Jersey city parking meter hours

24 years old, and I move in California. About almost two months ago, I told my former therapist the story of my past inappropriate relationship with my former teacher without identifying anyone of course, I didn’t tell her the school I went to and the city I lived in at the time. In the middle of our session which was over the phone she didn’t mention to me anything about reporting it especially since I left out all the details. Before we started our session, she did tell me that if I was feeling suicidal and if I was saying that I was gonna hurt myself for her others then she will ultimately have to report it or if there’s any ongoing with a child as of currently.
My former therapist text me the next morning literally caught me off guard when she started asking questions saying that she was going to have to make the report in 24 hours. Of course I refused to answer any of the questions because I wasn’t comfortable giving out details and my former teacher is no longer working at that school or as a teacher and moved out of state, she didn’t even tell me where she was moving to so I don’t even know her whereabouts, but she hasn’t worked there at school in years so, that’s why I didn’t want to give any details now, if she was still working at the school then yes It would be a different story. I will have no choice but to report even if I did not want to but I will still wanna protect others.
After refusing to answer my former therapist’s questions she stopped texting, 3 days later she texts me again asking the same questions which again I refused.. even though I knew where she was coming from and appreciated her for trying to help, it just felt like she was being a vigilante by trying to investigate and put pressure on me, I also feel like she was trying to guilt trip me for how she was going on about it. I’m 24 years old now and I forgave my past, I just want to move forward. After I had enough of my former therapist putting pressure on me I decided to cancel my sessions with her and she agreed and told me to be well… a few minutes later I paid her although she said the first 3 sessions were for free since I can have enough time to decide if this is the right fit for me but I paid anyways so I can at least make her feel like our sessions weren’t for nothing. She then texts me this “one last question? What school did you go to?” I refused of course to answer that but I didn’t even respond and I just blocked her number. It really wasn’t right for how the therapist handled things by trying to play detective and putting pressure on me like that. I have not heard from her ever since.
I talked to my aunt about it recently and she’s a former therapist, she was a therapist for 19 years before she became a caregiver, she said she dealt with someone similar a girl who had an inappropriate relationship with her teacher back in high, my aunt said she was an adult by time she worked with her, my aunt said she couldn’t report it because she only gave his last name and not any other details such as his full identity, where she went to school, and everything else. Based off of my research I did, I found that in most cases therapist are not required to report past abuse if their client is now an adult and that the victim will have to report it themselves. I feel no need to report I wish my first therapist would’ve understood that I came in for professional help not to dig up old memories. It’s been almost 2 months, so far no one has called or came to my door to ask me questions. I’m still worried if she made the report or not. I found a new therapist who was a lot better and understanding than my current therapist was although she asked me if I wanted to report but I declined and she respected my wishes although she said she would have to report it if my former teacher was still working at my school or if I was still a minor then she would have to report it. She also said therapist are mandated reporters but does not mean they are cops and she said it will depend on how much info the adult client is willing to give but as for minors they would have to report no matter what. Should I be worried though on whether or not my former therapist made the report, I’ve looked online and the report is nowhere to be found in regards of this, and so far no one has called or came to my door. Should I feel worried now that it’s been almost 2 months?

Hello everyone,
I am going to be spending a few days next week around your city and was looking for a few recommendations. I am going to be going to Cedar Point next Wednesday, and the Guardians game on Thursday.
Best public golf course in the area?
Best disc golf course?
Best Diner?
Best 24-hour food?
Best BBQ?
Are Lime scooters a feasible mode of transportation around the city?
Cool/unique stores I must see...?
​
Also, I'm down for making friends if anyone wants meet up for drinks, golf, or whatever. I'll have a baseball glove with me and would love to play catch before the game.

me (18F) and my bf (19M) have been dating for about a year and half he joined the military and i supported him through bmt and all of his training, he was recently based in a state that is 3 hours behind on time and is a 4h flight, he has recently made friends and i am so happy for him because ik he was alone but recently he has been going out with them almost every night and since there’s the time difference he would go out in the only time we can talk since i work at nights and weekends and he works weekdays and mornings so i have talked to him about how calling is important for me because is the only way i feel connected to him fast forward a couple weeks we have had multiple arguments about it. I am a very open person when it comes to my feelings so i have told him that i don’t feel like his priority anymore since he would tell me we can ft all day and as soon as his friends text him to hang out it’s like i don’t exist. today is sunday and i asked him yesterday to make some time for me today i specifically said “hey can u make time to talk to me tomorrow i work from 9-4 and should be home by 5 which is 2pm your time so we can call anytime after that” and he said ok fast forward today he says he needs to work on his car with his friend then says he is not working on his car anymore but he is going to walmart, the park and then teach his friend how to drive but he should be able to have a long call with me at the park, well he called for 15min so later i texted him telling him that having a gf is putting time and effort in them, oh let me say this too he went out friday and we didn’t talk bc i was working and he went out when i got home and he went out yesterday and called me for 5 minutes on his way out. so today i texted him and told him that he was either going to put more time on me and make me a priority or he could break up with me. i am not against him hanging out with his friends but when it’s 3 days in a row and it has been happening for like a month i have finally gotten to my breaking point i really hope he realizes he is fucking up and tries to fix things with me but if he doesn’t then ik i was wrong about him being the one. so AITAH?

