been smart enough to remove any food from the house before we arrived. The last thing I'd want is to see year-old spoiled food everywhere, forcing the two of us to clean up any more than we had to.
The only thing I was concerned about was that I spotted something in the closet of the bedroom. My grandfather's guns.
"Couldn't you buy a gun safe old man?"
Cassie peeked over my shoulder and said, "Ugh, why is that even here?"
"Hey, my grandpa was a gun lover. What did you expect to find here?"
"Those things should be melted down."
My wife, though I still love her, was heavily against guns. She believed that they could all be taken away from the civilian population.
Frankly, I thought the exact opposite. I believe that it should be every person's right to get one. Maybe not a semi-automatic or shotgun, a good pistol or revolver would be satisfactory enough for me.
I quickly moved her away from the stash and we returned to our usual business, not thinking about anything else.
The walk would have to happen tomorrow morning. And after driving for the last ten hours, I can safely assume that we wanted to sleep in.
As we were getting ourselves ready for bed, I looked at my wife with hopefulness bubbling in my heart. She always tried to do everything So graceful, considering she came from a family that was quiet, elegant, and frankly made more money than I could ever hope to. Why she wants to become a hairdresser, I had no idea. Perhaps a change of pace or out of spite for her parents.
I thought about saying something to remind her that I still loved her. But before the words could even escape my mouth, there was a flash of a bright light coming from the window.
She looked up and our eyes widened with a fearful stare.
I turned around, wondering what was causing that. It was too bright for me to even see out the glass. Then a loud bang followed afterward, making me believe for a moment that something disastrous was going on. Was it a nuclear war? A random volcano? A freak storm? My mind was racing with every possible scenario. But as quickly as it came, both the sound and the light vanished into the woods.
"Are you okay?" Cassie said, hunkering down behind the bed.
"Yeah— I was afraid I was going to go blind there for a moment."
"I tried to look away as quickly as I saw it. But I was afraid I might go deaf from that sound."
Despite it being freezing outside, I opened the window and looked around. There was no smoke anywhere. Nor was there even a remnant of the light flickering somewhere off in the distance.
I caught the smell though. It smelled like burning rubber. Or perhaps it was more like plastic burning. Either way, it was awful and I quickly shut the door, not wanting any of that to get in.
"That was weird,"
My wife agreed and surprisingly, she wanted me to come to bed. This was a bizarre turn of events for me considering that she never once cared. But perhaps it was because she was scared. Reasonable response.
The next morning, we went about our habits and freshened up. After eating a light breakfast, we finally managed to put on some snow clothes, and go for that walk.
The brisk air and gentle breeze was more than I expected to handle. But I feel like the nervous tension was definitely keeping us warm. I never realized how hard it was to talk to her.
"Cassie... what do you think was that strange light last night?"
Another brief moment passed before she replied, "I don't know. I couldn't get a good look."
Oh well, at least we got to go on this nice walk. Thankfully both of us wore boots because the snow was unusually high.
Not too far down the road though, we spotted a house. There was already a family outside. A man, a woman, and three kids. Two boys, one girl. They were playing in the snow, building snowmen and forts. They waved to us, and it was a bit of a bitter reminder about how we had squandered our marriage with our short-term goals in mind.
Cassie had this longing in her eyes. I could tell she wished that we would have done the same. And if I'm honest with myself, maybe parenthood would've been something nice.
We waved as we passed by, but neither of us wanted to talk about the matter.
Moving further down the road, I could spot some smoke rising from deep within the forest. I looked at Cassie, but she hadn't noticed it yet. I pointed it out to her and we were both curious about what could be causing a fire in the woods?
"Want to check it out?" she asked.
"Only if you want to?"
"Do you or do you not?" she said more forcefully.
"Yes! God all right," I replied back in my own angered way.
I led the way, she followed behind as we trudged through the snow away from the road.
As we got closer, I could smell that horrible stench again. Now I was certain we were getting close to whatever it was that caused that late last night. Perhaps it was a meteorite or a satellite.
Finally, we cleared past the last batch of pine trees and saw what it was. But a huge crater with something metallic in the center.
"Is that a ball?" Cassie remarked from behind.
I moved closer to the edge of the crater, looking down at it. Every time a snowflake touched the metallic surface of the orb, it instantly turned into steam.
I decided to circle the edge of the crater, willing to see if there was a way to get a full view of what it was. Just out of curiosity. I wasn't sure what it was actually; it was a gray orb, no unique details other than that it was 6 ft tall I believe, and that was it.
Well, that's what I thought until I moved over to the other end of the orb and saw that there is an opening to the inside. It looked like a seat. Which made me come to the conclusion that it was a space pod.
"Does NASA build space pods, Cassie?"
"Not to my knowledge. I don't keep up with space stuff."
As I kept inspecting the pod, I noticed that there was some green liquid that was trailing off into the snow up to the crater until it vanished into the woods.
"What in the world?"
Suddenly the piercing sound of children screaming as well as a man and a woman broke through the forest, causing my heart to beat erratically like a pounding drum. Those are sounds I never want to hear.
Cassie's face ran white like the snow around her. She looked almost like she was about to faint just from how sickening those screams were. They had such an oppressive fear behind them, something that may my blood run like freezing water through my veins.
I went back to Cassie and wrapped my arms around her as we kept looking around frantically. Both of our minds raced about what could have caused that sound. But then I remembered that the other cabin was not too far from us. The one with the family.
I managed to convince Cassie that we needed to run back to the house. But in actuality, I just want to get over to the other cabin to make sure that family was safe.
We kept running as fast as we could until finally when we reached near that cabin, I saw with all my despair-inducing horror why they made such a tormented display of shrieks.
Bile came fast up my throat, and I had to hold myself back from throwing up by the horrific display.
My wife also gave way to shrieking, so loud it was that it was actually more irritating for me but I couldn't blame her.
The poor family. That poor, poor family...
We moved on but I couldn't stop thinking about how every single one of them had been torn apart like mincemeat. Scattered about and indistinguishable. There was a hand here, a few toes there, something had shredded them until they were nothing more than a gruesome display of carnage.
We quickly left the scene.
When we got back to the house, I quickly decided to call 911. I told them everything about what we had seen and they said they would send over a squad car to the house.
But that wasn't the whole truth that I gave them. All I told them was about the massacre that happened over at that family home. I didn't tell him about the spherical thing that we found in the woods.
My wife was still anxiously walking around in circles, checking every window as she went.
I ran out to the car, thinking that it would be better if we just left right now. I tried starting the car, but it just kept sputtering but no life. Something was wrong, the car should work, I gave it a full tank of gas.
I got out and noticed that there were some bolts and scraps of metal half-buried in the snow. When I bent down to look underneath, I saw that the entire fuselage had been torn open. Something had deliberately destroyed the car.
Running back inside, I slammed the door shut, and locked it. I went even further to place a chair and wedge the doorknob. Now I was desperate. We had no car, and there was no way I was planning on walking out there again. All we could do was wait for help. At least I was able to make that call on a cell phone because when I went to turn on one of the lights, there was no electricity flowing through. The wires had been cut as well. Whatever did this, it was smart and it was targeting us.
Cassie had at this point started breaking down into tears. She was scared. I was scared. But I knew that I needed to be there for her. Even though our marriage isn't so good right now, there's no way I could leave her in such a vulnerable state.
I felt that maybe I should do something to comfort her, what else could I do? What could either of us do? The only thing that we were able to do was to wait for assistance.
I stretched my hands out to her and pulled her in towards my chest. She didn't even try to fight back, but rather she buried herself. This was probably the most affection I've gotten from her in a long time.
Hopefully, the police can handle this. I wasn't too sure if we could make it all night. Every little cracking sound from the cabin was enough to get my hair standing up. Nothing seemed to have been damaged, so I had to come to the conclusion that whatever "it" was didn't come inside.
It would seem that we were in for a night of no sleep.
The next day, there was a knock on our door. I was disturbed from my rest on the couch with my wife next to me.
I tried my best to get up without disturbing her and made my way towards the door. But I stopped before I went to open it.
"Who's there?"
"Police," a voice said weakly.
I took a deep breath and exhaled. How reassuring.
I opened the door and I saw that a bloody police officer was standing in front of me. He had his hand covering over his abdomen which was dripping with it.
"Geez, what happened to you?"
He was practically about the stumble over until I caught him. Wasting no time, I brought them over to the armchair and I knew my wife would not like to wake up to this.
"Cassie wake up," I ordered, panicking.
When she opened her eyes and saw who was sitting near her, she just about screamed but I quickly covered her mouth, much to her shock until she saw it was me.
"Ben, what is going—"
"No time to explain yet, I need you to go and get me some water!" I cut her off.
As much as I hated bossing her around, time was of the essence. I didn't want to say anything to her but I didn't think this poor fella was going to last.
She quickly got up and ran to the kitchen, faster than I would've expected her. Perhaps it was just the adrenaline rush.
I turned to the poor guy who was wheezing and coughing blood.
"Hey, pal listen, I'm going to need you to tell me what happened?"
"Don't worry, I know this looks bad but I didn't walk all the way over here for no reason. I need you to warn the station,"
"About what?"
Cassie came in with some rags that were soaked and gently pressed them onto his abdomen.
He winced quite loudly, but we both knew this was the best.
"Tell them it's a code Protectorate situation— I... me and my partner, we went to the house as instructed. When we got there, we both nearly lost our sanity. It was so gruesome what we saw.
I could relate to what he's describing. It was a messed up sight and I wished I could unsee that.
"When we went into the house to investigate, something lunged out from the darkness. It cut clean through my partner before he could even have time to react. I fired eight shots into that thing. It was so mortifyingly alien."
"So we're dealing with an alien?"
"I don't know if you can count that thing as one. It was so savage, so brutal. Naked and abominable. I quickly got out of there but that thing managed to get me in the stomach. I fired one more shot near its head and that seemed to scare it away. Then I came here."
Both my wife and I were awestruck. So there really was an alien in our area. And it's killing people, how original. But my biggest concern at this moment was the fact that we were now caught in the middle of it.
The cop coughed a few more times— drips of blood coming down his chin.
My wife quickly rushed over with the cloth to try to clean it out so that he could breathe properly, but he just grabbed hold of her wrist, and through more agitated coughing, he choked, "Leave if you can,"
His eyes quickly went lifeless and he fell limp in the armchair.
His hand released my wife and she quickly backed up into me. Held her in my arms as we both stared at the lifeless man who gave us the only advice I think he could say to us.
But I had to honor what the fallen cop had asked me and I got back in touch with the police to tell them that the cop died after investigating the murder scene. I gave them his name and they were ready to send more help until I cut the lady off and told her that he requested Protectorate. They cut the line after that and I had to deal with questions I had no answers to.
But then a new voice answered, " Please evacuate the area. Your area has been labeled by the Protectorate Extermination Committee as a targeted zone. You have less than one hour to comply with this direct order."
Well, that wasn’t what I was expecting to hear.
No sooner after hearing those words, Cassie ran back to the kitchen and started washing the blood off of her hands. I took a blanket and covered the officer. But I was going to heed his words.
I went upstairs and quickly started grabbing what I could and throwing them back into our bags. We were leaving and that was not up for any discussion. Thankfully Cassie was on the same page as me.
After about ten or twelve minutes had passed, I finished packing, only to hear the pounding beat of a rotor. That was a helicopter flying overhead.
Quickly I went outside and tried to get a good look at it. It was a Blackhawk helicopter flying rapidly.
Out of desperation, I started waving my hands, hoping that maybe they'd land and get us out of here much sooner than what my car could manage for us, but they flew off. I know they saw me, but they simply ignored me.
Cassie came out of the house and asked, "Did they just leave? I heard them flying by and thought that maybe they'd land?"
"I don't think they're looking for survivors. They don’t look like any military group that I recognize."
"What did they look like?" her voice trembled.
"I don't know who they are, but their helicopter was painted black and there was a symbol on the side. It looked like a shield with six wings coming out from the side and an eye in the center of the shield."
We heard the sound of distinct gunfire off in the distance. Whatever it was, I doubt it was military engagement. There was only one firing and it was followed by deafening screams of a man. Only to be drowned out by something unnaturally low and clicky. But this roar boomed across the land.
That was coming from another cabin not too far from us. Whatever it was, surely we were going to be next in the line of fire for this thing. It must have been going around destroying people's vehicles if there were still people around after what happened to that first. I can't imagine all of our neighbors still being here willingly.
I ordered Cassie back in the house, knowing full well that something bad was about to go down when I saw three more of those Blackhawks flying into one single location.
I shut the door again and told Cassie to get down as low as she could. I didn't want a stray bullet hitting either of us, but I couldn't help but remain curious to see if they could get it.
I was expecting them to rain down machine-gun fire, but instead, I saw three huge plumes of fire shoot out from each of the choppers. They were trying to burn this thing. They were hitting it hard too. The amount of flames coming down at such a rapid speed made me think that it could catch the entire woods on fire. Thankfully it's winter, so I don't think a forest fire is likely to happen.
But they never stopped firing and it also seems like they were chasing after whatever it was. My eyesight's not so good, so I wasn't able to get a visual of what it was. But I saw something running on all four, darting through the woods as the Blackhawks chased after it.
"What's happening!" Cassie cried.
I had forgotten about her. I was expecting bullets but I guess it wasn't so dangerous after all.
"They're trying to burn that sick monster."
"Is it working?"
I didn't have the heart to tell her that I think the thing is getting away. Whatever it was, it was weaving fast enough to where the helicopters couldn't keep up. But at least it seems like it couldn't hurt them either.
"They're driving it away. It's moving far away from us. Maybe we could leave right now."
Cassie started panicking and stuttered, "We— we are not going out there,"
"Cassie don't be stupid, we have to get out of here. That creature might come back for all we know—"
"And I don't want to be outside all vulnerable when it gets here!"
That was always something I hated about her. Once she made up her mind on something, there was no way you were going to get her to change her mind.
"It's always about your issues, it's always going to be your way! Don't you realize that there is something that we cannot handle, running around willy-nilly, we've got helicopters outside blasting it with fire that doesn't seem to be doing too much, and you want us to stay here like a bunch of sitting ducks because you're too scared to try and Escape like the officer who died for us, said so!"
"YOU THINK I WANT TO STAY HERE AND GET TORN APART BY THAT SAVAGE!" she got up from her hiding place and pushed me as hard as she could.
Don't get me wrong, I didn't fall down to the ground, but when she gets angry, she's a little extra forceful than you would expect.
She tried doing it a second time, but I caught her arms and threw her back, but not hard enough to make her fall.
"How about you calm down, and THINK!" I shouted back at her with increased ferocity. I was at my limit and I was having thoughts of leaving her here. We were on the verge of divorce anyway and the last thing I should care about is someone who will become a stranger to me and no time.
"I did, I want to hide and not be an open target!"
"And I don't want to sit here like an all-you-can-eat buffet for that thing!"
Before the argument could continue down this heated path, one of those flamers happened to be coming by, burning everything nearby. Thankfully it didn't hit the house or even the yard for that matter, but it was enough to leave me with a shaking stomach.
We both dropped to the ground but I was still curious about what was happening outside.
I crawled up to the front window again and my eyes went wide as I saw one of the helicopters blasting its flamethrower down. Inside the inferno, that creature was walking about untouched by the heat.
I whispered to myself, "It's immune to the fire? How?"
The flames eventually stopped raining down. I think they got the idea too.
I looked up at them as one of the soldiers was changing their weapon of choice from a flamethrower, to something a little more ballistic...
"Run!" I ordered. "To the bathroom!"
Both of us got up and as we got into the first-floor bathroom, the sound of explosions rained down from above. Small-scale explosives were now being used against this alien. It let out another one of those guttural bellows, apparently, this actually hurt it more. I also could hear the constant firing of bullets raining down.
But this was all that I could interpret. Cassie and I were both huddled in the bathtub, praying to whatever God exists that we don't end up being shredded by bullets in the process.
Already I could hear parts of the house getting hit by stray bullets as it seemed like the helicopters were moving more erratically as they chased after this creature again. At least it seems like they were moving away from us, but those were the most intense 30 seconds of my life.
Finally, everything fell silent other than the distant explosions that slowly toned down.
Both Cassie and I were breathing heavily, I even found myself wrapping my arms around her instinctively.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
She wouldn't quit crying. She never responded to my question. Granted it was a stupid question. Nothing about this was okay.
I decided to concede. Perhaps we should just hunker down and hope for the best. Although I was still completely on board with up and going, Cassie was partially right. We would be caught out there in the open and there was no guarantee that these people who were fighting the monster were even going to care about civilian casualties. They certainly didn't mind incinerating entire sections of the woods away, regardless of whatever houses happened to be nearby.
"Cassie, we'll stay here tonight. But I'm using my grandpa's guns."
"I don't care, I want that thing dead. I'll take one myself."
Well, this was a sudden change of heart. Someone who is always against this stuff suddenly wants one. Though I should have known better when I saw her only pick up the pistol.
"If you fail, I would much rather be able to take the easy way out of this mess."
Honestly, I'd rather have that option as well. But I have to try. Plus, if I was to die today, at least I can go down with this beautiful shotgun in hand.
So that would be the update so far. A black ops group is currently leveling the area as best they can to try and kill this thing, my wife is ready to do what she can to avoid a painful way of dying, and I've got a shotgun, scared out of my mind as I wait for this thing to eventually try and get us as well.
And thus began another long night of no sleep.
The clock had now turned to 12:43 p.m. I was dead tired and the exhaustion of staying up for two days without getting any consistent sleep was starting to take its toll.
Thankfully the sun had come up and this creature did not attack during the night. I'm telling you, that is probably the most luck we're ever going to get out of this.
Cassie was getting more sleep than I was, but she refused to leave the bathroom. She stayed in that tub the entire night, while I made myself a little pillow fort in the living room. And before you start getting judgemental of childish behavior, if I'm going to die, I'm going to die in comfort.
All throughout the night, I heard the occasional bursts of gunfire far off in the distance. I tighten my grip around the shotgun, preparing myself for whenever I would need it.
This particular shotgun was a special type that my grandfather was obsessed over. And it packed quite a wallop. A Browning BPS. With sleek, black metal, this high-powered shotgun is all that stands between a ravenous, deadly alien that came from outer space, and me getting torn in half.
And so began the wait.
Hours were going by. Every moment that I heard them chasing that thing out there, was another moment that told me that it wasn't over yet.
I was drenched in sweat, despite the temperature getting increasingly cold with every passing hour. How we managed to survive this whole time is beyond me. I guess the tension alone was enough to make sure that we stayed warm throughout the whole thing.
Then I heard a rumbling sound outside. Then I heard multiple rumblings. And then suddenly a blast of sound exploded so loud that it shattered all of the glass in the house. I was so scared that I almost fired off a shot.
I quickly got up from the pillow fort, Cassie was looking out the bathroom door. She was as confused as I was.
"What are they doing now?"
When I took a look outside, I had a surge of hope. Outside were 8 tanks, as black as the Blackhawks. They were firing off at a distance, firing off their machine-gun fire at the same time as they tried to destroy whatever this thing was with cannon fire from their turrets.
When I peered further out at the patch of woods that were being shredded to pieces by the barrage, I saw that the alien was moving as quickly as they could to avoid. But it kept stumbling around, and explosives kept burning away layers of its skin. There were more helicopters outside that were trying to flame it as well as firing explosive rockets at it.
I was cheering them on. The creature was definitely taking a beating from the constant attacks and it was only a matter of time before that thing would get too worn down. Already I could see parts of its flesh burning off.
"Come guys, get 'em!" I shouted instinctively by the hype of us actually winning. Maybe I would get out of this alive.
From my distance, I had to wear my glasses to get a better view. But my god the battle was intense.
"I think they've nearly killed it!" I shouted in early triumph.
Cassie came out of the bathroom and crawled next to me, wanting to join me and watching as they finally killed that alien. We both watched with anticipation as they finally seemed to be destroying its tough outer exterior.
The animal looked disgusting. That barbaric creature had two long arms with five fingers that looked about as long as a human forearm, it had a triangular-shaped head, rounded around the edges. I distinctly remember seeing it have bluish-gray skin earlier, but I guess after all of the flaming, bullets, and bombings, now it was reduced to a muscular frame.
It staggered after getting hit for over a day's worth and I was surprised that they were willing to keep pounding this thing so hard for that extended time.
Suddenly the sky overhead had a long, loud engine noise burst through the sound barrier.
We both looked up and my heart sank into what felt like ice-cold water because those were F-22s coming down fast from the sky.
I looked over to Cassie who looked like she had frozen over. Without much rational thought, I grabbed hold of her and we both ducked low to the ground.
The glass exploded above us as I heard missiles coming down, explosion after explosion detonating and leveling everything nearby. They were going to keep hitting this thing till it was either ash, or the entire area had been left in ashes.
Cassie kept crying but I also felt a huge overwhelming feeling of dread laying on top of me. I hugged her tightly, wanting to give myself some warmth from the otherwise cold, apathetic attack that we had found ourselves stuck in.
She kept whispering through choked up words, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,"
"Cassie, listen, we're going to be alright. You hear that! We are going to live!"
The last explosion was so close to our house that I think part of it was coming apart at that point. The whole house shook violently and Cassie and I were even momentarily lifted off of the ground by how much power was behind that last explosion.
I slowly got back to my feet, my ears ringing exceedingly loud. I can barely hear whatever Cassie was saying to me. I still had the shotgun in hand. I was clutching that thing as my life depended on it.
Everything was a blurry mess, I was so dizzy I couldn't even focus entirely on anything.
Cassie was trying to tell me something. She kept pointing around me, her face full of fear.
Finally, things were going back to normal quickly and I was able to understand what she was trying to say.
"IT'S COMING THIS WAY!"
My eyes widened and as I turned around, the entire wall exploded inwards. I found myself being tossed over the couch and Cassie was quick to try and crawl back to the bathroom. I think she left her pistol there.
When I got a good look at it, I realized it was at death's door. It was all bloody, muscular, one of its eyes had fallen out. And it had this blood-filled shrill escaping from his mouth that made your skin curl in itself. Frankly, it sounded like no animal on Earth.
Bullets started raining in, a little too close for comfort for me.
I had to make a decision, the thing was eyeing down my wife. She turned around towards me, her eyes filled with tears.
Without much hesitation, I pumped the shotgun and unloaded an entire blast into its chest while it was distracted.
It screamed out in a horrific shrill, probably more stunned that a simple firearm is enough to finally get this thing injured at this point.
I kept blasting, pumping, blasting, pumping, repeatedly doing this while screaming as I kept shooting that sick animal. It swung its broken fingers at me, cutting a bit of my leg in the process. I fell down for a moment, but I knew I had to get back up for Cassie. It didn't do so well when I finally was able to get close enough to it, point the double-barrel right at its head, and blast straight into its mouth.
Strangely enough, that wasn't even enough to kill it. It fell back, squirming around in writhing pain, and I was shocked when I saw Cassie come out with her pistol and unload all eight bullets into the creature as well. I joined her in the attack, and we kept shooting at it until it finally stopped moving.
We both were out of breath, completely in shock, and frankly just wanting to go home. Maybe even see a therapist.
I rested on the floor next to Cassie who had lost her strength as well. We were just too tired to even run and I had no intention of getting out on my own.
Through the smoke, four soldiers in full body armored gear painted black entered through the gaping hole in the wall.
I was so tired I was sure I'd lose consciousness. Sure enough, everything faded to black. I could briefly hear the chatter of radios, but what they said I could not remember.
When I woke up, I was sitting in a hospital bed. I looked around in frantic movements, wondering where Cassie was— where my wife was?
I saw her completely passed out in the bed next to me. I was so relieved to see her safe and sound.
When I looked around, I saw that we were in a military infirmary tent. It was still snowing outside, but thankfully these tents know how to keep you warm.
But as I was about to get comfortable in my bed, two guys in suits- not black suits, thankfully they weren't going to be so cliche— walked in with two guards in uniform behind them.
The man who appeared oldest, complete with a bald head and big, bushy, gray mustache said, "Good morning soldier."
I chuckled a little bit. "Soldier? I wouldn't say I'm a soldier."
He had a charming laugh that I could tell you enough that he was more of a ladies' man in his spare time when he wasn't working to be some high-up government official.
"Ah, but weren't you the one who managed to kill that extraterrestrial?"
Clearly, he knew what I had done, so there was no point in lying. "Yes sir,"
"That makes you a soldier I guess. You may be just a civilian, but anyone who has the guts to take on something that took tanks and Blackhawks an entire day's worth of fighting to kill is deserving of such a title."
"I'm honored," I responded with unease.
"Well, I feel like it's the least we can do considering that even though we did most of the work, the fact that you managed to kill that thing with a shotgun and revolver is my definition of bravery. So we will be needing you to do a few favors for us in return for some added benefits for your heroism today."
I was well-versed in this kind of stuff. You watch enough movies, read enough books, you learn a little bit about what they're going to tell you next. Of course, I had to sign the documentation that neither of us would ever talk about what we had seen today. We were to never acknowledge any information that was related to what had happened today. And we were to tell anyone we came across that we had a lovely second honeymoon trying to rekindle our marriage.
But in return, I did get some financial help from these guys. They gave me a reward of $100,000 each. Although I'd like for more, I'm not going to pester them with that feeling. Beggars can't be choosers, right?
Although after all of that happened, I and Cassie did manage to recover somewhat of our marriage for the time being. What happened that day wasn't going to save it though. In 2018, we decided to go our separate ways. But we still get together occasionally to talk about what happened on that fateful winter day in 2012. She says that she still has nightmares of that thing chasing after her. I don't suffer from the nightmares of that thing, but I can understand where she's coming from.
The recent events have changed that. After everything that happened and now that I've been a single man for quite some time now, I recently became more interested in what's going on above us.
I started collecting information about aliens, thinking that they were nothing more than little gray men and the occasional giant monster creature. Oh, how I was wrong. I was extraordinarily wrong about what was really going on in the stars.
But I suppose that isn't relative to this story. Despite all of the horror that I experienced, the horrors I experienced now are far worse, but I think it's time I sign off on this message. And so I will go back to a night of no sleep.

