I'm not having racing thoughts. When I woke up today, my usual racing, unending thoughts didn't come. In fact, they didn't come for the entire day. 30 years is an exceptionally long time to have thoughts that just won't stop, no matter how hard you may want them to.
I will say that my thoughts aren't negative and intrusive like you may be thinking, it's that until today, I wasn't able to stop them from constantly racing and careening around all over the place!
The peace I've had today has made me fully appreciate it to the nth degree. For those who've never had to deal with what I'm writing about, consider yourselves extremely blessed to not know what it's like. Having a naturally calm brain is what I could only consider to be bliss, and if you have it, then never take the daily peace you have for granted.
For the experience itself of what it's been like having that for so long, it felt like there was a vice perpetually clamped to my head; not in the painful way like with a headache, however it was this pressure that never abated. Until today.
I can only hope that this peace will continue, and that my unsilenceable thoughts will never come back. I'll also tell you that for the first time in 30 years, I also woke up refreshed, and not groggy or tired. It's a hell of a thing to sometimes sleep for 10, 12, or 14 hours, and feel like you never went to bed because your brain just can't stop like how it needs to.
Now, I usually only sleep 7 to 8 hours on a given night. That's my average, and it rarely goes over that, with those few occasions. Even if it was only for today, I'm so grateful to have this one day of such filling peace. My head hasn't felt this clear in three decades, and what thoughts I have had today are simple, smooth, and flowing. What an enormous gift today was.
Thank You, Lord. I love You.

Look at for Woom 3 Bike Tire Pressure Coupon Code. When you need the newest coupons and promo codes, that page is the perfect spot to check. They also have current deals available.

Just noticed tonight that ONE of my tires reads as being at 28psi while the others are at 37. I haven’t checked the pressure gauge in a week or two so I don’t know when this happened. What could possibly cause this?

