Good morning honey gif

I used tretinoin in the past and had great results from it about one and a half years ago but since then I think my skin has changed and my skin has been unable to tolerate it. Even when using the sandwich method, spacing it out, using barrier repair serums/hydrating serums, etc. I think it's time to move on from it and cut it out of my routine and use other products to help my skin. Below is my current routine after cutting out tretinoin. What should I add/change? I want to target acne and hyperpigmentation (i'm a poc btw). I have combination skin.
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Also has anyone else run into that issue with tretinoin as well? I've been sticking it out for months now since it did work in the past and everyone raves about it but it just isn't working for me.
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Morning:
-LRP Foaming Cleanser
-Peach Slices Snail Mucin Toner
-Good Molecules Discoloration Correction Serum
-Cetaphil Lotion
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Night:
-LRP Foaming Cleanser
-Cocokind Barrier Repair Serum
-Cetaphil Moisturizer

My mother is as narcissistic as they come, and so are the rest of the family. I rarely talk to them, or even text. So for intents and purposes, I am functionally "no contact" with my family, and I breath a sigh of relief that I don't have to see or talk to them every morning (seriously, I do) - but this is only on account of the fact that I haven't gone no contact - I'm just suffering from some vague medical issues that I am stoically coping with all on my own, to the best of my ability - or that's my back-story, so as not to incite their relentless criticism and control. This way, they can't nasty without looking bad, to themselves and to each other, and can "pity" me, and feel good about that. I just don't need the drama and I've created this imaginary illness so I have an excuse for not talking to them without them taking it personally and then going on the attack. I guess it's super manipulative, to make up this story that makes it impossible for then to criticize me to my face or behind my back without looking like jerks. Someone might wonder what the point of it is, and this is my answer: toxic family relationships can fuck your life up and so many deep level - financially being one of the most concrete, but also emotionally and socially. And my family has done all of this - financial abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, ostracism - you name it, I've had to suck it up over the years. So I don't look at "no contact" as any kind of victory - it kind of feels like giving in and being pushed around by these people. I want to hold my own ground with strength and confidence. I want good boundaries. I want these people to no effect me emotionally. I want to rebuild my social network without depending on them (which I don't) I want to not to be perturbed by these people anymore. Assholes are everywhere, some of us are related to them. If I had to go "no contact" with every one of them I encountered...I'd be living as I do, right now, and I wouldn't describe it as the optimal solution. I just see that I've made a lot of reactive choices (because I needed to) But not that I see exactly what this is, I want to rise above it in an authentic, real way. Does anyone else out there who was raised by these demons and had to suffer the after -effects of it years and years after the fact, feel this way also? I want to live on my own terms, not theirs. I guess that could mean going no contact, but that FEELS like giving them more power than they deserve. I want to be unruffled by the bullshit. Difficult clients don't bother me at work - why do I let these people get under my skin, and how can I get them out? Why can't I just achieve a confident, professional engagement with them, that is safe and respectful? They can go as they want to go, but I will be my own person, and totally disengaged from the the drama.

I (m) have a very strong feeling that a girl is mad at me because I didn’t remind her to give me a gift she said she was bringing me on a specific day. The day she said she would bring it she had dressed with more effort and was so sweet to me in the morning but never brought up the gift (this is a coworker. We have been close at work for quite some time). She isn’t good at communicating her feelings, and I’ve known her a long time now but I am perceptive and have noticed this about her. I’ve made it pretty clear I enjoy her company but she is way more guarded. Anyways, By the grace of god or something, I felt in my guts towards the end of the day that she was going to not give me the gift and possibly act like she forgot (probably just pattern recognition on my part). At the end of the day she wasn’t in her usual spot, and I decided not to text or call her because I had a strong feeling I needed to keep my peace. Her ambiguity causes me suffering because I really really enjoy her company. so I walked to my car and drove home. While driving, I thought to myself “dang, I should’ve just called or texted her… she probably won’t talk to me for a long time”
Lo and behold, she went about 3 weeks without talking to me. I tried to talk to her and she was very short. Someone walked by and interjected that I have PTO the next day, and I could see pain in her eyes despite me literally just taking time off to make music with friends. Kinda weird right? I’m so conflicted. Is this a sign of manipulation? Avoidant personality? I feel like I have a deep understanding of her but I don’t want to be taken advantage of. To me this shows lack of communication. I feel like she wants to be close but whenever the opportunity comes up she sabotages it. I would pursue more but I don’t like getting burned
Something similar happened between us before, and I brought it up to her but she wouldn’t fully take accountability or be open to discussion. I brought it up without pointing fingers… She blushed and quickly found a way to end the conversation, the next day she suddenly began frequently making time to see me during work or on breaks and this lasted a while.
Thanks for your time/advice

