I am not a native english speaker, apologies in advance! I am sorry i believe this communtiy is great!! always brings a smile on my face. This is an impulsive post haha i will probably delete it later. i typed this in one go, a bit impulsive and i am sorry if I come off wrong.
It is a really long text so I am already grateful for just posting it here. It is almost impossible to go through this illeterate english bible chapter haha so i understand.
Thanks again this forum is great! You guys are my inspiration; being proud of who you are, and seeing ADHD as something to embrace.
Well, The relationship lasted six years from ages 19 24. Despite his flaws, my partner was kind, patient, and loving when he didn't have anger issues.It was my first relationship, and I had never been in love or had sex before.
I always knew deep down that his actions were not okay, but he would confuse me with moments of kindness.
Now, in a moment of clarity, I realize how easily he made me feel like I was wrong and how it affected my self-esteem.I feel weak, embarrassed, and insecure after years of being with him. At the same time, I am really grateful for all the happy moments, and there is a part of me that feels like i am wrong for saying these things, as it is not "truly" him. I feel so weak, i tried therapy, but even my cogntive behavioral therapist literal words were "you have no identity" during hard topics you switch the subject, ask for validation. I spoke later with a counselor from school, who told me it is unproffesional and therapy can take a long time, so I should not be disencouraged.
The relationship had a negative impact on my mental health at the same time i never felt so happy in those good moments, so loved , and I now question if he played a role in my increased sadness and depression.He made me feel like I was on top of the world while kicking me down, and I feel like a failure.
However, I blocked out many negative moments because of the positive ones and realizing now so much more, such as these examples:
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• He sometimes displayed anger issues, including pushing me against a wall, mimicking me when I cried, breaking objects, and verbally abusing me.
• He often blamed me for his anger that "I made him do that" or "if you werent like this/or forgot that than I woudlnt have.." .for even small things like leaving cabinets open or misplacing items, calling me "a child" "dumb" "dramatic" , or to expressing my feelings, as he called it "complantingand i was pretending to be sad/ ADHD is a choice. I am aware it is not an excuse! It is an explenetation. i am just hurt that he would call me lazy, dumb, unwilling, careless, a child, stupid that i decide to feel like i do. he waited for me after i got diagnosed that day.. he held my hand, we sat at the table watching my results with my mom, holding my hand.
• There were instances where he embarrassed me in front of others, from screaming in public or when I was having a night with my girlfriedns at home, when he visited his family abroad, we had bottle of wine food, just moved into a new neighbourhood and our numbers got added to the neighborhood WhatsApp group: he called my up angry, claimed after leaving the house for one week, i am already busy with boys... i did not understand; he knew some people in the group, we had dinner with one neighbour before, I cried and felt embarrased in front of my friends, especially since i had not seen them for months and we had such a great time; these things happened more often when I would go out.
• or while shopping with my mom (he said he wanted to come) there was an irritation and he walked away in front of us
• He sometimes made hurtful comments and engaged in aggressive behavior, including suggesting I deserve to be fucked by other men, telling me I would regret everything, and speeding up the car during arguments. that he regrets ever talking to me, i am not worth it, i am never there for him, he will never talk to me again. At the same time he told me to believe in myself, supported me with my studies (while also telling me to drop out). He is verbally really strong and I am just confused. I was just happy when things were good, cause I loved him and wanted to hold on to that; without the anger i could have not wished for more.
• He broke up with me many times, told me afterwards he just said it out of anger did not mean anythinh.
• Last argument when my mom and sister went on a holiday (i have a thesis to write right now) he told me: no one wants you, even your family doesnt want you on a holiday with you. We facetimed a lot during that trip, they even bought gifts for my boyfriend and I. I just think right now it is so cruel that he said that.... cause it made me feel acutally at one point that it is true. actually somehow i still do that their life would be better without me in it.
• He would often leave me alone during arguments, even when we were abroad visiting his home country, leaving me feeling scared and isolated.
• screaming at me in public
• left me many time abroad alone; throwing a bike at me and telling me to get the fuck out, i was alone, no idea where to go, used google maps to find the nearest beach and bawled my eyes out at the shore. one time he even left me when my battery was low, so i had to wait for him to come back and i felt so weak.
• The last incident involved him leaving me alone in a restaurant while intoxicated, causing a scene, , i had to sit down and expressed that i wasnt feeling good, he screamed at me to stand the fuck up, and left me for a while. two women asked to help me and stayed next to me. He walked towards me and said in his native language to them that i am just crazy. I followed him home, he was marching in front of me saying it was over; i told him after all those years, how can we treat each other like that? He pushed me away and told me to go, and at home pack my bags. In panic, crying , searching a flight i stood at the door; he cried and asked to come back.
• There were still TWO DAYS to go; i stayed, even went to a museum with him, bought a book as a gift. my heart was broken; he said that he wanted to respect me as when he felt that we hugged i needed time, I was just relieved somehow that it was over; it wasnt. When i didnt want to have sex that night..we argued again and the broke a chair
• The next morning he walked out of the door and did not say a word when i tried to talk( in the meantime when he left, i walked to the kitchen and talked to his roommate, a girl that offered me her number in case i need help, hit up if she is in my home coutnry, just i thought). i saw it as a nice gesture, girl talk.
• when he came home with the flowers in his hand, and he knew that i talked to his roommate, he gave me the flowers angry; he asked me to not engage with "these people" but i told him it is nothing. Later i was unappreciated cause i was confused about the flowers and his anger. He told me 'i wanted to give you flowers and have sex' you disrespect me, you do not have to be kind to her, but to me'. i was utterly confused and sad. he screamed, (threw something again everybody heard and i felt embarrased). when i walked into the kitchen again i did not even dare to look at her when he was making sandwiches.
• That day i had to fly home, i brought the flowers, even held his hand in the buss, he made me a sandwhich for on the way which i thought was nice. I was still incredibly sad about everything that happened; but i felt bad for him somehow. I even send him a pic of the flower in the plane, i bought his favorite comic book at the airport so he could read it when he visits me next time. Now i feel so stupid, i dont know how to feel about it.
• I am really embarrased for thine one ... that same day he stepped out of the car in font of the traffic light, (i had no drivers license) he caught me at my collar and grabbed me shaking in the car, i was so scared i scratched his neck and pushed him off me. he walked out of the car, the alarm went off, no idea how to close it, had no keys, i looking for him around at night crying. I hated myself seeing the scratches in his neck, i still feel so bad for this day. I remember every time i saw it i cried, apologized, walked out of the room, i felt so sad for him, when he smiled at me the next moring at the breakfast table, he was calm, holding my hand. we did not talk about it, never
• Now i realize: why did he touch me? Why dont i stand stiill with why I felt unsafe? I know it is no exccuse what i did. but i feel weak for never bringing it up once again. I suffer from heavy eczema since a child, scratching myself at night. These motngs are worse and i somehow think i deserve it cause of what i did to him

He had many good qualities and gestures, such as driving long distances to see me, planning romantic outings, being great with children and animals, and cooking for me every single day cause he liked to do so, plannign surprise birthdays for my mom, driving my mom to the hospital, he could be very positive overall and joyful; people, everyone around me loved him and would say; it is easy to love him
Now listening back to the voice messages i send, i notice once i brought up the fact that the arguments were not okay, he told me he doesnt deserve that, i should find somebody else, that i cannot reapeat this a thousand times it is not true.
I supported him throughout the years, i told him that he doesnt deserve to feel this way in his anger cause he is amazing and I am sorry for him and with help we can overcome this. He ironically joked"youre gonna pay for my sessions"?. He spends 400 euros in the month on weed (i am cool with smoking, i do it too sometimes), but then i am a bit sad that he does not want to (as he has the money) and never saw the point.
At the same time, he told me during the break up that i can call him, i should date other people (after one week), and he was serious since he wanted to build a future with me, house, baby and all. He even gave me a diamond ring, which could be symboliic seen he said as a step he said.
I dont think he has any idea......
I am angry at myself for tolerating this behavior and not recognizing the signs earlier.
I always felt guilty for small mistakes and felt like something was wrong with me.
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I have a study delay and an unfinished thesis. he graudated before me and found a job in the meantime, drove every weekend two hours to see me. he wanted to move abroad with me.
i was not feeling so great in my skin, and i expressed that i wanted to be more strong, independent, before moving together abroad; i always ignored that deep down I was afraid of not having enough backbone in arguments, and i was afraid abroad in case if i would be alone, plus somehow i still feel like i am not good enough. I am still not graduated (thesis in two weeks to deliver help and i am typing this impulsive text).
​
Despite his claims of putting more effort into the relationship I realize that I never felt safe enough and always wanted to proof myself. Hoenstly I still want to, for my fam, for him, myself. I just want to be worth.
I apologized repeatedly in voice messages, reminiscing about the good times and questioning what I could have done differently.
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Anyways i dont want to self pitty myself, i am grateful to have a roof on top of my head, a family that loves me, food on the table, i am healthy, there are so many blessings.
I am sorry if i come off like i am not grateful. i am sorry if i come off unconsiderable.
I just dont know what to do, what to feel, what to think.
​
It feels like i am standing still for so long... It is my fault cause i allowed all these things.
​
I havent seen my friends for more than a year. One week ago a friend came for dinner , this already makes me happy that it is a step in the right direction !
I really dont like who i am. why cant i be more strong?
honestly it feels that i am doing something wrong, speaking so badly about him. I feel guilty and embarassed of myself. He was really kind and loving. I wonder if I would have been more strong, maybe he wouldnt disrespect me like that. Maybe I allowed him too, and I did. So it is my fault.
Still doesnt make it alright.
I hope one day to love myself. Especially before a raise a daughter of my own, Maybe if I ever did, this wouldnt have happened. I am so sad