If I had to say 3 reasons I go to therapy it would be my chronic loneliness, my social awkwardness,and my low self esteem
I like my therapist she is awesome and very kind.
I’m chronically lonely, I’m 20 and with my short time on this earth I’ve barely had a close friend outside of a work or school buddy. I have one friend who is a really good guy but we don’t hang out or talk often cause he is a full time student, and a perfectionist when it comes to his grades. We hang out occasionally by go to the movies it feels like a few times out of the year
But 95% of the time I’m all by my lonesome I’m trying to change I really am, but it’s so hard I’m desperate for friendship and romance and any companionship but I lack to the courage or self esteem to put myself out there.
A lot of my life since middle school when I discovered girls has been limerence chasing people who didn’t want me or just torturing myself feeling like shit all the time hoping that the universe would throw me a bone.
I’m not completely inexperienced I had a Girlfriend a couple of years ago and we dated for a year.
I have I guess healthy coping mechanisms
Listening to music
I have my hobbies or sometimes as I like to think of them distractions from the shitty parts of my life
Movies, Games, Books stories in general
My more actually negative coping skills are emotional eating I will destroy a bag of pretzels
But let’s move on to the what I would consider to be the embarrassing or unorthodox
So one of the reasons I like therapy is alot of my problems I don’t want to talk to my parents about, not because they wouldn’t care it’s just it’s embarrassing and I don’t want to ruin their perspective of me or I don’t want them to make it bigger than it is or I don’t want them worrying all the Time especially when they have their own problems.
So as embarrassing as they are here are my other coping skills
Most nights when I go to bed I listen to and fall asleep to asmr Girlfriend Roleplays. My favorite are the soft or dom yanderes cause like I said I’m a desperate lil monster. I like to hug my pillow
It helps me sleep and kinda numbs the lonely attacks which is a term I created to describe moments where my heart just goes crazy I got a pit in my stomach and I feel cold and alone, and I feel like I’m gonna die alone, never gonna find love again I have a lil cry and sometimes whimper or moan I wonder how I’m supposed to survive the next decade let alone my whole life feeling like this feeling tortured most days. I get attached to people so fast. I feel like I use people to feel normal and I feel guilty
Another embarrassing one is talking in the car
While driving sometimes I like to pretend that I have a girlfriend that sits in the passenger seat and I like to talk as if there is an actual person.
It’s usually about stuff that happens during the day or stuff I see as I’m driving
Day dreaming is another big one I like to daydream that I’m married or my life is better than what it is sometimes I like to pretend I’m a famous movie director and I’m being filmed for a documentary as I describe my daily life and influences on my work. Or like im being interviewed on a late night show.
Sometimes I’m a guest on my favorite podcasts or YouTube show.
Sometimes I’m a famous musician on tour when I listen to music
All is not lost however I know the difference between reality and fiction I’m not like an incel or an angry person I’d consider myself to be a good person but not one of those s fedora tipping nice guys. I try my best to be helpful for people not use them
I’m trying to improve myself I’ve been tryin to lose weight to look more attractive, I’m learning more how to dress for big and tall men.
So I have hope I just feel like shit most days I really wish I could either accept the fact that I will be alone for ever or be able to somehow enjoy life by myself

Demographics

• Gender: Female
• Race/Ethnicity: White/Eastern European Jewish
• Residence: Texas
• Income Bracket: 250k+
• Type of School: Public, students must pass "gifted and talented" test to attend
• Hooks (Recruited Athlete, URM, First-Gen, Geographic, Legacy, etc.): N/A

Intended Major(s): Women's/Sexuality/Gender Studies
Academics

• GPA (UW/W): 3.59 weighted (school doesn't do unweighted)
• Rank (or percentile): N/A
• # of Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/etc.: 9 honors, 11 AP
• Senior Year Course Load: Scientific Research/Design, Statistics 2 Honors, AP English Literature, AP Macroeconomics, AP Government, AP European History, AP Psychology

Standardized Testing
List the highest scores earned and all scores that were reported.