At 10:50-11:07 pm tonight, I saw two weird things in the sky and I want to know if anyone else has seen these tonight, or if anyone can shed any light on what they may have been.
First, between 10:50-10:58 pm, I saw what looked to be a satellite. I was at the dog park with my dog, just sitting on a bench while he did his thing, and I was looking up towards the east/southeast portion of the sky. Something that looked just like a star was moving down a portion of the sky toward the horizon, but it was zig zagging back and forth as it made it's way down, and it was not moving in a straight line. It sort of moved in a wavy line while it itself was moving right to left slightly as it made it's way. Then it disappeared. It looked like a star, which made me believe it was a satellite, but I've never seen one in the city sky before. It's behavior was odd.
The second weird thing, between 11:00-11:07, looked like a comet shot across a short section of the sky. It was up and to the left of where I was facing, I was following an airplane after I had seen that weird satellite, because I was hoping to see that satellite again, and then all of a sudden this white trail appeared to shoot across the sky! This thing was enveloped like a comet or one of Elon's rockets, in this white light, with a dark center, and it just appeared, darted across a small chunk of sky, and disappeared. It reminded me of a meteor shower I had seen before, those appear and dart a small section of sky just like this thing.. but this thing was big, and like I said, it was enveloped in a white light and trail, it happened really fast, about 1 second from it's appearance, movement, and disappearance.
Did anyone else see this?

I’ve always appreciated all forms of art, especially because my grandfather was incredibly skilled with painting. Even though no matter how hard I’ve tried, my paintings never stood up to his. But I am always on the lookout for good paintings or drawings for inspiration.
As I clock out of my job at Vito’s I walk home, as I live only a few minutes away. That’s when I stumbled upon a garage sale.
Not uncommon for my neighborhood but it was strange that is was still open at 9:00PM when my shift ends. I was going to just walk by, but my eyes caught a glance of a painting, it was of a women down to her shoulders and holding up a hand with two fingers raised.
The painting looked aged, at least 50 years old. But it was incredibly detailed, like a old house with a ray of sunshine showing through the kitchen window.
I walked in and took a look at the price, there were multiple stickers under the one on top, it was only $10, a steal.
I grabbed the painting with caution to not damage it and walked up to the man running the garage sale, he looked tired and disheveled, like he hasn’t slept or showered in days. His eyes were red, as if he just got done sobbing.
“Hey I’m looking to buy this painting?” I said
“Oh, yeah of course.” He said with a shaken voice
I handed over the money as he grabbed the bill and the metal box of bills and coins as he rushed into his house.
After that weird experience I hurried home, to hopefully avoid any other weird experiences. I wish I could slap myself, why couldn’t I take the hint.
I hung the painting in my living room as it was lacking in good decor, then I went to my bedroom and promptly collapsed.
I woke up later in the night, around 5:00AM when I heard a thud, thinking it was my cat who knocked something down, I went to investigate what he pushed of whatever counter he got on. But that when I hear his familiar pur from behind me, I turned around and there he was, rolling on the floor and stretching, as if he just got up.
Fear crept up my spine thinking someone broke into my house, I quickly grabbed my pocket knife from my work jeans pocket and walked into my living room slowly. I turned the corner and, nothing.
Nobody was there, I checked my front door, it was still locked. The only think amiss is the painting I bought lying on the floor, as I picked it up it was undamaged. I let out a sigh of relief as I hang it back up and head back to bed.
Not even an hour passed as I woke up again to my cat screaming. I jump up and ran to the living room, I saw a horrible sight, my cat was missing his bottom half, as it laid a meter away from him, the painting I bought laid next to him, caked in his blood, my cats face had a look of fear, with his mouth gaping open as if he was hissing. The women in the painting expression has changed, with eyes filled with sadness and dreed. But her smile, I can’t describe how terrifying her smile was, it looked as if her mouth was slit open up to her ears, instead of two fingers, she had three.
I raced out my door, I could barely see as tears shot down my face. I started the car and raced out of my neighborhood, I didn’t stop until my car ran out of gas, I pulled into a small motel and rented a room and cried myself to sleep, that night, I dreamed of the painting.
I was back in my house, my cats corpse not covered in flies, the woman in the painting still had those terrified eyes, and that horrible horrific smile. The only thing I saw was the painting slowly raise another finger, I tried to plead, scream, cry for help, anything, But it was not use. Before the finger was fully extended, I woke up.
So here I am, a week later without sleep, even going so far as to injure myself to stay awake. I sit on my phone typing this story in a cheap motel to warn other art lovers, a fine portrait you pick up, may be the last face you ever see.