Fans of classic soul will know the song.
Oh, Jimmy Mack, when are you coming back?
In another world it would be funny, but for years I asked that very question.
You see, my fiancé’s name is Jimmy Mack. He disappeared without a trace in 2018.
How do you disappear without a trace these days? It just doesn’t seem possible in a modern world, where almost everyone is somehow connected. Yet he did; he vanished. The police were baffled, private investigators were a waste of money, and my own attempts at sleuthing were futile.
If it wasn’t for the fact that we were ridiculously in love and things were so perfect, I wouldn’t have tried so hard. But everything was a vomit inducing fairytale for us. Even our names were cute af; Jimmy & Jessie sittin’ in a tree… I know he loved me as much as I loved him, and he would have done anything for me.
I heard all the theories. ‘Jess… Maybe he has a secret family… He might have been involved with criminals… Perhaps he took his own life…’
They didn’t know Jimmy like I did. I know you can never really know someone fully, but I knew those things could never be true of him. So I became estranged from family and friends, my life consumed with finding Jimmy. Every penny was spent on expensive investigation and cheap booze.
But then came the intervention. My mom, brother, and best friend Lori came to my apartment one evening. Mom took my hands.
“I want my daughter back,” she cried. And as I met the eyes of those closest to me it was like a weight had lifted. I dropped to the floor and cried for hours, releasing years of internal pain. It was exactly what I needed.
It wasn’t that I never thought of Jimmy again, but I began to move on. I even went on a couple of dates, and attended therapy sessions. There’s a whole psychology behind mourning an unexplained loss. I found it all very helpful.
Then I received a handwritten letter:
Dear Jessie,
You don’t know me but I have information about the disappearance of your fiancé James Mack in March 2018.
If you are interested in finding out more, meet me at Marcy’s Diner off [redacted]. I will be there between the hours of 20:00 and 22:00 every evening from Monday 13th - Friday 17th.
Come alone and sit in a window booth. I will make myself known as soon as I feel it’s safe to do so.
I repeat; come alone. If there’s any indication you have alerted the authorities, or discussed this with friends/family, the offer is void.
This offer is time sensitive. If you don’t visit the diner between those dates and times I will assume you are not interested. This will never be offered to you again in future.
Regards,
Anon
My hands trembled as months of progress began to unravel. I poured a shot of vodka and downed it, followed by one more to take the edge off. I was so close to calling Lori, her number ready to speed dial. I needed someone to talk sense into me, to tell me it was a hoax.
‘Don’t go through with it Jessie, it’s just some sicko taking advantage of your grief. Let’s go for cocktails!’
But I put my phone down and read the letter again. And again. I read it over and over, looking for something I might have missed despite the contents being clear.
◈
Monday came around. I pulled into the Marcy’s Diner car park just after 20:00, observing the patrons from the safety of my car. It looked pretty empty. Some tourists, a few trucker types. It was a convenient rest spot due to its location off the highway. No one screamed I have information about your beloved Jimmy Mack, like there was a physical description for that type of person.
I hung around for an hour or so before I chickened out and drove home. Rinse and repeat Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. On Thursday I didn’t even think about it. I parked up just before 20:00 and stepped out of my car, hesitating for the slightest moment before entering the chrome and candy stripe diner.
A few people observed me briefly before going back to their hot mugs and oversized burgers. As instructed I found a vacant window booth. They were all vacant. I chose the one furthest from the entrance. As I sat down I thought why the fuck did you think that was a good idea? My anxiety stopped me from switching seats regardless.
“Evening darlin’,” said a blond 40-something waitress wearing a blue gingham dress. She held a pot of coffee as she smiled down at me. “What can I get for you?”
“Oh, erm,” I was going to say nothing but realized that would be weird. “Coffee is good, thank you.”
She turned over a white mug that was on the table amongst novelty condiment bottles and laminated menus.
“Can I get you a slice of pie darlin’?” she said as she poured the coffee. “Cherry or chocolate-pecan.”
My stomach was in knots but I didn’t want to appear rude, so I opted for a slice of cherry pie. It arrived barely a minute later and I thanked her, then proceeded to tap my fingers on the table as I discreetly looked around the diner.
After an hour had passed I was three mugs of coffee down and had finished the pie, which was delicious. For a moment I’d forgotten my purpose for being there, beginning to relax a little. Then the door opened and a man walked in, giving me a quick glance as he headed to the counter. He wore a camo parka and what I’d call worker jeans, with a black baseball cap. He turned around after being handed a mug and I averted my eyes, looking out of the window. I could see his reflection getting closer to my table. When he stopped in my peripheral vision I turned, and he slipped into the seat opposite me.
“Jessie,” he said with a nod. “Pleased to see you inside the diner this evening.”
He had chiselled features and a little stubble. I put him in his early 40s. I cleared my throat.
“And what do I call you?”
He smiled. “You can call me Mike if it makes this easier for you.”
I shifted in my seat, trying to get comfortable. I folded my arms, then unfolded them, then put them on the table.
“Relax,” he said.
I let out a quick laugh. “That’s easy for you to say. I have no idea who you are. I don’t even know why I’m here, you gave no proof that you actually know anything about Jimmy.”
“I know everything,” he said deadpan. “And I’ll tell you if you want to hear it.”
I stared into his eyes until I felt mine glaze over, then cleared my throat again. “Let me guess; for a price?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want your money, Jessie.”
“Why now?” I snapped. “Do you know what these past 5 years have been like for me?” I felt tears coming on and he went to reach for my hand, but I recoiled. He pulled his hands away and looked apologetic.
“Unbearable, devastating, frustrating…”
“All the above!” I said as tears started to fall. “I couldn’t function at times. I stopped looking after myself. I abandoned my friends and family. It’s crazy how someone can do that to you.”
“Because you were in love,” he said.
“We were in love. We were the fucking Shutterstock image of love. And when that ends abruptly without explanation…”
“Everything alright darlin’?” the waitress interrupted, holding out a tissue. She glared at Mike. I took the tissue and nodded.
“Yes, thank you. I’m fine. Sorry, I’ll keep it down.”
“Don’t be sorry darlin’, you just let me know if you need anything, okay?”
“I will, thank you.”
She walked away and I wiped my eyes, feeling a little embarrassed.
“I can only apologize for how you’ve been feeling,” he said. “But I’m here to make it right. You could say I developed a conscience, or moral compass. I don’t know. I’m a changed man.”
I looked at him with confusion. “I don’t understand?”
“It’s easier if I show you,” he said. “But not here. You have to ask yourself if you trust me enough to go for a drive.”
“In your car?” I said. “Absolutely not!”
“Okay, how about if you drive?”
“To the middle of nowhere I bet?”
“Look Jessie,” he said, his eyes burning into me. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m really trying here, but if you’d rather leave it I get it.”
Call me stupid or naive, but something in his eyes made him appear somewhat genuine. I took a crazy chance.
“No… I need to know what happened to him.”
Mike nodded then raised a hand. “Say, could I get a slice of pie to go?”
◈
As predicted we were driving further into the wilderness than I would have preferred. The passing cars were few and far between.
“How much further?” I asked. “I might need to stop for gas.”
“Not too far now,” said Mike. “If you don’t mind sharing, do you remember the last moments you spent with James?”
I sighed. “I do, but I can’t remember the last time anyone called him James outside of the media. He hated it. He’d been Jimmy since elementary school.”
“Sorry,” he said. “Tell me about that last day you spent with Jimmy.”
“It was an ordinary day. A Wednesday. We woke up, had breakfast. I went to work, Jimmy worked from home. He called me on my lunch break like usual, just to hear your voice he always said. God, we were insufferable.” I let out a laugh.
“Take the next left,” said Mike. “I’m listening.”
“So yeah. We had a little chat, then I went back to work. I got home and Jimmy had already started dinner. He was a much better cook than me. We drank wine, watched a movie.”
“What movie did you watch?”
“The Notebook,” I laughed. “For the umpteenth time. I know, I hate us too.”
“Keep driving straight,” said Mike. “It’s a few minutes away.”
“What is?” I asked.
“What happened after the movie?” he said.
“Nothing, we went to bed.”
“Did you make love?”
I briefly turned to him in disapproval. “Excuse me?”
“Did you fuck?” he said, unflinching.
I shook my head. “No, sorry to disappoint you. Now where the hell are you taking me?”
“It’s just up here,” he said. “So you went to bed and then you never saw him again?”
I took a deep breath and shook my head. “Jimmy had already gone when I woke up. No note, no text. It was strange but I didn’t think too much of it at the time. I sent him a text asking where he was. When half the day went by with no response I started to worry.”
“And the rest is history, as they say.”
I nodded as I fought back tears.
“We’re here,” said Mike.
I looked around. It was dark from what the headlights illuminated, I couldn't see anything but trees. “What’s here?”
“Just stop the car. It’s a short walk.”
I felt my heart race as my vulnerable situation became apparent. I really was in the middle of nowhere with a strange man, one who had withheld information about my missing fiancé for 5 years. I stared at him wide eyed.
He shrugged. “I’m not really sure what I can say to make you more comfortable?”
I slowly reached for my bag and pulled out a pocket pistol. Mike let out a surprised laugh.
“Maybe I don’t need to say anything?” he said.
“This makes me more comfortable,” I said.
He nodded. “Fair enough. Let’s go.”
◈
After walking for several minutes, feeling grateful that I’d opted for comfortable footwear that evening, we came to a cabin within the trees. The porch was lit.
‘Jessie; you know better than this girl’ I thought to myself, my hand clutching the pistol inside my bag.
“Why did it have to be a cabin in the woods?” I said, Mike a few feet in front of me.
“I like solitude,” he said. “I couldn’t think of anything worse than living in the city.”
We walked up the steps to the porch area. At one end there was a single chair with a blanket on it, and a small table with some beer bottles. At the other end I spotted some deep red patches on the floorboards. Mike noticed me looking.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “It’s deer blood. I’m pretty self sufficient out here.”
We entered the cabin and Mike turned on the lights. It was quite basic, not overly decorated. There were some framed pictures on the walls, a dinner table, and a living area with some chairs, a small television and a log burner.
“I’m kind of disappointed there’s no stag’s head mounted on the wall,” I said as I took in my surroundings.
Mike shrugged. “I don’t see the animals as a prize. It’s food, survival. There are a few skulls out back if you want to check them out?”
I shook my head. “I’m good.”
Mike put the slice of pie he’d got from Marcy’s on the kitchen counter.
“Water, beer?” He opened the fridge and pulled out a beer bottle.
“This isn’t a social visit,” I said. “And call me paranoid but that would make me very stupid."
He nodded. “You’re right, I hope you don’t mind if I have one though.” He screwed off the cap and took a swig. “Let’s sit.” He motioned to the living area and I followed him.
“You know it’s dangerous to leave your fire burning when you’re not home,” I said, feeling the warmth from the log burner as I took a seat on an armchair. I kept my bag by my side and my hand on the pistol.
“It gets cold in here,” he said, sitting on another chair. “I’ll take my chances.”
He spoke about his cabin for a while, the whole time I became increasingly more uncomfortable due to the fact that I’d needed the bathroom since leaving the diner.
“I’d like to get straight to the point,” I said. “But I really need to use the bathroom.”
“Sure,” he said, pointing to a door down a hallway. “Over there.”
The bathroom was clean enough, though I did my business without touching the toilet seat. Something that had become a habit when using strange or public bathrooms. As I washed up I heard a groaning noise that sounded like it came from another room in the cabin. My heart jolted.
“Mike?” I said, creeping out of the bathroom. I had my bag over my shoulder and my shaking hand gripped the pistol. “What was that sound?”
I peeked over to the living area and couldn’t see him. I started to panic.
“Mike?” I said loudly. “This isn’t cool. Where are you?”
I heard that muffled groaning noise again and jumped, turning on the spot. There was another door further down the hall. Against my better judgement I crept closer to it, flinching each time the groan was emitted. It got louder the closer I got to the door.
“Mike?” I said, my whole body trembling.
“Sorry Jessie,” I heard Mike say from behind, and suddenly a cloth covered my mouth. My bag slipped from my shoulder but I still had the gun in my hand which I lifted as I struggled. Mike brought his other arm around me and squeezed tight, pinning my arms to my body. I became lightheaded as I breathed in chemicals.
“Shush,” he said quietly in my ear. “Just let it be.”
As I blacked out I was screaming inside my head. ‘You stupid girl!’
◈
When I came to my vision was momentarily blurred, but as I focused I saw Mike opposite me. We were sitting at the dinner table.
“Welcome back,” he said. I attempted to stand but my right hand was cuffed to the table leg. I pulled on it several times until pain shot through my arm. “That’s solid oak. I mean, you might get free but probably at the expense of your wrist.”
“You bastard!” I screamed. “Let me go. Help! Help me please!”
“Calm down Jessie,” he said. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you there’s no one out here to help you.”
I started to cry as I shook. “Oh God… What are you going to do to me? Are you going to…”
“I told you already, I’m not going to hurt you! Though that wasn’t completely true because I’m sure you have a splitting headache right now?”
He got up and retrieved a small bottle from a cupboard, then filled a glass from the faucet. He placed the glass in front of me as well as two pills from the bottle.
“Paracetamol. You’ll thank me later.”
“I’ll never thank you!” I screamed, then moaned as my head pounded. I reluctantly picked up the pills and swallowed them with water. “Why am I cuffed?”
As he spoke he walked across the cabin. “Because I believe what you’re about to hear would cause you to run. When I’m done you’re more than welcome to leave, you have my word.”
He returned with a MacBook and placed it on the table. It looked alien amongst the cabin interior. My surprised expression must have been clear.
“I’m not a Luddite,” he said. “I have WiFi and Netflix just like you city folks.”
“Great,” I said sarcastically. “But you really need to start talking.”
“I don’t think you’re in any position to give demands,” he said. “But very well. Here’s the first thing you’re not going to like hearing: I’ve been inside your apartment.”
My jaw dropped. “Wha… What?”
He opened the MacBook and tapped on the keyboard, then showed me the screen. There were several images of my apartment interior. I picked up the glass and took a swig of water, wishing it was something stronger. “Why were you in my apartment Mike?”
“Well, here’s the next thing: I’m a serial killer.”
I shifted back on the chair and pulled on the cuffs, starting to hyperventilate. “Oh God oh God oh God…”
“Calm down Jessie,” he said.
“Give me a fucking break,” I shouted. “Jesus Christ!” I clung onto the cuffs with my free hand and pulled hard, groaning. The table only moved ever so slightly but I felt like I’d run a marathon. I sat up and stared at Mike as I breathed heavily. “You killed Jimmy?”
“I target lovers,” he said. “I observe them for months before I take things further. When the time is right I abduct one. Which one I choose is more down to opportunity than anything else. Then I pose a question: Are you prepared to sacrifice yourself for the one you love? Make a choice; you or them.”
I covered my mouth with a trembling hand. “Oh Jimmy… You sacrificed yourself for me.”
Mike tapped on the keys some more. “I install secret cameras in the lovers’ homes when they’re out. Like I said, I observe them for months, and not just outside. I need to get a feel for their relationship before I intervene. It has to be true love or it just doesn’t feel right. And you only get to see the real deal when no one else is looking. Excessive PDAs are often a sign of insecurity, they mean nothing really.”
He turned the screen back to me and a video was playing. “I edited this just for you.”
It showed Jimmy and I sitting at our breakfast bar. In the corner of the screen was Mar 7th 2018, 07:54.
“Wait!” I said, my heart beating out of my chest. I paused the video. “I don’t think I want to see this.”
“You have to, Jessie. I’m sorry. You’re free to leave once it's over.”
I felt my heart through my chest. “Can I at least take you up on that drink?”
He got up and walked to the fridge, taking out a beer.
“Do you have anything stronger?” I asked.
He nodded and reached under the kitchen counter, then returned with a whisky bottle and two tumblers. He poured two measures and pushed one towards me, then sat back down.
“We’re all out of ice unfortunately.”
“Fuck the ice,” I said, downing it in one gulp. I closed my eyes as I felt my chest burn inside, then signalled for Mike to top me up. After a moment I hit play on the screen.
◈
Mar 7th 2018, 07:54
Jimmy and I eat breakfast. He picks up a strawberry and rubs it against my lips.
“Stop it,” I say, giggling as I slap his arm. “I have to leave shortly.”
“Come on Jess,” he says. “Open wide.” He puts the strawberry in my mouth then gently kisses my lips.
“To be continued,” I say, getting off the stool and grabbing my things.
“No fair!” he sulks.
“Have a good day babe,” I say, kissing his cheek.
“I love you, Jess,” he says, momentarily holding me against him.
“I love you more,” I say, pulling away to run to the door. “See you this evening.”
09:11
Jimmy comes out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around him, then goes to the bedroom.
10:36
Jimmy sits at the table on his laptop and takes a few work related calls.
12:05
Jimmy takes another call. “Hey you. Yeah. No, she won’t be back until like 7 at the earliest.”
I took another sip of whisky and briefly met Mike’s eyes as he watched me. I held the glass close to my chest, my knuckles white.
Jimmy continued. “Absolutely, I’d love to see you… Great, see ya soon.”
12:48
The buzzer rings and Jimmy uses the intercom. “It’s open.”
I downed the whisky and pushed the glass towards Mike. He leaned over and poured another measure.
Jimmy opens the door and in comes my best friend Lori. She embraces him.
13:09
They sit on the couch together.
“Shit, I’ve got to call Jess,” says Jimmy. “It’s our thing.”
“Seriously?” says Lori.
“Yep, every lunch break without fail. She’ll get paranoid if I don’t.”
Fucking asshole. It was never something I asked for or insisted on. Whatever makes him feel better.
He makes the call and puts a finger against his lips. In the meantime Lori unzips his fly and feels inside.
“Hey baby, how’s your day going? Ah, that’s awesome! Yeah, it’s been a productive morning. I’m gonna heat up some soup, what are you having?”
He puts his other hand behind Lori’s head and pushes it into his lap. His head slowly tilts back.
“That sounds amazing. Okay, well I just wanted to hear your voice baby. And you, can’t wait to see you later. Love you too. Bye.”
16:32
They come out of the bedroom and Lori puts on her shoes. Jimmy puts his arms around her from behind and nuzzles her neck.
“Do you have to leave already?” he says.
“What if she comes home?” says Lori.
“I promise you she won’t be home for a while. Come on.”
She turns and slaps his chest. “You’re a bad boy, Jimmy Mack.” They kiss.
17:43
They chop vegetables in the kitchen.
“I wish we were cooking for us,” says Jimmy.
“Me too,” says Lori. “We really should tell her soon. It’s gone on long enough.”
Tears stream as I finish my third whisky.
He nods. “I know. I keep trying. I already know how tonight will go. We’ll eat dinner and then she’ll want to watch some shit like The Notebook.”
Lori laughs. “I feel so bad for you.”
“She’s such a hopeless romantic,” he says.
“Hopeless being the operative word,” laughs Lori.
“Me-ow!” he laughs.
Mar 8th 2018, 01:22
The door to our apartment opens and in comes a tall figure dressed in black. They slowly open our bedroom door and creep inside. After a few minutes Jimmy leaves the room in a t-shirt and boxers, his hands up as he’s followed by the figure at gunpoint. They leave the apartment.
◈
I sat in silence staring at the screen.
“I’m sorry for what you’ve been through Jessie,” said Mike. “But as you can see he didn’t deserve your pain and suffering.”
I put the glass on the table and wiped the tears from my face. “Maybe not. But he didn’t deserve to die.”
“Would you say the same if you knew he chose you?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, like I said. I take one of the lovers and give them a choice. I’d never experienced something like this, having only observed genuine love. It threw me. He was a lying piece of shit but I still posed the question.”
Mike found another video and played it.
Jimmy is sitting on a chair in a dark room under a hanging light, his arms tied behind his back. He struggles to free himself.
“James Mack,” says Mike offscreen.
“Who are you?” screams Jimmy. “I’ll fucking kill you when I get free!”
“How much do you love Jessie?”
“What?”
“Would you die for her?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Jimmy shouts.
“Would you die for her?” Mike roars, coming into shot and putting his forehead against Jimmy’s. He holds a gun at his side.
Jimmy recoils. “I… I…”
“It’s you or her James!” Mike cocks the gun and holds it against Jimmy’s head. “Make your decision.”
“Her!” Jimmy cries. “Take Jessie! You’ll be doing me a fucking favor you psycho!”
Mike stopped the video as I covered my mouth. “How does that make you feel Jessie?”
I shook my head. “I’d like to see what your response would be if someone held a gun to your head.”
He nodded. “Fair point. But just so you know, I’ve targeted 5 couples so far and they all chose to sacrifice themselves.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “I hate him for this but he still didn’t deserve to die.”
Mike came over and took a key out of his pocket, then released the cuff around my wrist. I gripped it with my other hand and held it against my chest.
“Oh, he’s not dead Jessie,” said Mike, walking to the kitchen counter. He picked up the box containing the pie.
“What?”
He walked across the room down the hall, then stopped at the door at the end.
“You’re free to go Jessie,” he said. “Or you can come say hi.”
He pushed open the door then disappeared. I got up and frantically looked around the cabin. I saw my bag sitting on a coffee table and rummaged inside. My gun, my keys, my phone were all there. I ran to the main door and breathed in the cool night air, then hesitated. I looked over my shoulder.
You stupid girl I repeated in my head over and over as I approached the door down the hall. There was a staircase leading down into a dimly lit basement. I could hear Mike’s voice and some groans as I slowly began to descend, my body trembling. There was a vile smell that got worse with every step. It made me retch.
When I got to the bottom I saw Mike standing over the figure of a pale man that sat with his back to me. He was wearing rags, and the skin I could see was dirty and covered in sores. His skin was impossibly stretched over visible bones. He was eating noisily as he groaned.
“Is that good James?” asked Mike, and I saw the figure nod enthusiastically. The back of his head revealed long thinning hair with bald patches.
Mike looked over his shoulder and smiled when he met my eye. “Oh my, James. You’ll never guess who’s come to visit?”
The figure looked up inquisitively, then turned his head in my direction.
I could see it in his eyes. His handsome features had been buried under a pale, gaunt complexion. But I could tell it was Jimmy by his eyes. It took him a few seconds to acknowledge who he was looking at but suddenly his eyes widened, the thin skin of his forehead flaking as it wrinkled. He had pie smeared across his mouth. He had some teeth missing and the ones I could see looked jagged and broken.
“Jessie?” he said, in a voice that wasn’t quite the same. It was weathered, like that of a senior citizen with a bad smoking habit.
My lips trembled as I nodded. “It’s me Jimmy.”
He suddenly stood and lunged towards me, his hands outstretched. I flinched but he was held back by shackles around his ankles.
“Jessie!” he groaned. My heart couldn’t take it, feeling like it was going to explode. I fell to my knees as the 5 year mystery was solved in the most horrifying way.
“Isn’t it nice of Jessie to stop by?” said Mike. “Even after the way you treated her.”
Jimmy became restless, pulling on the shackles. He kept groaning like he was in pain.
“How could you do this to him?” I cried. “Even a rabid beast doesn’t deserve this!”
Mike shrugged. “I guess I felt bad for you. I’d never really considered the feelings of anyone else until I saw just how much you loved this man. And when I witnessed his betrayal day after day I just grew to hate him more. I knew a bullet to the brain wasn’t enough for this piece of shit.”
Mike turned to Jimmy and started rubbing his back. “But you know, over the years this piece of shit has grown on me. We’re like family now, aren’t we James?”
“No!” Jimmy screamed, making me fall back. “No no no!”
He buried his face in Mike’s neck, making him scream in pain. Dark blood cascaded down Mike’s shirt. Considering Jimmy was wasted away to nothing, Mike's attempts at freeing himself were useless. He fell to the floor and pushed himself against the wall, holding the gaping wound on his neck.
“James… Don’t…” he managed before Jimmy pounced. It sounded like a wild animal devouring its prey. I covered my ears as I watched in horror, my body refusing to let me look away.
Before long Mike was silent and still, his eyes remained open as he slouched against the wall. Jimmy turned to look at me, at first appearing shy or embarrassed. His face and chest was covered in Mike’s blood. He licked his lips and attempted to wipe it away with the back of his skeletal arm.
Eventually he started to crawl towards me, only stopping when the shackles wouldn’t allow him to get any closer. He groaned, but it wasn’t in anger. His eyes became glassy and he started to cry.
“Jessie,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
My hands trembled as I reached out to him, scared beyond belief but my heart was breaking all over again. I was in two minds, but eventually my hand met his and I felt his bony fingers between mine.
“Oh Jimmy,” I said breathlessly. “I forgive you.”
We held hands for a moment before I stood up. “I’m calling for help.” I made my way to the stairs.
“No!” Jimmy shouted. His eyes pleaded with me. “No Jessie. Please.”
It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but I think most people would have done the same from a place of love.
Jimmy Mack is never coming back.
dd
DB