• ACT: 33 (35E, 29M, 36R, 31S)

Extracurriculars/Activities
List all extracurricular involvements, including leadership roles, time commitments, major achievements, etc.

1. Social Justice - Founded coalition of artists donating profits from commissions to rotating charities every 3 months.
2. Internship - interpret curriculum for LGBTQ+ diversity training for medical professionals into interactive lesson plans and videos.
3. LGBT - Events chair of school GSA
4. Other Club/Activity - Founded school's fashion club (serves as a sustainable fashion activism club)
5. Religious - President of school JSU, stepped down senior year to allow for new leadership, doubled club membership from pre pandemic
6. Religious - treasurer of local youth Jewish group
7. TheateDrama - campaign director of social committee, assistant directed production and participated in varying degrees in a variety of plays throughout highschool
8. Theatedrama - taught at a theatre summer camp for 11-15 year olds
9. Internship - at the mayor's office, helped develop app for local art tours
10. Work(Paid) - worked at local pottery painting shop

Letters of Recommendation
AP Research Teacher - Had a difficult beginning of the year in her class but she was able to see me grow as a student and I ended up doing really well on the AP and found a passion for humanities related research that I want to continue in college, I was able to read the letter and it was very good
AP English Language + Creative Writing - Hyped me up, probably talked about how I'm a good storyteller and my creativity. He is my homeroom teacher so we have a great relationship
AP Statistics and Statistics 2 - Did not do well in his AP class Junior year due to struggling mental health, took his optional secondary statistics class so we have a good relationship, I believe he spoke a lot about my growth.
Interviews
All the interviews went fairly well I believe, I managed to connect with the interviewers pretty well and got to talk a lot but also ask a lot of engaging questions.
Essays
Personal Statement - Spent a really long time on it, multiple people cried after reading it so I believe it was good
Supplements were all okay but not my best writing, especially compared to personal statement
Decisions (indicate ED/EA/REA/SCEA/RD)
Acceptances:

• Brandeis University (Jan 2024 Admission/RD, Legacy)
• Clark University (EA, Merit Scholarship)
• Connecticut College (RD, Merit Scholarship)
• Curry College (Rolling)
• Gettysburg College (EA, Deferred initially but awarded Merit Scholarship)
• Lafayette College (RD)
• Lasell University (Rolling)
• Sarah Lawrence College (EA, Merit Scholarship)
• Skidmore College (RD)
• Trinity College (RD)
• Union College NY (EA, Merit Scholarship)
• Wheaton College MA (EA, Merit Scholarship)

Waitlists:

• Bryn Mawr College (RD, accepted waitlist spot and will see what happens)

Rejections:

• Smith College (ED, was my top choice)
• Mount Holyoke College (ED2, was second choice)
• Vassar College (RD)
• Wellesley College (RD)
• Williams College (RD)

Additional Information:
A big part of my application was the explanation for my low GPA. In the first 3 years of highschool I received Cs in my math and science classes and struggled a lot, in the application I took responsibility for what happened but also explained why my GPA was the way it was. All through highschool my grades were on an upward trend and they increased exponentially in the first semester of senior year. I also spoke about this in interviews and my rec letters mentioned it so I believe this was fully explained.
​
Final Thoughts:
I came into this process convinced that Smith College was the perfect place for me, so of course I was disappointed. However, I was more disappointed by what happened with Mount Holyoke. When I was rejected, I noticed that the college had made the decision (ED2) without waiting for my senior year grades to come in. In my letter they stated that they liked me a lot but wanted to make sure I was prepared so they wanted me to transfer after receiving strong grades at another institution. I am confident that if they had seen my senior year grades my result there would have been different, especially after receiving acceptances from so many more selective schools. Overall, I am very happy with my results. I do not know where I will end up attending as I have yet to visit, but I am very grateful for all the options I have to choose from. If I get into Bryn Mawr, I'll probably go there but I would like to visit all my options first. I hope everyone reading this has great luck!

Hello there! I'm a 39-year-old married dad who's looking for a chat friend and the occasional cup of coffee. I live just north of Grapevine Lake and would prefer to stay in the metroplex. My wife and I have been in an open marriage for almost 7 years, so there's no need for secrecy.
Physically, I'm not the most fit guy, but I'm just slightly above average. I could stand to lose a few pounds, but I'm working on it. My hair is a bit wild and commonly referred to as "aliens," and I'm not quite 6 feet tall, but close (just two inches short). I enjoy the outdoors, working on home projects, and cooking. At night, I enjoy to watch TV shows and movies.
I'm better in person than over text and I also enjoy snuggling. Just to be clear, I'm not looking to pay for dates. I can host and would love to meet someone who's interested in becoming friends and seeing where things go.

First of all, no, this is not another post dissing Syd Field or Blake Snyder. I am rather wondering how those paradigms align with someone like Tsai Ming-liang, and if they don't, how do directors like him go about breaking said paradigm? My other main question is how directors like these incorporate, or sometimes do away with, story.
Tsai is one of my favorite directors, and when I write and direct my own films, I am often inspired by him. The thing is, I sometimes get moments of inspiration and scenes pop in to my mind, but that only happens for a few scenes. Then I need to actually come up with a story. I just feel that in the process of actually making a story, rather than just collections of poetic scenes, I am writing a story and not a film. So when I go to direct it, I feel there is a lot of inspiration left out of it. (I have heard Lynch talk about making a movie with just scenes, even he doesn't always know how they connect and kind of hopes it works out, at least that's what I've heard).
I am much more interested in capturing certain poetic moments in life than making a coherent narrative, in fact, I often look for movies that resemble paintings or music. This is because I see a painting or hear an album that touches me so much, but when I watch the movies I am recommended based off these picks, I am always disappointed because the story gets in the way of 'the good stuff'. I can just enjoy music, I can also just enjoy paintings, I can also do so with some movies, but with most, they have to have a story and it really messes with me. I am interested in some stories, but I usually go to great literature for those, not to movies.
So I guess my question is, how do people like Ming-liang, Apichatpong, Tarr etc. structure their films and get that poetic feeling? They still have stories, but they don't sacrifice the truly poetic part of filmmaking (obviously there are directors who are great and are super story driven, just look at all the great acclaimed hollywood movies etc. but those are not the type of film I am talking about here, nor the type that I am really trying to create. I am talking much more about the international arthouse, slow cinema, poetic type of film). The story comes second to these directors, it seems. I can identify no acts or anything like that in Ming-liang films, especially not his later ones, as they are just 2 hours of people sitting still; just look at his most recent film 'Days'. Yes, there are still things happening to theorize and discuss about, but the main point, for me at least, is the absolute passion in each image. That's what it is, 2 hours of 20 or so images.
The way this type of filmmaker structures their films seem to be a different type of structure than most films use, and I am also unsure how one would go about writing a screenplay like this. Tsai has shots that go on for like 15 minutes. And no, nothing is happening in them, it's just a dude in a chair. Like, I get how I could do this by myself, but how would I write that to get funding from producers, especially since the play would be super short since 15 minutes would be one or two lines describing the scene?
What about filmmakers like Chris Maas, Hollis Frampton, etc. They seem to go even further off the deep end? And one more quick question, why are filmmakers like Frampton, Ceylan, Wang Bing, Apichatpong, and especially Tsai Ming-liang never really talked about it screenwriting classes or books? All I hear about is a bunch of cherry picked American directors that use the same paradigm to a T. Again, I have nothing against the paradigm at all!!!!! I am just wondering how these directors interact with it so I learn more! and it seems to me that talking about these directors would only help the student of screenwriting.
Thank you all very much.