Jesi had never been in a hotel before certainly not one as fine as the one Mr Ericson took her and Damion too. They had a suite all to themselves it had two bedrooms connected to a living room, and kitchen. The hotel room was larger then the apparent she used to share with her mama all those years ago. Damion shared a room with Mr. Ericson but for the first time in her life Jesi had a room all to herself. She thought it would feel secure, but she still slept with a knife under her pillow. Still the bed was so soft she felt like it was going to swallow her alive every night. Her nights were one thing but the days were another thing entirely, they were a whirlwind activity. First there was the image coach, a person that Mr. Ericson hired to find a way to make sure Damion and Jesi, both looked nicer then street kids but were still comfortable. Then there was the mountain of paper work and explanations of how her life would change once she signed the papers. Mr. Ecrison said that the press had heard there was an heir to the O’Connal empire but they didn’t have her name or face yet. He was hoping that meant they would have a quite arrival when their plane landed in upstate New York.
He realized he was wrong the moment they entered the airport. Mr. Ericson was shocked to see the number of reporters swarming the gate. He cursed under his breath he’d been so careful he’d even gone out of his way to ask O’Connal’s business partner Constance Karington if they could borrow her family’s private jet to fly the girl in under the radar. With a sigh he squared his shoulders and looked at the two young adults behind him. “You both need to stay quite they will snap photos, shout questions, and shove whatever kind of recording devices they have practically down your throats for a sound bite. Do not give them one.” Mr. Ericson commanded as he lead them toward the crowd. Airport security was already attempting to hold the crowd back. The instant the crowd caught sight of Jesi flashes began to blind them all while the questions started flying
“Miss Jahari is it true you never knew your father?”
“Miss Jahari are you going to sell the company?”
“Miss, Jahari how does it feel to be Cinderella?”
Jesi was proud of herself for not pulling her knife on any of the reporters at the airport. She didn’t like people in general and she certainly wasn’t used to crowds surrounding and recording her. Mr Ericson parted the crowd as best he could and then shoved both Jesi and Damion into a waiting black sedan, with a driver. A short ride later and the small black sedan pulled up to a set of iron gates in the center of a brick wall that surrounded a mansion as big as a castle. The street in front of the wall however was filled bumper to bumper with cars parked on the curb. As the black sedan they were in pulled up to the gates people mobbed the car banging on the windows shouting questions making it hard for the car to move. Mr. Ericson pushed a button on his phone and the gates swung inward admitting the car the driver moved forward slowly through the throng as the gates swung shut behind them. The car pulled up to the front of the house and an older matronly type woman, came rushing out, as Mr. Ericson opened Jesi’s door.
“Ah, let me look at you!” the woman cried out in a thick Irish accent as she looked at Jesi.
“Jesminda Jahari this is your father’s maid and cook Mrs. Mable Mcguil, she has served your father’s family since before I can remember.”
“Aye, your mother must have been a beauty. Why just look at ya! You did get yer Father’s hair though I see, and his eyes.” Mable said as she reached out to brush a strand of red hair from Jesi’s face
“You knew my father?’ Jesi asked
“Knew him? Why I helped his mother raise ‘im I did. Kindest boy you’d ever want to meet. Ack, but he did he ever have a stubborn streak.” Mable added with a laugh
“Mable, my dear, I know you want to get to know Miss Jahari but that’s better left inside I think as the wolves are snapping pictures at the gate.”
“Ack, of course where are my manners, get in here all of ye.” Mable said as she turned to lead the way into the house. Mr. Ericson handed Damion and Jesi the 2 small carry on bags worth of clothes they’d purchased a few days ago, and motioned the two of them to follow Mable inside while he took his own bag from the trunk.
Jesi stepped wide eyed into the large foyer, the floors were a black and gold marble. The walls were a pristine white, with a stair case on either side curving up to the open second floor but what drew Jesi’s eye was a large painting hanging on the wall between the stair cases. A small family of three with a rather severe looking man with blonde hair standing tall a woman beside him with red hair gave anyone who entered a warm welcoming smile. The boy in the front drew jesi in he was around 7 at the time of the painting. Red hair green eyes but the happy smile he gave didn’t quite make it to his eyes. Jesi walked toward the painting staring at the child.
“That’s your father.” Mabel said walking up beside Jesi. “I remember that day clear as a bell yer grandfather insisted on a family portrait sitting. Ah, but yer father little scamp that he was was having none of it. All he wanted was to go out and play in the yard. The artist finally got yer grandfather to agree to take a photo to make the painting off of. As soon as he was free Conner went out and rolled through the grass in that fancy suit you see ‘im wearing. Aye but yer Grandfather was in a snit for days over the grass stains.”
“This house is massive.” Jesi said looking around the foyer.”
“Ah, but we do agree on that. To the left You’ll find the kitchen, dinning room, ballroom, bathroom, den, and living room. Through the right door you’ll find the home theater, another bathroom, library, office, gym and indoor pool. Upstairs there are nine bedrooms each with their own on suite bathroom, And the master bedroom has exclusive access to it’s own balcony. The third floor contains the greenhouse conservatory and excellent views.”
“So many rooms for only three people.” Jesi marveled turning a slow circle around the foyer.
“Yes, that was yer Grandfather for ye. The man insisted on showing the world how successful he was by getting the best of everything privet jet, fancy yacht, all the cars, the house. Yer father was a much simpler type He would have been happy with a one room apparent in the city. That’s why he never replaced the privet jet after the crash. He didn’t see a need, said if he was gonna fly it could be commercially, with real people.”
Jesi stood staring at the painting tears burned the back of her throat, as waves of emotion beat at her. Her father sounded like such a good man she wished she could have known him, but right on the heels of that she was so angry, her father lived in such excess while she and her mother had scraped by on nothing. Yet according to Ericson her father had never known that she existed her grandfather had lied to her father to her mother. Jesi choked back the tears and clung to the only emotion that had kept her alive for so long. Anger. “I hate them.” she ground between clenched teeth.
Mabel’s face fell she seemed to be hoping for a more joyful reaction from Jesi, but to her credit she didn’t try to talk the girl out of her pain either. Damion walked over and placed an arm around Jesi’s shoulders. “Mrs. Mcguil, is there a room we can go to for rest and a little privacy?” Damion asked
As soon as the door to the large guest bedroom drifted shut behind them Jesminda let her real feelings be known. She broke into deep sobs and fell into Damion’s arms.
“I don’t- I can’t- How could he- How could they-” Jesi started so many sentences but the jumble of emotion stampeding through her.
“Easy Jes, take a breath.” Damion tried as he held her.
“Why am I morning a man I never met? A man who abandoned me?” Jesi started
“Because he didn’t abandon you not on purpose Jes.”
“I want to hate him. I need to hate him, Why can’t I hate him?” Jesi sobbed
“Your right Jes it’s not fair. None of this is fair. It’s a lot to take in, and neither of us have taken the time to really process this.”
“In the hotel he didn’t seem real, but now… He was my father, and I never knew his name.”
“I know, Jes, it’s not fair.”
“He was stolen from me!”
“Yes he was.”
“This whole life was stolen from me!” Jesi hiccuped
Damion just held her and let her cry. There was so much for them both to process. Jesi was now one of the richest women in the nation, and she had insisted that Damion share her home as the brother he’d been to her since the day they’d met.
Jesi spent the rest of the day in the guest room that was now her bedroom with Damion bouncing between sorrow and anger like a rubber ball. Eventually she cried herself to sleep. Damion had just eased her into the plush bed, when a soft knock sounded on the door.
“Hey, uumm.” Damion stammered he wished he could remember the maid’s name.
“Mabel deary. How is she?” Mabel asked as she tried to look past Daion towards Jesi.
“She’s sleeping.” Damion said protectivily blocking to door.
“I mean her no harm.” Mabel said gently
Damion winced and tried to force himself to relax “Sorry, I know you don’t it’s just…” He trailed off at a loss “I’ve protectd her since she was five. Its just really hard to let that go.”
“Ye love her then?” Mable asked
“Of course.” Damion stopped and then a thought occurred to him “Oh! Oh you mean! No, no we’re not like that. She’s basically the sister I -” he stopped.
“Yer sister?”
“The crash that took my parents. It also killed my five year old sister Amy. Three days later I met Jesi, she looks nothing like Amy, but she was the same age and well I guess I wanted to protect her the way I couldn’t protect my family.”
“Ack, ye poor dear.” Mabel said with tears pooling in her eyes. “She’s safe here though, not a sole can get past the walls without setting off the alarms.”
Damion stiffened “Jesi, doesn’t like loud noises. Not since her mother was shot.”
“She was there?” Mable asked
“I thought Mr. Ericson would have told you?” Damion asked in confusion
“No, he told me who she was and that her mother had been killed but nothing else.”
“Yeah, she was there, her mom had to take her to work that night and, she says all she remembers is her mom stuffing her in a cabinet then she heard someone yell for the manager then the shots.”
“My God! Did she see anything?”
“No the officer on the scene worked really hard to make sure she didn’t see anything, But she’s been really jumpy ever since.”
“Ack, the poor dear. Well it seems there’s nothing more You and I can do for her til she wakes come I’ll show ye to yer room you must be tired as well.”
“I-I can’t leave her I’ll just stay here with her.”
“She’s safe here. Your safe here. You need rest too.”
“And I’ll get it right here beside her.”
“Ye’ve taken care of her for thirteen years, Ye’ve earned a rest and so has she.”
“We rest better together.”
“I’m sure ye do, and you’ll be ale to hear her through the wall if there’s trouble.” Mable encouraged
“I-”
“Yer both safe. She’ll be fine.”
Damion reluctantly followed Mable from the room. Mable made a show of taking a key from her pocket and locking the door to the room she explained that she was the only one with a key to unlock the bedroom doors but that all door could be locked or unlocked from the inside.
The next morning Mable opened Jesminda’s door with a cart of food behind her. “Good moring Miss Jes-” Mable froze as Jesi lept from the bed a knife brandished in her hand it’s tip nearly rested on Mabel’s neck
“Sorry,” Jesi said as she lowered the knife. “Force of habit.”
“Well, I will say that’s a new way to get the blood runnin in the mornin.” Mabel said with a giggle “Is there a reason ye have a knife on ye?”
“I’ve slept with a knife since I was sixteen.”
“And ye haven’t cut yerself?” Mable tried to joke
“No, Sargent Mullens trained me and Damion how to defend ourselves.”
“Sargent Mullens?” Mable asked
“He was staying at the first homeless shelter we crashed at after leaving the home. I was young inexperienced in street life and so excited to have my first shower in weeks I wasn’t careful enough. After I walked into the ladies room a man grabbed me from behind. He clamped his hand over my mouth and put a knife to my throat. I tried to scream to struggle while he cut my clothes off. Sargent Mullens heard the struggle and rushed in. He pulled the man off before anything happened and called for help. The man tried to cut Mullens but he dodged the blade, disarmed him, and held him until the folks that ran the shelter arrived. He told them to bring the guy to the police for sexual assault. After he helped me and Damion disappear when the police showed up and then taught us how to survive on the streets we stayed with him for about 4 months, until he disappeared.”
“That must have been hard on ye both.” Mable said
“It’s life on the street.”
“Jesi!” Damion called out as he rushed into the room.
“Ah and that saves me the trouble of bringing breakfast to ye as well.” Mable said as she motioned to the cart behind her. “I didn’t know yer preferences, so I, well, I made yer Father’s favorites. Bacon, sausage, pancakes, as well as some fruit a selection of juices and, aspirin.”
“How did you know I have a headache?” Jesi asked
“I’ve spent more then a night or two crying meself te sleep. I know the headache ye wake with in the morin all to well. OOP!” Mable said as she pulled her phone from her pocket. “And it seems that Ericson has arrived for the day with company not far behind. Best ye eat up and prepare seems as though yer in for yoru first dose of Constance.”
“Heellloo, Constance Karington,” The tall blonde woman in her early twenties stepped up to Jesi and offered her hand “Your sister.”
“I have a sister?” Jesi asked
“No, you do not.” Ericson answered.
“Oh not a biological sister but Conner was like a second father to me.” Constance said
“That makes one of us.” Jesi griped under her breath
“Oh look at you aren’t you a vision well besides that scare on your neck but don’t you worry my step-mom knows a great plastic surgeon we’ll have that gone in days.”
Jesi rested a self conscious hand over the knife scare on her collar bone.
“I wish you had consulted with me Ms. Karington, Miss Jahri’s schedule is full today.”
“Oh, so I cleared my entire morning of running my very successful company to hang out with my new sister for nothing” Constance protested actually pouting at Ericson.
“I believe you’ll find the company belongs to both of you Ms. Karington, and as I Said if you’d checked with me I could have told you that Miss Jahari’s scheduled is full this morning.”
“Oh come on I’m sure you don’t need a stuffy old man telling you what to do Jesi. You don’t mind if I call you Jesi do you?” Constance’s words dripped with sugar.
“Actually I do mind.” Jesi wasn’t buying Constance’s act for a second. “And Ercison has a full day planned.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do with an open morning Ericson?” Constance tried again
“Since your so keen to have family time I suggest you go connect with your brother.” Ericson suggested
“I suppose I could find Skyler but I look forward to dinner tonight Jesminda.” Constance commanded
“I will contact your office and arrange for a dinner in a few weeks then.” Ericson offered.
“I look forward to it.” Constance said with a smile as she turned to go.
“Oh Ms. Karington I would like to know how our confidential flight itinerary was leaked to the press.” Ericson asked
“Oh right, I have talked to my pilot about that rest assured he’ll be disciplined for his loose lips. Ta.” Constance tossed over her shoulder as she left.
“Who was that?” Damion asked when the door closed behind Constance
“Constance Karington, she is the co CEO of O’Connal and Karington Enterprises.”
“Isn’t she kinda young to be a CEO?” Jesi asked
“She was a child prodigy she graduated high school early and earned her MBA by the time she was 20. Two years ago she convinced her father to entire and hand over his half of the company to her.”
Constance slammed the front door to her family’s home. And let out a frustrated scream.
“I take it your plan to get Cinderella to sign the papers was a bust?” her brother Skyler appeared at the top of the stairs.
“I thought you’d still be sleeping.” Constance griped
“I was until you slammed the door quite rude if I’m honest sister dear.” Skyler, said with a lazy drawl
“Well, tell whoever your current girlfriend is I’m sorry to have disturbed her.” Constance replied with a forced smile
“You can drop the loving sister routine Constance I’m alone today.”
“For once.” Constance laughed sarcastically. “What do Nora find you flirting with a waitress?”
“Her name was Ashley and no, she asked for commitment, and you know I don’t do commitment.”
“Hm. Yet another doe eyed debutante that thought she could marry New York’s most eligible bachelor?”
“Yes you’d think they’d know better by now don’t they all talk?”
“Brother this may surprise you but the world does not actually revolve around you.”
“And it doesn’t serve you sister dear. A fact it seems ‘Cinderella’ reminded you of today.” Skyer gloated
“That company is mine! Conner promised it to me! Then that worthless brainless rat shows up and takes everything from me!” Constance shouted.
“I’m not sure Cinderella showed up isn’t more like Connor hunted her down?”
“Cinderella?” Constance said as a calculating smile slid on to her face
“That look never bodes well.” Skyler observed
“Well, every Cinderella needs her Prince Charming doesn’t she.”
“As I understand it she came with hers did she not?”
“The street rat no he’s more a brother to her as I understand it, but you Brother dear are currently between lovers at the moment.”
“Ha! Don’t even try it. Your little Cinderella is no where near my type.”
“Oh please, she’s beautiful, rich, and a woman that’s exactly your type.”
“Hardly, once a street rat always a street rat!” Skyler objected
“I don’t care, you will romance her get her so infatuated with you that when you tell her it’s in her best interst to sign over the company she’ll comply.”
“And if it can’t.”
“Then you’ll keep it in your pants until you marry her! I will not let some brat swoop in and steal everything I worked my entire life to get!”
“You can’t make me do any of this.”
“Can’t I? Last I checked Brother dear I control your trust fund.”

Hi Minimalists,
After the summer I'll be headed into my junior year of an American University. I've been a minimalist since my freshman or sophomore year of high school so I've been at this for a while. In my years of college so far I've lived in a dorm, an apartment, and at home on a gap semester so I can confidently give others advice. Whether you're starting out in minimalism or wanting to deepen your practice, this is for you. College is a great time to start minimalism because if you're like me, you're moving around a lot.
My University is a 3 hour drive from my house so luckily I was able to use a car to move in and out but I didn't have a car to use which turned out to help my minimalism as it resulted in smaller shopping trips. If I were flying in, it would be a different story and I would have to pack less but I had some room.
Clothing

1. Seasonal clothing: My college town has all four seasons so layering was my friend. Summers and spring I wore pants and shorts with a tank top. I have one pair of denim shorts and pants because really, who needs more? They last many wears and a basic blue or black denim can go with anything. In the fall and winter, I layered the exact same outfits with a jacket. I have a few different jackets which I'm trying to pair down. I have a huge snow jacket which I hate having because it takes up so much space. I was about to get rid of it but we had the craziest winter this past January and February so I'm glad I kept it. Sometimes you don't want to keep things but it will serve its purpose. If it doesn't, get rid of it. When I get clothes, I like to get new clothes, I like for them to have multiple purposes but snow jackets are very specific, however, it's better to be comfortable. Especially if you're walking everywhere which I was doing.
2. Underwear: While I was at my apartment this past spring semester, I realized I never used all my underwear and socks in a week (I do laundry once a week). Since I've moved home for the summer, I put some of each away in a box and used what I had. If I needed more I'd grab some but I think I've figured out the perfect number which is different for everyone. I can't really comment on bras even tho I am a girl but I don't really wear them or if I do, it's a yoga bra and I'll wear it as my shirt.
3. Shoes: If you live somewhere snowy and have a pair of hiking shoes that are water-resistant, they work in snow. I was told they wouldn't work so I bought a pair of Timberlands and barely wore them and wasted $150 on them. Recently, I bought a pair of Chacos chelsea boots. I got the black color so I could wear them to work and they'd look more professional. However, black absorbs heat so my feet always get warm. Once these have run their time I'll get a brown color. I have one pair of tennis shoes that I only wear over summer when I work at summer camps. I'm not a fan of tennis shoes but if you go to the gym or run then have one pair and only get another once they are worn out. I have two pairs of hiking sandals which I can also wear with socks in the chillier weather but I'd like to pair them down to one.
4. "Maybes": You know these clothes, the ones you just cannot seem to donate but don't know why you're keeping onto them (or you do). What I've found is I'll get a bag and put my maybes in those and put them out of sight for a few weeks. If I don't miss them, I have my answer.
5. "Maybes" pt. 2: If you move home during the summers and/or winters, I highly suggest keeping some maybes at home. When you come back, you'll most likely be able to donate it all.
6. Hangers: Only bring with you how many hangers you currently need plus maybe one or two more if you want to be nice to yourself. Once you run out, you cannot buy any more clothes.
7. 1 in 2 out: This has been my philosophy with clothes for quite some time now because clothes are the biggest struggle of mine when it comes to minimalism. Now, whenever I buy an item of clothing, it has to be able to replace at least two items I already have or be something I need but don't have yet (like work clothes).