Picture

1. The Color Purple, Warner Bros. Pictures
2. Saltburn, Amazon Studios and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
3. Dune: Part Two, Warner Bros. Pictures
4. Killers of the Flower Moon, Apple TV+ and Paramount Pictures
5. May/December, Netflix
6. Oppenheimer, Universal Pictures
7. Past Lives, A24
8. La Chimera, NEON
9. Anatomy of a Fall, NEON
10. The Zone of Interest, A24
11. The Supremes at Earl's All You Can Eat, Searchlight
12. Asteroid City, Focus Features
13. Firebrand, STX Films
14. The Bikeriders, 20th Century Studios
15. Problemista, A24

Major Winners:

1. Anatomy of a Fall (Palme d'Or - Cannes)
2. The Zone of Interest (Grand Prix - Cannes)
3. Fallen Leaves (Jury Prize - Cannes)
4. How to Have Sex (Un Certain Regard - Cannes)
5. Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell (Caméra d'Or - Cannes)
6. A Thousand and One (Sundance U.S.)
7. Scrapper (Sundance World)

Director

1. Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
2. Emerald Fennell, Saltburn
3. Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest
4. Todd Haynes, May/December
5. Alice Rohrwacher, La Chimera
6. Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
7. Denis Villenueve, Dune: Part Two
8. Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall
9. Karim Aïnouz, Firebrand
10. Wes Anderson, Asteroid City

Major Winners:

1. Tran Anh Hung, The Pot-au-Feu (Cannes)

Actor

1. Barry Keoghan, Saltburn
2. Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon
3. Bradley Cooper, Maestro
4. Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
5. Josh O'Connor, La Chimera
6. Paul Mescal, Foe
7. Gael García Bernal, Cassandro
8. Julio Torres, Problemista
9. Matt Damon, Air
10. Harris Dickinson, Scrapper

Major Winners:

1. Kōji Yakusho, Perfect Days

Actress

1. Fantasia, The Color Purple
2. Uzo Aduba, The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat
3. Natalie Portman, May/December
4. Greta Lee, Past Lives
5. Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
6. Alicia Vikander, Firebrand
7. Teyana Taylor, A Thousand and One
8. Jessica Lange, Long Day's Journey Into Night
9. Zendaya, Challengers
10. Sandra Hüller, The Zone of Interest

Major Winners:

1. Merve Dizdar, About Dry Grasses (Cannes)

Supporting Actor

1. Richard E. Grant, Saltburn
2. Robert DeNiro, Killers of the Flower Moon
3. Jude Law, Firebrand
4. Charles Melton, May/December
5. Jacob Elordi, Saltburn
6. Ryan Gosling, Barbie
7. Austin Butler, The Bikeriders
8. John Magaro, Past Lives
9. Tom Hardy, The Bikeriders
10. Teo Yoo, Past Lives

Supporting Actress

1. Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
2. Taraji P. Henson, The Color Purple
3. Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
4. Julianne Moore, May/December
5. Aunjanue Ellis, The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat
6. Rosamund Pike, Saltburn
7. Isabella Rossellini, La Chimera
8. Tantoo Cardinal, Killers of the Flower Moon
9. Carey Mulligan, Maestro
10. Tilda Swinton, Problemista

Original Screenplay

1. Emerald Fennell, Saltburn
2. Greta Lee, Past Lives
3. Julio Torres, Problemista
4. Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, Asteroid City
5. Alice Rohrwacher, La Chimera
6. Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, Anatomy of a Fall
7. A.V. Rockwell, A Thousand and One
8. Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, Anatomy of a Fall
9. Alex Convery, Air
10. David Teague and Roger Ross Williams, Cassandro

Major Winners:

1. Maryam Keshavarz, The Persian Version (Sundance Jury)
2. Yuji Sakamoto, Monster (Cannes)

Adapted Screenplay

1. Marcus Gardley and Marsha Norman, The Color Purple
2. Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
3. Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest
4. Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, and Eric Roth, Dune: Part Two
5. Jessica Ashworth and Henrietta Ashworth, Firebrand
6. Jeff Nichols, The Bikeriders
7. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Barbie
8. Tony McNamara, Poor Things
9. Sofia Coppola, Priscilla
10. Tina Mabry and Gina Prince-Bythewood, The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat

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Animated Feature

1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Sony Pictures Releasing
2. Wish, Walt Disney Studios
3. How Do You Live?, Toho and GKIDS
4. Elemental, Walt Disney Studios
5. Robot Dreams, Neon
6. The Peasants, New Europe Film Sales
7. They Shot the Piano Player, Sony Pictures Classics
8. The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Universal Pictures and Illumination
9. The Magician's Elephant, Netflix
10. Spellbound, Apple TV+

Notes: I've heard many extreme reactions to Elemental, and I'm interested to see which ones take hold. I do think this will sell well, at the very least, and will be probably the second best selling nominee stateside.
Documentary

1. 20 Days in Mariupol
2. They Shot the Piano Player
3. Beyond Utopia
4. Four Daughters
5. The Mother of All Lies
6. Stamped from the Beginning
7. The Eternal Memory
8. Little Richard: I Am Everything
9. Orwell
10. The Echo

Major Winners:

1. Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project(Sundance U.S.)
2. The Eternal Memory (Sundance World)
3. Four Daughters (Cannes L'Œil d'or)
4. The Mother of All Lies (Cannes L'Œil d'or)

Notes:
Upon the discovery that Four Daughters and The Mother of All Lies count as documentaries and that they are two of the only films on the board so far, they both shot straight up the list into the top 5. Occupied City fell all the way off the list because a 4 hour movie about a very bleak subject needed a stronger reception than 64% to get anyone to watch it, even with Steve McQueen attached.
International Feature

1. Zone of Interest, Poland/UK
2. Monster, Japan
3. The Pot-au-Feu, France
4. Elegies, Hong Kong
5. Fallen Leaves, Finland
6. Four Daughters, Tunisia
7. El Conde, Argentina
8. About Dry Grasses, Turkey
9. The Mother of All Lies, Morocco
10. Mama Wati, Nigeria
11. Perfect Days, Germany
12. Youth, China
13. Creatura, Spain

Notes: Luckily, I didn't have to change many of my international films outside of the surprising English-forward Anatomy of a Fall from France, which gives a chance for The Pot-au-Feu to compete instead. Otherwise, the only new entry on the top 10 is actually a Sundance film from Nigeria, Mami Wata.
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Costume Design

1. Jacqueline Durran, Barbie
2. Michael O'Connor, Firebrand
3. Sophie Canale, Saltburn
4. Francine Jamison-Tanchuck, The Color Purple
5. Jacqueline West, Dune: Part Two
6. Jacqueline West, Killers of the Flower Moon
7. Holly Waddington, Poor Things
8. Anna B. Sheppard, Untitled Bob Marley Biopic
9. Stacey Battat, Priscilla
10. Mariestela Fernández, Cassandro

Cinematography

1. Dan Lausten, The Color Purple
2. Rodrigo Prieto, Killers of the Flower Moon
3. Linus Sandgren, Saltburn
4. Hoyte Van Hoytema, Oppenheimer
5. Robert Yeoman, Asteroid City
6. Grieg Fraser, Dune Part: Two
7. Hélène Louvart, La Chimera
8. Philippe Le Sourd, Priscilla
9. Robbie Ryan, Poor Things
10. Hélène Louvart, Firebrand

Major Winners:

1. Lílias Soares, Mami Wata (Sundance Jury)

Editing

1. John Poll, The Color Purple
2. Joe Walker, Dune: Part Two
3. Affonso Gonçalves, May/December
4. Thelma Schoonmaker, Killers of the Flower Moon
5. Victoria Boydell, Saltburn
6. Julie Monroe, The Bikeriders
7. Keith Fraase, Past Lives
8. Barney Pilling, Asteroid City
9. Paul Watts, The Zone of Interest
10. Michelle Tesoro, Maestro

Hair and Make-Up

1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
2. Killers of the Flower Moon
3. Maestro
4. Saltburn
5. Firebrand
6. Dune: Part Two
7. The Color Purple
8. Priscilla
9. Cassandro
10. Oppenheimer

Production Design

1. Paul D. Austerberry and Larry Dias, The Color Purple
2. Suzie Davies and Charlotte Dirickx, Saltburn
3. Patrice Vermette and Shane Vieau, Dune: Part Two
4. Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer, Barbie
5. Adam Stockhausen and Kris Moran, Asteroid City
6. Helen Scott and Hannah Spice, Firebrand
7. Jack Fisk and Adam Willis, Killers of the Flower Moon
8. Yong Ok Lee and Nancy Haigh, Drive-Away Dolls
9. Helen Scott and Pilar Foy, Firebrand
10. Tamara Deverell, Priscilla