well, here it is, part 16. this one is a bit more calm than usual, but I felt like I kinda forgot about the whole reason Orvin ended up with Flick in the first place. so this time, Orvin finally gets some actual treatment, even if it's a little gross and sticky.
​
as always, enjoy. next one will be focused on the city-fleet, and there's trouble brewing, but that's coming once I've done part 3 of The New Smith
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Subject Memory Transcription: Flick, Venlil Civilian
Being a civilian was almost surreal. For the first time in my life, people weren’t scared of me, and noone avoided me in the streets. Of course, being in another town helped quite a bit with that, but even a change of scenery wasn’t normally enough to have people treating me as part of the herd. Well, they didn’t avoid me, anyway. Having Orvin by my side scared off most of the smaller Venlil, but I didn’t mind too much. It was still much more friendly than I was used to, and that alone was enough to cheer me up.
Orvin had booked a day out somewhere, but he was refusing to tell me where. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him to know what I would enjoy, it was more so that my reputation may cause some trouble for us. I still went with him though, because a day spent with him was better than anything I could do at home.
As we strolled through the unfamiliar streets, he chatted noisily about quantum physics, which was a personal interest of his. This time he was explaining the basics of quantum tunnelling to me, which was well beyond what I could understand, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him otherwise since he was clearly enjoying explaining it.
“So then, since you can’t directly observe the particles, you have to somehow get them to measure themselves. So the solution was to get them to bump into weak magnetic fields to turn them like clock hands, and get them to be their own timers. You still with me?”
I nodded and tried my best to not seem disinterested, and he continued his rant about what sounded like pure insanity wrapped in a scientific method, which let my thoughts wander across the last few days.
The morning after what he had jokingly called the “day of reckoning”, I had submitted my resignation letter and leaked all of the previously classified documents to the press. It had caused a huge panic among the local government. In fact, had I not been the one to leak the documents, I would likely be caught up in the hurricane of investigations and resignations.
Thursday had actually been the first time I had seen Orvin show any violence though. One of the Magisters had sent a large police detachment to arrest me for “treason”, and they raided our home in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, the two of us were wrapped up in blankets watching an old Terran film, so I was quickly seized. This put Orvin into a full rage that ended with every single officer having their steel helmets peeled from their heads, their riot shields cracked and ruined, and their uniforms shredded by claws that cut cast iron like wet paper. Thankfully, the only major injury in the fight was one officer having his arm broken by impacting a wall, so we got off fairly lightly under “self defence” when the case came before a judge.
This did screw things up though. Once the incident went public, it became clear that people were terrified of Orvin. He had single handedly knocked down and disarmed twenty three officers, including fourteen terrans, which led to him gaining a reputation as a danger to the public. He blamed himself for that, and I could tell that it still weighed heavy on his mind that he had done so much damage so quickly, but honestly I was just glad that he was willing to protect me when I couldn’t protect myself. I just hoped I could undo the damage those words from the judge had done.
As kind as she had been, her ruling stated that “all injuries caused were self-inflicted by attacking a dangerous predator unprovoked”, which really made me angry. I could see that Orvin had taken that remark personally, and since the hearing ended he had been so cautious it genuinely worried me. It was like he suddenly believed himself to be the monster that others saw him as, and I hated that.
Maybe I can make things better today
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Subject Memory Transcription: Orvin, Venlil Civilian
When the police raided us, I responded with unthinking violence. Sure, noone got badly injured, but it wasn’t because I was restraining myself or anything. My killer instincts took over when I saw Flick being cuffed, and I sent one of them into a wall and knocked the others down, and it scared me.
Knowing that I was on a hair trigger was terrifying. It meant that anything could set me off, and that I could suddenly go feral and cause irreparable damage to people around me. But most of all, I was worried about Flick. It had taken a lot of hard work to get this far, and I didn’t want to suddenly lose everything just because of my programming kicking in and killing someone. Thankfully, today would give me some time to take care of some issues.
I hadn’t told him, but I booked us both a day at a “rejuvenation clinic”. Well, sort of. I had managed to get him there in a 2-for-1 deal, since I was already booked there for medical reasons.
I was actually headed there for a very different kind of rejuvenation. In my last visit to the doctor, I had given a series of samples for them to extrapolate. Today, I would be submerged in a massive vat of stem cells that had been growing since last week. The idea was that, by supplying unlimited amounts of stem cells, we could reactivate my body’s construction protocols and possibly repair the damage done to it. I wasn’t entirely sure, but I was more than willing to give it a shot, and since I wasn’t paying for it there was no real reason not to take a day out of my empty schedule and lie in a pool of my own DNA.
I bet it’s all slimy and gross
“Soooooo, where are we going?” Flick’s voice brought me back to reality. We were almost there, so I decided to tell him. “We’re heading to some rejuvenation clinic, for a relaxing day off. It was originally going to be just me going, but I managed to convince them to let you tag along.”
He gave me a confused look. “And you were headed there why exactly?” there was no point lying to him, but I just had to not get his hopes up, since this was very experimental. “The doctors are testing something. They’re going to get me to lie in a pool of my own stem cells in the hopes that my body’s construction program will restart and repair me. Of course, this place also does plenty of other stuff, so we’ll have a lot of time together, but don’t be too surprised if I get dragged away at various times.”
He smiled at me and rubbed my forearm with one paw. “If it has a chance at helping you, I really don’t mind. Just promise me we get to do something together for my birthday next week, okay?”
Oh shit, I forgot about that
“Sounds good. By the way, we’re here!”
Looking at the building, it was a sandy yellow concrete wave at odds with everything nearby, studded with seashells and bare of windows except for the flowing green glass roof that shone a single ray of sunlight down onto the front entrance. I stepped through the double doors, venlil in tow, and the gojid at the front desk handed us our cards without even looking up.
A pair of UN guards escorted me to the chamber I would be spending the next few hours in, and a tiny attendant took Flick to the hot springs. Once I was inside the room, a human scientist explained the whole experiment to me, and passed me an oxygen tube which I put into my mouth and strapped in place, before opening the steel lid on a circular vat filled with light pink goop.
Yep, gross and slimy alright
I took a deep breath, gave a thumbs up, and sank into the viscous pool. It was ice cold and thick like glue, but surprisingly comfortable as I found the seat and relaxed. Then, the lid came down, the lights went off, and the water level rose, submerging me in the dark, cold slime.
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Subject Memory Transcription: Flick, Venlil Civilian
Once Orvin was gone, a venlil barely up to my chest guided me through winding halls and into the main room. It was a beautiful garden bathed in filtered sunlight, with columns of steam rising from each of the fake volcanic baths. It looked like a magical place to spend an afternoon, but it was a sign on the other end of the room that really caught my eye.
Fur dye & styling
I skipped straight past all the warm water and other comforts, and straight into the salon. The female Krakotl at a desk clearly wasn’t expecting such a tall customer though, and visibly recoiled at the sight of me when I leaned on her desk and requested black dye.
She didn’t take long to recover though, since a paying customer was a paying customer. “Right this way sir, just take a seat in one of the chairs and we’ll set up the dye for you.” She ushered me to a cushioned reclining chair, and I positioned myself comfortably. She then fussed with a machine that was sitting just over my head, before giving it a slap with her wing and stepping back from me. “Just sit still, this will only take a minute to calibrate for you.”
There was a buzzing sound, and the chair under me vibrated as the machine above me traced lasers across my head and chest. I had no clue what was going on here, but it seemed like this was just a scanner of sorts to get measurements for something else. I sat still as what felt like robotic arms pressed against my back and neck, and closed my eyes as a line traced its way across my full face, then it dinged.
After that, I was escorted to what looked like a shower, or maybe one of those terran carwashes. I stood inside the machine while she put some code into it, then gave me a nod before flicking something that brought the machine to life. A screen blinked in front of me telling me to stand with legs apart and arms up, then to close my eyes and hold my breath. Once I did so, there was a whirring sound, and a cold mist sprayed across my whole body for what felt like an eternity.
Once the mist was gone, something brushed against me, and it felt like it was scrubbing my fur all over. It wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling, but it was not something I was used to either, so it was awkward as brushes went all over me and put what felt like some sort of oil into every inch of fur. It actually tickled a little, and took all of my energy just to resist the urge to move and swat at the brushes as they made their way across my head.
And then, it was over. Warm water poured over me and washed everything off, and I finally breathed a sigh of relief, before gasping for air as I realised I had empty lungs when I exhaled. I let my eyes adjust to the lights again, and took a good look at myself in the mirror on the chamber wall. It was certainly strange to see, but now I was jet black, and it suited me.
A tap on the glass brought me back to the real world, and I stepped out into the salon again. The Krakotl charged me for the dye, and gave me a tube of gel to seal my fur. I thanked her, and headed out to the pools to go for a relaxing soak while I waited for Orvin.
As I sank into the warm water, I could feel the bubbles massaging my sore muscles. I still had some bruises from the raid, but I didn’t want to worry him about them, so I hid my injuries. It still hurt, but at least this way he wouldn’t worry too much about me.
I just hope he doesn’t freak out over the makeover
I set a timer for an hour, and sank neck deep into the relaxing pool to take a short rest.
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Subject Memory Transcription: Orvin, Venlil Civilian
I was woken up by the sounds of metal clanging. It was still dark, but now the goop was warm and comfortable. I stretched out and almost yawned, only stopping myself when I felt the plastic bit hit one fang as a reminder of my oxygen tube.
As my limbs extended, I felt refreshed. It was an unfamiliar feeling as joints rolled smoothly, and tendons stretched perfectly across bone. I could feel muscles pulling with a renewed force, and my skin tingled slightly as it stretched and moved over my freshly repaired frame. It felt incredible as I tested each appendage, each claw, and every single one responded without any pain.
The hatch clanged open, and there were shouts as paws reached in to grab me, but I simply stood up and pulled myself from out of the gunk. Although it sucked and dragged, I still had enough strength to overcome it, and stepped out onto the grated floor of the off-white chamber. I blinked under the intense fluorescent lights, and stood still as I was blasted clean by hoses. The water steamed as it hit me, and I could feel myself cooling off under the tide of cool liquid.
“Alright, he’s stable, cut the water.” the human voice cut through the mental fog and kicked my brain into gear. “So, how are you feeling?”
I didn’t really know how to explain it, so I put it as best as I could into terms that ordinary people could understand. “Very refreshed, like I’ve just had a good sleep and woken up on a warm spring morning. I feel alive.”
Some of the venlil were taking notes furiously as another human circled me, taking assorted measurements. Then, he stood straight up in front of me, and opened my mouth to measure my jaws. Such a thing would be considered an invitation for a nasty bite if you did it to a normal Scion, but at least I was better than that. He then looked me dead in the eyes and asked me about my body temperature.
Scion temperature is extremely flexible. In fact, core temperature can range anywhere from 25 to 58 degrees, with surface temperature ranging from 3 to 87 degrees. This was because of our home planet having an extremely volatile environment. During the days, it would be well over 100°C, and nights would drop below -50°C due to the total lack of atmospheric insulation. This forced us to evolve fur to preserve internal temperatures, but also to be very flexible so we could hunt nights and days, as Scions ran on 26-hour cycles, while our home planet had 33 hour days, so we would often be out of sync with sunrise and sunset so as to catch all sorts of prey.
Of course, since I was submerged in that goop with all my cells working at full power, my body had naturally began heating up, so it was likely that they had stopped the experiment when I crossed the 50 degree mark, which explained the water blasting.
“Don’t worry about my temperature. As long as I don’t go over about 56°C core or 85°C surface, I’m perfectly fine.” I explained, as the venlil furiously crossed out and rewrote notes. The human nodded and guided me to another room where a set of machines were waiting for me. They were the same ones I had been tested on before being submerged, so I recognised their functions. The first one weighed me, the second one took a small tissue sample, the third one scanned for bone structure, the fourth for muscle-to-fat ratios, and the fifth for blood vessels and nerve pathways. Once they had the results of each, I was given a sandwich, a sugary drink, and sent back out into the day spa.
As I strolled through the halls, I almost tripped over a jet-black venlil, who seemed just a little shorter than Flick was, and quickly apologised to him. The venlil wrapped his arms around me though, taking me by surprise before it clicked in my brain.
“Hah, didn’t recognise you for a second there. What’s with the new colour?” I asked. He responded by twirling around like a showoff, letting his glossy coat glimmer under the white skylights illuminating the hallway. “I went for a bit of a makeover while you were busy. Do you like it?”
I loved it. He looked so fluffy now, with the freshly brushed fur puffed up from a hairdryer. I gently stroked his chest, letting myself enjoy the sleek, soft fluff, before remembering where I was and pulling back. “Sorry, yes, I love it. But why are you so small now?”
I already knew the answer, but I just had to hear it from someone else to really be sure about it. “I’m not small, you just got bigger. I’m guessing the experiment worked?” I nodded, and I could swear he blushed as I ruffled the fur on his head.
We spent the rest of the afternoon just relaxing in the warm water. It was certainly strange to not be wearing any clothes in public, but according to flick this was standard for most federation species. In fact, wearing clothes was mostly reserved for high-ranking titles or those who needed the extra warmth or protection. I wasn’t sure if I would ever get used to not having at least a shirt and some shorts on, but I could put up with it for a day.
I wonder how well that stuff did at restoring my eyes though? Because I really want him to see what they’re meant to look like.
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The session of the Armenian-Russian intergovernmental commission on military-technical cooperation has kicked off

"Opening the session and welcoming the participants, Deputy Minister of Defense Karen Brutyan emphasized the importance of strengthening and developing bilateral military-technical relations.
The Deputy Minister of Defense expressed hope that during the session there will be effective discussions related to the prospects of cooperation," reads the Facebook post.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107405.html

Speaker of Parliament meets Bundestag President in Germany, calls for sanctions against Azerbaijan

Speaker Simonyan said that Armenia attaches great importance to the implementation of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and appreciates Germany’s support in this matter.
Speaking about the post-war situation and the need for urgent solutions to regional security issues, Speaker Simonyan said that the no less destructive developments happening in South Caucasus – around Armenia and the Armenian-populated Nagorno Karabakh – are overlooked by many.
At the request of Bas, Simonyan presented details on the crisis in Lachin Corridor, the danger facing the blockaded 120,000 Armenians of Artsakh and the multi-layered humanitarian problems.
Simonyan warned that Azerbaijan is seeking to forcefully displace the Armenian population before the eyes of the whole world by continuing its policy of ethnic cleansing and creating unbearable living conditions.
The Speaker of Parliament reminded that the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – issued a binding ruling on February 22, ordering Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.
“We expect our German colleagues to take practical steps to ensure the immediate implementation of the court’s decision by Azerbaijan through the application of sanctions against Azerbaijan,” Simonyan said.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107385.html

Azerbaijani troops breached line of contact and advance into Nagorno Karabakh

In violation of the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement, the Azerbaijani forces breached the line of contact in the Shushi-Lisagor section on March 25 and secured some “positional advance”, the official Information Center of Nagorno Karabakh reported.
The Nagorno Karabakh authorities immediately notified the Russian peacekeepers on this yet another violation by Azerbaijan.
“The authorities expect the peacekeeping contingent to take practical steps for eliminating the consequences of this violation and preventing new violations,” the Information Center said in a statement.
“Azerbaijan’s false claim on the alleged use of the Stepanakert-Ghaybalishen-Lisagor mountain road for arms shipments is simply a pretext for their own renewed aggressive and destructive actions. They ambushed and killed three on-duty police officers and injured another on March 5 under this same pretext. The government of Artsakh has numerously said that in conditions of the ongoing blockade since December 12, the given mountain road is used for civilian, urgent connection between Stepanakert and four communities in Shushi region, which is carried out with [high-clearance] large vehicles, given the highly complex and hazardous terrain.
And the existence and normal functioning of the Defense Army doesn’t pose any danger for anyone, because it is envisaged exclusively for self-defense, taking into account the real and direct dangers and threats against the physical existence and safety of the people of Artsakh,” it added.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107223.html

Azerbaijan’s attempt to advance further into Artsakh territory foiled

On March 27, at around 9:00 am, units of the Azerbaijani armed forces tried to advance towards one of the heights adjacent to the Stepanakert-Lisagor road, Artsakh’s Defense Ministry informs.
The attempted advancement of the was prevented thanks to the actions of the soldiers of the Artsakh army on combat duty,
The incident was reported to the command of the peacekeeping troops of the Russian Federation.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/27/azerbaijans-attempt-to-advance-further-into-artsakh-territory-foiled/

Nagorno Karabakh reacts to Azerbaijani meeting offer

Below is the full statement issued by the foreign ministry of Nagorno Karabakh.
In connection with another proposal made by the Azerbaijani President's Office to hold a meeting between representatives of Azerbaijan and Artsakh in Baku in early April, we consider it necessary to reiterate the principled position of the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh regarding possible discussions with Azerbaijan, their modalities and objectives. The Republic of Artsakh has always advocated and continues to advocate for dialogue and a peaceful, negotiated solution to all existing problems. We have never refused contacts with the Azerbaijani side, which is evidenced by the meetings held between the representatives of Artsakh and Azerbaijan with the mediation of the command of the Russian peacekeeping forces deployed in Artsakh. The conditions proposed by the Azerbaijani side regarding the place and agenda of the meeting, as well as the context in which the proposal was made, indicate that the goal of the Azerbaijani authorities is not to have genuine discussion on existing problems, but to disrupt a possible dialogue or to impose their own political agenda through coercion, blockade, creating unbearable living conditions and the use of military force. In this regard, we consider it necessary to recall that three days ago, on 26 March, the Azerbaijani armed forces, in flagrant violation of the trilateral ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020, crossed the line of contact and moved further into the territory of the Republic of Artsakh, in the direction of the unpaved road Stepanakert-Lisagor. Moreover, on 27 March, the Azerbaijani armed forces made another attempt to take control of the mentioned road, which is the only possibility of emergency communication between the communities of Shushi region and other settlements of the republic under the conditions of blockade. We reaffirm our readiness, in line with the established practice of previous meetings, to meet with the representatives of Azerbaijan with the mediation and at the deployment site of the command of the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent in Artsakh to discuss issues of ensuring the normal life activity of the people of Artsakh and the proper implementation by the parties of their obligations, in particular, those related to the unimpeded functioning of the Lachin Corridor. In this context, we consider the reopening of the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia through the Lachin Corridor and addressing the humanitarian, infrastructural and other urgent issues caused by the blockade to be a priority The authorities of Artsakh are also open to discussing other issues, which would not be aimed at imposing ready-made solutions on the part of Azerbaijan, but the search of mutually acceptable solutions to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation of tension. We emphasize once again that the continued blocking of the Lachin Corridor and aggravation of the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh are unacceptable and in no way contribute to creating an environment conducive to dialogue. We are convinced that only proper implementation by Azerbaijan of its international obligations, both under the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020 and the order of the International Court of Justice of 22 February 2023, may testify to Azerbaijan's willingness and interest to address issues through dialogue and negotiations without resorting to coercion and the use of force. We reiterate the inadmissibility of politicisation of dialogue on technical and humanitarian issues and emphasise that the political issues of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict settlement must be discussed in an agreed and internationally established negotiation format, based on the equal rights of the parties and the existence of solid international guarantees for the implementation by the parties of their obligations.”
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107369.html

Charles Michel conducts separate telephone calls with Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders

On 25 March, European Council President Charles Michel had separate bilateral telephone conversations with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.
Following his last meetings with both leaders in Munich on 16-17 February 2023, President Michel raised with them various topics discussed in the Brussels process between their first trilateral meeting on 14 December 2021 and their fourth meeting on 31 August 2022.
Michel reaffirmed the EU’s strong commitment to helping the sides reach a long-awaited normalisation and sustainable peace and expressed concerns about the continuous crisis around the Lachin corridor, the recent casualties and sharp increase in tensions on the ground as well as accompanying negative rhetoric.
The EU top official urged his counterparts to look for compromise solutions and to refrain from any actions that could lead to risks of escalation.
In both calls, the leaders agreed to stay in close contact.
https://euneighbourseast.eu/news/latest-news/charles-michel-conducts-separate-telephone-calls-with-armenian-and-azerbaijani-leaders/

Armenia’s Constitutional Court greenlights ratification of Rome Statute

The High Court ruled today that the Stature corresponds to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.
The decision paves the way for Armenia to join the International Criminal Court.
Although Armenia signed the Rome Statute in 1999, in 2004, the Armenian Constitutional Court ruled that the Statute was partially incompatible with the Armenian constitution and could not be ratified.
The ICC is the world’s first permanent international court to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Central to the Court’s mandate is the principle of complementarity, which holds that the Court will only intervene if national legal systems are unwilling or unable to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The Armenian Government greenlighted the ratification of the Statue at a sitting of December 29, 2022.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/24/armenias-constitutional-court-greenlights-ratification-of-rome-statute/