Bedroom

1. Linen: You only need one pair of sheets, I promise.
2. Desk: I work my best when my desk if clean so all I keep on there is a mason jar with a few pens, my laptop, and a fake plant (I don't like to move around a bunch with real plants and not every place I'm in has a window with a lot of sunlight). I take all my notes digitally so I don't have to worry about physical clutter. I do that with books/textbooks as well. Unless I need to get a physical copy, I always purchase it as an online book.

Bathroom

1. Towels: One towel is all you need, I promise.
2. Toiletries: Scaling down your bathroom routine is a must. I haven't worn makeup since I've become a minimalist and it works for me and I enjoy it but if makeup is a must for you, really think about each step and if you can cut out any. Also, don't keep so many refills on hand, just go buy another when you need it, it really helps with clutter. A few things I have refills on hand. Like my deodorant comes in packs of two and my razor comes with multiple head replacements.
3. Shower: I've decided I'm going to get rid of my bath mat next semester. Why do I need one if I can just dry off in the tub/shower? Really think about what you actually need.
4. Toothbrush: This is something I've just decided to do. I have an electric toothbrush that I've used for years but I'm going to move back to a good old fashioned manual one. The replaceable toothbrush heads are like $15 a piece! Plus, it's bulkier and I always have to keep a normal one on hand when I take a trip.

Kitchen
My roommate and I split the cupboards and drawers but I didn't use half of mine!

1. Pots & pans: Get a good cast iron pan and pot and you'll never need anything else (just be sure you season them right). Maybe get another saucepan if your recipes are more complex but scale down on the complex recipes! (See my next point)
2. Recipes: I love to cook but sometimes the recipe has 10 spices, 8 different veggies, and 10 different topping choices. I'm vegan so that makes some things easier but not much. You can edit recipes. It may take some trial and error but spice it to your liking. You're not going to taste a 1/4 tsp of cumin, I promise. Also, I don't like bell peppers so if a recipe has that, I get rid of it. Finding simpler recipes has really helped my kitchen stay minimal.
3. Food: This is something I'm still trying to work on. I didn't cook much in my dorm but this past semester I didn't have a meal plan and I had a kitchen. I was spending anywhere from $200-400 a month on groceries and unfortunately I left a lot of food to go to waste. MAKE A MEAL PLAN. I love notion and made a recipe book with my favorite recipes. This has helped immensely with food waste. Also, don't get that one super specific thing for one recipe that you're only going to make once. Either skip the recipe or find a substitute. I'll use this example which doesn't apply to me but it's a good example. I love tahini and use it in a lot of things. I can go through a jar of it in 2 months. Others however may never use it but one recipe calls for it. Use another nut butter instead or skip the recipe. Or find more to use it in instead of letting it sit in your fridge and just throwing it out when you move.
4. Plates, utensils, etc.: Do you really need more than 2 plates/bowls/cups? If you have guests, get compostable reusable plates or BYOP. I had 3 of everything but rarely used the 3rd so when I go back, I'm only taking 2 of everything. I wash my dishes as soon as I'm done (or as I go) so it hasn't been a problem for me. Same goes with knives. Do you really need a whole knife block? Just get 1 or 2 quality knives and you'll never need another again.
5. Appliances: Be careful when it comes to appliances because they take up a lot of space when moving. If you drink coffee a lot, get coffee appliances. For me, I love tea so I have a kettle to boil water. I recently got a high speed blender to use as a blender and a food processor and I've loved it. I also recently got an air fryer as a gift. I haven't used it yet but I'm also scared to start haha. I just need to do it once and then I'll be familiar with it. However, if I can use that to replace having to heat up the oven each time, I'll take it. Don't get a toaster oven. You can heat up your bread on a pan on the stove just perfectly and it saves space.
6. Random shit: We all love those fancy shaped bottles and the cool fridge organizers. I had a fancy bottle last semester. Didn't use it once so it is not coming back with me next semester. Those clear plastic fridge organizers are expensiveeee. Do you really need them? Minimalism isn't about having the best organization, it's about being mindful with your stuff. Maybe you find value in those organizers, go for it! But for me personally, they wouldn't add any value to me as I can already organize my fridge pretty well. However, I just bought one of those rotating organizers because the corner of one of my cabinets was getting crowded with spices and oils.

Cleaning

1. Find a good multi-purpose cleaner and it will be a lifesaver!
2. Dryer balls are your best friend.
3. Target's brand Ever Spring has a concentrated laundry detergent and the bottle takes up almost no room and one squirt gets the job done. It's been a lifesaver.
4. Just get a broom. A vacuum takes up a lot of space and is heavy.

Living Room

1. Ngl, I never touched my living room once. I spent no time there. My roommate had some things but if you're not going to hang out there much, don't keep anything in there.

Hope I covered most things and it wasn't too confusing. If you have any other questions, I'd love to answer. If you want links to anything I mentioned please let me know!

This was posted in the AngryObservation subreddit (that I stumbled on two seconds ago)
Essay posted by u/dcmetro7
https://www.reddit.com/usedcmetro7/
Democrats have a branding problem : AngryObservation (reddit.com)

Democrats have a branding problem

😴 Long Observation 😴
I was inspired by u/Randomuser1520 's post about the Democratic Party's seemingly weak bench of future potential presidential nominees.
A lot of the problems trace back to 2016, but I'd argue the Democrats' branding woes go back even further. Think all the way back to the last time the Democrats had a consistently strong electoral record as a party -- the 90s, where the only truly bad year for Ds was 1994. Bill Clinton had successfully rebranded the party under the 'Third Way' label that Dems at any level could embrace and benefit from, and he had a clear successor in Al Gore. But Gore loses narrowly in 2000, and the problems for the Dems' brand begin.
'Yes We Can'
After 9/11, the electorate supports Bush and they support war. Dems' brand takes a hit and they lose the 2002 midterms. In 2004, John Kerry is successfully painted as an out-of-touch Ivy League liberal, disengaged from 'real America.' Dems lose and their brand suffers further.
But by the end of Bush's term, most Americans are disillusioned with Dubyaism. They wanted change, and one man promises to lead them to it with posters that proclaim 'HOPE' and cries of 'Yes We Can,' heralding in a new age of politics. Barack Obama and the Democrats are swept into a trifecta in Washington.
And we certainly got a new age of politics. When Obama was inaugurated, pundits speculated about the 'emerging Democratic majority', and how the GOP may literally go extinct in ten years. By the end of Obama's second term, those same pundits are surveying the absolutely decimated state of the Democratic party at all levels of power. Dems had lost the Senate, the House, most governorships, and most state legislatures. Control of the state legislatures makes the GOP's hold on the House even stronger. Control of the Senate effectively leads to control of the Supreme Court.
While Obama certainly can't be blamed for everything the GOP threw at him, I feel like it's safe to say his rebranding of the Democratic party failed in the long run. The 'Party of Hope' was sunk into the quagmire of a slow economic recovery, some of the most cynical politicking ever, and some of the most dysfunctional White House-Congress relationships in the history of the country. Obama's signature healthcare legislation would languish in the 30s approval-wise until after he left office. By 2015, no one was talking about the Democrats as the Party of Hope anymore. Even the guy who designed the original 'Hope' poster said he was frustrated by the lack of progress under the Obama admin. I'd argue that the Republicans were responsible for the clear majority of this dysfunction, but if their goal was to muddy the waters between the parties, they succeeded. And with the Tea Party, they were better at rebranding themselves even when they were in the opposition.
And none of this was helped by the face that Obama seemed extremely reluctant, even uninterested, in stepping into the role of party leader. Congressional Democrats were frustrated at the way he kept his distance from them, making it hard to solidify the policy goals they'd implemented in his first term. This article (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/19/us/aloof-obama-is-frustrating-his-own-party.html) sums it up well, with this prescient quote sticking out:

In interviews, nearly two dozen Democratic lawmakers and senior congressional aides suggested that Mr. Obama’s approach has left him with few loyalists to effectively manage the issues erupting abroad and at home and could imperil his efforts to leave a legacy in his final stretch in office.