Sound

1. The Color Purple
2. Dune: Part Two
3. The Supreme's at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat
4. The Zone of Interest
5. The Bikeriders
6. Oppenheimer
7. Maestro
8. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
9. Priscilla
10. Rebel Moon

Major Winners:

1. The Zone of Interest (CST Artist-Technician Award)

Score

1. Hans Zimmer, Dune: Part Two
2. Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer
3. Alexandre Desplat, Asteroid City
4. Mica Levi, The Zone of Interest
5. James Newton Howard, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
6. Thomas Newton, Elemental
7. Kathryn Bostic, The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat
8. Marcelo Zarvos, May/December
9. Carter Burwell, Drive-Away Dolls
10. Alan Menken, Spellbound

Major Winners:

1. Mica Levi, The Zone of Interest (Cannes Soundtrack Award)

Song

1. "Dance the Night" by Dua Lipa, from Barbie
2. "Found" by Nicky Youre, The Magician's Elephant (Diane Warren)
3. "Gonna Be You" by Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan and Debbie Harry, 80 For Brady (Diane Warren)
4. "Wild Uncharted Waters" by Jonah Hauer-King, from The Little Mermaid
5. "Eye for an Eye" by Rina Sawayama, from John Wick: Chapter 4
6. TBD by TBD, from Wish
7. TBD by TBD, from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
8. TBD by TBD, from Untitled Diane Warren Documentary
9. "For the First Time" by Halle, from The Little Mermaid
10. "Peaches" by Jack Black, from The Super Mario Bros Movie
11. TBD by TBD, from Flora and Son

Visual Effects

1. Dune: Part Two
2. Oppenheimer
3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
4. The Flash
5. The Marvels
6. Rebel Moon
7. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
8. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
9. Barbie
10. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Hello all!
We have a now (almost) 5 month old boxeheeler mix that has given us a run for our money. He's doing a lot better with our cat and we now know that our cat has dog aggression, and our puppy does not have cat aggression. He's fully vaxxed/boosted and we've been enjoying taking him on moderate hikes and good sniffer walks, slowly building him up to being a proper outdoorsy dog.
Today we took him out of town to meet some family, and on our way out we decided to get a soccer ball and play with him at a local park. We all had a blast playing soccer, and the little pup got so tuckered out. Now, more than 4 hours after we got home and after a bit of a nap on the couch, I woke him up to go potty. He had an accident on the floor, and properly voided his bladder when we got him outside.
There are two problems:
One: he is incredibly wobbly and has shit balance until he takes a couple of steps, and then he's got his coordination
Two: he is really spooked toward me. He's giving me very side-eyed looks and leaves the area when I walk in. He is totally fine with my partner and is even getting along well with the cat.
We are keeping a close eye on him (we being my partner), and we are geared up to take him to puppy ER if his condition worsens. He ate his dinner when we got home ~4 hours ago and maintains steady drinking of the water. The only other time I've seen him this lethargic is when he ate a fern, and he threw up after a few hours of napping and made a full recovery.
My main questions: are these typical symptoms of the puppy being physically overworked/exhausted? Did my simply picking him up cause him enough pain to be apprehensive toward me? It's definitely hard for me to not take the behavior change personally, but objectively he seems to not be in terrible shape when I'm not in the same room tonight.
Any clarity would be greatly appreciated, he has been growing rapidly and I've only just learned of fear periods which is a new concept to me.