Opposition nominates candidate for Ombudsman

The two opposition caucuses in the Armenian parliament have nominated their candidate for Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman), a position that has been vacant since the resignation of Kristinne Grigoryan in January.
The opposition’s candidate is Edgar Ghazaryan, a former Armenian Ambassador to Poland and former Chief of Staff of the Constitutional Court, the chair of the human rights and public affairs committee Taguhi Tovmasyan said in a statement.
Ghazaryan is a vocal critic of the incumbent government.
The ruling Civil Contract faction earlier announced that its candidate for the position is Anahit Manasyan, the Deputy Prosecutor General of Armenia. Manasyan hasn’t been officially nominated yet.
Candidates must pass a confirmation vote in parliament to be installed as Ombudsman.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107345.html

United States expresses concern over Azerbaijani ‘military movements’

“Assistant Secretary Karen Donfried spoke with Foreign Minister Bayramov this morning and expressed concern over Azerbaijani military movements,” State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said when asked to give updates from the situation on the ground regarding Armenia-Azerbaijan.
“She emphasized the U.S.’s commitment to Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations. As the Secretary has also spoken about this quite repeatedly, direct dialogue is key to resolving this issue and reaching a lasting peace. There is not a military solution to this conflict. We’ll continue to facilitate discussions between Armenia and Azerbaijan bilaterally as well as with partners, and as well as throughout multilateral organizations as well,” Patel added.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107342.html

Khandanyan presents situation resulted by the blockade of Lachin Corridor to the delegation of Czech Foreign Ministry

According to him, now Armenia is in the continuous processes of democratic reforms and is consistent to the succeeded experience of the Czech Republic.
The Committee Chair noted that this year the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and the Czech Republic. According to him, during the past three decades, inter-state warm relations were succeeded to develop and at present, Armenia is ready to deepen the cooperation in all possible spheres of mutual interest with the Czech Republic.
As Sargis Khandanyan observed, the inter-parliamentary cooperation is rather active. He expressed conviction that the mutual interests will promote the strengthening of cooperation between the parliaments of two countries.
Armenia highlights the effective cooperation with the Czech Republic on the bilateral, as well as multilateral platforms, in the EU and multilateral formats, including the UN, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and other formats.
Jaroslav Kurfürst thanked Sargis Khandanyan for warm reception and words. He also emphasized the deepening of cooperation between the two countries, noting that on the occasion of the establishment of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, a number of events and mutual visits are scheduled.
According to the Director General for European Issues of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, the cooperation in parliamentary format has an important role for enriching the agenda of inter-state relations and deepening of the existing friendly ties.
The Committee Chair presented the situation in Armenia and in Nagorno Karabakh, spoke about the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor, underlining that as a consequence of closing of the only road connecting with the outside world, 120.000 residents of Nagorno Karabakh is in full blockade.
Issues of regional security were also discussed.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107331.html

Armenian Prime Minister holds meeting with new Georgian Ambassador

PM Pashinyan congratulated Ambassador Sharvashidze on taking office and expressed confidence that his activities will boost the development of the Armenian-Georgian relationship, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout.
The Prime Minister praised the Armenia-Georgia cooperation course and attached importance to further expanding the economic ties and initiatives aimed at utilizing untapped potential.
Ambassador Sharvashidze vowed to make maximum efforts to strengthen the Armenian-Georgian ties.
PM Pashinyan and Ambassador Sharvashidze exchanged views around prospects of cooperation and discussed the trade-economic agenda. In this context they attached importance to active contacts and mutual-visits between business circles and their involvement in investment programs.
The importance of the signing of the agreement on introducing simplified visa-free travel requirements between Armenia and Georgia was stressed in terms of strengthening humanitarian ties.
Both sides attached importance to regional stability and peace.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107141.html

Canada calls on Azerbaijan to release Armenian POWs, reopen Lachin Corridor

“I share the concerns of Armenian Canadians and Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. We continue to call on the Azerbaijani authorities to reopen the Lachin Corridor. We need to prevent the worsening of the humanitarian crisis. Canada supports the 2020 ceasefire agreement, including the return of Armenian prisoners of war. It is important that the ceasefire – which is supported by the EU monitoring group – be respected,” Mélanie Joly said in response to MP Jean Yip, who noted that it’s already been over 100 days that the Lachin Corridor is blocked and that many Armenians in Canada are worried over the tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan and that the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh could soon escalate. She asked on the Canadian government’s position and efforts in this matter.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107367.html

Armenian Ambassador to UN debunks Azeri accusations on “child soldiers”, letter published as official UNSC, GA document

Margaryan wrote the letter with reference to the groundless, repetitive and false accusations by Azerbaijan which have already been repudiated on several occasions.
Read the full thing in the link, it's a long letter
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107193.html

Armenian Defense Minister calls for continuous enhancement of combat readiness given regional situation

The three-day assembly will feature reports, lectures and exhibition trainings, the defense ministry said in a statement.
Defense Minister Suren Papikyan welcomed the participants of the event at the Defense Ministry headquarters on March 28.
Speaking about the regional military-political situation and the military’s objectives in this context, the minister attached importance to continuous enhancement of the combat readiness of troops, implementation of frontline re-equipment and reinforcement works, and also discussed the ongoing reforms in the military.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107357.html

Due to the regional military-political situation, the Minister of Defense emphasized the increase of combat capability in the troops

According to the preparation plan for the academic year of 2023, on March 28, the three-day operational meetings held with the leadership of the RA Armed Forces started in the administrative complex of the Ministry of Defense.
Defense Minister Suren Papikyan welcomed the participants on the first day of the meeting. Touching upon the regional military-political situation and the problems faced by the armed forces in that context, the minister emphasized the continuous increase in combat capability of the troops, the implementation of frontline furnishing and fortification works, and also referred to the reforms launched in the armed forces.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1107357.html

Greek community of Armenia celebrates independence day

The Pontic Greek community of Yerevan organized a Greek national holiday celebration in the Educational-Cultural Center of National Minorities of the Prime Minister’s Office on March 26.
Greece celebrates Independence Day on March 25.
Colonel Gerasimos Avlonitis, the Defense Attache of the Embassy of Greece in Armenia, attended the event.
Eduard Polatov, the head of the Patrida Greek community of Armenia also delivered remarks
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107274.html

Armenian military builds new base intended for women recruits

Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan visited on March 25 a military base which will house the women’s regiment and a boot camp for women troops.
Papikyan surveyed the buildings and issued concrete instructions regarding the deadlines of the construction.
The Armenian military plans to introduce a new option of voluntary military service for women.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107216.html

Armenian patriarchate calls on Israeli authorities to take serious measures following attack on St. Mary's Church

Below is the full communiqué released by the chancellery.
“The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem strongly condemns the attack on the St. Mary’s Church of Gethsemane, which according to the Status Quo of the Holy Places is under the joint control of the Armenian and Greek Orthodox Churches.
Though it was the first attack on St. Mary since the beginning of this year, the Christian Holy Shrines have been in constant state of both physical and emotional duress by rogue attackers. Had these previous attacks on the Christian Holy Places been swiftly condemned by the local authorities leading to the perpetrators’ punishment to the full extent of the law, there would not be an influx of new attacks on the churches and monasteries of these Christian communities.
Religious intolerance and hate crimes in all their forms and perpetrations will never allow the conditions of peaceful co-existence to manifest. In fact, their presence – especially when gone unchecked by prevailing authorities – will encourage other hateful crimes and intolerances to take place. These actions and their lack of condemnation lead to unsafe conditions for these communities and establishes a lack of trust between worshipers, tourists, and residents with the local authorities.
Therefore, we call upon the Israeli Government and the Police to take serious measures to prevent such attacks and to protect both the Christian Holy sites and their daily worshipers from further vandalism and suchlike attacks.”
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106888.html

Nagorno Karabakh arrests two Stepanakert residents on suspicion of espionage

In a statement released Saturday, the Nagorno Karabakh Investigative Committee said “two residents of Stepanakert city established contact with agents of the Azerbaijani intelligence agencies” and regularly relayed classified information, including top secret data, in exchange for money.
Authorities said the suspects conveyed information on Nagorno Karabakh’s economy, the security of citizens, the social programs in response to the blockade, the changes happening in the composition of the government, the presidential orders and other information relating to the population - actions that constitute “high treason.”
The law enforcement agency did not mention how the suspects gained access to top secret information.
Both suspects are charged with high treason and are being held in custody.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107207.html

Russia, Belarus barred from upcoming Yerevan European Weightlifting Championships 2023 by EWF

The men’s and women’s teams of Russia and Belarus were not included in the final entry list of nations by the EWF.
The EWF European Weightlifting Championships 2023 are scheduled to take place 15-23 April in Yerevan, Armenia.
In 2022, the EWF indefinitely banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in its events. Russia and Belarus nonetheless submitted bids to participate in the Yerevan championships but the EWF turned them down.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1107020.html

As a result of the Lernakert excavations, burials attributed to the phase of transition from the middle bronze to the late bronze were discovered.

Burials attributed to the phase of transition from the Middle Bronze to the Late Bronze Age (2nd half of the 16th century - 1st half of the 15th century BC) were opened, in which both the Middle Bronze Age Red Berd and the Late Bronze Age objects were found. These tombs of the transitional phase (Middle Bronze to Late Bronze) have a retaining wall-cromlech with a diameter of 5-15 meters. The cells are underground, oriented north-south. In the burials attributed to different phases of the Late Bronze Age, the remains were placed in the ways of burial and reburial. Accompanying possessions in these tombs are shells, rarely beads. The tombs belonging to the early Iron Age have retaining wall-cromlechs (8-20 m square), low mounds made of small stones and east-west facing slab cells. Group burials were documented in the Lower Iron Age tombs. It was discovered
On the eastern slope of the hill of the Iron Age fortress Vari Berd, a "wheel-shaped" structure consisting of other adjacent circular structures was confirmed by aerial photography. "Wheel" structures are famous in Armenia in the foothills of Aragats, where they are found in the context of monuments called "desert kites". Remains of the "Spinal" structure were also documented in the highest ancient site of Aragats Mountain, Karmir Sar, where excavations revealed a collection of dragon stone carvings in their original environment. The example of Lernakert is special in that it is documented for the first time in the context of the castle. However, the latter's function is not yet clear.
The Lernakert excavations are important in terms of the study of the Early Bronze Age society. In particular, the research of the ancient DNA of Lernakert has received a wide response, which shows that the skeletons discovered in burials made at the same time, but in different tomb groups, had no family ties. It proves that different superstitions lived in the communities.
The study of the dynamics of changes in the early Bronze Age landscape of Lernakert makes it possible to follow the formation and construction processes of the defense system with the data of two fortresses in one complex. Due to the combination of data from Lernakert burial site with data from Artik, Harichi, Horom, Mastara, Talin and Lchashen, the processes of formation of complex societies in the Late Bronze Age can be outlined. Groups of privileged people, soldiers, religious servants and merchants are noted in castles and burial grounds.
Articles on the results of the excavations were published in Armenian and foreign periodicals, reported both at local and foreign scientific conferences.
The Lernakert archaeological expedition was co-financed by the Shirak Armenological Research Center of the NAS of RA, the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the NAS of RA, the State Committee of Science and the National Association for Armenological Research and Studies (NAASR) within the framework of the theme "Trends of the Bronze Age landscape transformation of the northwestern slopes of Aragats Mountain".
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1107376.html

The President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan received the Chairman of the Constitutional Court Arman Dilanyan.

"I think the most important function of the Constitutional Court and the Presidency is to be able to monitor how well the Constitution works and is preserved in the Republic of Armenia. I would like to continue our conversation on this topic so that in the future we can decide where we have shortcomings, where we can make it more efficient and most importantly, do it together. I would also like to know your opinion in that regard," said Vahagn Khachaturyan.
Expressing his gratitude for the reception, Arman Dilanyan emphasized that the primary duty of the president is to follow the protection of the Constitution.
"In my opinion, it is the most important function of the presidential institution according to our Constitution. In other words, when we read the Constitution, the very first article is about the institution of the president, according to which the president follows the observance of the Constitution. It is not declaratory, it implies very specific powers. "It is the institution of the president that can fully highlight the national problems, analyzing these problems from an objective point of view and presenting them to the Constitutional Court as well," said the President of the Supreme Court.
During the meeting, Arman Dilanyan presented to the President of the Republic the ongoing reforms in the Constitutional Court and the programs of upcoming events. During the conversation, it was emphasized on both sides that the close cooperation of the Presidential Institute and the High Court and the harmony of the agendas of the two constitutional bodies guarantee the normal and uninterrupted functioning of the state bodies in the country.
During the conversation, reference was made to raising awareness about the activities of the Constitutional Court in social, educational and other spheres, raising awareness among citizens about the functions of the Constitutional Court.
A number of issues related to the training and training of personnel in the judicial system, the process and principles of recruitment were also discussed.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1107322.html

SC Secretary Armen Grigoryan had working meetings in Tallinn

The Secretary of the Security Council presented the security threats of Armenia to his colleagues, in particular, the possible escalation by Azerbaijan towards Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The parties emphasized the security cooperation between Armenia and Estonia, as well as the processes of strengthening democracy in Armenia.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1107411.html

With the efforts of the Pan-Armenian Youth Football Association, 6 young football players from different countries will come to Armenia

The events are held in cooperation with the Football Federation of Armenia.
During the evening, world champion Yuri Dzhorkaef, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, FFA president Armen Melikbekyan sent video messages. National team football player Yura Movsisyan, SADA Systems president Hovig Safoyan, Arpinet LLC executive director Armen Muradyan, entrepreneurs, coaches who contributed to the development of Armenian football, football players, football fans took part in the event.
During his short visit to the USA, Hakob Arshakyan also met with the members of The Armenian Society of fellows council, scientists and entrepreneurs, and discussed the prospects of scientific and technological development of Armenia.
Meetings were also held with the head of the Los Angeles City Council, Paul Krekorian, community representatives, and a wide range of issues of bilateral interest were discussed.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1107364.html

Ruling Civil Contract faction nominates Anahit Manasyan for Human Rights Defender

The post of the Human Rights Defender has been vacant since Kristinne Grigoryan resigned in late January.
Everyone having attained the age of 25, enjoying high authority within the public, having higher education, having been a citizen of solely the Republic of Armenia for the preceding four years, permanently residing in the Republic of Armenia for the preceding four years, and having the right of suffrage, as well as having command of the Armenian language may be elected to the office of the Defender.
According to law, the Defender shall be elected by the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, upon recommendation of the competent standing committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, by at least three fifths of votes of the total number of the members of the Parliament, for a term of six years.
The Defender shall assume office immediately after having been elected by the National Assembly by taking an oath.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/28/ruling-civil-contract-faction-nominates-anahit-manasyan-for-human-rights-defende