And sure enough, Obama's legacy was in peril before he even left office.
'Stronger Together'
In 2016, Democrats didn't plan for a primary, they planned for a coronation. Hillary Clinton had been locking up all the support she could get from the Democratic establishment while Obama was serving his second term. Biden would seem like the clear establishment successor, but by the time he was able to turn his attention from VP duties to the primary he realized Hillary had completely boxed him out. She had already corralled all the big donors, operatives, and endorsements into her corner, and Joe was checkmated before he even sat down to the board. Thus, he turned down the opportunity, likely burying his long-nurtured presidential ambitions.
But then the coronation gets bumpy. Sanders challenges her from the outside, and immediately begins putting her on the spot as to why she's running. In other words, what does she envision for the Democratic brand? Hillary herself doesn't know. Is it a third term of Bill (whose star was starting to fade among everyone whose name doesn't rhyme with Shames Scarville), a third term of Obama (whose Hope posters have since become landfill), or an all-new thing?
To Hillary's credit, she couldn't portray herself as a total break from the past, both because she had been was strongly anchored to the national political landscape for the last thirty years, and because she could hardly attack Obama's record too harshly. In the end, she also struggled to brand both herself and the party. Consider the slogans most associated with her campaign; 'Forward Together' and 'Stronger Together' sound like the slogans of a centrist third party with no concrete policy ideas. They just attempted to project a feeling of unity onto a people who were united only, if the candidacies of Sanders and Trump meant anything, in the feeling that 'establishment' politicians like HRC had failed. And, of course, 'I'm with Her' was barely a rebrand at all, simply associating the party with its uncharismatic yet seemingly unstoppable frontrunner.
In the meantime, Trump had done the opposite, rebranding himself and the GOP as the party of 'America First populism.' What that meant exactly in terms of policy seemed to change from day to day But as a brand, as a forceful statement of intent, it worked, especially when contrasted with a seemingly rudderless HRC campaign that failed to answer the age-old question: 'Why are you running for president?'
'For the People'
After the 2016 fiasco, the Democrats were decimated and leaderless. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had passed his leadership position to Chuck Schumer and passed on soon after Trump took office. Tim Ryan led a mutiny against Nancy Pelosi, blaming her in part for the party's plunge from ascendance to irrelevance in the House. Hillary Clinton disappeared into the woods of Chappaqua. Obama started making a docu-series for Netflix. Joe Biden entered semi-retirement and wrote a book.
But in all of this, they found something they had been lacking. A brand.
Not the one they would have preferred, but one that would work nonetheless for winning elections. House Dems would embrace the (once-again) vague slogan of 'For the People' ahead of the 2018 midterms, but the aim was clear. The Democrats were now the Opposition; the Anti-Trump party.
Trump's approval rating was not just low, but incredibly sticky. People tended to have very firm opinions on him, and so his approval rating barely escaped the 35-45% range, with him almost hitting 50% before the pandemic hit. Thus, running on opposition to Trump would be fine electorally. In 2018, the Democrats had a blue wave year based mostly on opposition to Trump, retaking the house. Ironically, a big policy motivator for voters was backlash against the GOP's effort to repeal and replace Obamacare -- a promise that had driven Republican electoral gains since the bill was passed into law. Republican branding and messaging had been so successful that, for the better part of the decade, people trusted them to 'fix' the ACA until the very last minute before the replacement was signed.
'Battle for the Soul of the Nation'
But the problem remained for 2020 -- who would lead them? This was a difficult decision even before the pandemic. And Democratic primary voters were treated to a veritable buffet on angles on how to rebrand the party to beat Trump.
Should the party embrace democratic socialism under Sanders, or heavy consumer advocacy under Warren? Should it embrace a young, charismatic up-and-comer like Harris, Buttigieg, or O'Rourke or someone just as 'establishment' as Hillary, like Michael Bloomberg? Old-school liberalism with the Klob? Whatever Andrew Yang was doing?
But as the polls drew near, the Democrats seemed to conclude that beating Trump was simply more important than charting a new course for the party. If they could get elected or rebrand, they'd choose the former. And so all the other more moderate candidates dropped out to consolidate the vote around Biden, as the safe, expected pick who could stay the course. Biden and his surrogates began adopting the slogan 'Battle for the Soul of the Nation,' an epic and apocalyptic phrase that is still fundamentally reactive in tone, implying that the biggest motivator to vote for Democrats that fall was not to pass any specific agenda, but to put a stop to the GOP's plans.
Biden wouldn't govern in this way, but he would campaign this way -- as the normal, capable candidate who could lead the country's post-covid recovery in opposition to Trump's perceived incompetence. Biden won, but Democrats didn't get nearly the boost they wanted from covid, and House candidates underperformed Biden nationally, leading to a surprising loss of seats in the House. And after the effort to throw out the election failed, Trump left office with severely damaged standing with independents. The anti-Trump brand had delivered Dems a trifecta; now it was time to use it; hopefully to establish a new brand for a new decade.
'Building Back Better'
Upon taking office, Biden and the Dems lay out their agenda; the 'Build Back Better' plan, which centers on a three-pronged approach; a pandemic relief bill, an infrastructure bill, and a social policy bill. Passing such plans will involve all 50 Senate D's on board in some cases, and a bipartisan filibuster-proof majority of 60 senators in other cases.
People laugh, think back to 2010, and begin arguing whether a prediction that the GOP will control 55 Senate seats by 2023 is too conservative. Nancy Pelosi is trying to manage a mere five-seat majority in the house. Mitch McConnell, who once feasted on the Democrats' lost hopes the way a hungry turtle devours a plate of juicy strawberries, still held enough sway in the Senate to hold up any significant policy not related to budget reconciliation. Even then, Schumer must wrangle mavericks like Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema. Dramatic divisions still rip across the fabric of American society. But then, something truly strange happens.
The 117th Congress ends up being one of the most productive sessions ever.
Whether or not you think any or all of the 117th's acts were good policy, it's undeniable that this was an unusually politically efficient session, especially considering the last decade of hardball politics. Bipartisan majorities drive the infrastructure act, a gun control act, a tech-manufacturing promotion act, and even a somewhat-legalization of same-sex marriage nationwide. Plus, Schumer and Pelosi navigate their tiny majorities toward passing partisan priorities, like the pandemic relief act and the scaled-down Build Back Better social policy bill, rebranded as the Inflation Reduction Act or IRA. McConnell drops his trademark stonewalling and collaborates with Biden on the bipartisan bills, and 'Yea' votes roll in even from deep red states -- Republican senators from Mississippi, West Virginia, and North Dakota get these bills over the line. Bipartisanship returns to Congress in fleeting glances -- something that I feel confident in arguing absolutely no one expected Biden or the Dem leaders to be able to do.
Of course, no one has forgotten 2010, and 2022 looks to be another rough year. Inflation soars, and Biden's approval rating drops. Dems brace for impact. The Dobbs ruling happens, but polls repeatedly suggest that the economy is the top issue on voters' minds, and they don't like Biden's handling of it.
But while these things are true, they ignore a crucial factor -- the GOP is embroiled in an identity crisis of its own. The leader of the party is claiming to be the legitimate president of the United States, which is a bit of a hard issue to ignore. Trump loyalists beat out 'establishment' Republicans in the primaries, and bring their hard promotion of the MAGA brand to the general elections. And they lose.
I think it's fair to say that the GOP lost most of the key races of the 2022 midterms, rather than Democrats winning them. Swing state Republican parties chose candidates who adhered so closely to a brand so toxic that independents still chose the Democrats, even in some cases where they were dissatisfied with the party. Republicans who have managed to establish a brand for themselves -- DeSantis, Kemp, and DeWine among them -- soar, while the Trumpiest candidates fall flat. McConnell remains in the minority, and McCarthy becomes the head of a very, very dysfunctional family.
Will Brandon's Rebrand Stand?
So, coming off an unusually strong midterm, where does the party go in 2024? Probably, as u/Randomuser1520 said, back to Biden. When your party wins one of the most fiercely contested elections in American history, has a productive legislative session, and then massively overperforms in the midterm, you don't usually change horses regardless of what approval polling says. If Biden were just 10 years younger and the health concerns were off the table, there would be no question in anyone's mind who to nominate.
The establishment and progressive wings of the party seem to be behind him if he runs, meaning challenges will only come from real outsiders like Marianne Williamson and Robert Kennedy Jr. The DNC will probably work to make those challenges as unviable as possible.
2024 is tricky to predict. Trump is favored on the Republican side, and as said before, his brand is so toxic that Biden can probably glide to reelection barring any massive economic downturns or serious health problems. I won't get too much into 2024, because it seems pretty clearly on the path to becoming another referendum on the GOP's brand, not the Democrats'. Biden's second term (and the rest of his first term) may be defined as much by implementation of the legislation they passed during the 117th as much as by new legislation, if not more.
So the question becomes this -- where does the party go in 2028? Or, in other words, what will Democrats take away from the Biden presidency, and how will Biden shape the party's brand going forward? Who they choose to lead the party next will tell, and Biden's presidency may already be laying out a blueprint.
In his 1996 State of the Union address, Bill Clinton declared 'the era of big government is over,' essentially conceding that Reagan and his vision of a small role for the federal government in domestic affairs had won out for the time, and that Democrats would need to work within that political reality in order to win elections. Obama's efforts to change that status quo resulted in an avalanche of backlash from Tea Partiers, self-proclaimed champions of fiscal conservatism. Hillary Clinton's failed campaign strategy arguably rested more on that understanding of the political climate than anything else, causing her to miss a series of growing frustrations with Reaganism at times channelled by Sanders and, at times, Trump -- at decimation of the manufacturing sector, at the growing gap between rich and poor, at China's seemingly unstoppable three-decade rise at the expense of the U.S.
Biden's approach to American industry and government is a strong repudiation of Reaganism, based around the idea that it is the government's job to fortify and guide the economy in ways that are necessary where the free market has little incentive to. It argues that the issues of infrastructural decay, manufacturing decline, and the growing need for green energy in the face of climate change will only be solved if the government directs the power of the private sector towards those goals at great upfront cost. And free trade, long held as the unassailable source of America's prosperity, must now only be employed in moderation -- if the U.S. has to arguably break international law to lure foreign investment into the U.S. through generous subsidies, it will be worth it, even if it earns the fury of our economic partners. This may be the groundwork of Bidenism.
These plans may fail. The money may be wasted by incompetent or corrupt administrators and the American people may become even more jaded at the thought of big government. But movement within the GOP may suggest a broader shift in the American mind towards this kind of economic interventionism is already in progress. Promising to reverse the decline of manufacturing through tariffs and other measures would have been political anathema twenty years ago, but it has become a core Republican plank. Florida Republicans' punitive measures towards Disney and the GOP's growing support for government action against Big Tech companies suggests openness towards not just using state power to guide the economy, but also to reshape the social landscape by manipulating the private sector. It may well be that the era of small government is over.
I've sorted some potential 'brands' and some of the people who might be nominated in 2028 / become party standard-bearers should the Democrats go in that direction. These lists aren't exhaustive; I'm just trying to establish a general vibe.
The 'Biden Blueprint': Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Gina Raimondo
These are members of the Biden admin who have been given great power (and great piles of money) to enact the legislation of the 117th. If American sentiment towards big government changes as quickly as I think it could, a Cabinet secretary could have a decent shot in 2028. Harris would be the natural successor as the VP, but Transportation Sec Buttigieg and Commerce Sec Raimondo, who were empowered to implement much of the Infrastructure Act and the CHIPS Act respectively, could become standard-bearers for this new vision of technocratic governance if they administer these programs well (and in a way that makes headlines). If Energy Sec Granholm were a natural-born citizen, she would definitely fit here as well, considering how much power the IRA gave her department.
The 'New New Deal': Amy Klobuchar, Catherine Cortez Masto, Mark Kelly, Tammy Duckworth, Raphael Warnock
Liberal senators who are capable of working across the aisle to achieve compromise could be a strong bet if Democrats want to recreate the success of the 117th Congress in the future. There's always an argument that effective legislators won't necessarily make for effective executives, but these choices would help with Democrats' goal of rebranding the Democratic party as the party you vote for if you want Washington to function properly and anticipate constituents' needs. Such a ticket could brand itself as the path to bipartisan yet assertive solutions on familiar and emerging issues like immigration reform, federal protection for abortion, the housing shortage, and the drug crisis.
The 'Bulwark': Roy Cooper, Laura Kelly, Andy Beshear
I'll admit that when I began writing this post, I had a more favorable opinion of the above three governors and politicians like them as presidential nominees and the potential 'future of the party.' I no longer feel as strongly about them, however, because I don't believe they do enough to change the brand of the Democrats and the political environment as a whole. These governors are best known for winning races in red states; for holding the line against the most conservative policies while finding areas of compromise, especially on kitchen-table issues.
But this brand of Democrat is fundamentally reactive, even defensive -- it assumes that most of the job will be obstructing right-wing legislation from a red legislature. In other words, it is a kind of strategy you use when you're trying to hold ground, not gain it. It works well when your opponent's brand is toxic (as the GOP's has been since 2016), but this I suspect this brand of 'competent normality' will struggle if the opposition ceases to actively repel voters. If Trump and his acolytes continue to hold a strong grip on the party through 2024 and beyond, this brand may not be a bad bet short-term, but long-term Democrats want to be the ones establishing the rules of the game, not just beating your opponent at theirs. That's what a successful political brand does. While Dems in similar situation should definitely look to these governors for guidance in running their campaigns (and hopefully, their administrations), I would caution at this point against basing the national party's brand on their model.
I think somewhere between these three groups lies a successful path forward for the Democrats that towards becoming the dominant party in U.S. politics at the federal level. There are some other interesting currents in the party; like how Democratic governors like Whitmer, Evers, and Walz have rebuilt D strength the Midwest after a rough 2010s, and how Western Dems like Jared Polis, Mary Peltola, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez have found unexpected electoral stength by embracing a form of libertarianism. However, these currents may be regional, and Democrats shouldn't necessarily try to nationalize every idea that works in one part of the country. Creating different regional 'flavors' of Democrat would be necessary to keep the party relevant in all parts of the country.
Regarding the 2020 primary runners-up, I don't think most of the visions laid out then work post-2024, and for this reason I tend not to give too much weight to current Democratic primary polling, because it assumes these same people would be running again.
Assuming Biden ends his term without catastrophe, I don't think the party needs to place all their faith in a young, charismatic Obama wannabe like O'Rourke or Swalwell, nor does it need to drastically pivot to the center, nor does it need to proclaim itself the party of 'outsiders,' nor does it need to give the reins to the progressive wing. If everything goes right, they can remain ideologically where they are now (roughly) and establish a solid brand for the first time in a generation.
The Democrats been losing the branding war since the days of Nixon. They may currently have all the tools they need right now to change that, and set the expectations for the next fifty years of politics. Let's see how they do.
This is my first big write-up, so I almost certainly missed some stuff and made some assumptions. Let me know what you think.

I am looking at reusing an old cast iron sink with an integrated drain board on it as my basement utility sink. It came with house I bought and tho dirty is in good condition. My home was built in 1949 and I am assuming it’s original to the house. The cabinet base is metal and in good condition with no rusting and the original finish is intact just dusty. As part of the replumb for the house I had the lines upgraded and the condensate line that drained here updated to code. The waste line remains PVC from a previous repair but I need to verify that.
The problems:
It has a 6” center set faucet on it that possibly is not on the best of shape as the home has hard water and until today no water softener. I’d love to keep it but not sure if that’s a good idea.
I’m on a major budget as I had to get the plumbing redone and for the most part went with copper piping. I have chosen to go with bathroom and kitchen faucets obtained thru my plumber as these are better made. But for this application I’d like to do this as cheaply as I can because it’s not a faucet that will get daily use but more importantly I still need to do some electrical work, replace the bathroom sink faucet as it’s failing, as well as separate my sump pump from the sanitary sewer. I can wait on kitchen faucet as I’ve cleaned it up and it functions but it will need replacing because the hard water has affected it.
What are my options here? My plumber does have something that would work but I’m balking at the $400 price tag. I’d like to spend my shopper dollars as wisely as I can.
FWIW this will primarily be the dog wash station as well as the place we will use to rinse out things as there is a full kitchen in basement. No cooking but snacking.
EDIT: I have found one 6” center set faucet that is similar in style to my old faucet made by Central Brass but I’m not familiar with is brand. It’s inexpensive ($90).
TIA.