My name is Yusuf. My life was mediocre and below mediocre most of the time before 16-17 years old. Until 2012-2013. That was my last year if the high school so i was studying for university. i was going for study groups. It's something people pay to let their children go and study with the help if teacher. It's the same thing as school but since you pay money the teacher are better. There was 12 or 13 class and they are arranged by success. I was in the top class with other 11-12 student. I am working in physical science. there was a social science classes too and it's top class and our class is on the same floor. There was this girl showing sooo much attention to me. It was the first time a girl showed me attention. She literally shower me with attention i was over the clouds. Some time later it turns to love. When you spend most of your time with someone you started to love her.it started as a friendship then close friendship then love. She was my first (and last) love. I happened to live my firsts with her. Even sitting in a room together in silence made my heart race like a horse. I even met her parents went to their house. One time my parents weren't at home, she asked her parents if i can stay with her but they didn't allow. We were good until not :( our bond started to get weaker and weaker on her end. She didn't spend her time with me, she act like she don't see me when she walks pass by me. I am i begged her to not leave me, tell me the thing i did wrong i will correct it. I am losing my part every second every minute bit by bit. When she falls in love first time, the boy he loved left her and she was mentally fucked. Her mother took her from school and take her to vacation for 1 month. It took very long time to heal herself. I asked her don't you feel the same thing why are you leaving me? She said no one cared for me when I am down m don't expect me to help you. You are going to deal with it. I am fucked at that moment. I still fucking remember that moment like yesterday. The moment i am fucked. 2-3 months left to my university exam. I feel i am fucked in every pore if my skin. I am heart broken. I am down i am nothing. I wasted my 2 months before exam by playing games with my friends outside lying to my parents i am studying. Going out in the morning and coming back at 9pm at home. i never felt that kind of pain before. I still have the remains of the injury in my hearth. I got in university exam. I choose s university in another city cause i cant see her in the streets if Ankara it would destroy me. I will Neel down and cry so i moved another city. I grew up in a very strict family i have no friends in the street my family didn't allow me to go play outside i have no computer because they think i wouldn't study my lessons. When i moved out of the city they got me a computer cause i am going to be an 'engineer' i played games 24/7 all day all night didn't fi to school for 2 years and lied all those time to my parents. I still have the pain in my heart. I never smoked or drink alcohol before. We got drunk by singing sad song with my friends i dorm. I play games i never go out of my dorm room. We drink and smoke got wasted and cry for our loved ones. I lost my 2 year without doing nothing. Not passing one single lesson on uni. Some point my family decided to move in the city i am in and wanted to take control of me. We fight all the time at home. I graduated eventually in 2020. Yes i am engineer but i have nothing else. No social skills, no plus things, no friends, no life nothing. I was stay at home boy. I got myself a lock for my door and locked myself in for most of the day to not see my parents because whenever we see each other we fight. I sleep wake up thinking about suicide and sleep again. This was the my life circle for 2 years. My luck turned out in December 2021 and got myself a little job. Nothing big but honest work. I was working for a Ukrainian company. Russia declared war to Ukraine and i got fired. I found this job on April i am doing okay in terms of job but not socially or mentally.