Quick Author's Note:
For better clarity of intent, the 'worthwhile opponent' stipulation in Lifedrinker is being changed to 'non-negligible opponent' moving forward.
​
--
​
"The Gellin Empress was the catalyst for our breakthrough," a mage explained. "Tracing Lord Rob's lingering mana signature through the space between dimensions proved effective at first, yet it came with an insurmountable problem: he only attained mana after initially leaving Earth. At a certain point, there was no more of a signature for us to trace. We had found his home dimension, but finding his home world within the infinite expanses of that dimension could have taken years of aimless searching, like blind men stumbling in the dark."
He leaned forward, clearly enjoying having a captive audience. "The key, then, lay within Lord Rob's memories. Even without mana, memories have a power all their own. The Empress looked within his mind and found locations of personal importance to him. Ones that he remembers with pristine clarity. By scrying for areas within Lord Rob's dimension that matched those specific locations, we were able to narrow down the scope of our search considerably."
The mage spread his palms wide, and his voice dropped a full octave, as if he was imparting a great revelation. "The result will soon be made self-evident. You shall bear witness to the foremost magical achievement of our era: a one-way viewing window into Lord Rob's world. The first of many to come."
In respect for the man's showmanship, Rob started up a clap. Granted, he would've clapped even if the explanation was done via a mindnumbing PowerPoint presentation, because nothing in the universe could stunt his enthusiasm right now. Riardin's Ranger, the Elders, Diplomacy, and the Soul Surgeon clapped as well, although Rob was pretty sure they were just following his cues. This moment couldn't possibly hold the same gravitas for them as it did for him. They mostly were here to provide moral support and satisfy their curiosity.
While for him, this meant everything.
"Do we need the Gellin Empress here to create the window?" Rob asked. "I'd also like to thank her for the help she's given."
The mage shook his head. "I'll spare you the details, but to be succinct; she taught us how to save a mana-based copy of the necessary memories, which will allow us to attune to a subset of Earth locations. Her presence is not required. In fact, she insisted that we proceed without her, as the Gellin have gone to rest for the night."
Must be nice. I'd trade ten Levels for a consistent sleep schedule. Rob internally frowned at himself, punting the envious thoughts away. No sour grapes. If the Empress helped me see Earth again, then I hope she sleeps like a baby for the rest of her life.
"One question," Keira interjected. "In your explanation, you stated that, without the Empress' assistance, it may have taken years to discover Earth. That is hardly the weeks or months you claimed in the past."
The group of dimension mages froze, embarrassment blooming on their features. They looked to the head mage for guidance, whose veneer of showmanship was deflating like a leaky balloon. "We were perhaps...optimistic."
"By years?"
"The previous estimate I put forth was one that assumed we would develop breakthroughs as we went along." His mouth widened into a sheepish grin. "As you can see, we, um, succeeded."
Keira raised an eyebrow. "Only with the timely assistance of a Leader." Her tone was calm, yet unyielding. "Rob is too grateful to point out this contradiction, so I suppose the task falls to me. You have also told us that you should be able to 'open' the window and let Rob send a letter home within the next week – is that more unfounded optimism?"
"No." The mage straightened his posture. "Now that we have located Earth, the rest is simply a matter of refining our spells and collecting reserves of mana. We are no longer blind, nor are we fumbling in the dark, and thus our progress moving forward shall be predictable and steady. This, I swear."
After a few seconds, Keira nodded. "Then I thank you for the wonderful boon you've granted to the man I love."
From behind, Malika giggled under her breath. Rob squeezed Keira's hand, gave her a warm smile, and faced the mages. "I'm ready whenever you are."
The tent thrummed with mana as the dimension mages formed a Mage Circle with Malika. It was no different from any other time they'd done so, yet the knowledge of what they were about to accomplish heightened the tension in the air to a fever pitch. Rob's pulse quickened, his throat tightening. He'd been disemboweled by monsters, decapitated by eldritch abominations, and none of those events made him a fraction as nervous as watching the dimension mages at work.
Minutes passed. Rob forced himself to be patient. Reaching across the boundaries of space and dimensions wasn't like heading to the store to pick up a carton of milk. It involved a level of spellcasting prowess that would take Rob decades of committed study to have even the slightest chance at grasping. Frankly, the fact that it was possible at all still beggared belief.
Maybe...maybe the mages were wrong. Not lying; just wrong. They could be overeager, sharing before they were actually ready, and they'd end the circle looking contrite and ashamed.
That was okay. No biggie. Rome wasn't built in a day, or...something. He could wait–
Creak.
It was the sound of a rusted hinge, of crumpling paper, of breaking bones, and more. A combination of all the noises things made when subjected to an external force. Like reality itself was groaning under the pressure.
Creeeak.
A thin, imperceptible line appeared at eye-level, dark as the endless void. Slowly, inch-by-inch, it widened.
CREEEAK.
It had become a rectangle. Two feet wide, three feet high. With a final CREAK, reality threw in the towel. The void dissipated, as if smoke blown away by a gust of wind, revealing...
Home.
Everything was as he remembered it. The same furniture with scuffed marks of wear-and-tear. The same living room where they'd watched movies each Friday. The same kitchen with a sink perpetually filled with dirty dishes. The same tacky wallpaper that his mom refused to change, and that he secretly enjoyed.
Identical. Like a portrait had been painted straight from his memories.
A tsunami of aching nostalgia surged through him. Rob didn't realize he was extending his hand until his fingertips were already brushing against the viewing window. Its surface felt solid, and for an instant he was terrified that this really was just a painting. Something invented to give him false hope.
Then he noticed that a window had been cracked open. Not the mages' window; the window inside his house. A small breeze blew inside, jostling a curtain ever so lightly. Just enough to make it move.
"It's real." Rob's voice was hoarse. "It's my home."
No one said anything. They allowed him his silence, a gesture which he greatly appreciated. Eventually, Rob took a deep breath, clenched his hands so that they wouldn't tremble, and looked at the dimension mages. "Thank you. I owe you...so much. Even if observing from afar ended up being the limit of what you could do, just seeing my house again like this is..."
He trailed off, unable to find words that were sufficient. Thankfully, the dimension mages seemed to understand. "You are most welcome, Lord Rob." The head mage smiled. "This is far from the limit of what we can do, however. Give us time, and this window shall open."
Rob nodded, choosing not to believe them. They were probably right, but on the off chance they weren't, he didn't want to look back on this moment with bitterness. Best to assume the worst and be grateful for what he already had.
As if drawn by a gravitational pull, his eyes drifted back towards the window. It was displaying a fixed point in the center of his home. "Can you switch perspectives? I want to check other rooms." His parents were likely asleep in their bedroom at this hour. Assuming they didn't sell the house out of grief and move, that is.
"I am afraid that isn't possible. We can transpose the viewing window to other specific locations that the Empress provided, but having it 'walk around', so to speak, requires finer control than we are yet capable of."
Yet, he says. Which means that with practice, they'll be able to. Rob placated himself with that notion. This was a minor setback, and he wouldn't let it get him down.
He especially wouldn't listen to that tiny voice in the back of his head, whispering that the reason he couldn't see his parents right now was because they were–
"Got it," Rob stated, in a wooden voice. "What other locations did the Empress pick out?"
The window's perspective blurred and shifted. Rob swallowed a gasp as an extremely familiar place was displayed before him. He'd seen it many, many times, even after coming to Elatra. It used to be at the top of his nightmare rotation, only ousted from its throne when Blights started coming into play.
In front of them was a small grassy lawn, surrounded by lecture halls in the near-distance. The place that had forever altered the course of his life.
"This is where it all started." Rob pointed to an empty spot in the middle of the field. "Portal opened up. Right there. Saturated with darkness. Chains shot out, tried to grab at Jason. I pushed him out of the way, and...the rest is history."
Silence reigned once more. After a few seconds, Orn'tol stirred. The young Ranger opened his mouth, preparing to say what would undoubtedly be some platitude reassuring Rob over his noble sacrifice.
"The grass truly is green."
Rob burst out laughing. He kept going until he was short of breath, wheezing as the others looked at him with eyes full of concern. "I'm okay," he managed to cough, once the laughter had died down to snickers. "Thanks, Orn'tol. I needed that."
"You're very welcome?" Orn'tol exchanged confused glances with the rest of Riardin's Rangers. "I am unsure of what I did to assist you, yet it's good to see you in high spirits nonetheless."
"Sometimes a little silliness is just what the doctor ordered." Rob offered him a high-five, which the boy accepted with zeal. They returned their gazes to the viewing window, Rob tilting his head as he peered closer. "Hmm. That's weird."
"What do you mean?"
"There's no people. It's early evening, but college students have the worst sleeping patterns on the face of the planet. Trust me; I'm speaking from experience. Usually you'd see a dozen partygoers strung out on energy drinks racing around now."
"Perhaps this location is known as a place of danger," Keira posited. "I would certainly be hesitant to tread where a portal of darkness sprang from the aether and kidnapped a civilian."
Rob watched the viewing window for signs of life, finding none. "Could be. Parents probably pulled their kids out after what happened to me. Then either the government condemns the area, or enough money is lost that the college goes bankrupt." He snorted. "Would be the least of what it deserves, considering the tuition fees. Bloodsucking vampires."
"People on Earth drink blood?"
Normally, Rob would have played along with their confusion, but there were more important things to focus on. "Can you change this to the next location from my memories?" he asked the dimension mages. "How many are there, anyway?"
"Five in total. One moment, please."
The window's perspective blurred, shifted, and reformed. Now it was displaying a city sidewalk, its view positioned right outside the best god damn burger joint in existence. Rob didn't care what anyone else said; two greasy slabs of beef squeezed between two sesame-seed buns was the absolute pinnacle of culinary delight. So what if his palette was 'like a five-year old's?' Wasn't his fault that delicious things were delicious.
Belatedly, he realized that his memory of this restaurant had been strong enough for the Gellin Empress to choose it as a point of reference for interdimensional portal magic. That...yeah, that tracked. Aside from the burgers, he had fond memories of sitting at the outside patio with Jason and his folks, drinking Minty Fresh Phantasma and inhaling cheesy fries as they mocked his dietary preferences. Good times.
He was about to explain what this place meant to him when a human casually walked past the viewing window.
She was a normal working woman like any other. Tired eyes, a purse slung over her shoulder, and dressed for lukewarm weather. A cell phone was held in her right hand, her eyes glued to some form of social media. She strode past the window without a care in the world, visible for merely a second before disappearing from view.
To the Elatrans, it was like a horror movie jumpscare. All of them froze. Several gasped. Elder Alessia grimaced. Faelynn muttered "a world of Humans" in a hushed tone. The only exceptions were Elder Duran and the Soul Surgeon, who crept closer to get a better look, their eyes shimmering with curiosity.
In contrast, Rob let out a sigh of overwhelming relief. That bored, everyday woman was exactly what he'd needed to set him at ease. Earth hasn't completely gone to shit behind my back. People are still living their lives.
As he watched, a few more humans walked in front of the window. A middle-aged man, a young boy with his mother, and an old woman with a walking cane. The old woman pivoted straight into the burger joint, Rob internally praising her good taste.
"W-well," the head mage stuttered. He paused, cleared his throat, then started anew. "As you can see, the viewing window is imperceptible to those with low Levels of Sense Mana. Naturally, this will not be the case for a portal that can be interacted with from both sides."
"Dangerous," Meyneth commented. "I would advise that you conceal this type of spell for as long as you are able. The viewing window especially."
"Why is that?"
"If this window cannot be sensed by those with low Levels of Sense Mana, then that makes it an ideal tool for spying on non-Mages. In your haste to glimpse into the world of another dimension, you have inadvertently developed a field of magic that puts every nation in Elatra at risk of subterfuge. People have been assassinated for much less."
The mages blanched. "We are nothing more than simple researchers," the head mage protested, in a faltering voice. "Who besides a madwoman like the Dragon Queen would stoop so low as to threaten noncombatants?"
Keira averted her eyes, pointedly examining the floor.
"We can discuss matters of life and death at a later time," Duran interjected. He gestured to the viewing window with the demeanor of a child in a toy story. "There's a world of discoveries to explore! Take a look at those structures the Earth Humans have built – they resemble the buildings within Human territory, yet small differences set them apart."
Duran ooooh'd as another person walked past the viewing window. "So many humans are ambling about despite the late hour. Is this area a well-traveled location in your home city, Rob?"
"This is around the level of street traffic you should expect for early evening. If it were daytime, you'd see a hundred people per minute."
Duran aaaah'd. Before he could launch into a series of questions, Zamira beat him to it. "Pardon me if this comes across as an insult," she began, hesitantly. "But Earth Humans appear marginally...uncoordinated. It is hard for me to describe the notion, yet when I watch them move, they appear as if they're liable to fall over at any moment."
They look normal to me, Rob almost said, before remembering that Earth's normal wasn't Elatra's normal. "That's called being permanently Level 1." He shrugged. "They've all got crap stats. Except athletes, I guess."
Zamira stared at the human passerby with obvious sympathy. "My condolences."
Does Earth seem like a world of cripples to her? Rob wondered. Even Utility Class users have the option to put a couple points into Dexterity and Perception. That's not counting the natural stat boosts they gain as they grow up, either. And when combined with Vitality and healing magic, it means that people in Elatra tend to age gracefully.
Rob tried to think of the last time he'd seen an Elatran with the same frailty as that old human woman with her walking cane. The oldest person he'd met so far was the Fiend High Soulseer, and in spite of being positively ancient – and blind – the dude could get around fine. Elder Duran was having health problems, but that was only after suffering from severe Corruption poisoning for weeks on end. An incident like that would've landed an Earth human in long-term hospice care.
Actually, no, that was wrong. It would've just killed them.
"We should switch to the next location," Rob said, preempting any further questions. "There's still two more left." Maybe I can see...no. Keep your expectations in check.
He was right to do so. Rob's heart sank as the viewing window solidified once again, revealing battered, empty streets. Half the buildings had collapsed to rubble, as if visited by a wrecking crew with an axe to grind. He recognized this spot as the street leading up to his favorite movie theater on the other side of the city. There'd been good times here, as well.
Although not anymore. The theater's roof had caved in, and half the letters in its ostentatious PRIME CINEMA logo were missing. It would take years to rebuild – assuming someone was willing to invest millions of dollars into what was essentially a ghost town.
"This..." He ran his hand down his face, aware of everyone gazing at him with pity. "As you can probably infer, this isn't normal. In the past–"
Bang.
Rob practically jumped out of his skin at the abrupt sound of gunfire. At first he thought the shot had come from outside, but no, it was both too distant and too close for that. The noise also sounded different from the rifles that the Dwarven Thunder Rod wielders employed.
A series of repeated bangs swept his thoughts away. Everyone watched in astonishment as a crew of Earth military soldiers ran into view from a side street, desperately fleeing the eight-legged Blightspawn that was hot on their tails. The abomination was more of an amalgamation of flesh and limbs than anything resembling a living creature, and the way it skittered made Rob reconsider if spiders were really that bad in comparison.
"Keep firing!" one of the men commanded, his voice sounding like it was coming from the bottom of a lake. The soldiers blasted their assault rifles in a retreating offensive, peppering the abomination with a hailstorm of bullets. Their response was swift, their aim was true, and it did not matter. The Blightspawn bulldozed through the rain of bullets as if it was a light drizzle, the creature's five cavernous mouths wailing for blood and sustenance.
It was nearly upon them when an explosive rocketed in from the opposite side street, knocking the Blightspawn off its many feet. The reprieve was temporary, but it was just long enough for the soldiers to escape unharmed. Unfortunately, the creature was also mostly unharmed, sporting minor injuries despite a direct missile strike to the torso. With a chorus of screams that prickled Rob's ears, the abomination continued its chase, batting away a second missile as it resumed the chase with renewed fervor.
Then it was gone, having left the window's range of sight. Distant sounds of battle grew quieter, the gunshots and explosions becoming more faint as predator and prey ran deeper into the ruined city.
Rob closed his eyes. He said nothing for half a minute, allowing himself time to process what he'd seen.
"Okay." He opened his eyes, nodding. "This is fine."
Keira laid a hand on his shoulder, struggling with what to say. "Rob...you don't need to–"
"Hold it in? Bottle up my emotions?" A wry chuckle escaped his throat. "Honestly, I'm not as affected as I thought I'd be. The Blight dropped one too many cryptic hints for me to be surprised, anyway. At this point I'm just glad that Earth hasn't been completely overrun. Some parts of the city might be fucked up, but not all of it is."
He narrowed his eyes. "The biggest thing I'm worried about is the Blightspawn itself. You saw those weapons the humans were using, right? Think of them as substantially upgraded versions of the Thunder Rods. They should've put a real dent in a fully-grown Blight, let alone one of its spawn."
"Perhaps the creatures have gained a defensive Skill?" Duran theorized. "What we witnessed appears consistent with other damage reduction Skills such as Tough Skin or Heat Resistance. I would surmise that the Blight has learned something akin to – for example – Thunder Rod Resistance."
Rob paused. Elatra didn't have a specified 'Bullet Resistance' Skill, but that was because conventional firearms had been removed from the system for balancing purposes. The Blight wouldn't give two shits about balance. They'd cheerfully grant themselves Bullet Resistance, Missile Resistance, and whatever else tickled their fancy.
And the more Earth fought back, the more resistant they'd become.
"...This doesn't change anything," Rob eventually concluded. "Earth is a big boy planet. It'll figure something out. In the meantime, we'll clean up our problems here and be ready to help if the Blight's still around by then."
"You're sure?" Keira asked. Two words that held so much intent. 'Are you sure you'll be alright? Are you sure Elatra should remain your primary concern? Are you sure you don't want to head home the instant the dimension mages create a working portal?'
Rob gave her a thumbs-up. "I'm sure. And I know you'll worry about me regardless, but I promise I'm feeling fine."
Or maybe he was just numb, and an avalanche of emotions would bury him when he least expected it. The good news was that was a problem for future-Rob to deal with. Present-Rob had one last area to investigate.
I'd be satisfied with seeing my old bedroom intact, he thought, as the dimension mages altered the viewing window for the last time. I have strong memories there, right? It should be a candidate. Those late night Netflix binges were uh...riveting. Yeah.
The window finalized.
Rob felt the strength leave his body.
Some parts of what he was seeing were incongruous. Strange details that he'd need to figure out soon. All of it took a hard backseat to the one sight in the room that truly mattered.
Jason was alive.
He was at his house that Rob had visited so often. Alive. Surrounded by people. Alive. Chatting away. Alive. Gesturing in that exaggerated manner he often used. Alive.
Smiling.
Alive.
A dam broke. Silent tears began streaming down Rob's face. Thoughts cut out, leaving only the realization that his best friend since childhood, the sole person he'd have trusted with his life before meeting Riardin's Rangers, the man whose place he'd taken when the gods picked a new chew toy...
Was alive.
"Hey, man." Rob's smile was the most genuine it had been in a long time. "Been a while."
At that moment, almost as if he could hear him, Jason grinned.
​
--
​
Author's Note:
When I was writing Chapter 199, I was mildly annoyed that Rob didn't reach 200 Vitality on Chapter 200. That would've been hilariously coincidental. But if I had to choose between that chapter or this one for a big milestone...I think I like this better.
Happy Chapter 200, everyone. Thanks for reading and staying on this journey with me.