My extended family owns a big property down South. It sits in the flattest, dryest plains you could imagine, with the dullest house I've seen at the end of a drive that takes you through what looks to be untouched post-apocalypse. It's a two-story antebellum affair, built of planks that were probably painted a hundred years ago, but are now dried and grayed by the sun. Its windows are cloudy and floors creaky, but its interior has some charm, and we've refused to sell it, mostly since nobody wants to figure out who exactly it belongs to.
School will be starting up soon, so to put an end to the drowsy mid-August slump, I decided we'd go down and give the place a visit. I'm forty or so, work in an office job, with a wife and two kids. I gave my aunt a call, and made sure nobody was at the old place, then broke the news to my kids when they got home. One's seven and one's nine, both boys, and they were surprisingly excited. The last time we'd went had been boring beyond belief, thanks to the nearest town cancelling the annual fair, but they must have been too young to remember.
It wasn't an unpleasant drive. We stayed the night in a pleasant little inn in Kansas, and arrived around noon at the property. I unlocked the front door with a charmingly outdated brass key, and walked back a century in time. A thin layer of dust covered most of the living room. A fireplace sat on the left wall, and on the right a doorway led into a small kitchen. Against the back wall of the living room was a less-than-sturdy staircase, and two bedrooms sat at the rear of the first floor. I rolled my suitcase up against the wall to the kitchen, moving an intricately carved hat stand to the other side of the doorway. "Welcome in!" I announced, as the other three filtered in.
The room was dimly lit even with light streaming through the windows. Luckily the house had been "modernized", with electricity in some of the rooms. I flicked a switch, inviting the pleasant glow of an incandesent floor lamp on the other side of the room. My older son flopped down into a red velvet armchair, with gilded armrests, as if he'd been standing for hours. "You just spent three hours sitting in the car, Mikey," I reminded him, smiling.
"Gotta say, this isn't my kinda place. If I gotta share a room with Todd, I'm at least taking the nice chair."
He was right about it being the nice chair. A wooden chair sat opposite the fireplace, with a rough construction that seemed oblivious to the possibility of splinters. An equally robust bench sat between them, facing the fireplace, made of the same gray, splintered wood. My wife Liz sat down, stretching, while my youngest started exploring the house. I walked to the foot of the stairs, looking up at the second floor. I could see an attic door in the ceiling to my right, and at the top of the stairs against the wall sat a table, with a vase of cotton plants, which had dried out long ago. I walked up tentatively, checking each step to ensure it wouldn't buckle under my weight.
On my left was a short hallway, with a room on each side. On my right, an open space stood empty, with windows overlooking the dirt driveway. I tried to open up the door to one of the rooms, which I seemed to remember held cardboard boxes of old documents and trinkets, but it wouldn't budge. The other room seemed to have been a bedroom. Its only window was boarded up, and the only furniture, a bed, made of the same rough wood, sat against the far wall. There was a closet door opposite the foot of the bed, but it too was stuck. The house had surely shifted, especially given the unstable soil it rested upon.
The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. I cooked some delightfully rustic (my wife used less forgiving terms) food on the 1970s-vintage electric stove, and opened the windows to let a breeze in to combat the stifling warmth of the un-air-conditioned house. Not long after sunset, which we watched from the porch, I put my sons to bed, both in the bedroom downstairs, across from ours.
At some point in the dead of the night (I'd foregone my digital alarm clock, trusting the sun would wake us up), I felt something over my shoulder, standing beside the bed. The room, which had no windows, was pitch-black. I felt it drift away, and fell back asleep.
I awoke again, this time with light faintly streaming through the now open door. "Dad," a voice said. I could make out Todd, my younger son, standing shortly inside the doorway. "I keep waking up. I think someone is coming in our room."
I quietly crawled out of bed, trying not to wake Liz. "It's probably just the house settling and making creaking noises," I whispered. "Or maybe Mikey couldn't sleep."
Todd and Mikey's room, which had two windows, was slightly lighter, and I could see the beds. I helped Todd back into his, assuring him that everything was alright. I turned to Mikey's on the other side of the room, and found it empty. "Todd," I said, in an urgent voice. I heard him quickly sit up. "Do you know where Mikey went?"
"He left."
"D...do you know where?"
Todd pointed up, in the general direction of the stairs. I walked out of the room and up the stairs, worried, trying to walk slowly on the weak planks, but rushing to find my son. I looked around, not seeing him in the open area overlooking the driveway. I opened the door to the upstairs bedroom, and saw him, sitting against the wall below the window. I rushed over to him. "Mikey, what are you doing up here?"
"I heard you tell me to go upstairs," he said, looking into my eyes with worry.
I looked around, confused and concerned. "Okay. What happened when you went up here?"
"I got in bed. I couldn't sleep. I kept seeing the closet and it was so dark and-"
Mikey trailed off. I looked at the closet door, which was again shut. I walked over and shook the handle, but the door didn't budge.
"It was open, and inside was pitch black. I was scared. I'm not lying Dad. Why did you tell me to come up here?"
I was deeply unsettled by this point. I didn't want to scare Mikey, so I lied. "I told you to come up here so you'd have your own room. I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was so scary up here." That part wasn't a lie. I led him downstairs, and put him back to bed.
The next morning, I awoke to the sun streaming in through my bedroom door. I'd left it open in case something else happened, but the events of the night before were starting to feel like a bad dream. As we all awoke and gathered in the living room, I recollected the things that had happened, considering all the ways they could have happened. I get night terrors from time to time, I talk in my sleep, and the house's foundation wasn't particularly stable. It made perfect sense that I just sleep-told Mikey to go upstairs, and the house settled just enough to let the closet door swing open for a little while.
We had a breakfast of bacon and eggs, cooked in a thick iron skillet I found in a cabinet. "I hear there's a waterpark in town," Liz mentioned. That got the boys' attention. We pulled our swimsuits out of our suitcases, and drove twenty minutes down to the town for the day. It wasn't exactly bustling with people, but there was a small waterpark with a couple of slides, and a nice sandwich place for lunch. We drove back to the house and played some card games.
Although I'd done my best to put on a good face and see the house as charming and welcoming, as the shadows grew longer that afternoon, I couldn't help but feel something gnawing in the pit of my stomach. It got dark outside by the time we'd finished playing games, and Liz and I said goodnight to our boys. As I sat on the edge of our bed to pull off my shoes, I glanced over at her. "Does something feel...off? About this place?"
She looked over at me. "Last night, did you hear something?"
"Hear something?" I asked, probing, hoping it was something innocuous.
"Never mind," she replied, shaking her head.
I chose not to tell her about Mikey. Although I was pretty sure I'd just sleeptalked, I didn't want to worry her.
I walked out to the living room and flicked the light switch, plunging myself into darkness. The starlight was just enough for me to see my way back to our room, and shut the door. " 'night," I uttered, crawling under the covers, and nudging up against her reassuring warmth.
I woke to a startling crash. I bolted awake. I opened the bedroom door, as quickly as I could without flinging it into the wall, and ran around the corner. In the near pitch black room, I made out the figure of a young boy. It was Todd, on the ground under the stairs. Right at head height was a broken board, half of it hanging at an unnatural angle. "Todd!"
He sniffled. I bent down and put my hand on his shoulder as he sat up. "Why did you try to go upstairs?" I asked, with quiet restraint, holding back panic.
"It told me to," he replied, barely whispering.
Wordlessly I picked him up, and rushed to his and Mikey's room. Mikey was still asleep. I sat Todd back in his bed, and pulled his covers over him. I fumbled through the darkness to the fireplace, and grasped the fire poker. I stepped over and took hold of the stair railing, and carefully ascended, minding the broken step. When I reached the top, upon seeing the open door to the upstairs bedroom, I felt a chill. I stepped inside. The closet door was wide open.
The hair stood up on the back of my neck. Something felt deeply wrong. I turned, and ran down the stairs, feeling every board bend under my weight. I rounded the corner and catapulted into bed. All I felt was cold. I took heavy breaths, slowly feeling the warmth return, and soon drifted back to a worried, interrupted sleep.
In the morning, I wasn't as quick to shake off the feeling from the night before. I gathered everyone in the boys' bedroom, where we sat on the beds. I explained what had happened with Todd, who had some bruises, but nothing serious. There was an unspoken unease, that made us all eager to get out of the house for a while. Liz decided to take Todd to a petting zoo half an hour down the road. Mikey, who was too old for the petting zoo (since when?), wanted to go walk the property with me.
Liz and Todd took the car out to the petting zoo, leaving us waving in the driveway. We turned to our right, and headed out to the barn, a half-collapsed wooden structure that held some old tools and not much else. I grabbed an axe and Mikey took some hedge clippers, and we strolled the boundary of the plot, hacking through some brush that had popped up along the barbed wire fence. The sky, which had been cloudy for the first time that morning, started to darken, eventually promising rain as we made it half a turn from the driveway again.
As rain started to fall and thunder echoed from across the plains, we crossed the front path back to the barn. As I walked under the windows of the house, I couldn't help but feel it was watching us...or maybe that something was watching us from it. I brushed past my worries. I was toting an axe, after all. As we leaned our tools back against the rotting barn wall, heavier drops started falling, and the thunder grew louder. Not wanting to be the only other tall things on the prarie, we made our way back from the barn to the house. Lightning stuck just a few hundred feet away, with a blinding flash, burning a line into my retinas...straight down to the power line along the road.
When we got inside, as I'd expected, the light switch didn't work. The storm clouds had blocked out the sun, leaving the house almost as dark as the night before. A gust of wind slammed the front door shut. Mikey was silent. He slowly walked forward, straight toward the back wall of the living room. I followed him, at his same slow pace. As he reached the foot of the stairs, I turned. I cannot describe the shock of seeing the attic door standing open, the ladder folded down, making contact with the second story floor. Mikey gasped. I silently covered his mouth with one hand, and wrapped around him with the other. I tried to walk backward, pulling him away with me, but he was frozen, fixed on the gaping black entrance. As something moved in the corner of my eye upstairs, with sudden strength, I pulled Mikey to the side. This must have shaken him, and his feet moved. I released him and he ran, ran to the door. I followed in his path, looking back, seeing a glimpse of a shadow against the top of the back wall. I didn't want to look back to shut the door.
Mikey faltered, running out of breath, as he ran down the porch stairs and across the front path. I picked him up, holding him tightly, my arms burning, as I ran. He let out a wail, finally, and tears streamed down our faces. With some distance between ourselves and the house, I let go of Mikey and turned, and saw a shadowy figure in the upper window. Its eyes were dark, hollow. Until Mikey grabbed my arm and pulled me away, I stared, unable to move away from the figure. "What are you staring at?" he whispered, wrapping me in a hug which seemed more like a straightjacket.
Silently I reciprocated, holding him tightly, as rain battered us and thunder rolled through the barren landscape around us. With immense relief I saw headlights in the distance, and a blue SUV purred into the driveway. we threw ourselves into the car, and with a silent understanding, Liz immediately reversed out and flew toward the nearest town.
---
I'm not sure what we encountered in that house. I think it must have been a ghost, or some sort of reaper. I know I shouldn't have lived, that without Mikey, I would've walked back into that house. That without me, one of the boys might have had too close of an encounter with that thing. I don't know what Mikey saw in that closet, and I haven't asked him since. I don't know what Liz heard, but I think if we hadn't been sleeping in the same room, she would have gone up those stairs too. I haven't told them what I saw, and I don't know if they saw it too. All I know is, if you're invited to stay in a house that old, and you start feeling drawn to something, you get. out.

Posted to reddit lighting design forum on 1 JUN 2023
I am designing the lighting for a new build residence. The calculations for Kitchen lighting suggest that my design is not achievable with available luminaires. I am concerned that I am making a glaring error. Please help me identify my problem or my expectations.

COMPONENTS

OVERALL

The kitchen is 287 sq ft with two sides open to other spaces

FOOD PREPARATION COUNTER

Counter area is 23 sq ft.
I chose 90 fc for light Intensity
Which suggests I need 22.4k lumens (23sqft * 90 fc * 10.7639)

ISLAND

is 29 sq ft
I chose 45 fc for light density
which suggests i need 14.2k lumens

WALKING SPACE

is 202 sq ft
I chose 20 fc for light density
suggests i need 43.5k lumens

DESIGN

FOOD PREPARATION COUNTER

The food preparation counter is illuminated by two independent lighting systems. Undercabinet and recessed ceiling lights positioned to luminate the counter and the contents in the cabinet above the counter.

Undercabinet

Led string offers 706 Lumens/ft for 8 ft producing 5.65k Lumnes

Recessed lights

3 Led recessed lights offering 2k lumens producing 6K lumens

Total Counter illumination

11.65k lumens generated by chosen lights NOT meeting the above stated 22.4k Lumens

ISLAND

The Island is illuminated by a three light pendant. Each light offers 2450 lumens for a total of 7.4k lumens which is considerably less than the desired 14.2k Lumens

WALKING SPACE

for the walking area i used 9 recessed led cans each offering 2000 lumens for a total of 18k lumens (need 45.5k)
So my question is this....is my calculation procedure amiss or do I have unrealistic expectations. What am i doing wrong?
See attached jpg image of kitchen region
Respectfully
William H. Burling

My budget is 140k and I will pay 4K to 16K depending on how well the job is done
What I am looking for is as follows
Colors: Baby Pink, White, & Gold

• Realistic

Exterior design: * Large French Country Style

• Five story
  
• 2 car garage
  
• Whole house is stone or brick
  
• Numerous wall trim details especially white wood panels
  
• Numerous interior locations for stone & brick (an entire wall, a hallway, cased openings, etc.)
  
• Exotic tile like white marble
  

Exterior features:

• Specialty landscape items like water features, dry creek beds, etc.
• Many trees (preferably palm ones)
  
• Wrap around Porch
  
• Porch Swing
  
• Patio
  
• Gas Lanterns
  
• Large Entertaining Area with tv
  
• Outdoor Kitchen with Oven
  
• Sustainable Food/Herb Garden With lots of planters and a hose
  
• Good Lighting
  
• Security Cameras all around the house
  
• Courtyard with fountain
  
• Governor’s Driveway/ circle driveway
  
• Lots of Natural Lights
  
• Large Windows
  
• Window Seat/ Bay window
  
• Arched Doorways
  
• French Doors
  
• Wide Doors
  
• Wide Hallways
  
• Large Family Room, Kitchen, Dining Room for Family Gatherings
  

Lighting: * Beautiful Chandeliers
Kitchen must haves:

• Large Island
  
• Double Island
  
• Marble Countertops
  
• Waterfall Countertop
  
• White Cabinets
  
• Gold Hardware
  
• Huge Dish Cabinet with Glass Doors
  
• Kitchen Linens Closet
  
• Farm style sink
  
• Window above Sink
  
• Hidden baby pink Microwave
  
• 2 pink baby pink Dishwashers
  
• Custom Baby pink hood
  
• Oven
  
• Coffee Machine
  
• Refrigerator
  
• Blender
  
• 2 trash cans
  

Pantry:

• Door from Pantry to Garage
  
• Sink
  
• Second Fridge
  

Dining room:

• Fireplace
  
• Closet for guest Linens and Dishes
  
• Large for Family Gatherings
  

Laundry room:

• Laundry Shoot
  
• Folding Counter or Island
  
• Ironing board
  
• Washing machines and dryer etc
  

Mud Space near front door: * Lockers for each family member

• Storage Shelves for Shoes

Master Bedroom:

• Fireplace
  
• Balcony
  
• TV at Foot of the Bed
  
• Private Sitting Room Attached
  

Master closet: * Large Walk in closet

• Shoe Wall (made with pictures or a bunch of slippers)
  
• Dressing Room
  
• Sunglass Drawer
  
• Jewelry holders
  
• Luxurious Carpet
  
• Chandelier
  

Master bathroom: * Toilets

• Bidet
  
• Steam ShoweSauna
  
• Shower Head
  
• Gold Faucets
  
• Seat in shower
  
• Makeup Counter or Vanity
  
• 2 Sinks
  

Garage: * Recycling Center with 2 trash cans

• 2 Car Garage
  
• Extra Tall Garage Doors
  
• Cabinets for Storage
  
• Door to Backyard
  

Other: * Bar

• Room for indoor pool and jet pool
  
• Fitness room/home gym
  
• Game room with Billard table
  
• Home library
  
• Mud room
  
• Spa room
  
• Home Theater
  
• Office/Study Room
  
• Nursery
  

[The Dragonpit](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgameofthrones.fandom.com%2Fwiki%2FDragonpit&psig=AOvVaw1XVCZ1UCiXpGNb3uGmfDPE&ust=1685629234742000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CBAQjRxqFwoTCPigkfjgn_8CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE), Kings Landing