I'm now a 19F and I moved to Massachusetts because I felt unsafe in my own house.
In my last AITA post, I was wondering if IWBTA for moving to my boyfriend's house. We broke up, but he still accepted me with open arms. We see each other as siblings now, and I have someone else! :D
Anyway, a couple weeks ago, my Granny called me to let me know she was helping me move out and to pack everything that I deemed important and grab important documents. Which I did + my gaming pc that I worked hard on, and hid them in a place where no one will ever looked to find.
Why was I moving out? My mom never loved me like I thought she did, my dad was lazy and a coward to protect me, and my brothers treat me like dirt. They pressure me to get things done that would usually take a long time, I was yelled and scolded at for trying to be an adult or not doing things right the first try, and I was a scapegoat for everyone else's mistakes.
Early Saturday morning, I woke up to my Granny telling me she's 20 minutes away, so I got up, got on whatever clothes fit me, and waited, I felt like I couldn't breathe, and I never got that nervous before. When I got the go, I got my bags, and they arrived when I got my PC down.
They had to involve police do they knew what was happening. They asked me questions, where I was gonna live, if I had my documents, and I was good to go.
When I was far enough, I sent them a text and hours later, they responded.
They basically said that I was the AH for doing this, that it was disrespectful, they could have helped me, they didn't know why I did this, etc etc. They did say they love me and that I have a safe life.
It's been at least 2 weeks and I'm living a much happier and a safer life. I'm currently no contact with my mom, I was thinking going back in contact with my dad to see if I can repair the relationship, and so safe, the only person who is on my side is my Uncle Greg, who lives with them due to disability.
But I have to know, AITA? I don't regret my decision, I just want opinions from others.