Armenian FM discusses regional developments with the Ambassador of Spain

During the meeting the interlocutors exchanged views on topics related to regional security and stability. Minister Mirzoyan touched upon Azerbaijan’s actions, including the recent aggressions againts the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, the rhetoric at the highest level and the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan, emphasizing that such actions of Azerbaijan do not contribute to Armenia’s efforts to establish lasting peace in the region. Ararat Mirzoyan stressed the importance of lifting the blockade of the Lachin corridor as well as the importance of sending an international fact-finding mission to the corridor.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/28/armenian-fm-discusses-regional-developments-with-the-ambassador-of-spain/

Armenia, Cyprus play a 2-2 draw in a friendly: Grant-Leon Ranos scores a brace

https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/28/armenia-cyprus-play-a-2-2-draw-in-a-friendly-grant-leon-ranos-scores-a-brace/

Armenia loses 1 - 2 against turkey in Euro Qualifier

https://www.espn.com/soccematch/_/gameId/655264

Dr Sophie Scamps raises Artsakh blockade in Australian Federal Parliament

Dr Scamps said, “A couple of weeks ago, I was treated to a surprise visit in my electorate office by students of the AGBU Alexander Primary School in Duffys Forest in my electorate of Mackellar. AGBU is an independent, co-educational, bilingual English and Armenian Christian school. While I’m absolutely delighted to have received a visit from these year 5 and 6 students, they came with a very serious message. The students presented me with a letter they had written, asking me to address the Australian parliament on a very important matter: the ongoing blockade of the Lachin corridor in Artsakh since 12 December 2022, as part of the ongoing conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.”
“The Lachin corridor is a road that connects the Republic of Artsakh to the Republic of Armenia. The letter went on to explain how the supply of food and medicine is running dangerously low as a result of the blockade, and gas supply between Armenia and Artsakh has been cut off.”
“There is a vibrant Armenian community in my electorate of Mackellar, and I’ve had many representations from those people in addition to the schoolchildren. On their behalf, I have made representations to Foreign Minister Wong’s office about this ongoing crisis and met with foreign department specialists to discuss the matter. The crisis affecting the people of Artsakh must not be forgotten or overlooked while the world is distracted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
ANC-AU Executive Director Michael Kolokossian welcomed the advocacy efforts undertaken by the Year 5 and Year 6 students of AGBU Alexander Primary School.
“During this difficult time, every Armenian-Australian must be advocating for an end to this illegal blockade. It is heartening to see the youngest members of our community play a key role in standing up for their homeland.”
“We thank Dr Scamps for engaging with the Armenian-Australian community and bringing this issue to the floor of parliament. Her principled stance is greatly appreciated as we work to end this blockade,” added Kolokossian.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/28/dr-sophie-scamps-raises-artsakh-blockade-in-australian-federal-parliament/

Farmers in Artsakh targeted by Azerbaijani forces

The report states that at 11:30 a.m. on March 27, Alyosha Zakaryan, the chief specialist of the Martakert region of the Artsakh Republic’s State Inspections Management Committee, reported to the regional police department that March 26, the enemy targeted them in the administrative area of Martakert city. about firing erratically.
The police officers found out that on the same day around 11:30 a.m., while doing agricultural work in the pomegranate orchard belonging to the State Inspections Management Committee in the administrative area of Martakert city, Azerbaijani combat positions fired irregular shots from rifle weapons at the workers.
No one was hurt. Agricultural work was stopped. The police passed the information on to the Russian peacekeeping troops.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/27/farmers-in-artsakh-targeted-by-azerbaijani-forces-3/

Armenia participates in International Agroindustrial Food Fair in Cuba

Armenia showcases agricultural products, brandy and wines at the event.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/24/armenia-participates-in-international-agroindustrial-food-fair-in-cuba/

Sarsang water levels dropping at alarming rate amid blockade, Artsakh authorities say

Since January 9 Azerbaijan has been barring Nagorno Karabakh authorities from accessing and repairing the damaged power transmission line which supplies Nagorno Karabakh with electricity from Armenia.
“The only source of electricity we have now is the Sarsang Reservoir,” Ararat Khachatryan, the acting chairman of the Water Committee of Artsakh said.
“The water levels are over eight meters lower compared to the same period last year. Today the inflow is 4 cumecs, which is a very low indicator. The Tartar flow can reach up to thirty, forty or fifty cumecs. The consumption is a lot higher now. When water levels are high, less water is actually consumed for obtaining electricity, but when the water levels drop, pressure also drops and it takes more water to get the same amount of electricity,” Khachatryan explained.
“Since January 9, Azerbaijan has been impeding and barring us from carrying out repair works in the territory under its control where the high-voltage electricity transmission line supplying Artsakh from Armenia passes. Before the blockade, especially in winters, when the electricity supplied from Armenia was insufficient, we were using the Sarsang Reservoir. After the war we are left with only five small HPPs in Artsakh, which work only under 20% capacity,” Khachatryan said, warning that if the power line doesn’t get fixed soon there will be insufficient water levels in Sarsang.
Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan earlier warned that the significant decrease of water resources in Sarsang Reservoir (which had a capacity of 600,000,000 cubic meters) will lead to a serious crisis in spring and summer first of all for the Azerbaijani farmers themselves because the water resources won’t be sufficient enough for irrigating the 96,000 hectares in Azerbaijan’s Tartar, Aghdam, Bardi, Goranboy, Yevlakh and Akhjabad regions. The Artsakh authorities said that the residents of these regions should be aware that they won’t have irrigation water and will subsequently lose income and harvest thanks to their own authorities and the self-proclaimed “eco-activists”.
https://en.armradio.am/2023/03/17/sarsang-water-levels-dropping-at-alarming-rate-amid-blockade-artsakh-authorities-say/

Artsakh's human rights defender had meetings in the Uruguayan parliament

Gegham Stepanyan thanked the members of the friendship group and the forum for the efforts invested in protecting the interests of Armenia and Artsakh, as well as raising awareness of the current situation in Artsakh.
During the discussions, reference was made to the policy of ethnic hatred conducted by Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh and the works being carried out to counteract it, as well as the issues related to the involvement and expected support of the international community in the direction of lifting the ongoing blockade. Further steps of cooperation in the specified directions were discussed.
link

Japanese sakura flowers will blossom in Yerevan (for some reason)

The Japanese Embassy in Armenia on Tuesday approved the funding program for the renovation of a building where the “Khikari” Armenian-Japanese Cultural Center will function. The $120,000 grant program is called “Khikari Center Improvement Project.”
“The preparation for the project took three years, but I am confident that nice and good dreams always come true if you continue to wait and believe,” she noted.
Piliposyan also extended her thanks to all supporters, which include the Armenian MFA, Ministry of Culture, Government-Affiliated Charitable Project Coordination Commission and, of course, Japan.
The aforesaid building will be allocated for fifteen years and free of charge. The Center also will have a small Japanese style garden. Moreover, they already have promised to bring Japanese sakura (cherry blossom) flower seedlings to Armenian capital city Yerevan.
The renovation is scheduled to be completed by the year’s end.
https://news.am/eng/news/146489.html

Illegal building being done next to this building in Yerevan

link

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I’m Kenan (pics) , a 25-year-old civil engineer turned scale model designer from Cornwall, UK. I’m looking for a genuine connection with someone who shares my passion for nerdy hobbies, travelling, and personal growth.
A bit more about me: I’m tall (187cm), strong, and physically active. I enjoy strongman training, hiking, bushcraft, painting, gaming (PC master race), making things, exploring the outdoors, and playing D&D and dark heresy. I also do some voice acting on the side, mostly for fun. I love cooking and trying new cuisines, especially when I travel to different places. I’m always curious about learning new things and expanding my horizons. Some of my favourite bands are Kalandra, Aurora, and Heilung.
I’m an open-minded, understanding, and caring person, with a lot of love to give to the right person. I value quality time with people I really care about, and I’m looking for a partner who feels the same way. I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs, and I prefer cozy nights in or chill evenings with friends over crowded parties or clubs. I’m also an introvert, but that doesn’t mean I’m shy or boring. I can be quite witty and funny once you get to know me.
What I’m looking for: Someone who is kind, honest, loyal, and supportive. Someone who has similar interests and values as me, but also has their own personality and goals. Someone who is adventurous and willing to try new things with me, but also enjoys cuddling on the couch and watching Netflix. Someone who is looking for a long-term relationship that is based on mutual respect, trust, and affection.
If you think we might be a good match, send me a message and tell me something about yourself! Or add me on Discord (preferred); Kiwipie#0248

Hi there, fellow Redditors (cringe but true)!
I’m Kenan (pics) , a 25-year-old civil engineer turned scale model designer from Cornwall, UK. I’m looking for a genuine connection with someone who shares my passion for nerdy hobbies, travelling, and personal growth.
A bit more about me: I’m tall (187cm), strong, and physically active. I enjoy strongman training, hiking, bushcraft, painting, gaming (PC master race), making things, exploring the outdoors, and playing D&D and dark heresy. I also do some voice acting on the side, mostly for fun. I love cooking and trying new cuisines, especially when I travel to different places. I’m always curious about learning new things and expanding my horizons. Some of my favourite bands are Kalandra, Aurora, and Heilung.
I’m an open-minded, understanding, and caring person, with a lot of love to give to the right person. I value quality time with people I really care about, and I’m looking for a partner who feels the same way. I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs, and I prefer cozy nights in or chill evenings with friends over crowded parties or clubs. I’m also an introvert, but that doesn’t mean I’m shy or boring. I can be quite witty and funny once you get to know me.
What I’m looking for: Someone who is kind, honest, loyal, and supportive. Someone who has similar interests and values as me, but also has their own personality and goals. Someone who is adventurous and willing to try new things with me, but also enjoys cuddling on the couch and watching Netflix. Someone who is looking for a long-term relationship that is based on mutual respect, trust, and affection.
If you think we might be a good match, send me a message and tell me something about yourself! Or add me on Discord (preferred); Kiwipie#0248

Hi there, fellow Redditors (cringe but true)!
I’m Kenan (pics) , a 25-year-old civil engineer turned scale model designer from Cornwall, UK. I’m looking for a genuine connection with someone who shares my passion for nerdy hobbies, travelling, and personal growth.
A bit more about me: I’m tall (187cm), strong, and physically active. I enjoy strongman training, hiking, bushcraft, painting, gaming (PC master race), making things, exploring the outdoors, and playing D&D and dark heresy. I also do some voice acting on the side, mostly for fun. I love cooking and trying new cuisines, especially when I travel to different places. I’m always curious about learning new things and expanding my horizons. Some of my favourite bands are Kalandra, Aurora, and Heilung.
I’m an open-minded, understanding, and caring person, with a lot of love to give to the right person. I value quality time with people I really care about, and I’m looking for a partner who feels the same way. I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs, and I prefer cozy nights in or chill evenings with friends over crowded parties or clubs. I’m also an introvert, but that doesn’t mean I’m shy or boring. I can be quite witty and funny once you get to know me.
What I’m looking for: Someone who is kind, honest, loyal, and supportive. Someone who has similar interests and values as me, but also has their own personality and goals. Someone who is adventurous and willing to try new things with me, but also enjoys cuddling on the couch and watching Netflix. Someone who is looking for a long-term relationship that is based on mutual respect, trust, and affection.
If you think we might be a good match, send me a message and tell me something about yourself! Or add me on Discord (preferred); Kiwipie#0248

I haven't sailed on Virgin yet, but I would love to try it out. However, I'm having trouble convincing my significant other. In particular, that's because of the cabin.

1. The cabin looks very sparse, even austere.
2. You can't put your suitcases under the bed. This is nuts. Cruise ship cabins are small so you need every bit of storage you can get.
3. There is no couch! You get a single chair to sit on plus a stool. This is the same even in the lower end suites. Yes, you can request your bed is converted to a day bed thing, but that's a hassle and if you just want an afternoon nap that's not going to work. I want somewhere comfy to sit in my cabin at any time of the day or night.
4. While you get a hammock, the other two balcony seats are hard metal chairs. This is the same even in the lower end suites.
5. The Sea Terrace XL has no bathroom door. This makes this room type a complete no go.

I appreciate what Virgin is trying to do to reinvent cruising, but none of these cabin changes actually seem like improvements over tried and tested cabin design on other lines. Other changes around service, food, and so on seem interesting but who wants an uncomfortable cabin with no storage, nowhere to put your bags, nothing to sit on inside, and only one comfy outdoor seat?

New HoCo Watchdogs Guest Post: The Rouse Project 2.0: The Truth about the Tenure of Former Columbia Association President Lakey Boyd and the Wrongful Smear Campaign Against the CA Board By Jake Burdett https://www.hocowatchdogs.com/guestpost-7/
Part One of a series of posts that critically analyzes actions taken by former Columbia Association (CA) President Lakey Boyd and the false narrative-laden smear campaign against the CA Board of Directors that occurred in the months prior to Boyd's abrupt resignation.
Part One focuses on a very concerning contract signed by former President Boyd that significantly lowered the monthly rent due by a Howard Hughes Corporation commercial tenant at one of the most desirable outdoor dining locations in the County, potentially costing CA residents over $1 million in uncollected rent payments in the long run.
What do you think about this issue? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!
Read and share this post with all of your Howard County friends and neighbors using this link: https://www.hocowatchdogs.com/guestpost-7/

New HoCo Watchdogs Guest Post: The Rouse Project 2.0: The Truth about the Tenure of Former Columbia Association President Lakey Boyd and the Wrongful Smear Campaign Against the CA Board By Jake Burdett https://www.hocowatchdogs.com/guestpost-7/
Part One of a series of posts that critically analyzes actions taken by former Columbia Association (CA) President Lakey Boyd and the false narrative-laden smear campaign against the CA Board of Directors that occurred in the months prior to Boyd's abrupt resignation.
Part One focuses on a very concerning contract signed by former President Boyd that significantly lowered the monthly rent due by a Howard Hughes Corporation commercial tenant at one of the most desirable outdoor dining locations in the County, potentially costing CA residents over $1 million in uncollected rent payments in the long run.
What do you think about this issue? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!
Read and share this post with all of your Howard County friends and neighbors using this link: https://www.hocowatchdogs.com/guestpost-7/

Yo what’s up I’m a 24 year old guy from New England with too much time on hands rn since I’m in between jobs. I used to do iron work/fabrication but ended up quitting to go back to school and work part time. I’d describe myself as a chronic introvert which on some level I don’t think will ever change but I’m trying to work on it regardless.
In terms of interests I love being outdoors, family trips to the southwest to visit national parks were some of the best memories I have growing up. Whenever it isn’t too cold I usually just take a drive to some local trails and go hiking. I play some video games although I’m trying to ween off of them. I usually just play games like dark souls, dead space, binding of Isaac etc since multiplayer games became such a time black hole. I also love reading and learning whatever I can. I can enjoy basically any anything if I’m with someone. I don’t do any drugs and I’m not willing to get into them if that’s your thing sorry.
Physically I’m white, tall (6’4’’), slim build with green eyes and dark brown hair. Some pics of me now so you know what to expect instead of getting a good convo going and then getting ghosted lol: https://imgur.com/a/QAagq4v
I’m basically just looking for someone kind around my age who is chill and easy to get along with.