My furnace system is model EDM2X30BA1 I can't find the manual to see if it's ok to use to use a 3m filter that's rated at 1500 mpr?
On the system it Says (design pressure: 300. Psig 2068 kpa)
When I tested it earlier seem to cool the house pretty fast but was not hot out. The air flow seem still good when I felt it.
So not sure and so confused since I see mixed opinions.
Thank you

I have a 2018 3500 with the Cummins. For years the coolant light has been on (coolant has never been low). Have been to Dodge multiple times and they said the sensor failing was not uncommon, but to fix they'd have to replace the reservoir, etc. Not covered my warranty, so they said it'd be fine to live with. Well, I'm tired of living with it. Any way through some programming protocol, or removal of wire, or? To just shut it off. Been a semi flatbed driver for close to two decades and I know to check my fluid. Tired of the idiot light. Thanks for any help.

Go to this page for Woom Bike Tire Pressure Coupon Code. If you're looking for the newest coupons and promo codes, that page is the place to go. They always have the latest offers available.

I am going on 6 months of being unemployed. In July I don’t know what to do and my unemployment will cover my mortgage. I finally started making great money in Sep 2022 when I was hired by a very large company. Prior to that we did ok but in 12 months I went from $80K —> $130K —$160K. For 4 months I was making more money in one paycheck than I was making in a month. We were going to be debt free in 11 months.
Here are my states: $42K in Credit card debt Unemployment $661 a week
I am current on time with everything but not sure what to do once July comes.
My husband is looking for a job and I have been applying every single day to get a new job.
I feel so bad that I am even thinking of bankruptcy but I am not sure what to do.
Also we bought our house 8 years ago for $370K and now it is worth over $800K. I don’t want to lose or sell my house my mortgage is $1900 ( includes taxes and insurance)
I don’t have any car loans we have a 2005 Honda pilot and 2004 dodge ram. I don’t want to lose my cars.
I just feel so defeated and I never thought I would be out of work for this long. I know I am not alone but so many life changes in the past 6 months and I don’t know what to do.
If you read this thank you! Also in the case how would I know which to file for 7/13?