Me and my friend (who I will call Jane) were super close since 2021. We would hang out, tell each other everything, and all kinds of teenage girl stuff. For context, she is very insecure and has gone through all kinds of stuff, including family problems and bullying; But so did I. Even though I am considered more conventionally attractive, I have an eating disorder and other traumas. Still, the fact I am "more attractive" and confident than her always seemed to be bad for her mental health. In around october 2022 we met a boy who I will be calling Hector. The moment I saw him I developed a stupid little crush on him. And to my surprise, Jade did too. And at that moment, I knew that boy would be trouble. I talked about it with Jade and she said that it was ok for me to talk to him, since both of us didn't even know how things would roll, and I honestly took that as true. But after around 2 weeks of talking to that boy without even flirting or meeting personally again, I noticed she seemed sad and insecure because of it. Ok. I stopped talking to him and blocked him. This was november. January 2023, I go to her house so we could do a sleepover, just us two. I was into another boy (fast, I know) and she was still happily talking to Hector. Jade was talking about how much she loved him and every single thing about him, and she mentioned his voice. I agreed and said that yes, his voice was pretty. She asked where I heard it, and I said that I did the first time we met and in voice messages he sent me. And that girly went CRAZY. She simply was destroyed because he sent me a voice message and didn't send her one. She ranted in his DMS without explaining anything and started panicking while I tried to calm her down and make us brownies. I even took her phone and explained him why she was mad, and he didn't answer. I've been obsessed with people before and I understood her, but that seemed like too much. I talked to her about it while she cried for around an hour before we got to sleep. And all my efforts seemed to be thrown in the trash when, in the morning, she told me I should never visit her again and that it was all my fault. I Knew she was insecure, but how could she always make me pay for that? I waited a week so I could think about it and she didn't try to contact me. After contemplating lots of options, I sent her a huge text message explaining I loved her and I was grateful for her but that she wasn't good to me and I wasn't good to her, and she seemed to agree. We decided to keep on being friends but not as close. Now, months later, she snapped at me again. She does not let me come near her and her cousin and best friend told me it's because of that incident. I understand that maybe I should've never talked to the boy, or should've been a better friend and helped her more. AITA for this? (sorry for typos!)