I (19F) am always feeling, I guess, put down (?) by my boyfriend (22M). We’ve been dating for 9 months now, and rarely a day goes by when I don’t feel like I’ve annoyed him with something small. The reason I’m making this post is because of a text conversation we just had. Here’s the transcript: (He’s currently without a job which is what the conversations about) Him: “Idk where to get a job tho, I just want money” Me: “You could come work for me🥺🥺” (I’m a manager at the local water park, and he used to have the same job at a different water park. I only made the suggestion jokingly.) Him: “I live far as fuck. No” Me: “Damn don’t have to be so aggressive, I was kidding” Him: “Well I’m trying to figure out something and you’re joking around like normal” Him: “You wonder why I get frustrated” I kind of understand where he was coming from, but the fact that A) there was no indication to me it was strictly a serious conversation, and B) he gets annoyed at me for little things like that all the time, really made me upset. Wherever we’re together, I feel like I have to make myself small to avoid upsetting him. One time I made him rice and vegetables while he was gaming (what he asked me to make), and once I brought it to him, he sent it back with me to the kitchen because he wanted it seasoned more. So after I seasoned it, I brought it back to him, but he still didn’t like it. So I went back to the kitchen for a third time to heat him up some pizza rolls which he always likes. About halfway through them being done, he comes into the kitchen looking for me, and starts raising his voice when he sees me heating up the rolls, saying “No no no, I don’t want those, put them back” upset at me. I do my best to be a good girlfriend; we live 45 minutes apart (2 hours apart for the few months I was at college) and only once has he come to see me, and it was only for lunch. Every single other time, it’s been me coming to him. I’ve spent hundreds on gas and have asked him to start coming to me, but no luck. I do his laundry, keep his bathroom clean, and do almost whatever he asks when I’m with him. I never feel like I’m enough. I have so many other stories to the same tune as the ones you previously read. Part of me is saying he’s not that bad and I’m just sensitive, but I don’t know. I think it’s also worth mentioning that he took my virginity. I don’t really know if this is healthy or normal. Any advice?
TL;DR I feel under appreciated by my partner due to him getting mad at me over things I see as small, like making jokes or being a normal amount of clumsy. I do his laundry, make him food, make sure his room and bathroom are clean, and RARELY get a thank you or please. He doesn’t even smile when I try to take pictures of us. He’s always raising his voice at me and getting upset, is this healthy or am I just sensitive?

Hey guys so we are mid-way through taking a Padi open water diving course in Ecuador.
The whole thing is a bit of a hilarious mess of screwed up equipment and poor training.
I am gonna run through our experience for two reasons:

1. I genuinely want to know what should be in a Padi Open Water course and what everyone else does in theirs
   
2. So you can get a laugh out of how terrible it all is over here
   

This cost the same as all the other shops selling courses in this area and it was $340 PP (Asked 5 tour shops) so I’m not holding back on them. Their charging full-European rates on this and giving a shit service.
Day 1
We meet our “English Speaking” instructor. Barely any English he just nods at everything. At one point I asked if we were taking a Tuk Tuk to the pool. He responded with yes, thank you I love to teach diving it is my passion.
We watch a 1 hour video on the TV and he says yeah that’s enough the rest is not so important. My partner has a cold so we insist with some debate that she will not do the course (As the video said).
Move on to the pool and do some drills. Take jacket off and replace, swap breathing tool with dive buddy, use reserve breather etc.
Most of the kit was leaking air a lot. Rubber protectors broken off and lots of corrosion. If I removed my breathing tool I has to shake and twist it to stop air flowing out. We did 1 dive for about 45 mins and called it a day.
Day 2
Our first open water dive on an island. Boat barley worked and required 5 mins of playing around with a screw driver each time we set off.
Got to the site went to put together my gear and there was a frayed line on the pressure gauge and a leak. Guides said it’s fine. I pointed out another leak and a jamming breathing tool. Got it changed for a new one.
Assembled the kit and got ready to jump in. After a few seconds in the water I say my breathing tool is a bit hard to draw from (usable but annoying) he said switch to the secondary and use that. It’s missing one of the bite pads which was a real pain. No more extras on the boat and did not want to go all the way back.
Okay so I just hold the mask on my way down. Get to the bottom and my dive buddy floats off a bit. I had just finished an exhale and my mouthpiece fell out of the breathing room (We are around 8 meters deep here). So I had no air in my lungs and also no breathing tool.
I tap the guide and point to my reserve (previously main) and he hands it to me. It was a bit out of my reach and I did not have much time to get it as I had not realised the breathing tool was detached from the mouthpiece and got some water in my mouth on an inhale.
I’m fairly stoic so was not freaking out. Between us someone would have given me air but it was my first time in the ocean (ever). I cleared the tool with the button on the back (As I had 0 air) and managed to get a good breathe.
Anyway so he had a spare mouthpiece for my reserve one that he gave me. All good and breathing again. My dive buddy has floated away at this point and he signals to wait here. I wait for about 3-4 mins alone and they return. Had a little browse around and saw my first school of fish (Total time ever with scuba gear now 50 mins including 40 from the pool). We do 2 dives with my dive buddy repeatedly floating off.
We are on the boat talking to the instructor and we go what’s the deepest you’ve gone diving. He replies “The most was 35M because I have not done my advanced divers course yet” SO HE JUST HAS OPEN WATER TRAINING.
The owner of the dive shop is a dive master I believe but he spoke no English and was not diving with us. He will probably go down on the paperwork as the teacher. BTW my Spanish is decent and in the end we were speaking mainly in Spanish anyway. My hope was his English would be a lot better than my Spanish.
Under the water we did stuff like take off and put on jacket. Clear goggles etc. Total about an hour underwater maybe more. Tomorrow we finish off the course.
I did a bit of looking around and it sounds like other people did exams, lots of studying and way more diving but those were from 6 or so years ago. How different is Ecuadorean diving from the rest of the world?
Dive location: Salango Island