BACKGROUND
Long story short I spent 8 years on the West Coast holding increasingly important positions in the energy industry, but I hated it with every fiber of my being. I started taking nursing prerequisite courses in January of 2020. Family trauma happened. I moved home to Texas to be closer to my family, quit my job (was making ~$130k with bonus), and took the plunge and went to back to school for nursing at 31. I am half way done with an accelerated BSN program and I have a 4.0 GPA. I love it so much despite it being very difficult. I have externship currently and I have an ICU internship lined up for my final semester, which is basically a guaranteed new grad job.
I currently live with my mom and brother. We are remodeling our house so we are in an apartment for a bit. Very tight quarters but thankful to be with them. Boyfriend just successfully made a big career move and is now a superintendent for an important and well respected organization in town making $60k annually with a 8% bonus. Very proud of him and very excited for our future - we are talking about getting engaged in the next year. He is getting an apartment in the next couple months after living at home with his family due to some major family health issues he has been helping out with so you will see some of the apartment search start to happen in this diary!
Currently boyfriend and I split going out expenses pretty much down the line, but with this new job we had a discussion last week about how he will pay for the majority of our going out costs moving forward once he gets his first paycheck this month until I start working full time again in January!
Previous money diary from August 2022 here.
ASSETS (comparing last money diary to now):
​

	August 2022	June 2023	Difference
401k	$156,400	$158,600	$2,200
Roth IRA	$68,000	$68,500	(500)
Saving's account	$41,001.43	$26,572.63	($14,428.81)
Checking Account	$3,024.58	$915.41	($2,109)
HSA	$8,800	$7,100	($1,700)
Brokerage	$440	$444	$4
UGMA	$85,000	$84,000	($1,000)
Pension	forgot to include	$27,000	N/A

NET WORTH: $373k
**I don’t carry any credit card debt / no student loan debt / no equity in any kind of home. I was lucky enough to be in a position where I saved up over $40k cash to pay for living expenses when in school. My UGMA account will be used as part of a down payment for a house in the next couple years. My current BSN degree is being covered through family. Also, trying to figure out what to do with my pension - depending how finances go the next 8 months I am in school / if I have any emergencies (I have 2 senior pets) I could cash part of it out or completely roll it over into an IRA.
INCOME
Income Progression: I worked in the energy industry for 8 years; my starting salary was $35,000.
I worked in the Seattle area starting out at $35k in 2014. Moved to a new job in 2016 for $65k and then another new job in 2018 for $85k +12% bonus. Got up to $104k + 20% bonus before I quit. Also worked as a CNA on the weekends for about 6 months for $15 an hour during COVID to make sure I really wanted to go to nursing school.
Main Job Monthly Take Home: It varies but the average so far this year it is $535. I have an incredibly flexible externship at a hospital very close to where I live where my director literally just lets me show up whenever I want to work. I make $17 an hour. I met a couple incredible mentors but I think I am going to quit soon since it just won’t be feasible to work this semester and I already have my ICU internship lined up for September. Trying to be easier on myself and put myself first and I feel very lucky that I don’t need to work. Don’t get me wrong the extra money is SO NICE but I want to concentrate on school, myself, family, partner, and friends. Work on top of an accelerated nursing program is too much. I am actually the only one working in my cohort currently.
Any Other Monthly Income Here: I live with my mom right now and she pays for most of the groceries, utilities, etc. I feel incredibly privileged and lucky that I can live with her and that she is able to support me in this way while I transition careers. I do lots for her to support her such as chores, errands, paying for big Costco runs, etc. My boyfriend also helps out with pet expenses and other things I want / need.
MONTHLY EXPENSES

• Rent: $400 to my mom for a very discounted rate at our current apartment. I don’t pay rent when we are at the house. I will not be paying rent when I semi-move in with my boyfriend in the next couple months. Our goal is to get our own luxury apartment next year close to both of our places of employment after a year lease at a cheaper place. Between now and then I’ll split my time with him and my mom.
• Cellphone: $15 (on family plan & I just pay for additional data)
• Spotify: $5.40 (student plan)
• iCloud: $2.99
• Prime: $8.11
• Gym membership: $20
• Regular therapy: $5 a session and I go biweekly
• Health insurance: $122.54 monthly
• Costco: $60 annually

I allocate the following to my biggest expense categories monthly:

• Gas: $120
• Groceries: $300
• Eating out: $400
• Pet expenses: $200
• Other discretionary spending: $400