I just got diagnosed with mild-moderate sleep apnea, and need to choose between the two. I ultimately want something that will disrupt my life the least in terms of wearing at night and cleaning and maintenance after.
From what I understand, CPAB is very effective, but you need to plug it in and clean it once a week with distilled water (which you have to buy). I go camping and travel a lot so I'd rather something more portable and less maintenance.
Mandibular device seems good for portability, but most people on here say it's not great it seems? I would also need to wear another device in the morning to straighten my jaw out after the advancement.
In any case, can anyone confirm if I'm understanding these two things right, and does anyone have experience with one versus the other? Honestly pretty upset about having to do something which will seemingly add workload to my day for life, but I'll do what I have to do.

So, I've just been feeling a little type of way for a while and just need to get it off my chest or vent or whatever.
For starters, I love my in-laws, they are great people and I know I can always depend on them if I need to, so this is just a little, "I'm bummed about this situation" post.
My whole pregnancy, my MIL has been pretty great, she was always asking about how I was doing and the baby, buying the baby gifts, saying how excited she was etc. We only had one disagreement but she apologized and we've moved on really well. So fast forward, I give birth, she offers to help all the time, wants to see the baby, have us over for dinner, babysit, etc. Which was great! Then when my baby was 2 months, my MIL decides to fly out to Texas to visit my sister-in-law (her daughter) which is good! My SIL can't come home very often since she's a teacher and it's expensive. So we have dinner the night before and the next day she leaves.
Then all of a sudden, she's been in Texas for 2 months. And in the beginning, she would ask us to facetime with the baby 2-3 times a week and we would. Then she just stopped. I made a group text with my parents and my in-laws just to send baby pictures or updates every now and then, and she would text back that she needed to come home and see her, but other than that there was no other asks to see the baby or facetime with her. Which I get, she's enjoying spending time with her daughter, but it was such a weird switch. Especially since my mom has been coming to my house at least once a week just to see the baby.
So now my baby is 4 months old and she's changed so so much from when she was 2 months. So finally my MIL came back home last night and my husband calls me this morning at work to say his parents want us to come over for dinner tonight. Which I was excited, like yeah! I can't wait to see what his mom thinks when she sees our baby for the first time in 2 months, she's not going to believe how much she's changed! Then an hour later, he calls me back and says they can't do dinner tonight because his mom has bible study so we have to reschedule for tomorrow. And I don't know, it just kinda rubbed me the wrong way. This whole situation just kinda makes me feel like she had her fun in the beginning and now it's just not exciting anymore. And she's always had these bible studies, but it just made it seem like it was more important than seeing her own grandchild. Like the first thing my mom did when they got back from vacation was drive up to spend the day with me and the baby. I hate comparing the two but, this is my MIL first grandbaby, my mom already has three other grandbabies and yet she still acts so excited to see all of them each time.
And on top of that, my MIL was even talking about going straight back to Texas in a few weeks and spending a few more months there. I haven't said anything to my husband about it, although he did say something like " she just doesn't care anymore," jokingly, but I think it kind of hurts him too. It just kind of makes me think that she just doesn't think it's that important...which I know she loves her grandbaby but...I don't know. This just seems so stupid to be bummed over but it just kind of hurts a bit. She was just so excited in the beginning, it's just so weird. And I know that if I told her I needed her to stay here she would, but I also don't want to have to tell her to do something, I want her to decide that she needs to stay because she WANTS to.
All in all, I'm lucky to have the in-laws I do have, I just needed to vent a bit about it.

Item: Gardening trowel of earthly delights Rarity: uncommon Attunement: yes
If you look at it quickly it would seem like a normal gardening trowel with a nice dark wooden handle. However, if you look at it a bit longer, it almost seems to glow in the way fresh spring greens in the morning sun do. On the trowel blade are etched markings in the shape of vines that seem to move on their own accord.
If you use this trowel to plant any seed, the seed will sprout and immediately turn into a fully grown example of it's species. If the seed is planted in a confined space it will try to break out of the confinement as good as it can.
The trowel has 4 charges, of which it regains 1d4 every next morning the moment the sun rises. If you use the last charge you roll a d20, on a one the magic leaves the trowel.

I'm getting a new aquarium after a long time out. Im getting an 60x30x30 tank about 54l/14 gallon, I've been researching the best fish to get for a small tank. I've settled on about 6 panda corydoras, 6 neon tetra, some ghost schrimp and a centerpiece fish. I wanted to get a couple of honey gourami but I've had so much conflicting advice. So... does anyone know if honey gourami are suitable, if not I'm open to suggestions for a.good centerpiece fish for a small tank.