Kings Landing has never been described as a beautiful city, even at its best, and this certainly was its best. Targaryen banners hung from the streets, and bread and flowers had been doled out to the populace of the city. Partially to celebrate the ascension of Aegon to Prince of Dragonstone, partially to combat the stench and restlessness of Kings Landing. A team of street cleaners had been instituted as well, scrubbing Flea Bottom of the shit it was known to hold, and spreading throughout the city, a perhaps futile effort to make the place look presentable.
Nobles from across the realm had come and gathered in the dragon pit ushered in by Septons and watched by guards swathed in black and red. They were herded into a partially repaired dragonpit, the rubble and debris having long since been cleared away, and the great bronze dome abandoned in place for an open glass skylight that let the sun bear down on those in attendance.
The royal family and the hand stood on a raised stone platform, high above the realm with Aegon standing in the middle of them all. Looking over the crowd Maelor couldn’t help but admit his own surprise at how many had turned up for the ceremony. Black and Green alike were in attendance, and even the Dragonpit looked fit to burst due to how many had attended.
As the ceremony began the Septon gave a long winded speech, during which Maelor was barely able to keep still as the man waxed poetic about the virtue of kings, and mourned the loss of Prince Daeron and Queen Bethany. Maelor had to bite his tongue during that bit, he’d preferred to leave his kin out of tonight’s festivities, tonight of all nights he’d hoped to not think about Bethany, about his lost love and fallen son, both taken well before their time.
The King's eyes rested on Aegon, the boy he’d raised, the son he’d grown to be from the boy he’d taken from the sands of Dorne. There was love for him, in his heart, and oft times Maelor had wondered where he’d be if he’d ever heeded the advice of William Baratheon and thrown the boy into the Blackwater. Worse perhaps, a bitter man still searching for a way to douse his fury, a man who was looking at the end of his line, with few options to preserve it. He shook the thoughts out of his head, turning his attention back toward the ceremony.
After what felt like years the Septon turned around and produced a slender coronet: a simple band of red gold unadorned and unremarkable, but still a fine thing, fit for royalty. Maelor had designed it himself, thinking that Aegon would’ve preferred something more to his taste, not too audacious and better than the black iron coronet that Maelor himself had worn as Crown Prince. As the Septon finished his ramble, he gently placed the crown atop the Crown Prince's head, and Aegon rose as the herald proclaimed him.
“Aegon Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, Heir to the Iron Throne!” The herald's voice bounced off the walls of the ruined castle, and he was met with a thundering reply from those assembled.
————————————

The Great Hall of the Red Keep

[Vibes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nERPIqWXTLM)
After the ceremony the nobility of Westeros filed into the great hall for the feast, with Maelor accompanied by his White Cloaks and the royal family, with the small council following closely behind. Seating for the feast was quicker than expected, and almost immediately drinks and food began flowing freely among the guests, though the air was heavy with the tension of a hundred different grudges left over from a twenty year old war.
The high table was sparse compared to earlier years, with Maelor in the middle, Aerea on his left and Daena next to her. On his right was William Baratheon, his strong right hand, seated between him and Aegon who sat on the end of the table. Maelor was dressed simply, in a black tunic and pants, swathed in a fine cape of crimson pinned by a dragon of red gold. The Crown of the Conqueror sat atop his head, fine rubies and valyrian steel heavier than he remembered; *Blackfyre* hung from his waist, its familiar weight a comfort to him.
Standing from his seat Maelor cleared his throat as the room quieted, and put on a small smile, looking over the crowd once before speaking.
“Thank you all for coming, truly, it has been so long since I’ve seen the Red Keep so lively, my own daughter can attest that she’s not seen me so rife with worry. Seven know finding enough food to feed you all was the hardest my hand had let me work in years.” Aegon took a breath and prepared for what he was to say next.
“I know many of you have your reservations about Rhaenyra’s descendants, the Black Line, the Tainted Line, unfit to rule a kitchen much less a kingdom. This will not stand. Prince Aegon will wed Aerea when she comes of age, and will sit the throne after me, this is what I have decreed, and this is how it shall be for now.” He could see the surprise on the faces of a few of those gathered and the anger at others.
“Failing that, should the worst happen, I’ve made another choice as to the future of the realm. You are all aware that my own wife was lost to sickness three years ago, I loved the Queen, and there shall never be another like her. But there shall be another Queen. I will take a new wife, a new queen that will bear my children, and stand by my side during the coming years.”
“I have made no choice, and not yet considered any candidates, I’d hoped to marry for love as I did once before instead of haggling like cheesemongers.” He smiled then, a small thing that he hoped would take the tension out of the room.
Whatever reaction was to be had would be silenced with a raised hand, and once again Maelor would look over the assembled crowd. “Now, enough of politics, enough of old grudges and hard words. There is a feast to be had, drinks to be downed, and plenty of food to be eaten.”
“Music!” The band began to play with a vigor, jumping into their craft with peerless skill. “Go now, tonight we drink, tomorrow the finest of the realm will joust and fight for the honor to name a Queen of Love and Beauty. Enjoy the night, and may it last long.” With that Maelor sat down, and took a cup in his hand while rubbing at his eyes.
“Seven fucking hells.”