WEDNESDAY - DAY 1
8:45: I slept 10 hours last night and it was glorious. I worked a 12 hour shift at the hospital yesterday and our patient acuity was very high.
9:30: Make a coffee and walk and feed my pup. I walk over to the pool for a morning swim. I love a quiet morning swim so much.
11:30: I had a nice 500 yd swim, drank a Premier Protein shake & ate overnight oats with blueberries for breakfast, had a relaxing shower, and started some laundry. Feeling anxious about everything I have on my plate currently. Also I feel hungover from work yesterday. I was going to work another 12 hour shift tomorrow but now I don’t know if I can handle it with school also starting on Friday and a very busy social weekend coming up. Luckily, my director literally lets me show up whenever I want so I may do 7 or 8 hours tomorrow instead of a full 12. Try to table my feelings to discuss in therapy this afternoon.
11:40: Sit down to finish some online orientation for my internship that is coming up my final semester.
13:03: Orientation stuff only took about 20 minutes thank god. I ran to the grocery store and grab a 4 pack of watermelon Celsius, frozen veggies, Eggo waffles, tea bags, string cheese, coffee filters, Wheat Thins, and lean ground beef ($37.01). Head up to the rooftop lounge at the apartment complex to FaceTime a friend that lives across the country since there is zero privacy in the apartment.
14:15: Get off FaceTime, work on some more laundry, and head out to therapy.
16:15: Good, productive, fun, and validating therapy session and I make it over to my friend’s condo to check on her kitties. I had set up a reoccurring biweekly therapy appointment now that I know my school schedule for the upcoming semester too. We talked about money fixation and anxiety and trying to let that go. We agree that I should sleep in a bit tomorrow, walk my dog, go for a swim, and then go to work. I don’t ~need~ the money so working 12 hours vs 7 or 8 is not an issue. My mental health is more important. Also the work hangover from yesterday is real.
17:00: Boyfriend comes over after work and jumps in the shower while I’m a couch potato (Disclaimer: he’s friends with my friend too and she’s 100% comfortable with him hanging out too.) We relax and hang with the kitties and catch up on our days.
18:45: We head to dinner. We grab burritos at one of our favorite local spots and I pay ($25.88). We look at houses for fun on Zillow and discuss what apartments we want to tour in the next couple weeks.
20:00: I make it home and have a long talk with my mom about her friend who ended up in the hospital today with a compound fracture. Long story short I’ll need to stay up until midnight to hand off the house keys, garage door opener, etc. to a friend who is driving into town that can take care of her dog. Her dog is a pit bull that is vicious to strangers so no one else can go over to the house other than this friend who pet sits and knows the dog.
23:30: The friend makes it and we hand him the keys and everything he needs. I had spent the evening tidying up and meal prepping and looking at more apartments. It’s amazing to me how much time goes into keeping a clean and tidy home.
12:08: I spent a half hour setting up my June budget and then pass out.
TOTAL: $62.89
THURSDAY - DAY 2
9:05: I finally wake up to a bunch of texts from multiple different friends / friend groups. Ugh. I’m just feeling really anxious about school starting tomorrow, my mom being very distraught over her colleague / friend, working today, and a busy weekend coming up. I make some coffee and walk my pup.
9:33: I call my mom while feeding my pup breakfast and tell her how I’m feeling and we both agreed I ran around too much last semester and I told her I am setting firm boundaries with myself to basically not do anything social during the school week once clinical start (Monday - Thursday) unless it’s like a super casual dinner and I truly have the capacity for it. I burned myself out at the end of last semester and spent weeks putting the pieces back together.
9:55: I make another cup of coffee and take myself for a morning swim. It brings me so much joy and grounds me. I swim 500 yards and then jump into the shower, throw my scrubs on, kiss my pup goodbye and head to the hospital. I drink a chocolate Primer Protein shake and call my friend L on the way to hear how her trip has been going so far. It was nice to catch up even though we saw each other over the weekend lol.
10:54: Ate my overnight oats made with half and half and some blueberries, clocked in, and headed out to the floor. Immediately get asked to be a sitter which literally never happens. Thank you universe. Feeling a little less anxious now that I’m here and feeling thankful for the little bit of extra money I’m making and being here for my community.
14:04: Maybe not thank you universe - the patient slept for a while then got extremely combative and was trying to punch me. I switch off with a coworker and head to the break room to eat a bowl I made with frozen veggies + rotisserie chicken from Costco + cheddar cheese on top.
19:09: I finally clock out. I had a snack of 2 rice cakes and some almonds at one point. Rest of work was wild (i.e. a psychotic patient that pulled out his IV and was throwing things everywhere, someone screaming in pain for hours nonstop, etc.) and had me questioning what I am doing making this career change. I am tired.
19:49: I make it home after swinging by L’s to check on her kitties. Jump in the shower. My mom has dinner ready and I scarf down this gorgeous basil, mozzarella, peppers, tomatoes, avocados, and olive salad + a couple Trader Joe’s dolmas + a couple pieces of fresh bread. Delicious. I force myself to get my food and my school bag ready for tomorrow and lay my scrubs out before I crawl into bed a little after 9.
TOTAL: $0
FRIDAY - DAY 3
06:22: Alarm goes off and I roll out of bed and take my pup for a nice walk. Give him breakfast / shower / throw on my scrubs / pack my lunch / give the pup a big kiss goodbye and I am out the door a little after 7:00.
07:47: I get to school and I am NOT feeling it lol. I stopped at Costco for gas on my way ($20.67) and I also swung by a very Texas niche store that sells all kinds of beef jerky my brother really likes to grab some for his birthday coming up ($17.98).
10:00: Class is boring - it’s tough getting back into it with an 8 hour cardiac lecture. It’s good to see my friends but struggle is real. I run into my favorite professor and she makes my morning. I tell her all about my upcoming internship and my boyfriend’s new job and she was stoked and told me to “lock him down” hahaha. I also make 2 phone calls to apartment complexes we are interested in cause my boyfriend doesn’t get great reception at work during business hours. One place doesn’t have any current availability but the lady was so nice and will be sending me a virtual tour later today. Schedule another tour on Monday afternoon.
11:30: We break for lunch and I eat the same thing as yesterday - rotisserie chicken + frozen veggies + cheddar cheese.
12:30: Spend the afternoon in class completely unable to concentrate. The professor is throwing ECG rhythms around left and right. 8 hours of ECG lecture is NOT a productive way to learn the material. I work on a couple study guides during class cause I cannot.
3:30: We get out a little early and I rush to meet my mom for a walk through of the house. I follow her back to her office because I sent a big Chewy order there. Pick up the box along with a Diet Coke, order us Cava for dinner, pick up Cava, check on my friends cats on my way home real quick, and then have a shower and relax. Mom pays for Cava and I thank her multiple times.
7:00: We eat dinner all together when everyone is eventually home (harissa avocado bowl for me!) and then my boyfriend calls right when I head out to walk my dog. Perfect. I miss him and have been having anxiety around our new schedules. We have a good 30 minute chat about our days before I spend the evening basically doing nothing. I chat with my family and mess around on my phone. Text boyfriend about different apartments.
22:44: Bed time after I brush and floss my teeth. I’m zonked from the week.
TOTAL: $38.65
SATURDAY - DAY 4
08:30: I’m awake! Did not sleep well at all cause thunderstorms. My pup is deathly afraid and will not stop shaking for hours so I end up sleeping on the couch on and off. We were up and down all night but somehow I feel okay. We go for a quick walk, feed him, and start a load of whites in the washer.
09:08: I have a shower, and then I head out to get my family coffee from one of our favorite spots.
10:45: Make it back home with 2 cold brews for my brother and I and a latte for mom. I also picked up 5 breakfast tacos and a German chocolate cake for Sunday dinner tomorrow ($56.24). I eat a bean and cheese taco and a potato and egg taco, start some laundry, and put air in my tires with my home compressor since my low air light has been on in my car for an embarrassing amount of time. Brother needs air in his tires too so turns into a production lol.
12:18: Spent a couple hours putzing around dealing with the tires and more laundry and packing a bag for tonight. We are headed to the lake for a friend’s bday party and I have no clue what I want to wear so I pack a lot of options and clothes for church tomorrow morning too. Now it’s time to drive around for a little bit and check out some potential apartments and do a small Target run.
14:02: I make it home from apartment cruising and my Target run. I bought a 3 subject notebook, tire pressure gauge with valve caps included, two bags of frozen veggies, mini coke zeros, and a bag of Lesser Evil popcorn ($21.50). I was so tempted to stop for lunch on my way home but lines were long everywhere so I made myself some cheesy eggs + 2 Eggo waffles when I got home. Put the valve cap on my tire that is missing one.
14:36: Make it to L’s condo and clean up after the cats and start the Roomba. Boyfriend texts that he is out of work and on his way over! He’s been up since 4 am this morning for work and I am feeling some type of way with everything on my plate / anxiety so we will see how long we make it tonight lol.
15:30: S is showered and we are out the door!
16:30: We make it to the rental, change into our bathing suits, and walk down to the river.
19:00: We hang out in the river for a good 2.5 hours. It was a good time - nice to chat with my school friends and their partners. Boyfriend and I head out before the real partying starts lol.
20:00: We eat dinner at this cute Tex Mex place. Boyfriend has some kind of alcoholic mixed drink and we share a fajita for 2 plate. Boyfriend pays - it was $70.56 with tip. I drive us back because he does not like to drive even after one drink which I am 100% here for. We are so tired lol.
21:15: Make it back to L’s condo and we take a hot shower and get into bed in the guest bedroom. It takes forever for us to both fall asleep.
TOTAL: $77.74
SUNDAY - DAY 5
6:50: Oh boy neither of us slept well. There was another thunderstorm. One of the cats was yowling nonstop outside our door. The ceiling fan was clanking on and off. The bed was way too soft. Up and down again all night for a second night in a row for me lol.
8:11: I’m showered and we are both dressed and we head out to one of our favorite taquerias for breakfast. I get 2 bean and cheese tacos and one machacado + egg taco. Boyfriend also gets 3 tacos and we both get coffee. We sit and chat for a while until it was time to go to church. I pay on the way out ($22.98 with tip).
11:40: After an hour of church and an hour meeting for a committee I’m on - I’m wiped out. Still have a house walk through to do with my family and boyfriend so I head over there and we are there for about an hour.
13:10: Finally made it home, walked my pup, and made myself a late lunch of Dave’s Killer bread toast + peanut butter + banana.
13:54: A girlfriend calls and asks if I want to get a pedicure this afternoon. We decide to get dinner together on Thursday instead. I’m actually very touched she called me because we are friends through another friend and normally don’t get together just the two of us. I’m really happy she reached out. I also invite one of my friends from school - I have been wanting them to meet for a while.
14:30: Nap timeeeee! I knock out for an hour then realize how thirsty I am and how badly I need to get out of the apartment. I get up, take the pup for a spin with my brother, and head to Sonic to get a large diet cherry limeade and then head to L’s condo to check on the kitties and chill ($3.34).
18:00: I spent a couple hours chilling on the internet - working on my google calendar, school organization, church emails, reviewing some apartments we may drive by tomorrow, and I download the remaining episodes of season 1 of Nurse Jackie to watch tonight. I had bought the complete first season over a month ago and still haven’t watched it all lol. That’s how little I watch tv.
20:00: We had bibimbap for dinner and German chocolate cake for dessert. Delicious. I clean up the dishes and do more laundry because that’s my life between school, work, working out, having 2 hairy pets, etc. Unpack my bags from the river day and sleepover last night too. Chat with my family.
22:00: Crawl into bed and watch some Nurse Jackie before passing out.
TOTAL: $26.32
MONDAY - DAY 6
7:33: I slept better but still tossed and turned. Still just anxious with everything going on, especially the start of another intense semester.
8:47: Pup is fed and walked. I open the windows because it is 68 degrees which is unheard of in June in south Texas.
10:06: I ended up doing a deep clean of my room hahah. Wiped down and vacuumed every surface. So much hair. My pup is shedding so bad. I change my bedding and toss my comforter in the wash. Thank goodness I have 2 sets of sheets now. I had only 1 for the longest time lol. I take a break and eat some Greek yogurt + pecans + banana + drizzle of honey.
11:03: I vacuumed the common areas in the apartment, took a long shower, and I’m dressed and ready for my boyfriend to pick me up. I felt like being cute today so I put on this new leather skirt from Alice + Olivia my boyfriend got me as a present that I haven’t worn yet + a white crop top + my cheetah old skool Vans. I’m so tired though lololol. This is one of the only Mondays we both have off for the foreseeable future so I am gonna rally and make the most of it!
11:15: Boyfriend is so tired too bahah. We go grab coffees at this cute little coffee shop I’ve been wanting to check out. I get a cortado. Boyfriend gets an iced caramel almond milk latte and I treat ($11.82 with tip). We sit and chill and map out what apartments we want to check out today.
12:30: Walk across the street to grab Tex Mex for lunch at a pretty famous place in town. I get the enchilada plate and boyfriend gets a chicken quesadilla plate. He pays and it is $27.89 with tip.
1:30: Go for our first apartment tour of the day and it is depressing. We drive around and check out the other apartments we are I interested in and then go on one more tour at a place that we are really impressed by. It’s $1.3k or so for a 500 sq ft one bedroom and that’s a stretch. Ideally he wants the base rent to be $1,000 or less which is quite doable. Yet again - south Texas prices for the win. He is looking at older buildings, but they are well kept up and in good neighborhoods. They are not in the hottest places to be in town, but definitely still nice.
16:00: We go back to L’s condo and chill and take care of the kitties. Discuss the apartments and ask my brother if he wants to get dinner with us and he agrees.
18:00: We head back to my apartment, pick up my brother, and head to dinner. We order a large caesar salad, an arugula and sausage pizza, and a mushroom and pepperoni pizza. This spot does $10 two topping pizzas on Monday and it slaps. I treat my boyfriend and brother to dinner ($48.01 with tip).
20:00: Home and boyfriend walks my pup with me. Brother makes us both tea and we have a nice cup of tea and chat until boyfriend heads home. I put together my breakfast and lunch tomorrow and then lay down to chill and have some quiet time.
22:30: Bed time! First day of critical care didactic is tomorrow and I am feeling mostly excited.
TOTAL: $59.82
TUESDAY - DAY 7
6:22: My alarm goes off and wakes me from a deep sleep. I finally slept a good 8 hours though!
7:10: I am showered and throw on some black Lululemon Align leggings and a swiftly tech tee. I was gonna wear real pants but screw that haha. I am really dragging this morning.
7:50: Make it to school and lecture starts at 8. Honestly - that lecture could have been given in 45 minutes but we spent the first 2 hours simply going over the schedule and clarifying assignments since everything is such a disorganized hot mess at the beginning of the semester.
10:05: We take a break and call a fellow church congregation member to see if we want to meet today to tour an organization that supports people immigrating. We are debating if we want to allocate church donation funds to them. We agree to meet at the location at 1:30.
12:41: We are done with class and I stayed a bit after to start making my study guide for our first test even though it isn’t for 5 weeks. I realize the time and quickly pack up and go heat up my lunch. Chat with an MSN student who I had met in orientation for my internship a couple weeks ago and he expressed his frustration about how the start of this semester is rough for him too.
2:38: We finish our tour and we are very impressed at the clean and organized operation. We agree to each write our own follow up email to the rest of the group before the end of the day supplying the church donating.
3:30: I make some jasmine tea and have some quiet time when I get home before starting on some dosage calculation problems that are due on Friday.
5:45: I end up spending almost 2.5 hours on homework - dosage calculations, an article summary, and start on a medication sheet. Ouch. I lay down for 20 minutes, take my pup out, and then head out to meet my friend for dinner at Cava.
6:30: I get the lemon chicken bowl and pita chips ($13.69) and we sit and chat for a 1.5 hours. We just saw each other a couple weeks ago, but so much to catch up on.
20:00: We agree to go on a double date in the next couple weeks and I head home. I walk my pup with my mom and brother, pack my gym bag and my food for tomorrow, write my follow up emails from today’s visit to the church committee, and relax in bed.
TOTAL: $13.69
TALLY OF DAILY EXPENSES:

• Food + Drink: $240.36
• Fun / Entertainment: $0
• Home + Health: $0
• Clothes + Beauty: $0
• Transport: $30.67
• Other: $17.98

TOTAL EXPENSES: $279.11
REFLECTION
I spent quite a bit on going out to eat this week with my boyfriend, family, and friends. It was the end of my school break and boyfriend is transitioning to a new job so we were a bit out of whack with spending on food. Usually we eat at home with our families more, but it was nice to go out and enjoy ourselves too. It was a super busy week for me too - which is the norm lately. I have a great community and social life here compared to the West Coast and I do not take that for granted. Trying to make myself more of a priority so I don’t burn out again, which is difficult for me.

Quick rundown of each of these guys from what I've seen so far:

Dereck Lively II

There's a lot to like here. With such a dry market for centers this off season, especially ones who can play any semblance of defence, Lively is a very intriguing prospect. He and AD could form a nigh unstoppable defensive front court, and on his own he could serve well as AD's backup.
He's a legit 7 footer with an absurd 7'7" wingspan, and on top of that he's remarkably mobile for his size. He is a fantastic help/back line defender, with his calling card being his ability to very quickly set up for vertical contests under the rim, but that's far from his only strength. He has a knack for tracking the ball and coming up with blocks, and though he's not a fantastic rebounder, he's both good enough to grab most easy boards as well as holding his own against putbacks when he does give the boards up, making up for that weakness. He also can play at the level of the screen in PnR and even switch down (though not quite onto shifty 1s or 2s), and is a master of guarding pull up 3s, taking pressure off our guards who, aside from Schroder, struggle with screen navigation.
As for offence, it isn't the best but there is some upside. He is a great lob threat due to his length and athleticism, and can punish defences for overplaying drives, opening up opportunities for Reaves and DLo to make use of their strong floateshort midrange game. Aside from rim running, however, he doesn't have much of an offensive game, and I'd liken him to a taller Vanderbilt on that end. He's also not a shooting threat, so his success alongside AD depends on AD's ability to get his jumper back, however there is certainly an argument to be made that the defensive dominance of those 2 would mitigate some of the offensive struggles. He can also allow AD to play the 4, preserving him over the course of the season, and more AD games means more wins plain and simple.
Verdict: If we're taking him, ensure your other acquisitions have a little more offensive focus, especially in terms of collapsing defences and opening up lobs/rim runs.