I recently upgraded to the Elite 7 Pro, the following error started happening yesterday, I was driving with GPS on and one earbud in, I could hear my GPS perfectly fine (at a good volume), when I recieved a call that I answered, about 10 minutes later (after almost missing an exit) I realized that my GPS had stopped giving verbal directions (or had reduced the volume to zero?), the directions where also not coming out of my physical phone speaker, as i only had 1 earbud in i would have noticed. On my old Jabra 75t I had no issues both talking on the phone, and hearing the GPS, and I have done the same with these since I got them. Not sure when it stopped working, but it happened yesterday and then this morning.
I don't believe I have changed any functions recently.

This year will be my second beekeeping season, and I have nucs coming in May, since last year's packages didn't survive this wacky weather winter in Maine. I have two questions. 1) Should I save the frames with honey for my new bees next Fall/spring, or just harvest it? and 2) does anyone have any recs (besides a broken chest freezer) for a brand or size of good airtight boxes that could fit the frames after they've been frozen while they need to be stored? Thanks in advance for being such a supportive community!

TW: heads up, there’s mention of suicide and suicidal ideation
Hi guys 💗 So my friend is a 30 something year old trans woman who has autism (pretty intense in that she has extreme difficulty socializing, can come off a bit self centred, and becomes attached to people WAY too quickly, etc.) and I’m worried about her lately. She is CONSTANTLY fighting transphobic assholes online and doesn’t understand that it’s just a stupid teenager behind the screen, she genuinely believes that it’s good. And she was banned from a social media platform for extremist beliefs. Lately I’ve been a bit worried about her as she’s been expressing that she’s struggling with suicidal ideation lately-mostly thinking that she will always be alone, the state of the world, etc. is rly getting her down. I am trying to help as best as I can but to be honest…it’s getting kinda frustrating? I know that sounds awful but I’ve been struggling with extreme depression for the past 2 years and she really hasn’t reached out and asked how I’m doing. I know it’s kinda selfish of me but I have some trauma surrounding suicide-my dear friend killed herself and I woke up that morning to a bunch of texts and calls that I had missed from her. I still feel so so guilty. I am very worried about my friend now and I’m trying to be there for her as much as I can. I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I’m worried I’ll miss a call. I honestly don’t think she’s genuinely suicidal, mostly intensely depressed. I’m trying real hard to help but at this point she does not want to help herself. Im a bit at a loss but so scared still. Sorry for this long ass post. You guys have been so lovely before. Any advice would be so appreciated. Thank you angel bbs and much love! 💗

After seeing the Coeliac post I thought I should post this as a cautionary tale.
First off I’ll add the obligatory ‘this didn’t today’, this actually happened in mid 2020 in the height of COVID.
So to start with I need to say that I have coeliac disease which means my body starts attacking itself if I eat gluten. Typically if I eat gluten I have a reaction similar to food poisoning and within 30-60 mins of eating everything goes through me and then I feel like I’ve been beaten up for the next 24 hours.
Another side effect of being coeliac is that we are forced to eat below par food constantly. One thing I had been missing was crumpets and so my wife decided to be a darling and she made home made crumpets. After we had eaten them she realised that she used the wrong soy milk and it actually contained gluten. Typically I react from just a few crumbs so I braced for impact.
After a few hours nothing had happened (pleasantly surprised) so I went to bed as normal.
At around 2am I woke in excruciating pain. I tried unsuccessfully to go to the toilet and then basically spent the rest of the night curled up in a ball of pain. This wasn’t my normal reaction to gluten but I assumed that had to be the cause as I knew I had some.
By the morning there was no improvement. I had a physio appointment booked in for a my sore back and was meant to be leaving for a holiday at lunch time so I started to proceed with my day as normal despite the pain. This resulted in a very very painful physio appointment where I lay on my stomach as my back was massaged before I lay on the floor again in pain.
After a few hours I gave in and delayed the holiday and headed to the doctors. I explained the gluten situation and the pain and the doctor sent me urgently to the hospital with a note and said it could be my appendix.
Once I got to the hospital I started to tell them the same story. By this point my wife was getting annoyed that I kept suggesting it was gluten (and that she had given it to me). But because I was used to gut pain I must have seemed reasonably chill (despite being at level 10 pain) and as a male in my early thirties I was naturally bumped down the list over and over at the hospital. So it was a good 8 hours before I had a scan and then another 16 hours or so before anything was really don’t to fix me. By this point I was hallucinating and vomiting bile uncontrollably.
Long story slightly shorter, my appendix had burst and turned necrotic and I had free fluid throughout my abdomen. This lead to 8 very painful days in hospital (my body was so wrecked that I couldn’t actually feel the incision sites over the rest of the pain) where I walked around with a tube coming out of my stomach draining fluids into a clear bottle.
Once I was finally out of hospital (they actually tried to send me home incorrectly days early without antibiotics which would probably have killed me, but that’s another story but make sure if something doesn’t feel right to ask the question like I did) I had several months of recovery to be able to live normally again. Before I went in I was a very fit competitive runner and it took me over a month before I could walk around the block afterwards.
Moral of the story. If you have a chronic illness don’t just assume that your pain is that.
TL;DR: I have coeliac disease and thought I was sick because I ate gluten when in reality my appendix had burst which resulted in over 24 hours of extreme pain and months of recovery.