Have you ever had the experience of swearing you saw something at the edge of your vision, peering at you from around a corner before? I’m fairly sure a good chunk of people have, maybe even you reading this right now. Regardless of whether you’re in a crowded area such as a mall or school, or home by yourself, you’ve more than likely had that strange sensation of being watched, usually accompanied by a slight shiver down your spine. You’ll snap your head up from whatever it is you’re doing, or whoever you’re talking to. And nothing will be there. But, you always swear that, at the very edge of your vision, you saw something. A slight blur, as if something was there, but seemed to anticipate your move, and pulled back out of sight. I’m fairly certain most of you just end up shaking it off. You shake your head, telling yourself that nothing was there, and go back to what you were doing.
That’s a good thing. Because it’s what keeps you safe. It’s what keeps you alive.
Like many of you, for years, I always wrote seeing the slight blur at the edge of my sight off as a trick of my eyes. “Being so focused on one particular area that the rest of your vision goes fuzzy” as my mother once told me when I, as a child, told her I’d seen something at the doorway to my bedroom. And as I grew older, I simply took it as fact, the way every child takes their parent’s wisdom to heart. And once I became an adult, I simply waved it away completely.
That was, until one night.
You see, as a thirty-something year old bachelor who makes just above the line of adequate pay, I live by myself in a small, one bedroom apartment. It means having to live farther out from the city where I work, but I prefer living alone over not having to make the rather long drive to and from work every day. And, because my free time during the day is close to zero, I also am a bit of a night owl. This particular night, about three and a half weeks ago, I was up late, sitting at my kitchen table with my laptop out in front of me. I was surfing the net, looking for good deals on EBay for a new DVD/VCR combo since my old one broke, when the feeling came over me. The small, but noticeable shiver shot up my spine, and at the upper edge of my vision, just below where my hair began to drift into my eyes, I saw it.
It was a black and silver blur. At least, that’s what it looked like to me. I lifted my head quickly, looking towards the corner I’d seen it. My kitchen is in the back of the apartment, and where the table is set up, I was looking back out into the living room. The bedroom also sits next to the kitchen, and the wall separating the two stretches out a bit, causing a rather large blind spot from where I sat. Of course, when I looked up, there was nothing there. For a few more seconds, I simply sat, staring at the corner. Nothing moved. There was no sound except for the quiet whine of my laptop’s fan, and the hum of the fridge. I snorted. Really, Eddie? You’re jumping at shadowy blurs now? What are you, eight years old again? And with a shake of my head, I went back to the computer screen.
The hours seemed to pass by at an accelerated pace, and to my surprise, when I checked the clock at the bottom right of my laptop screen, the time said quarter to three in the morning. “Holy crap, I stayed up too friggin’ late!” I whispered to myself. I’d barely be getting four or five hours of sleep. And so, with a yawn, I shut my computer down and put it back into its carrying bag. As I stood up, though, a slight feeling of apprehension wiggled its way to the forefront of my mind. I lifted my head from zipping up the bag and again stared at the corner. This time there was nothing there. No blur at all. Recalling what my mother had told me years ago, I stood up and slowly stepped into the center of the kitchen, where I could see around the corner. I felt a small pang of embarrassment at the relief that washed over me as I saw nothing was there.
“What next, you gonna start believing in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus again?” I muttered to myself. And with that, I entered my bedroom, shutting the door behind me and climbing into bed. For a moment, the image of the blur danced behind my eyelids. And then the sandman overtook me, plunging me into a deep and dreamless sleep.
The next day passed by like I was wading through quicksand. Of course, it likely had to do with how tired I was. But I got through the day, and soon enough, I was back home. This time, I resolved to get to bed before midnight. One AM at the latest. So I didn’t go on my computer. Instead, I watched some TV, and indulged myself in a few online matches in Battlefield 1. Soon enough, the clock sitting next to the TV displayed 12:35 in big red numbers. Alright, time for bed, I thought, and stood up, shutting off the TV and Xbox. I decided that I would get myself a drink before bed, and moved to the fridge. Opening it, I pulled a pitcher of juice out, and grabbing a glass from a nearby cabinet, poured myself some. The cold liquid felt good sliding down my throat, and I let out a relieved sigh. For a moment, I closed my eyes. Apart from the sound of a diesel truck passing by outside, and the ticking of the clock over the sink, all was silent. And I loved it. I placed the glass in the sink to wash tomorrow, and turned to take the pitcher back to the fridge.
And nearly dropped it at what I saw. As I turned around, I had a clear view across the kitchen and living room toward the small alcove where my front door sat. And for just a second, I saw the same black and silver blur, pulling back out of sight from the edge of my vision. Except this time, I know it wasn’t just a trick of my vision, or a strand of hair flashing in front of my face. “Hey!” I reflexively yelled out. I didn’t expect any response, and I didn’t get any. But now I knew for certain. There was something, or someone there. I felt my pulse rapidly quicken, and my heart began to beat like a drum against my chest. Fucking great, did someone decide to break in and try to burgle my apartment, of all places tonight? I looked around quickly for something to defend myself. My eyes fell upon the block holding all my kitchen knives, and moving quickly, I pulled the largest one out and turned back towards the entryway.
There was no movement now, but I noticed a change in the atmosphere. Gone was the simple, vacant air the apartment always held. Now, it seemed to contain a charge to it. As if seeing the figure had been something they hadn’t planned on. As if I weren’t supposed to have seen it. Probably figured I’d already be in bed. Well, they have a massive surprise coming their way. I cleared my throat. “You back there” I called out simply. Again, there was no reply. I spoke again. “Look, I saw you there peeking around the corner of the entryway. The jig is up. I don’t want a fight right now, so, I’ll make you a deal. If you turn around right now and leave, I won’t call the cops on you, and I won’t come at you with this knife. Just, go find someone else to rob, okay?”
Still, there was silence. But the tension in the room seemed to have racked up more than a few notches at my words. I waited for a minute, feeling my temper begin to flare. Does the dumbass seriously believe that if he stays quiet, I’ll believe he’s not there and go to bed or something? It wouldn’t be a surprise; the people who usually broke into houses and apartments in my neighborhood were usually strung out on the drug of choice for the week, or, in all truthfulness, simply not that bright. I let out an annoyed growl. “If I have to come over there to get, it’s not gonna end well for you” I said. At six feet even, and in good shape, I could easily take on whoever it was.
The silence was almost deafening. Okay, the hell with this, man. I strode quickly across the room, the knife held out in front of me in a vice like grip. I stopped for a moment, drawing in all my strength and reflexes. For a moment, though, an odd sensation seemed to wash over me like a wave. To my surprise, it was a bolt of fear. But, fear of what? Yes, it was a bit dangerous to about to confront a cornered intruder, but fear shouldn’t be one of the experienced emotions. Shaking it away, I put all the muscle into my legs, and leapt around the corner.
There was nobody there.
For a moment, I simply stood there, feeling dumbfounded. “Uhhh….what?” I blurted out. I knew for a fact I’d seen someone there. It hadn’t been a trick of my eyes. And I hadn’t heard the front door open. In fact, looking down at it now, I saw the little knob on the door handle was, in fact, twisted into the locked position. As I stared down at it, a sudden, huge shiver rushed up my spine, combined with the feeling of being stared at intensely. In fact, it almost felt as though whoever were doing the staring, were almost directly behind me-shit!
On instinct, I whirled around, slashing out with the knife as hard as I could. But again, there was nothing. No one stood behind me. The oddest thing, though, was that as soon as I spun around, the feeling of eyes boring into the back of my skull ceased. As if the watcher had simply blinked out of existence the moment I turned. But the tension in the apartment didn’t go away. In fact, it almost seemed to intensify. And it kept me on edge. Enough to the point that I searched the entire apartment. I went into the bathroom, drawing back the shower curtain. I went into my bedroom and opened up the sliding doors to the closet. I even opened up both closets in the living room, pulling out all the coats and boxes someone could hide behind. But I found nothing. No trace of anybody. Even still, though, when I went to bed, I locked the door to my bedroom behind me, just in case. And I slept with the knife on my bedside table.
The next morning, when I awoke, the feeling had vanished from the apartment. It was almost as if the daylight had banished the tension filled aura away, and I was glad for it. Along with the fact that I had a full day of work ahead of me. And so, with a final look around, I locked the front door behind me, climbed into my old, but well taken care of Mitsubishi Starion, and made the two and a half hour drive into the city for work. The day passed by without much fuss, aside from a mandatory team meeting my dickhead boss decided to impose on us during our lunch break. The monotony calmed me down somewhat, and I began to mentally tease myself for how bent out of shape I’d gotten last night. I even decided to tell some of the guys at the water cooler about it.
Everyone, of course, had a good laugh over it. “Well, Ed, if I ever need someone to slice away at the dark emptiness of my house, I’ll be sure to give you a call!” Mark, one of my coworkers joked, causing everyone, including myself, to guffaw some more. The joking shoved it completely out of my mind, and before I knew it, the evening had arrived. I packed up my belongings back into the car and made the journey back home, still chuckling a bit to myself and humming along to the songs playing on the car’s radio. As I pulled into my apartment building’s parking lot and into my space at close to ten at night, however, I saw something which tore away that relaxed, relieved emotion from me like it’d been a loved one in the grip of a tsunami.
My complex is set up in a U formation with two floors, sort of similar to how an older built motel looks. My apartment was the second one on the top floor, and from where I sat in my car, I could look up and see the living room window of my place between the slats of the walkway’s railing. As I always did, when I left, I’d twisted shut the white venetian blinds so nobody walking past the window could look into my place.
Someone was peering down at me from between the blinds. From between my blinds.
I felt my blood turn to ice as I saw the obvious parting in the middle of them, signifying someone was pulling down on a section of them. And then doubly so when they, just as quickly, snapped back into position. Shitttt, I mentally hissed. I fumbled around in my coat pockets, looking for my cell phone. I let out a groan as I suddenly realized I’d forgotten it when I’d left home that morning. Which meant it was up there. With them. “Shit” I hissed again, out loud this time. I gazed around for a moment at the darkened windows of the other units. But I knew none of my neighbors would be of any help to me. Long gone were the days of neighbors looking out for each other; they would, inevitably, tell me to either find a way to call the cops myself, or straight up tell me to go fuck myself, that it wasn’t their problem. Which, unless I wanted to drive straight to my local police station, over twenty minutes away, the only other option was…to go in myself.
Hissing through gritted teeth, I pulled the door handle and kicked the door open, letting the chilly night air flood into the car’s interior. I reached down and yanked on the trunk release before climbing out and slamming the door. Crossing to it, I pulled the glass hatch up and fumbled around inside for a moment, before withdrawing a tire iron from the mess of crap cluttering up the trunk. Slamming the hatch closed, I took a deep breath, then, leaving my car’s engine running in case I needed to make a quick getaway, I took the stairs to the top floor two at a time. A moment later, I was standing at the head of the landing, staring at the Tweety-Bird yellow painted door of my apartment. My heart pounded in my chest as I took a step forward, reaching out slowly and gripping the handle in one hand. I gave it a small twist to see if it would turn.
But it stayed in place, showing that the door was still locked. Or, whoever’s in there locked it behind them. Swallowing a bit, I reached into my pants pocket for my house keys with my free hand. Pulling them out, I slid them as quietly as possible into the lock in the center of the doorknob. I took a deep breath, knowing as soon as I twisted the key, the doorknob would turn with it as well. “God, please don’t let me get jumped as soon as I step inside” I quietly whispered towards the dark sky. I let out the deep breath, then raised the tire iron over my head and twisted the key.
The knob turned, and I immediately pushed the door open. It swung inwards, before hitting the wall with a soft clunk. The porch light cast a long, narrow shaft of light into the dark room beyond, reflecting off my flat screen TV on the far side of the living room. Aside from that, though, the place was as dark and silent as a tomb. My pulse quickened as I slowly reached inside, my hand searching for the light switch. Part of my feared that, as I blindly searched, I’d suddenly feel a vice like grip seize my wrist and pull me into the dark. The mental image sent a shiver of fear through me, just as my fingers found the plastic switch. Flicking it on, the living room suddenly became awash in the bright overhead light. Still holding the tire iron over my head, I took a tentative step inside. The atmosphere in here had changed again. Gone was the tense one which had accompanied seeing…whoever the other night. In its place was….an almost threatening one. And realizing it set me even farther on edge.
Moving quickly, I leaned around the corner, giving me a glimpse of the kitchen beyond. Both it, and the living room were empty, from initial appearances, anyways. But that still left the bathroom, and the kitchen. Something caught my eye, however, which filled me with relief. My cell phone still sat where I’d left it, in the middle of the living room coffee table. I moved slowly, trying to stay as quiet as possible so whoever was hidden wouldn’t realize I was going for my phone and bum rush me. I held my breath as I passed by the half open doors of both my bathroom and bedroom, stepping around the couch and picking up my phone. I decided right there and then, that I’d step back outside and call the cops. There was a fine line between being courageous, and being suicidally stupid, and searching this place on my own, with just a tire iron to defend myself, especially knowing someone was hiding somewhere in here, was firmly on the latter side of that line.
I turned to begin walking quickly back to the open front door. But something stopped me. Something which made me freeze. There was a small section of eggshell white wall between the door to one of my closets, and the bathroom door. Something had been written there. No, not written, I realized. It had been scratched into the wall. My eyes flashed over the three words etched into the paint and plaster. Videre nos potest. My head swam with confusion, trying to place what language it was. That was when I felt my heart almost stop in my chest, my breath along with it.
Out of the left corner of my vision, I saw the door to my bedroom had slowly, but noticeably swung open a bit. That wasn’t what had caused my heart to skip a beat, though. It was seeing the black and silver blur again. Ohhhhh, shit. Before the thought had finished in my head, I was dashing for the door. Out of the corner of my vision, there was a sudden blur of movement as the black and silver figure came flying out of the room. It never made a sound, though. I dodged it, somehow, and flew around the corner, snatching the doorknob in my free hand and yanking the door shut behind me. Twisting the keys to the right to lock the door again, I tore them from the lock and thundered back down the stairs, yanking the door to my car open and crashing into the driver’s seat. Slamming the door shut and locking it, I dropped the tire iron and fumbled with my phone.
As the voice of the emergency dispatcher came on the other end of the line, and I stumbled through explaining what had happened, I kept my gaze locked through the windshield on the front door and the living room window. I swear I saw the blinds part again as I heard the wail of the police sirens approaching.
When the police arrived, I jumped out of my car and quickly explained what had happened. They took my house keys from me and with their pistols drawn, climbed quickly up the steps to my place. With neighbors opening their doors and parting their blinds to see what was happening, they unlocked the door and quickly entered. A few minutes later, they both reappeared and waved for me to come up and join them. “I’m sorry sir, but whoever it was, they’re gone” one of them said to me. He then showed me that the window in the back of the apartment, which was in the back of the kitchen and opened out onto a main road, had been opened, the mosquito screen having been cut to allow someone to jump out. I stared out and down at the two story drop. It would hurt to jump from this height, but it’s doable, I thought. The cops again did a sweep of the apartment, turning the entire place upside down with me there, and again, found no one. They both promised to stay the night outside, to keep an eye on the place in case the person attempted to try and come back, and would make sure an officer was posted outside for the next week or so. It made me feel more than a bit better.
“What about the writing scratched into the wall?” I asked them, pointing to it. The first officer shrugged. “I honestly don’t know, sir” he said, giving me an apologetic look, “That’s a language I’ve never seen before” That’s when the second spoke up. “It’s Latin” he said simply. We both looked at him. He was staring at the writing with a bit of a confused, if not apprehensive look on his face. “But what freaking low level criminal knows Latin?” he murmured quietly, more to himself than us. “Well, what does it say?” I asked him. For a few seconds, he didn’t answer, then he finally turned and looked at me.
“He can see us. That’s, roughly, what it says”
I felt a massive chill shoot up my spine at his words, though I couldn’t understand why. Not at the time.
As promised, the officers watched over the apartment the rest of the night. And for the next week, there was always at least one cop car sitting outside. It was also, thankfully, quiet that next week. I was almost able to feel completely calm, putting the frightening experience out of my mind and allowing my life to regain a bit of normalcy. I didn’t feel any sensation of being watched. One thing I did do, though, was type the Latin words into Google, in an attempt to see if anything came up. But nothing did. I decided to push the last remnants out of my conscious mind. And as the weekend came, I looked forward to sitting on the couch, playing video games all night, and having a bottle of Hypnotiq to myself. Saturday night, I played until almost one in the morning, before stumbling my drunk ass to the bed. I passed out almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.
I’m honestly not sure what woke me up. But when I slid my eyes open, it was still to darkness. I felt my head begin to spin, showing that I wasn’t fully sober yet. I shot a look at the bright red glowing numbers of the clock on the bedside table next to my head. 3:30AM. Ugh, what the hell? Do I have to piss? What woke me u-
Everything stopped. My mind froze mid-thought, and my heart fluttered in my chest. My breath hitched in my chest as my eyes adjusted to the dark, staring across the room. I was looking at my bedroom closet, which, when I’d fallen asleep, I’d looked over and seen it closed. But now, as I stared, I realized the sliding right door had been pulled back some. A chill ran through me. And then it was replaced by a bone chilling shiver of fear as my eyes locked on to something else. Something which stared at me from around the edge of the half open closet door.
It was the black and silver blur. Except this time, it wasn’t a full on blur. I’m not sure whether it was the darkness or the alcohol still flowing through my veins, but…I could see it a bit more clearly now. I couldn’t see much. Just what looked like two large, very dark eyes, glaring at me. I felt frozen in place, fear quite literally paralyzing me to the bed. As I lay there, my eyes widened to the size of saucers, I slowly became aware of something else. Something which I’ll never forget, which I can still hear in the silence. It was whispering. It was a soft, hissing voice, sounding as grating as sandpaper, but it almost seemed to be growing in intensity. As if it knew I was awake and was staring at it. And it was not even remotely happy about it. The words were indistinguishable at first, but as the voice grew louder, the words became clear. But they weren’t words I knew. Or a language I knew.
“Tolle qui nos videre potest. Tolle qui nos videre potest. Tolle…qui nos videre potest!” I recognized some of the words as the same as the words written on my wall. It was speaking in Latin. The voice grew angrier and angrier, turning from a hiss into almost a demonic growl. And then, it went deadly silent. It almost seemed as though the entire world had gone dead silent, as if everything were being sucked out of the world.
That’s when I saw the hand reach up from underneath the bed to grab onto the sheets, less than a foot from my face. A hand which more resembled a claw, tipped with five razor sharp fingernails. There’s more than one….and it’s under my fucking bed!
Seeing that hand…that claw reaching up from under the bed broke the paralyzing hold that had come over me. I flew up in bed, flinging the sheets up and forwards and letting out an involuntary scream. Instantly, there seemed to be a world of motion in the bedroom. Black and silver blurs seemed to appear from everywhere. From the closet, from under the bed. Even from inside my armoire I used to store candy, books and CDs. And they were all coming for me.
But I was already moving, practically flying for my open bedroom door. Behind me, I caught the blurs following after me. They were terrifyingly fast, but they stayed silent. Silent, that is, except for the mantra they all suddenly began to angrily whisper. The same words I’d heard the one in the closet angrily hiss. “Tolle qui nos videre potest!” they chanted, just loud enough for me to hear. But not enough for anyone else in the complex to. I ran through the bedroom door, grabbing it and slamming it shut behind me. A moment later, I felt the push from the other side as whatever the things were attempted to force it open. Looking around, I spied a kitchen chair within reach and grabbed it, forcing it under the handle to block the door.
I knew it wouldn’t hold for long, though. I could hear the creatures practically throwing themselves at the door. I used the time I had to grab my computer bag, along with the clothes I’d left strewn on my living room floor and my cell phone. I’d just snatched my car keys from their hook, when I realized they’d gone silent. The assault on the door stopped. For a split second, I felt a wave of relief. And then I saw something out of the corner of my eye from the kitchen. My blood turned to ice as I realized the cabinet doors under the sink were beginning to open. And that demonic growl of a mantra was beginning to pour out from under it. So was my bathroom door. And both closets. “Oh, fuck me” I whimpered, then dashed for my door, snatching up my sneakers as they rushed out from their new hidey holes.
I unlocked and threw the door open, dashing out into the night and yanking it shut behind me. Bolting down the steps, I jammed the key into the door of my car and unlocked it. I piled into the driver’s seat and yanked the door shut, slamming down on the lock button. Forcing the key into the ignition and twisting it, the engine roared to life. I knew I should simply call the cops, but I knew at this point, if I did, when they arrived, they’d all have disappeared. Maybe even make it look like another person had jumped out the window again They're THAT smart. Instead, I jammed the shifter into reverse and peeled out of the parking lot. As I left, I saw the blinds part again. As they watched me go.
I haven’t been back to my apartment in weeks. I drove all through the night, fighting back the waves of nausea from the alcohol still in my system until I made it to the city where I work. I rented a motel room, and ever since then, I’ve been staying there. I figured I could just eventually have movers go and collect my things from the apartment, and give my thirty day notice. There was no way I was ever going back there.
I thought I would be safe in the city. I thought I would be safe anywhere else but my apartment. That they were bound to the place.
I was wrong. So very wrong.
Because I’ve started seeing them everywhere now. I’ve seen them while out in crowded places such as the mall or Wal-Mart. I’ve seen them in my coworker’s houses when I’m invited over by them as they tell me they’re concerned about how I’m beginning to act. I’m even seeing them at work. Peering at me from around the corners of hallways, from behind the water cooler. I’ve even caught them glaring at me from around the corner of my office cubicle. They whisper that horrible Latin mantra to themselves, now added with evil chuckles. And whisper it to me. I ended up entering the phrase into Google Translate, to understand what they were saying. But wish I never had. Because knowing meaning of the words fills me with an existential dread and terror I’ve never felt before.
Take away he who can see us
You need to listen to me now. You, reading this account I’m posting. I don’t know what these creatures are. I wish I did, because then, I might have some way of fighting back against them. I don’t even know what they fully look like. I’ve only seen their eyes. And their clawed hands. The only thing I can deduce, is that they are incalculably old. Centuries old. Maybe even eons. I now understand that those blurs I saw all throughout my life, from the corner of my vision, were them. They’ve lived alongside us for all of humanity’s existence, staying just out of sight. They like it that way. They don’t like us humans knowing about them.
But I know others, not just myself, have likely seen them.
How many strange cases of people disappearing in their homes, with all the doors and windows locked from the inside have you heard about. I know I’ve heard more than a few. And I think I know what happened to them. They saw these creatures. And when they realized the people could see them? They came for them. They wore them down, mentally and physically. Like they’re doing to me now. I’m afraid to fall asleep. Afraid I’ll wake up to see them right in front of me. I feel so weak now. I couldn’t fight them off if I tried. They know that. They knew that about the others. And that’s when they dragged them away….to God only knows where.
I know I'm going to find out soon enough.
Because all of today, they’ve been getting closer. I caught one trying to grab my leg under my desk. That wasn’t the scariest encounter I’ve had. The worst was driving back to the motel. Looking in the rear view mirror of my Starion. And seeing one of them glaring at me from just behind the rear seat. It caused me to nearly crash into a telephone pole. I’ve locked myself in my motel room, which is where I’m writing this. I don’t have much time left. They’re beginning to poke their heads out from everywhere in here. Multiple have popped their heads up from under the bed, watching me frantically typing this out on my laptop. And they’re all laughing at me. Today is when they're going to take me. They know I know that. I can’t do anything more now. I can’t run from them anymore. I’m too tired. Too weak.
But I can do one final thing. I can warn you. I can post this account here as a warning. I know for a fact most of you won’t believe me. And that’s fine. It may even be what saves you in the end.
But please, listen to me when I say this. If you ever think you see something peering at you from around a corner? If you ever catch a glimpse of a black and silver blur disappearing just out of sight? Don’t investigate it. Just ignore it. Tell yourself it’s nothing, and go about with your lives.
Because you don’t ever want them to realize you can see them.