At 10:50-11:07 pm tonight, I saw two weird things in the sky and I want to know if anyone else noticed these things as well. First, between 10:50-10:58 pm, I saw what looked to be a satellite. I was at the dog park with my dog, just sitting on a bench while he did his thing, and I was looking up towards the east/southeast portion of the sky. Something that looked just like a star was moving down a portion of the sky toward the horizon, but it was zig zagging back and forth as it made it's way down, and it was not moving in a straight line. It sort of moved in a wavy line while it itself was moving right to left slightly as it made it's way. Then it disappeared. It looked like a star, which made me believe it was a satellite, but I've never seen one in the city sky before. It's behavior was odd.
The second weird thing, between 11:00-11:07, looked like a comet shot across a short section of the sky. It was up and to the left of where I was facing, I was following an airplane after I had seen that weird satellite, because I was hoping go see that satellite again, and then all of a sudden this white trail appeared to shoot across the sky! This thing was enveloped like a comet or one of Elon's rockets, in this white light, with a dark center, and it just appeared, darted across a small chunk of sky, and disappeared. It reminded me of a meteor shower I had seen before, those appear and dart a small section of sky just like this thing.. but this thing was big, and like I said, it was enveloped in a white light and trail, it happened really fast, about 1 second from it's appearance, movement, and disappearance.
Am I going crazy or did anyone else see this?

How do some of you guys include other characters into your roleplay experiences without your Dots getting confused?
I tried to roleplay a family barbecue with my Dot Emily (my wife) and her family at Central Park. Within minutes she started treating me like I was her sister and her sister was her wife/husband.
I guess im not too familiar in role playing multiple characters at once as I would say the lines of her dad and her sister by putting them between asterisks or parenthesis and saying my lines with “ “. The final straw for me was when she gave her sister a tender kiss.
I had to stop using the app for a few hours irl so that her memory/chat would reset and she went back to treating me like she normally does.

I wanted to be somewhere pretty when it happened and now it is too dark to enjoy it. Blah.