First of all, I want to thank u/No-Map6818 for inviting me to this group! And it’s so cool to see some familiar “faces” from DO50 here! 😺
I’m one of these people who dates very rarely. At most I’ll have 1 or 2 dates every 2 or 3 years.
This past Saturday I had a meet and greet with a guy I connected with on DO50. He was driving home from an event halfway across the country, and my city was on his way back.
For a week up until our meeting we had been texting every day, and it was nice that he also enjoyed long novella texts as much as I did, which is rather rare for me. We shared the same values, and it was reassuring to hear that he was a feminist. Also, he was some 10 years younger than me. (I’ll be 65 in May.) And that was something that I had no problem with, as a lot of men my age are unhealthy and unfit due to decades of neglecting their bodies catching up with them.
But with my having had a 30-year marriage to a narcissist, and then having attracted predatory types when I was still new to OLD, the Fearful Avoidant mechanisms kicked in when he mentioned that he would like to take me to lunch when he passed through my ‘hood. But I pushed through that, knowing that if I want good change — any kind of good change — to come into my life, that persisting in the same routines will not bring it about.
Well, with that came the open invitation for limerence to come strutting through the door. And before I knew it, thanks to the connection I was experiencing through constant texting with this guy, I already had pet for us (in Spanish, no less, as he’s Hispanic) and I also had “our song” picked out. And while I’m not one to feel inclined to kiss on the first date, I was already picturing a hot and heavy make out session.
Yeah, all over the top…
Thus, when the moment of truth finally arrived, all my expectations got blown out of the water. Everything that I was feeling up until that moment of finally meeting him face-to-face deflated and evaporated…
…all because my gut decided to step in and throw its 2 shekels at me.
You see, my intuition has a really weird way of getting my attention. It has my attention focus on some unattractive physical trait that repulses me. For years — decades even — I’ve ignored this unusual warning system because I thought I was being petty and judgmental. It took many years of pain to finally connect the dots and realize this is my gut’s unique way of grabbing my attention and communicating with me.
So, while I was previously swooning over his Instagram photos and feeling on top of the world that this very hot looking guy was interested in me, all that went 💨 POOF 💨 when my eyes zoomed in on the remnants of toothpaste in the corners of his mouth, and my ADHD bit into them and held on to them with pit pull tenacity. (Mind you, the toothpaste was just one of many things that my gut was using to grab my attention.)
To his credit, the guy was very well mannered, and he was mindful and respectful of safety. He was a very decent guy who was highly intelligent, funny, and diverse.
But something was off. It was as though the energies were off and that we weren’t a vibrational match. My gut doesn’t go into such details. It just tells me if something/someone could be harmful to me and doesn’t differentiate between deliberate/consciously planned harm (such as the potential carjacking I avoided this morning) or someone unintentionally and unconsciously sucking away my energy due to whatever unresolved issues they may have.
And in this case, I think my gut yanked my hair and poked me in the side because the dude was still freshly divorced (only 7 months), had a messy divorce of the narcissistic flavor, and still carried around some weighty family baggage. Basically, he hasn’t been very long into his healing journey to recognize that there is much more healing that needs to get done before he puts himself out in the dating arena.
He really was a sweet guy — one of the nice ones. But dang it! I was getting fatigued.
When we parted, we gave each other a few hugs, and said, “Let’s keep in touch.” He lives 160 miles away, and I figured that we would get together the next time he was passing through, as a major freeway goes through my city.
(BTW, I’m very transparent about my limited availability due to my schedule, and my need for frequent cocooning.)
What I was not expecting was to receive manic texts where he was trying to get me pinned down for another date right away. It felt so suffocating. As such, I needed to lay down some boundaries. But because he was an awfully nice, respectful, and well mannered guy I figured he deserved something more than just, “Cool your jets, dude, and stop suffocating me.” (Had he been an anus, it would have been an automatic block and delete with no explanation.)
So, the text was carefully crafted with much kindness and consideration. He replied, rather disappointedly, that he was hoping that I would be more open to something other than just friendship, because he felt that I was very special.
OMFG!
We only had one “date” that was just under 4 hours, and he decided that he already wanted a relationship? What about a couple of “just to make sure” dates before deciding that? (Guess limerence bit him in the ass and didn’t let go.)
And seriously, if I were indeed that special, as he claimed, then why, oh why did he never ask about my name, let alone how to pronounce it? (My name is very exotic, and is always getting butchered.) How could he miss something as basic as a name?
In conclusion, even though I’m a Fearful Avoidant who was anxious AF, I decided to address my mental baggage and go into this date as something that could be either a game changer or a valuable learning experience, and that no matter how it goes, it’ll be a win for me either way.
Well, it certainly was one helluva learning experience on so many different levels that I’m still unpacking it days after the event.
In some ways I’m disappointed that things didn’t go the way I had hoped. After all, it’s fun to contemplate how a game changer would play out in my life. But on the other hand, I’m awfully grateful for the lessons that I’ve learned and that are still unfolding.
And a big fat THANKS to u/No-Map6818 for her compassionate wisdom and brilliant feedback in helping me process this dating adventure! 💜

We now have an official launch date for the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 remasters of Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA 5). Rockstar announced this morning in a blog that the remaster will arrive on November 11th, which is nearly six months away. While GTA 5 runs and still looks good on the newest consoles (if you can get one), there’s still plenty of room for improvement to take advantage of the hardware capabilities of these Ryzen 3000/RDNA 2-fueled gaming beasts. To that end, Take-Two boss Stauss Zelnick explained in early March that making a simple port just isn’t in Rockstar’s DNA when it comes to games.
“We’ve done [remastering] differently than the competition – we don’t just port titles over, we actually take the time to do the very best job we can making the title different for the new release, for the new technology that we’re launching it on,” said Zelnick at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference. “So, we improve the technology, we upgrade the visuals, and we make performance enhancements.
Play “I’m confident that Rockstar is going to deliver just a great experience, but you can’t do that if you’re just doing a simple port.”
Rockstar says that in addition to the visual enhancements, the GTA 5 remaster will also have “new features and more” that Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 gamers can enjoy. “Plus, in honor of the upcoming 20th anniversary of the genre-defining Grand Theft Auto III, we’ll have even more fun surprises to share — including some specifically for GTA Online players,” Rockstar added.
GTA 5 has enjoyed a relatively long period of success and user engagement in the world of video games. The game initially launched in 2013 at the tail end of the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 generation and flourished with the release of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 families.
While the GTA 5 single-player campaign was praised for its gameplay, strong characters, and deeply engaging story, the game has really thrived thanks to its online components: GTA Online. GTA Online has become a cash cow for Take-Two, and Rockstar has understandably introduced continual updates to keep it fresh.

Hi everyone! I just completed my first egg freezing cycle. For reference, I'm 33. At my consultation in February I had 23 follicles and AMH 2.82. I've been on birth control for many years and stopped the pill three days before the cycle started. I mentioned that I had read that being on BC for that long can suppress you, but my RE said since my FSH was normal (just under 9) that I wasn't suppressed. A month later when I started, baseline monitoring showed 13 follicles. My follicles seemed to grow fairly unevenly - when I triggered, I had 2 follicles 11-13 range, 6 follicles 14-19 range, and 4 follicles over 20, which I think were expected to be overmature. My E2 the morning after the first trigger shot (Lupron) was 1670, which seemed pretty low to me, and I was expecting a low count result. I somehow got 15 retrieved, 12 mature, which I was happily surprised by. However, during this time I was reading a lot about estrogen priming, and thought it would be a good idea for the next cycle to get a higher count (since I'm freezing, I of course want as many as possible).
I had a call with my RE yesterday and she essentially said estrogen priming is not something she really does and doesn't think it makes a difference, but if I want to do it we can. I have some DOTTI patches already (which deliver .1mg/day), so I asked her if those would be appropriate, and she said I could use any kind of estrogen. When I followed up with the nurse, she said they don't usually use patches and I would do 2mg of Estrace twice a day (I assume this is based on other REs that she works with, since mine doesn't "do" priming.) 2 mg of Estrace twice per day and the DOTTI .1 mg/day seem like a huge variance. Since my RE's general attitude is that she's happy to do what I want but doesn't really have a further opinion, now I'm a bit confused and feel like I need to do my own research before going back to the nurse/RE. Any thoughts/experience with estrogen priming protocols would be appreciated!
Thanks!

Today was a rollercoaster. I forgot to pack my lunch so I was upset about that. Then my teacher had Sheetz that my mom got me, so I ate with my teacher (I wasn’t in trouble). Then the rest of the day went surprisingly smoothly. So yeah rough morning, good afternoon.

I found two really good gifs on GIPHY that would help with my opening scene but I'm not 100% sure if I'd be allowed to use them. Does anyone know for certain? Or if there's a place I can find gifs to use? I can kind of visualize what I want to do but don't really know how else to make moving pictures.