Judgement Day 2005
Date: 22/5/05
Location: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
United States Championship:
Booker T (c) vs JBL w/The Cabinet
(JBL invokes his rematch clause for the United States Championship at Judgment Day. This time he brings The Cabinet with him which he was unable to do at WrestleMania but his plan backfires as the referee during the match when they try and get involved throws them away from ringside. Booker T hits JBL with a Scissors Kick and beats him again to retain the United States Championship.)
Cruiserweight Championship:
Chavo Guerrero (c) vs Paul London vs Jamie Noble
(Noble wins the Cruiserweight Championship but sadly has no one to take to Applebee’s 🙁😂.)
WWE Tag Team Championship:
Rey Mysterio & Eddie Guerrero (c) vs MNM w/Melina
(MNM win the titles after some miscommunication between Mysterio and Guerrero. After the match, Eddie Guerrero turns heel and attacks Rey Mysterio to a chorus of boos.)
The Big Show vs Heidenreich
(Just a quick filler match more than anything with Big Show winning in 4 minutes.)
60 Minute Iron Man Match for the WWE Championship:
John Cena (c) vs Kurt Angle (5-4)
(Kurt Angle invokes his rematch clause and promises to take back what he claims John Cena stole from him at WrestleMania 21. Angle says this match will also be on his terms. He says John Cena will face him in a 60 minute Iron Man Match. Angle says that not only is he a much better wrestler than John Cena but his experience in a match as long and fatiguing as this means Cena doesn’t stand a chance. Cena says just like at WrestleMania, he’s going to prove he’s here to stay and isn’t just a flash in the pan like Batista has show he isn’t on Raw. In John Cena’s first iconic 5 star contest, he retains his championship 5-4 with him scoring the last point within the last 10 seconds after hitting Angle with an FU. Judgment Day draws to a close with a bloody Cena holding up the WWE Championship.)
Notes:
(John Cena introduces the spinner WWE Championship on the SmackDown after Judgment Day.)
(The WWE Draft takes place over a 4 week period and the same draft picks happen with John Cena taking the WWE Championship over to Raw and Batista taking the World Heavyweight Championship over to SmackDown.)
(Eric Bischoff and the Anti-ECW Coalition aren’t at the next event in the slightest, that whole thing doesn’t exist in this timeline.)
ECW One Night Stand 2005
Date: 12/6/05
Location: Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, New York
Three-Way Dance Match:
Super Crazy vs Little Guido w/Big Guido vs Tajiri
Chris Jericho vs Lance Storm w/Dawn Marie
Extreme Rules Match:
Rey Mysterio vs Psicosis
Extreme Rules Match:
Sabu w/Rob Van Dam vs Rhyno
Chris Benoit vs Eddie Guerrero
Mike Awesome vs Masato Tanaka
Tables Match:
The Dudley Boyz vs Tommy Dreamer & The Sandman
(The Dudley Boyz wins in what will be their last match in the company… for now.)
Vengeance 2005 (Raw)
Date: 26/6/05
Location: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
WWE World Tag Team Championship:
The Hurricane & Rosey (c) vs The Heart Throbs
Women’s Championship:
Trish Stratus (c) vs Christy Hemme vs Victoria
Intercontinental Championship:
Shelton Benjamin (c) vs Carlito
(Carlito cheats to win by spitting an apple in Shelton’s face when the referee isn’t looking before hitting him with a Backstabber his first title in WWE.)
Shawn Michaels vs Edge
(Edge says that he attacked Shawn Michaels at Backlash because in order to further establish himself after winning Money in the Bank, he wants to take out the biggest in the company to create an even more open path to gold. Michaels says that Edge is an arrogant, cocky, slimy little punk who needs taught a lesson so he challenges the Rated R Superstar to a match at Vengeance which he accepts. During this match, there’s a ref bump after Michaels accidentally hits the referee with a Sweet Chin Music after Edge moves. Michaels then manages to get Edge with the move afterwards but there’s no referee. While the referees down and Michaels tunes up the band again m, Lita appears although we don’t know why. For some reason she begs Michaels to not hit Edge, she goes on her knees and hits Michaels with a low blow! Edge then spears Michaels and the ref regains consciousness and makes the count for Edge to win this match! Edge and Lita reveal they’re together and have a sloppy kiss at the top of the ramp.)
WWE Championship:
John Cena (c) vs Christian vs Chris Jericho
(Same build up which starts on John Cena’s first night on Raw, same match and same result. John Cena retains the WWE Championship after rolling up Chris Jericho. After the match, Jericho attacks Cena from behind and turns heel.)
Hell in a Cell Match for the World Heavyweight Championship:
Batista (c) vs Triple H w/Ric Flair
(Before Batista is drafted to SmackDown, Triple H convinces him to have one final battle at Vengeance in an attempt to regain the World Heavyweight Championship. Triple H says that Batista won’t get third time lucky, especially if the match takes place inside a place he’s made a name for himself… Hell in a Cell! Batista says Triple H might think he’s smart wanting this match because he’s got experience but in the end he’ll regret it after what he does to him. Batista retains the title in the final chapter of this rivalry in a bloody encounter. Vengeance draws to a close with a bloody Batista looking like a machine holding up his World Heavyweight Championship.)
Notes:
(Shawn Michaels beats Edge in a rematch the next night on Raw to close out their feud thanks to a returning Matt Hardy!)
(Matt Hardy isn’t legitimately getting fired but he’ll be storyline fired and he gives that promo “Adam, you bastard, I’m going to make your life miserable! And Lita, you w*ore, I’m going to make your life miserable! And the WWE, can kiss my ass!”.)
(The terrorist angle with Muhammad Hassan doesn’t happen in the slightest. RIP to those who sadly lost their lives in a terrorist attack in London on July 7th, 2005.
(Sharmell starts accompanying her husband Booker T to the ring.)
The Great American Bash 2005 (SmackDown)
Date: 24/7/05
Location: HSBC Arena, Buffalo, New York
United States Championship:
Booker T (c) w/Sharmell vs Muhammad Hassan
(Hassan never wrestles in WWE again after this match.)
WWE Tag Team Championship:
MNM (c) w/Melina (c) vs Super Crazy & Psicosis
Cruiserweight Championship:
Jamie Noble (c) vs Paul London
The Undertaker vs Christian
(After being drafted to SmackDown, Christian attacks The Undertaker and says his reason is simple. Go after the cornerstone of the brand to be noticed in order to get an opportunity for the World Heavyweight Championship consistently unlike on Raw. The Undertaker says that Christian trying to make a name for himself at his expense is something he’ll deeply regret! Christian puts up a fight but in the end, The Undertaker wins. After the match, a returning Randy Orton delivers an RKO to The Deadman!)
Rey Mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero
(After Judgment Day, a pissed off Rey Mysterio demands answers from Eddie Guerrero for betraying him. Eddie says it’s simple, he’s sick and tired of hearing that Rey is better than him because he fluked a win over him at WrestleMania and is fed up hearing people talk as if Rey was making him look better in the team when it was actually him making Rey look better. Eddie challenges Rey to a match at the Great American Bash to try and get even from WrestleMania which Rey accepts. Eddie Guerrero lies, cheats and steals his way to victory after poking Rey in the eyes when the ref isn’t looking and rolls him up with his feet on the ropes to steal the victory.)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Batista (c) vs JBL w/The Cabinet (By Disqualification)
(JBL wins a Fatal 4 way on SmackDown thanks to The Cabinet against The Undertaker, Christian & Booker T to earn this match against Batista. In the build up, JBL says he’s told everyone for a long time that he’s a Wrestling God and will further cement that truth at the Great American Bash at Batista’s expense. JBL also says just because Batista beat Triple H a few times, it doesn’t mean he’s falling for the hype and promises to leave The Great American Bash as the World Heavyweight Champion. Batista says Bradshaw is an arrogant piece of crap and is the type of person he’s always hated and loved beating up when called for. In the build up, The Cabinet using their numbers advantage give Batista a beating on the SmackDown before this event meaning The Animal isn’t 100%. During the match, there’s a ref bump and The Cabinet try to attack Batista again but Batista gets a chair and lays to waste on all of them. Batista then hits JBL with the chair which the referee sees and calls for the bell, resulting in a disqualification. Batista’s still the champion but he doesn’t care, he’s severely pissed. Batista beats the hell out of JBL, busts him open and lays him out with a Batista Bomb through a table, much to the crowd’s enjoyment. The Great American Bash draws to a close with Batista on top.)
SummerSlam 2005
Date: 21/8/05
Location: MCI Center, Washington D.C
United States Championship:
Booker T (c) w/Sharmell vs Chris Benoit
(Face vs face… for now. Chris Benoit after being drafted to SmackDown challenges Booker T to a match for the United States Championship at SummerSlam which Booker T accepts. Booker T says that he has a lot of respect for Benoit but he’ll show him no sentiment and will pin his ass in the middle of the ring. Chris Benoit wins the championship after forcing Booker T to submit to the crossface.)
Women’s Championship:
Trish Stratus (c) vs Victoria
(The final of many battles over the last 2 years between these ladies. Trish Stratus wins clean with a Chick Kick to retain the Women’s Championship.)
Matt Hardy vs Edge w/Lita (Referee Stoppage)
(Same build up as real life. Matt Hardy is pissed at Edge and Lita for having an affair and promises to make their lives miserable. Hardy gets storyline fired for saying the company can kiss his ass but is re-hired due to the fans annoying Edge to the point Edge asks Eric Bischoff to re-hire Hardy and let him face him at SummerSlam. Bischoff grants Edge his request. During the match, Hardy’s head collides with the ring post and he ends up busted wide open. Edge then throws in some cheap shots and the referee calls for the bell with Edge being declared the winner.)
Falls Count Anywhere Match:
Rey Mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero
(After winning at The Great American Bash, Eddie Guerrero says that claims Rey Mysterio was better than him have been proven to be false. Rey responds by saying they haven’t because he behaved like a coward and cheated to beat him. Rey then says now that they have one win each over one another, he proposes one more match against Eddie. Eddie accepts and says he wants it to be a match that he can destroy Rey without any consequences so offers to up the stakes and make it a Falls Count Anywhere match. Rey accepts Eddie’s challenge. In a classic final chapter, Rey Mysterio wins and he celebrates with his wife Angie, son Dominik and daughter Aliyah who are all at ringside.)
Intercontinental Championship:
Carlito (c) vs Shelton Benjamin
The Undertaker vs Randy Orton
(Randy Orton says he’s back after an injury. While injured, Orton says all he could think about was his loss to The Undertaker at WrestleMania and it makes him sick because he never killed the legend like he promised. Orton says that he wants another match against Taker at SummerSlam which The Deadman accepts because he’s pissed off at getting an RKO at the Great American Bash. Taker says Orton just like at WrestleMania will Rest in Peace at SummerSlam! The Legend Killer gets even with the Deadman when his father Cowboy Bob Orton appears and distracts The Undertaker. This allows Orton to hit Taker with a quick RKO and win. Orton gets out of dodge with his dad before The Undertaker inevitably sits up which he does and he’s pissed!)
Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle
(This is essentially the exact same feud that happened at WrestleMania 21 in real life but it happens here instead. Two great wrestlers in their prime fighting to see who the better man is. In the build up, they both try and one up each other, brawl whenever they cross paths, talk trash about one and other and make fun of each other. Yes, we still get the “Sexy Kurt” segment😂 Kurt Angle wins clean in a 30 minute classic after surprisingly forcing Michaels to submit to the Angle Lock!)
No Holds Barred Match for the World Heavyweight Championship:
Batista (c) vs JBL
(After The Great American Bash, JBL demands that Teddy Long give him a rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship after Batista got himself disqualified. Bradshaw says if Batista wasn’t such a coward by hitting him with a chair and brutalising him afterwards, The Wrestling God would be the World Heavyweight Champion! Teddy Long tells JBL that he has a good case to get another shot at the World Heavyweight Championship so he grants him another opportunity and the match will happen at SummerSlam. Long tells JBL that this time there will be a definitive winner so it’ll be a… No Holds Barred match! Bradshaw laughs with The Cabinet and thanks Teddy Long but Teddy has more news that he doesn’t think JBL will be smiling as much at… The Cabinet are banned from Ringside! JBL flips and isn’t happy with Teddy Long but Teddy tells him the decision is final. Batista says on the go home show before the PPV that he’s going to end this once and for all, give Bradshaw the beating he deserves and will leave his hometown still the World Heavyweight Champion. Batista retains the title in a bloody encounter after delivering a Batista Bomb onto the steel steps.)
WWE Championship:
John Cena (c) vs Chris Jericho
(After turning heel at Vengeance, Jericho says his reasons for attacking John Cena is an easy explanation. Y2J says that John Cena is just another wannabe false star who’s stealing his spotlight since being drafted to Raw and he can’t stand it. Jericho also says he’s better than Cena and challenges him to defend his title in a singles match at SummerSlam. Desperate to prove himself, John Cena accepts and tells Chris Jericho he’s going be walking in and out of SummerSlam as the WWE Champion. Cena retains after hitting Jericho with an FU as SummerSlam draws to a close.)
Note:
(Chris Jericho loses in a rematch against John Cena for the WWE Championship the next night on Raw and gets fired by Eric Bischoff in what will be his last appearance for over 2 years.)
And that’s part 39 over and done with guys! I hope you all thoroughly enjoyed. I just want to let you all know too that if any of you want to take any ideas I have for any of your rebooks if you want to join in with these projects, I’m totally fine with it and if you need any advice, just drop me a message 😁 I’ll be back very soon for part 40 where we’ll sadly lose Latino Heat, have brand warfare heading into Survivor Series and Randy Orton will enter the depths of hell for his sins. Stay tuned!

The guys at Sherwin said their wall and wood primer is what we need to paint our oak kitchen cabinets.. but after the first coat it looks yellow... should i carry on with second coat and finish paint or go get some killz or something else?