Greetings from the CCCC Wikipedia Initiative!
We are thrilled to announce our March programming. First of all, thank you to those who attended our February CCCCWI Speaker Series event! Dr. Katie Bramlett hosted a great discussion on genres of memory and Asian/American women’s activism. Check out the event materialshere.
The CCCCWI Speaker Series is running all this 2022-23 academic year. You will hear from scholars presenting their research and have the opportunity to write their scholarship into Wikipedia. Each workshop will start with a talk from a scholar, continue with Wikipedia training, and end with an editing session. Alongside this, we are hosting our coffeehouse session and CCCC Wikipedian-in-residence office hours.
Be sure to follow us onTwitterto keep track of upcoming events and ongoing activities!
Latin American Writing Studies in Higher EducationMonth-long @ WikiProject Writing Check out the event page hereThis month, we are working to prioritize the inclusion of topics related to the rapidly-evolving field of Latin American writing studies in higher education. We aim to work together to addressinequitieson Wikipedia as we create and contribute to these articles.
CCCCWI Speaker Series: Latin American Writing Studies in Higher EducationFriday 3/31 @ 4:00pm-5:30pm EST Register here(limited to 25 participants) This month,Dr. Federico Navarrowill share an overview of how post-secondary writing studies have rapidly developed over the last twenty years in Latin America. He will look into the female-dominated field of scholars and scholarship that has shaped writing studies research and practice and the predominant lines of research currently being sought. Finally, he will focus on how the field has been shaped by a history of inequity and segregation, leading to a more critical view of reading, writing, and literacy teaching as research and open-access, multilingual research.After the talk, participants will be trained on how to edit Wikipedia. There will be opportunities to improve and create Wikipedia articles--in English, Spanish, and Portuguese--related to pivotal scholars and scholarship about Latin American scholars in higher education.
CCCC Wikipedian-in-Residence Office HoursMonday through Friday one-on-one ORby appointment Sign up here If you would like to discuss something Wikipedia-related one-on-one or get help with a Wikipedia article you’re working on, please feel free to sign up for office hours or [email [email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) to find a better time to meet.
I look forward to seeing you at one of our programs and events soon!
Melanie
==================================
Melanie Kill, PhD (she/her)
Assistant Professor, Department of English
Co-coordinator, Minor in Rhetoric
University of Maryland
Director, WikiProject Writing
Founder and Chair, CCCC Wikipedia Initiative
via IFTTT