Jordan Hawkins

You want shooters? Well you've got one here. He's been a consistent sniper and might just be the best pure shooter in the draft, and on top of that he can shoot in many different ways. Malik Beasley's issue is he's only really consistent as a movement shooter, whereas Hawkins has shown the ability to shoot off the dribble both off of screens and on simple pull ups as well as on the catch, both moving and not.
He's also quite athletic, and can run in transition both with the ball and as a trailer for pull up 3s. This would make him an excellent pair with DLo because, when sharing the court, either one of them could bring the ball up in transition while the other finds an open spot up 3. Another perk of his shooting is that he has a very quick setup for his shot, not requiring as much of a window to hit him, opening up more opportunities, made even better by his ability to knock them down over strong contests. Also he has a near infinite motor for running off ball, almost Curry like in his off ball movements at times, which can tire out defenders and confuse entire defences.
On top of that, his slashing, while inconsistent in the halfcourt, is effective in the open court due to his athleticism, meaning he's essentially a 3 level scoring threat in transition. Oh and did I mention we already have the best transition player of all time on our team to pair with all that?
Of course it's not all peaches and cream. He's got pretty serious tunnel vision at times, and is not a natural passer or playmaker. Some work with the coaching staff over training camp could certainly help with that, but he will mostly have to be reserved to a "find him and hope he scores" role, which wouldn't be terrible considering his skillset but it also means if his shot isn't falling he won't be much of an offensive threat. That said, the consistency of his shot means it's not too much of a concern. He also can't create off the dribble very well, but with how much easier it will be to find a creator in free agency than shooting (especially at this level), I doubt this will be too big of an issue. The biggest thing is that he can attack closeouts, and that's the extent of the creation we'd need from him.
As for defence, he is no slouch effort wise but does have screen navigation issues, and god knows we have enough of that already. He has active hands but not terribly accurate ones, fouling a decent bit on attempts to force turnovers, but there's certainly potential there. He's athletic enough to stay with shifty guys, but not quite strong enough to stop the biggest guys from pushing him around. Essentially, he's Malik Beasley with a more versatile shooting arsenal and better defensive effort/awareness. The one thing I will say is that he has the burst to really affect midrange shooters.
Verdict: If we're getting rid of Beasley, he'd be an excellent replacement.

Kobe Bufkin

An interesting alternative to Hawkins in many ways. Rather than making his impact behind the arc, Bufkin's impact is his slashing and PnR creating ability. He has excellent burst and a first step that leaves defenders in the dust, a handle that can weave through reaching arms, and a mouthwatering finishing package.
He's developed enough of a 3 point shot that defenders won't just leave him open, but he's not a guy you should expect to be knocking down long ones all night. Shooting wise, I'd look at him like Schroder in the sense that, if you leave him wide open, he'll make you pay often enough that sagging isn't an option, but a little defence is often enough to throw off his outside shot. The good thing about that is, by forcing defences to at least respect his shot, he can pull out his slashing ability which is his real bread and butter. He has excellent footwork and change of direction, weaving around contact on his way to the paint, and once there he finishes at a fantastic rate, logging rim numbers you only really see from centers. He can finish through 1, 2, or sometimes even 3 guys, and can put it up over the top of the outstretched arms of even the lankiest rim protectors. He also has an array of fakes to carve out space in the rare event his defender can successfully recover. To top it all off, he has a midrange stepback that creates tons of space and converts it at quite a solid clip. He's the prototypical "5 on the shot clock, just toss it to him and let him cook".
In terms of facilitating, he loves finding the roller in PnR situations, and so he'd be a beautiful compliment to AD, especially in LeBronless minutes or when LeBron just needs a rest. He's a very willing passer overall, and has a great feel for where openings emerge when the defence breaks down. Pairing him with Reaves or Rui would be really nice (Reaves due to his consistent open 3, and Rui due to his ability to find scoring pockets against broken defences).
As for his actual 3 point shot, statistically he's nothing noteworthy, but he reminds me a lot of Lonnie Walker IV prior to coming to LA. What I mean is you'll see the numbers and they're not very impressive, but his mechanics are fluid and consistent, no hitch or anything in his shot, and that's the telltale sign of a guy who's just waiting to break out that inner sniper.
Defensively, he has really nice hands and is very good at staying in front of even some of the quickest guards, and when he does get beat he's very good at recovering. He's bouncy as hell and has a habit of blocking jumpshooters like it's nothing. He does get caught on screens a decent bit, especially off ball, but it's the Lakers so what's new. He also hes trouble with bigger guys, and will likely only be able to guard up to smaller 3s in the NBA, butwhen he does end up in a mismatch he fights like hell and often has those Schroder-esque "how tf did that big man not score on him?" plays. Speaking of Schroder, I would absolutely love to see the 2 of them together on defence. Say you run a lineup of Schroder, Bufkin, AD, LeBron, and Rui, that's a disgustingly versatile defence right there.
No complaints with him really, though his lack of a really consistent 3 does restrict the lineups we could run him in just a touch, and there's certainly an argument that the defensive tradeoff with Hawkins is worth the improved shooting. Then again, Bufkin's slashing an often punish defences just as much as a volume shooter and at a more consistent clip, so who knows.
Verdict: Provides an excellent perimeter defensive piece that actually has length, is a perfect drive and kick partner for LeBron, and wouldn't take too many opportunities away form other guys. Also his name's Kobe.

Cason Wallace

If he falls to us I'll cry.
Wallace is a borderline murderous perimeter defender, with many comparing him directly to Jrue Holiday on that end. If I were an offensive player with the ball and I saw Wallace in front of me, forget passing, I'm just calling timeout cause that mf is just gonna pick off my pass the second I throw it. In all seriousness though, he has an elite defensive IQ, seemingly ALWAYS ending up in the exact path of the pass without the passer realizing it, and knows exactly when he can and can't commit to a steal. His hands are unbelievably accurate, think Alex Caruso type pokeaways, and on top of that when he does get the steal he's very good at orchestrating the break, making each steal much more valuable.
He's also sturdy as hell, being able to switch 1-4 and even hold off a 5 momentarily if needed. A guy his size shouldn't have the immovable base he does but somehow guys cannot seem to push him around at all. I honestly won't even bother explaining the rest of his defensive impact, I'll just say that if you need him to do anything other than be a primary rim protector he can do it and do it at an elite level. I genuinely wouldn't be shocked to see him on an all defensive team as a rookie (assuming he gets consistent minutes).
Offensively, he's got upside but it's certainly shakier than his D. He can playmake but isn't what I would call a creative passer, and his outside shot, while solid, is a little inconsistent and only really effective on the catch. He's not a self creator except on right hand drives, and if that's cut off he'll simply defer. His finishing is actually pretty solid, especially in transition, but not when the defence is ready for it. That said, he does enough offensively to keep himself on the floor, and his defensive impact is so substantial that it more than makes up for his offence.
Verdict: I'd give my first born child to see his defence alongside AD and Vando. More seriously though, he'd be a no brainer if he fell to us, which may be unlikely but some mocks do have us nabbing him so we'll see. With him I'd take into account the chances we'd have to trade up for him.