“I know you’re awake…Katherine…Kaaaaatheriiiine…”
“Shut up.” I had been awake for a little while, just staring at the wall.
“I knew it.”
“Can you not sleep?” I rolled over and looked at him as I asked the question.
James was in his rocking chair in the corner of our bedroom right next to the window. The moon outside was illuminating his face.
“I’m ok. Just a lot on my mind.”
“Like what?” I did my best to sit up. I was almost at my due date and I was enormous. During the pregnancy I wasn’t quite as sensitive to his little issues that I normally was.
James suffered from severe bouts of anxiety and he would spend lots of nights just rocking in his chair, trying not to worry about things.
“I think we should get a dog.”
“What?”
“We should get a dog. Every kid should grow up with a dog.” He turned his head to look at me. Most of his face was in shadow, but his eyes were bright. He smiled at me.
“Ok. Is that it? That’s what’s keeping you up?”
“Yes. Oh, and I also love you.”
“I love you too.”
“And I farted.” I had never known James to end anything on any kind of sappy note, so he always had to say or do something childish to ruin the moment.
I loved him so much.
-
“He’s kind of gross.” There were so many dogs at the shelter, but my husband immediately went to the mangiest one. A large mutt with his tongue hanging limply out of the side of his mouth. The mousey brown fur looked like someone had teased it with a brush and sealed the deal with an entire can of hairspray, and he had a slight limp as it walked toward this strange new man making baby talk. I watched the dog cock its head from side to side like it understood what James was saying.
“He’s perfect.” I could tell that James was in love.
“Why him?”
“Well…every other little guy in here is so animated and vibrant. He’s…um…not.”
“He looks like an oversized mouse with bad hair.”
“That’s perfect!”
“What?”
“We can name him Feivel! Does Feivel like that name?! Who’s a bugaboo doggie?! Who’s da doggie?!” The dog started making inquisitive whines and that lazy tongue came to life and began to lick the strange man's fingers through the chain link fence.
Feivel came home with us, and for a month that dog never left my husband’s side.
-
“What happened?”
“Can you put me on speaker so Art can hear me?”
“Ok. You’re scaring me Katherine.” I was trying to hold it together. James’ parents had recently moved to the east coast, so I had no choice but to call them on the phone with the news. “Ok, you’re on speaker.”
“Ok. James… um… James had an accident. It was a hit and run. Someone hit him with a car while he was crossing the street and then just kept driving.”
“Oh my God! Is he alright?”
“He’s um…” I had been with James since our sophomore year in high school, but we had been friends since we were six. I had known his parents for almost just as long.
“He’s…he’s gone.”
“Oh my God…”
I had to make lots of phone calls that day. It was the hardest day of my life.
-
“Mommy needs to talk to you.”
Feivel had been pacing the house for three days. When he wasn’t pacing, he would just sit at the front door waiting for James to come home. He wouldn't sit with me, almost like he blamed me for James not being there.
“Come here. Feivel! Come here.” He finally gave in and walked over to the couch. I patted the cushion next to me and he jumped on the couch and sat down.
He grunted at me several times and when he was done voicing his frustrations, his tongue jutted out of the side of his mouth and just hung there.
I don’t know if it sounds stupid or not, but I had a conversation with him about what had happened to his Daddy and why he wasn’t with us anymore. I felt like it would have been cruel not to.
He stared at me through the whole story and when I was finished, there was a heavy silence between us that was eventually broken by a small cry from him before he put his head in my lap.
-
Three weeks later, I had Casey. The birth was rough and there were multiple issues. For a little bit there, I was afraid that I might lose her too. She had to stay in the hospital longer than I would have liked, but when I was finally able to bring her home, Feivel took to her instantly.
He was always next to her.
-
As the years went by, I made sure Casey knew every detail about her father. I would tell her stories and Feivel would always add something in his own language. I don’t know if he was backing up what I said or perhaps contradicting it, but I do know he was always happy to be included in the reminiscing.
Shortly after she turned four, Casey’s favorite pastime was drawing with her crayons. I had quite a few pictures up on our fridge of our little family in the midst of imagined adventures. She always drew James in with us. The way she always emphasized his balding head would make me smile.
I would BBQ on Friday nights because James had always done the same.
When we first moved in, he had built a huge grilling station out of brick and bought this ridiculously large grill that could almost fit an entire cow inside of it. James had said we would need it for the amount of children and grandchildren that we were going to have. We would sit in front of it every Friday night with a bottle of whiskey while he cooked.
Casey and I would sit at the same table and have juice while we made hot dogs. I thought it was important to keep some of our traditions alive for Casey.
In spite of losing James, we were happy. I started to adjust to a life without a partner, which was not a very easy thing to do since we had been a part of each other’s lives since we were both six years old.
-
Almost five years after I lost James, I met Stephen. I was a busy woman with a young daughter and up to that point, I had not even thought about dating. There was something different about Stephen though. I was interested in him from the first time we met.
Casey and I were playing in the park with Feivel one day and somehow we lost him. He just vanished. I looked for him for hours while my mom watched Casey, but I couldn’t find him. For three days I was beside myself and Casey was constantly in tears. Then, Stephen showed up on my doorstep holding our Feivel at the end of a leash.
A tall man with thick hair and trendy glasses wearing a flannel and jeans.
“Oh my God!”
“Hi. I uh…found him in the park down by the river.” I snatched him up and he started whimpering and shaking his butt back and forth. I completely ignored the man at my door. When Feivel had had enough of my pets, he ran inside to look for Casey.
“Thank you so much. Oh my God, you have no idea how much we missed him.” I was wiping tears from my eyes.
“Oh, I might have a clue.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
As I was wiping my nose on the sleeve of my sweatshirt, I realized that the man standing at my door was gorgeous.
“Can I…let me give you some money or something. You have no idea how happy you just made my daughter.”
“No, that's ok. Just happy to help.”
“Thank you.”
There was something about the way he looked at me with his eyes. My stomach fluttered. I wanted to invite him in, and the fact that I wanted to do that upset me.
I thanked him. I didn’t even ask him for his name. I’ll admit that I even closed the door on him a little more abruptly than I meant to.
All three of us shared my bed that night. It was the best night’s sleep I’d had in years.
-
A couple weeks went by and then I saw him again, the man who had found Feivel. He was sitting in the park with his back against a tree, reading a book. Casey and I had been taking turns throwing a frisbee for Feivel, and I saw him out of the corner of my eye. I decided that I would thank him again and apologize for being so awkward.
As I walked closer, I took in every detail. I was sure he was a few years younger than I was and he looked very athletic. His glasses rested on the tip of his nose as he read from The Winter of Our Discontent; Steinbeck has always been my favorite author.
Feivel must have seen him just as I was about to say something because he reached the man before I did. I could hear Casey calling for me.
“Hold on honey. Give me a second.”
Feivel was all over the man and he was laughing at the writhing whining beast who was trying its best to lick every inch of his face.
“Feivel, don’t be rude.”
“No, it's fine. I’m glad he remembers me.”
“Yeah. Wow, he really remembers you.” Feivel was so excited that he started to whimper and expose his tummy. “Feivel! Have some self respect!”
The man stood up next to me. My stomach was fluttering again and I could not stop looking at his eyes.
“Hey, I have to apologize about…uh the way I kinda shut my door in your face.” He laughed.
“You don’t have to apologize.”
“Mommy?” Casey had run up behind me and was partially hiding herself behind my leg while she stared at the man. “Mommy?”
“This is my daughter Casey.”
“Hello Casey.”
“Hello.”
“My name’s Stephen.” Casey stayed behind my leg.
“It’s ok honey. Tell him your name.”
“I’m Casey and this is my mom. Her name is Katherine.”
“Well…you’re a very pretty girl and it’s very nice to meet you.” I noticed that his eyes started to tear up while he was looking at my Casey. He wiped his eyes and shook his head. He was clearly embarrassed. “I’m sorry. She just… reminds me of my niece. We lost her a few years ago.”
We talked for a while that day. Every time he looked over at Casey, I swore that he was on the verge of tears.
-
It didn’t take very long at all; I was hooked. Feivel was hooked. Eventually, even Casey was hooked.
I tried to take it slow. I didn’t want to date anyone. I wasn’t over James and I knew it, but I just wanted to be around this man and I honestly could not explain what it was at the time. I always wanted him at the house, so he was there all the time. I loved it when he looked at me.
For the most part, he was great, but there were some things that were off. There were things I should have paid more attention to, but again, there was something about him that made me feel like I needed him.
He would kiss me with his eyes open every time, and even though the way he kissed me was great, something about it still gave me the creeps. I would crack my eyes open sometimes in the hopes that he had stopped doing it. Every time I saw those eyes staring back at me, I felt uneasy. I had only ever been with James, so I thought maybe some guys just did that, even though all of my friends thought it was weird too.
He also did things when he would come over that would raise the hairs on the back of my neck. Maybe that description is a little too harsh for what I was thinking at the time, but it fits now.
He would move things around the house. The toilet paper would be folded in that terrible triangle every time. James used to do that. He would also randomly adjust my coffee cups in the cabinet so the handles all faced the same way. Again, something my James used to do.
I had no idea what he did for a living, he told me he was in construction, but I had no idea who he worked for. He had never invited me over to his house, nor did he ever talk about his family.
My friends told me that I needed to relax and just enjoy myself. I admit, for the most part he seemed like the almost perfect guy. It was almost like he knew everything about me.
-
It was three months before he stayed overnight. I had Casey stay over at my mother’s house because it didn’t feel right to have her there.
We tried to be intimate, but I felt dirty. He said it was fine. He stayed anyway.
In the middle of the night I rolled over and cracked my eyes open. He was in the rocking chair in the corner. The moon was illuminating his eyes while he looked out the window. I thought I was dreaming for a minute.
“I know you’re awake…Katherine…Katherine?”
I didn’t say anything. I pretended to sleep. He turned his face to me and smiled. His eyes were so wide and bright.
“Katherine?”
I never went back to sleep that night. I just laid there for a while going back and forth from feeling like I was betraying my husband to feeling like I was an idiot who should just enjoy having a relationship with someone.
Around four in the morning, I had finally begun to drift off to sleep, but Stephen started making noises.
I rolled over and realized that his eyes were wide open. I was going to say something, but he was asleep. I waved my hand in front of his face to make sure.
He began to grunt and his body would shake every now and then. He was having a bad dream and his open eyes began darting back and forth.
“Get out of my head…” He whispered it twice. “Fuck you…out of my head…Mine now…”
It was too much to take. I quietly slid off of the bed and backed my way out of the room. Just as I made it to my door, his eyes moved and focused on me. He was still asleep, but it was like his eyes were watching me just the same.
I walked downstairs. He continued to talk in his sleep for over an hour. I was pretty sure right then that I had to break it off, or at least really slow down. I just didn’t feel right. And to be honest, I was a little creeped out.
-
I was drinking my coffee in the kitchen and thinking about what I was going to say when something caught my eye. Casey’s pictures of our family on the fridge looked different.I got up and took a closer look. James had been changed in every picture. He didn’t have short hair anymore, it was full and he was also wearing glasses. My heart skipped a beat and I felt a terrible lump in my throat. I wondered what this man had said to my daughter to convince her to remove her father from the pictures. I was done.
A few minutes later, he came downstairs in a rush. He was wearing a black Flogging Molly t-shirt. James’ favorite shirt.
“What are you doing?”
“Good morning! I forgot to turn on the alarm! I’m going to be late for work!”
“Stephen, why are you wearing that shirt?”
“I found it in your closet.”
“But why are you wearing it?”
“Well in case you forgot, I ripped the one I was wearing last night.”
“That’s my husband’s shirt.”
“Oh come on, he’s not going to be wearing it anytime soon. I gotta go, I’ll see you after work.” He leaned in for a kiss, but I backed away. “What’s the matter?”
“I don’t think this is going to work out.”
“What?”
“I think we need to take a break.”
“Over a t-shirt?”
“There’s…there’s a lot of things Stephen.”
“Are you being fucking serious with me right now?” His voice raised, something I had not yet experienced with him. Something in my head told me to back away from him, so I did. I backed right up against the counter within reach of my knives. It made me feel better.
“I think so.”
“But I don’t want to do that. Tell me what I did and I’ll fix it. I’ll take off the shirt. Katherine…please.” I looked right into his eyes. I thought maybe I was overreacting, but the pictures, messing with my daughter to erase her father, that was the breaking point.
“Please leave.”
The kindness in his face fell away to an ugliness that made me start to tremble. He noticed it. A smile slowly started to rise and it looked like he was going to take a step closer. I rested my hand on the counter behind me, inches from the knife block. He halted and stood still.
“Feivel!” My dog ran into the kitchen at the sound of my voice and looked back and forth between us. I could tell that he sensed the tension. Feivel walked over to my side and just looked back at Stephen without making a sound.
“Are you going to sick the dog on me? Are you crazy or something?”
“Stephen, I just want you to leave.”
“I thought I did everything right.” He let out a sigh. “I had all the answers. I know everything about you and I still can’t make it work. This cannot be my fault…it’s not…it’s your fault! Why are you doing this?!”
“Leave. Now.”
“Ok…I just…” He started laughing and looked down. He tapped my husband's shirt. “Well…shit… I tried to fuck Katherine, and all I got was this lousy tshirt…is that how this going to end?” He just stared at me. I wouldn’t answer him. “I don’t think so. You’re going to change your mind.” He turned and walked out of the door, slamming it behind him.
After he left, I locked all of the doors and called my mother. I told her what happened and not to take Casey to daycare. I told her that I would be able to pick her up in just a little bit. I called all my friends and let them know what happened. I basically wanted to hear other people tell me that Stephen was nuts and in the event that something happened to me, I wanted people to know where to look first.
I ripped all of Casey’s drawings off of the fridge and crumpled them up and threw them away.
I walked back upstairs to get dressed and I noticed other things.
I had only kept a few clothes that belonged to my husband and some of them were missing. I had a small jewelry box on the bathroom counter, and most of the rings and necklaces that James had given me were also missing. I walked through the house and began to notice random little things were missing here and there and the only thing they all had in common were that they were gifts given to me by James.
-
Before I picked up Casey at my mother’s, I called the police to see if anything could be done, even though I was pretty sure that I knew the answer. Other than being a creep and a thief, Stephen actually hadn’t done anything. There was nothing the police could do.
I took Casey to the park to explain to her why Stephen wouldn’t be around anymore. Feivel was sitting next to her in the backseat. I started by asking her about her drawings.
“I didn’t change them.”
“Casey, honey, I saw them this morning. They’re changed. You changed the way daddy looks.”
“But I didn’t mommy. I wouldn’t do that. Maybe Stephen did it.”
“You think Stephen took your crayons and changed your drawings?”
“Maybe. He thought he was going to be my new daddy anyway, so maybe he thought it was a good idea.”
“Wait. Who said he was going to be your new daddy?”
“He did. He said it lots.”
When we got to the park, I made sure Casey stayed right next to me. We started throwing the frisbee down by the river so Feivel could play in the water if he wanted. I asked her some more questions about Stephen and anything else he might have said to her. It didn’t sound like he had said much more.
We were about to leave when Casey started waving at something.
“Look Mommy, it’s Stephen!”
He was standing on the other side of the river, and he was waving back to us. He was wearing a button up shirt and a pair of jeans that both belonged to my husband. He was smiling at me.
“Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“Are you mad at Stephen or something?”
“Yes honey. I don’t think we’re going to be talking to Stephen anymore. I think he needs to go away.” I reached down and scooped up my daughter and began to walk back toward our car.
“We’re going home. Come on Feivel! Feivel?” My dog had been staring at Stephen and he still hadn’t moved. “Feivel, come!”
Stephen whistled and that was enough for Feivel. He jumped into the river and began swimming toward the other side. I called after him over and over, but he eventually made it to the other side and ran over to Stephen. He gave me one last wave before he reached down and clipped a leash onto Feivel’s collar. He turned around and started to walk away.
I ran back to the car and put Casey in her car seat as fast as I could and I drove to the parking lot on the other side of the river, but by the time I got there, he was gone with our dog.
-
I filled out a report with the police and tried to get a restraining order.
“Ok, so here’s the problem. You said his name was Stephen Tasavo?”
“That’s right.”
“Ok look. This is not going to make you feel any better, but this man doesn’t exist.”
“What?!”
“He gave you a false name, Miss. Couldn’t find anybody by that name fitting his description. You got him on social media anywhere? Does he have any friends?”
“I…I don’t know. I don’t have any of that crap. Social media I mean. I guess I just…never asked him about any of it. We’ve only been seeing each other for a few months.”
“Well, from the pictures you took on your phone, we know what he looks like. We’re going to keep an eye out for him, whoever he is. I suggest you keep your doors locked and inform the people at your daughter’s school. If there’s anywhere else you can go, I don’t think that would be a bad idea.”
I went home that night anyway. Casey was a mess after Stephen took Feivel and I thought that it would be a mistake if I didn’t give her some sense of normalcy. I had four friends stay with me that night.
-
A month later I got a call from a number that I didn’t recognize.
“Hello?”
“Don’t hang up the phone Katherine. Feivel really wants to hear your voice.”
“You sick fuck! Give me back my dog!” He was quiet for a moment.
“I've got you on speaker and you’re saying nasty things like that. He can hear everything you’re saying. Can’t you?! Can’t you?! Who’s a bugaboo doggie?! Who’s da doggie?!”
“Stephen…I’ll do whatever you want…please just give him back to me.”
“Come on Katherine. I know you know that’s not my name.”
“What is your name?”
“You know, I thought I had to become someone else to be with you. But I don’t think so. I’m going to like you getting to know the real me.”
“Please just give me my dog.”
“I’m going to make you see that it was destiny that your husband died. I’m going to make you see that his death was what it took to bring us together.”
“You son of a bitch!”
“Anyway, I’ll see you soon.” He hung up the phone.
I called the police, and after that night, I didn’t hear anything from Stephen for two months. Two months of looking over my shoulder. Two months of waiting.
I bought a gun. I kept it in the drawer of my bedside table. I wasn’t taking any chances.
-
I woke up with a start in the middle of the night and I heard the sound of muffled whining. I sat up in bed and looked around my bedroom before I grabbed the gun and got up. I walked to my window and noticed that it was slightly open. I looked down into the backyard.
Smoke was pouring out from underneath the closed lid on the grill. It looked like something was tied around the handles in order to keep it shut. I ran downstairs to the patio door. I opened it and held the gun in front of me. The smell of something burning was making me sick to my stomach. Something was crying out inside of the grill, frantically trying to get out. My heart sank as I realized that it was Feivel’s collar tied around the handle.
I screamed and grabbed the hose and turned it on. I lunged for the lid of the grill and I burned my hands as I tore away the collar from the handles.
I threw the top to the grill open and sprayed the hose inside. Feivel leapt out of the grill and down onto the brick patio. I soaked him with the hose. A belt had been tied around his muzzle. I ripped it off of his face and kept the water on him.
I turned to look back at the house. I didn’t want to leave him, but I realized that I had left my phone upstairs. I opened my mouth to scream for help, but then I had a hard time making any sound when I saw what was on the patio table. There was a bottle of whiskey on it with two glasses that had already been poured. There was a note on the table.
“It’s Friday Night! Time to BBQ!”
There was also something else on the table. A small fake rock. James and I had always kept it hidden amongst the other rocks in the backyard.It had a small compartment on the underside where we kept a spare key to our house. Stephen was in our house.
I looked back down to Feivel. I was left with the awful decision of having to leave my dog. He was gasping for air, but he was still alive. I had to get to Casey to make sure she was safe.
“Feivel, I’m sorry!” I left the hose laying across him and I ran back inside.
As I ran up the stairs, I saw that Casey’s door was closed and as I reached out for the knob, I heard a familiar noise coming from my room. The sound of a rocking chair. I cracked open Casey’s door and I could see that she was still asleep in her bed.
“Kaaaatheriiiiine…”
I closed the door and held the gun in front of me as I walked into my room.
The man I knew as Stephen was rocking in my husband's chair, wearing my husband’s clothes, and holding a house key that only myself and my husband knew about.
“I’ve missed you so much.” I raised the gun without saying a word. My hand was shaking. He was smiling and rocking back and forth. “You’re not going to shoot me.”
“Goodbye Stephen.” I pulled the trigger and nothing happened but a dry snap. I pulled the trigger again, but nothing happened.
“If you held that thing more often, you could probably tell that it’s just a little heavier when it has bullets in it.”
I lunged for my bedside table and pulled the drawer open. The small box of bullets was gone.
“I unloaded it while you were asleep.” He stood up. I ran for Casey’s door, but he caught me before I could open it. I felt his hand go over my mouth and he picked me up by my shoulders. I struggled as he carried me closer to the top of the stairs.
“I’ve watched you sleep for so many nights now, just wondering how I could get you back. But I think there might not be any saving of what we had.” He hit me across the face and threw me down the stairs.
I heard my ankles snap when I hit the floor, and I screamed. His footsteps were quiet as he started walking down the stairs.
“We could have had a life together. I really wanted that. I even put something on the grill, but then you went and ruined that too.”
“Mommy?!” Casey had run out of her bedroom and was at the top of the stairs looking down on us. Stephen was just a few steps away from me. I started to crawl along the floor toward the kitchen.
“Go back to your room Casey. You’re mother and I are fighting.”
“Casey! Get Mommy’s phone and call for help!” I screamed, as I pulled myself along the floor and into the kitchen. All I could think of was getting to the block of knives.
“Where do you think you're going off to? Wait, I know…”
Stephen ran around me and to the kitchen counter. He picked up the block of knives and spilled them on the floor. “Come and get ‘em Katherine.”
He walked back over and stood over me while I crawled toward the knives. He was laughing.
“To think, if someone hadn’t killed your husband, none of this would have happened.”
I tried to shut his voice out of my head as I crawled forward. I was getting closer.
“You know the person who hit him did actually stop for a moment…just a moment…he opened his car door and almost ran over to help, but then something stopped him. Did you know that?”
He’s lying Kathering. Keep moving.
“I was there. If I close my eyes, I can still see the whole thing. If that guy had helped instead of just driving away, maybe James would have survived and what I’ve had with you and Casey… all that would never have been.”
I was right in front of the pile of knives. I reached out and then he stomped on my hand. I felt bones break. He leaned down, grabbed me, and turned me over to look at him. He was crying.
“I still think it was destiny that brought us together, but I was wrong about you. You don’t have any place in our family. Me and Casey. I’m going to take her far away from here. She’s mine now.” Tears were pouring out of his eyes and he was trying to blink them away, but the tears wouldn’t stop.
“Son of a bitch! Stop it! Stop it!” He rubbed at his eyes with one hand. “She’s mine now!”
I brought my knee up as hard as I could between his legs and he dropped me to the floor. He fell to his knees right next to me. I could hear sirens outside.
I reached out and grabbed the largest knife. I raised it over my head, but before I could swing it down, he grabbed my wrist and started to squeeze. I felt my grip start to loosen and I was afraid that I was going to drop the knife. He started to laugh as the sirens were getting closer.
“Looks like it’s time we get things over with.”
I felt his body slam against mine, and at first I had no idea what had happened, but then Stephen began to scream and I could hear Feivel growling behind him.
Feivel had managed to fit his jaws around the back of Stephen’s neck and buried his teeth to the gums. He was pulling Stephen away from me; blood poured down either side of his throat.
I tightened my grip on the knife and I pushed it into Stephen’s stomach over and over and over again. Feivel eventually let go of Stephen, and as I continued to plunge the knife into the mushy mess I had made, my dog limped over and started to whimper.
As Stephen lay there gasping for breath, I stared at his eyes. They were staring back at me and he was no longer weeping. I felt crazy, but his eyes looked kind. They looked happy.
-
“How are you feeling now?” I remember the detective had this perfect voice. A Paul Winfield voice. Had the things he was about to tell me weren’t so terrible, I would probably only remember how beautiful that voice was.
“I can’t walk, but they’ve got me so drugged up that I don’t mind very much. I’m going to be able to go home tomorrow. Or…to my mother’s at least.”
“How’s your daughter doing?”
“She’s good. She’s staying with my mother.”
“I hear that hero dog is going to pull through.”
I smiled. Tears started coming up thinking of Feivel sitting somewhere without me while he was going through all this.
“He’s not going to be a hundred percent, but he’s going to have a good life. He deserves it.”
“Ok. Now for the unpleasant stuff. We finally got some answers on who this guy is. Was, excuse me. His name is Joshua Linder. He’s been keeping a small apartment only a mile away from your house for the last three years. It looks like he’s been watching you the whole time. All kinds of things all over his apartment.”
“Did he kill James?”
“No. He couldn't have. Up until three years ago he lived across the country from you. Even then, there was no way he was driving the car that killed your husband. He was legally blind.”
“What?”
“Not completely blind, but may as well have been. That is his connection to you, and to your late husband I’m afraid.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You said he knew things he shouldn’t have right?”
“Yes.”
“Where the spare key was, um… certain things you shared with your late husband, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“Katherine, there’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to say it. You are aware that your husband was an organ donor, were you not?”
“Yeah.”
“It seems that uh… Mr. Linder was the recipient of your husband’s corneas after your husband passed. Now how he found out about you, we have no idea. There’s some kind of phenomenon that’s called cellular memory that frankly I think is…”
He kept talking, but the only thing on my mind were Stephen’s eyes.
-
My little family of three moved far away from home. We now have a house next to my husband’s parents where Casey can get to know her father’s parents and Feivel can go on walks with me while I pull him in his wagon when he gets too tired. I try not to think too much of what happened, but I still have trouble sleeping.

This is my 6 month olds second week of daycare (he was out sick for a whole two!) and has been doing well other than catching a pretty bad virus. Today when I was driving to pick him up I got a notification that he fell asleep. When I walked into the daycare to pick him up I was told “oh he just opened his eyes! He didn’t want to be transferred” and he was in a bouncerocker chair. I can’t confirm for sure that he slept his entire nap in this because he was awake when I walked in but it certainly seemed like it from my perspective. Maybe he was held and then woke up and they then put him in the rocker? It just seemed all very quick to where I caught him there. He’s still very congested from being sick so I’m sure getting him to lay flat in the crib was a challenge.
How do I go about bringing this up? Do I talk to the director or teachers? I don’t want to create tension or get anyone in trouble as they have been great with him otherwise, but this has me concerned for other babies that are younger and now I won’t be sure of his sleeping position when he’s in daycare.
Any advice is appreciated.