My Choice

I'll start this out by saying you literally can't go wrong with any of these guys. Each of them brings something we've been missing and we can shape our offseason around what gaps they fill and which ones they leave open.
I'd consider Lively to be the least intriguiging in a vacuum due to his very limited offensive game, but with the right roster build he could thrive as a versatile paint protectoshot disturber and rim runner. Our decision on him strongly depends on our ability to find a serviceable big man either in the 2nd round (unlikely) or via trade (dish out a first down the line maybe?).
I'd say Hawkins vs Bufkin is a tossup. It's so close, in fact, that I'd say the deciding factor for me (as much of a cop out as it is) is who our FO actually selects if they both fall. The reason for this is it essentially tells you how confident the team is in Beasley. If they trust Beasley to come out of the slump he was in last season, then Bufkin is more attractive due to his defensive impact, but if we're planning on getting rid of Beasley, or we simply don't trust his shooting as much, then Hawkins can become our go to sniper. Essentially, I trust whoever the FO would pick between them.
Finally, if Cason Wallace falls to us, I don't really care who else is on the board, but I'll run with the assumption we'd have to trade up for him, perhaps giving up our 2nd round pick or more. Then it would of course depend on the asking price.
TL/DR: Lively is a good defensive big with little offence, Hawkins is a sniper with an acceptable all around game and defence, Bufkin is a great all around player with great perimeter defence, and Cason Wallace is an absolute defensive monster with a passable offensive game to keep him out there.
View Poll

Planning on going to OBX in a few weeks and was going to take my truck on the beach in Corolla. I know I need to drop the air pressure but when I come off the beach and get back on the black top is there a good spot to refill your tires or should I plan on bringing an air compressor of some sort?

Long story shortened...Went through a horrible divorce that lasted about 4 years until through court. Joint custody of two children who were just entering university. Two years recovering from divorce while ex wife still leading a hate parade against me, then a year and a half ago she committed suicide out of the blue. Years of stress took its toll on me and I became major depressed and major anxiety disorder. Seriously affected my health and day to day existence. Developed dangerously high blood pressure, on heavy medication and even passed out a few times I never even saw it coming until last fall I realized I had a problem with focus, concentration and sleeplessness. I spoke with my direct supervisor at work, who brought in our Health nurse and between the three of us have me back on track. I have improved greatly. Only ongoing problem is I occasionally get very tired. Only during periods of low activity, and very quiet. Have had an appointment with a sleep clinic that I attended a few weeks ago. I just got the results today. 66 times per hour I stop breathing. Severe Apnea. Am scheduled to begin cpap therapy in a week and a half.
A month ago, A higher supervisor caught wind that I was having trouble staying focused during some meetings. I believe this was old info because for a couple months I had been getting 9 to 10 hours sleep (Bad quality but at least more quantity) and had not noticed any serious issues myself.
I got invited into HR where I was presented with a high(est) level of Discipline where any other instances mean immediate dismissal. I explained that I had been working with my supervisor, our company nurse and my own physician and have made a great deal of progress so far with a positive end in sight, but it will take a little time.
Now this written discipline / plan has been passed back and forth between management, HR, and myself multiple times where they want me to add or remove comments, reword my personal plan to avoid future occurrences. Yesterday they brought it back to me again and asked that I remove any references to medical treatment that I had been receiving.
I apologies for the lengthy explanation but I wanted to give as much info as possible without taking up pages.
I am very concerned that I am being set up. BTW, 17 years service. Perfect record. Many positive notes and no negatives in my personal file.
Thank you for any feedback!

So I just got this beauty like literally two days ago now. And I’ve tried inflating the tires (the adapter it comes with makes it so my hand pump doesn’t read the pressure idk why) I know that’s a fairly common issue with the engine overheating but I’ve noticed after a short time riding idk if I’m crazy but it just feels like it’s slowing down. Is there a way I can see if it’s overheating? Like a notification or somthing or Is it just somthing I have to guess and gauge myself

I tried MapleStory last summer with the Destiny update where we got lv200 burning. I played a Corsair in Reboot and got to lv221 before I quit. My character's temporary CRA gear has expired so it's just sitting naked and I doubt I can kill anything with just a weapon.
My reasons for quitting:
Boss mechanics are difficult to understand as a new player

• CRA bosses are incredibly frustrating to solo. After dying every day for a whole week, I just rage quit and uninstalled the game.
• The clown that's almost impossible to kill when he splits cause he keeps healing.
• The screen wide attacks that are almost impossible to dodge.

Finding a party for bosses is futile at low level

• Everyone is just soloing. I tried looking for a party in the CRA lobby of various channels but never got more than 1 person to join me.
• I even joined a guild but that didn't seem to help. No one wanted to do CRA.

The gear progression seems to be nonexistent

• It seems to be that you use CRA gear once you hit 200 and you don't replace it until 250?
• The games seems to be missing a major portion of the equipment upgrade goals that's fun in most RPGs.

The node system is very convoluted

• I don't understand what is good or how it works at all.
• It seems like I have to make the correct choice right from the beginning or risk losing all my accumulated points.
• Doesn't seem like you can respec your points.

Controller support was awful!

• I could barely get a few buttons to work and they kept resetting and having to be reconfigured.
• Playing on the keyboard hurt my fingers after some time.

Have there been any improvements to the above since last year?
With the lv250 boost, are they providing permanent CRA gear so I can skip those awful bosses that I can't find a party for?
I'm just tired of the game revolving around CRA after lv200. I want to experience the other parts that are past that. I'm interested in trying out the stronger bosses that seem more interesting and just grinding mobs without the need to worry about some kind of timer before I lose my temporary gear.

Dodge Ram TRX 22-23 [PAID] V4.0 - BeamNG.drive (modland.net)

As the title says, whenever I am in an unfavorable match up and this happens, I end up with zero farm. It often feels like being in lane is quite literally pointles.
What I usually do is roam to place some deep wards, maybe harass the jungler or mid laner a bit (rarely does this ever result in a kill though but hey some pressure) , or if Drag happens to be up I go there. And before I know it I am 40cs at 10 minutes or something and beyond any hope of coming back in the game and my turrets pretty much gone as well.
I sometimes ping my jungler or even type in chat for help, but this rarely results in anything so I gave up on this tactic, it does not work 9 times out of 10. And even if the jungler comes usually he tries to go all in for the kill instead of just help me crash the wave and backing off, resulting in a death and tilt.
I try to steal a camp or two if I can (or even my own junglers krugs if nothings up, fuck it I need some gold I sure as hell aren't getting it from my lane sorry bro.)
​
And a few times I even get tilted and literally int just to clear the wave and crash it because I am tired of doing nothing for minutes on end. But as usual, it rarely pays off to give my laner free 300 gold on top of all the extra farm they have over me.
​
So am I missing something here, is there any counterplay to freezing at all when I can not fight the opponent?

For a variety of reasons, I recently traded in a 2022 BMW M4 for a 2021 Ram 1500 Classic Warlock. 3.6L with 2wd. I wanted a pickup, and this was my only full sized option from a dealership willing to buyout the entirety of my lease plus sales tax, so I couldn’t really shop around for a 4wd Hemi. Regardless, I’m still pretty happy with it so far, it does what I need it to do. Except the acceleration is a bit slower than I’d hoped for. I live in LA and drive through congested traffic all the time, so good braking and good acceleration are pretty important features. Short of adding a supercharger for $6k, does anyone have recommendations for increasing the power for acceleration? My only thoughts so far are to add a K&N cold air intake, MagnaFlow Cat Back dual exhaust, and then have the truck dyno tuned. Appreciate any suggestions.