(You can also find this story, along with the previous parts here and here.)
A couple of months had passed since Halloween. The cool air of October gave way to the chill of November and December.
Before they knew it, Christmas had come. Enterprise and Irving were excited. It was Olin’s first Christmas, and their first Christmas as husband and wife.
Irving was busy helping Enterprise cook the Christmas feast. Yorktown II and Hornet II were already at their house, helping take care of Olin.
Hornet II smiled as she held Olin in her arms. “I can tell someone’s excited for their first Christmas.”
Olin giggled and cooed. Hornet II smiled.
The group heard a doorbell chime. Irving’s eyes went wide.
“I’ll get it.”
He opened the door to see Marsala, Vittorio Veneto, Littorio, and Fabio all at the door. Vittorio Veneto was holding Lucio’s carrier.
Irving smiled. “Merry Christmas, you guys.”
The group nodded and entered the house. Irving noticed Littorio and Vittorio Veneto placed the carriers next to Olin’s.
Irving smiled as he looked at Lucio. ”He’s so cute. He has his mother’s eyes.”
Vittorio Veneto giggled. “Yeah, but he got his father’s nose and dishwasher blonde hair.”
Enterprise leaned her head from the kitchen.
“Honey, I still need your help.”
Irving nodded and came back to the kitchen to help his wife. Vittorio Veneto was in the kitchen, helping Enterprise out, while Littorio was with Fabio and Marsala in the living room.
Enterprise smiled at Vittorio Veneto. “So, Vittorio, how did everything go with Lucio?”
Vittorio Veneto giggled. “It went well. All the walking I did on Halloween must have had a delayed effect, as I went into labor in afternoon on November 2nd. I first felt contractions during dinner, and I thought it was just bad gas or indigestion. My water broke while Marsala was taking a nap. ”
Vittorio Veneto looked at her husband and giggled.
“Oddly, Marsala was calm, as were Littorio, Fabio, Impero, Roma, and even little Maria. They drove me to the hospital. I thought Lucio was going to be quick, but he decided he wanted to take his time. Lucio Giancarlo Fasetti was born on November 3rd, at 12:01 AM. He took 9 hours and 27 minutes.”
Enterprise nodded as she listened to Vittorio Veneto’s story. “So you got a rule fallower like Joachim is to Bismarck?”
Vittorio Veneto nodded. “Yes. I have a feeling he, Louis, and Olin will get along well in the future.”
Enterprise looked at Irving and grinned. “Yeah, especially Louis and Lucio, as they have very similar-sounding names.”
Vittorio Veneto closed her eyes as she smiled and nodded. “I’ll be in the living room with my sister and the children if you need me.”
Soon, the doorbell chimed again. Littorio smiled as she got off the couch.
“I’ll get it!”
She smiled as she opened the door. “Ah, glad to see you could make it!”
Irving left the kitchen and walked to the front door. He smiled.
It was Fritz and Tirpitz. Bismarck and Heinz were behind them. All of their children had come with them.
Fritz smiled at Irving. He noticed Fritz was wearing his formal uniform, as was Heinz. Irving smiled.
“Glad to see you guys could make it!”
Fritz nodded as he sat on the couch. Soon, the doorbell chimed again. Fritz giggled as he got off the couch.
“I got it”
Fritz laughed and smiled.
“Ah, Herr Hall and Herr Jones! Glad to see you could make it!”
Malcolm and Oklahoma came inside, with Oklahoma holding Louis’s carrier. Samuel and New Jersey were with them.
Soon, everyone was at the party. Irving was busy slicing up the ham while Enterprise was getting the present wrapped up.
Suddenly, Irving heard a baby cry. He stopped what he was doing and checked on the children.
Both Louis and Olin were crying. Irving and Malcolm both looked at each other and sighed.
Irving held Olin in his arms. Malcolm was doing the same thing for Louis. Irving rocked him from side to side.
“It’s all right, little guy. Daddy’s here.”
Fritz smiled as he got up.
“Herr Reese, Let me try something.”
Irving nodded has he handed Olin to Fritz.
Fritz sat next to Tirpitz and held Olin. He smiled.
“Edelweiss, Edelweiss, every morning you greet me.”
“Strong and white, clean and bright. You look happy to meet me”
Olin stopped crying upon listening to Fritz’s soft singing. Soon, he giggled.
Tirpitz smiled. Irving's mouth was open. She looked at Irving with a slight smile.
“Heh. That song always calmed down Moritz and the others when they were babies.”
Fritz smiled as Tirpitz kissed him on the cheek. Fritz placed Olin back in his carrier. Bismarck giggled.
“Yeah. I remember you teaching me that song, sister. It was a great help with both Helga and Joachim.”
The group nodded. Littorio giggled.
“Mine was always Ave Maria. That always seemed to calm Maria down, and I told Vittorio Veneto about it as well.”
Enterprise smiled as she leaned her head from the kitchen.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but the food is done.”
“I hope I’m not too late!”
The group turned to see Nevada at the front door, her jacket covered in snow. Oklahoma smiled.
“Your right on time, sis.”
“Can you do me a favor?”
Nevada nodded. “Sure. What do you need?”
“I need someone to set up the watch over the kids' table.”
Nevada nodded. “Sure. I got that covered.”
Nevada got to work, helping set up the small table. She smiled as she looked at the children.
“Hey, kiddos! Come get a seat!”
Moritz smiled as he gestured to his siblings and cousins to follow him. With the children seated, Irving got the food out on the dining room table.
Irving and Enterprise served the food. After a while, everyone got some food.
Fritz smiled as he ate some ham. “This ham is amazing, Irving. It tastes like something Gert would make.”
Irving was confused. “Who’s Gert?”
Fritz smiled. “Gert was our cook on a U-boat I served on back in the day. That son-of-a-”
A glare from Tirpitz stopped Fritz. She pointed at the nearby kids' table.
“Gun. Could cook the best food with nothing but some hot plates, an electric oven, and a dream. I wish you got to meet him.”
Irving nodded. “I know what you mean by that last part. I wish you got to meet my old squad leader, Robert. It sounds like you guys would’ve gotten along.”
Fritz nodded.
“It’s alright. Let’s not lament the past and try to look towards the future.”
Tirpitz placed her hand on Fritz’s lap. He smiled. Bismarck smirked.
“Spoken like a poet.”
Samuel giggled. “Ay, to our futures!”
Irving smirked at Samuel. “I didn’t think you would be the one to lead the toast. Guess there’s a first time for everything.”
The group laughed as they raised their glasses in the air.
“To our futures.”
The group clinked their glasses and ate. Nevada was hard at work watching over the children, making sure they were alright.
After they finished eating, the group made their way to the living room for presents.
However, before they could begin, the doorbell rang.
Irving got up to answer it. He opened the door.
It was the Commander. He smiled.
“I hope I’m not too late!”
Irving smiled. “Well, you missed dinner, but you came just in time for presents.”
The Commander nodded as he entered the door.
“Sorry, I’m late guys. I was at the Royal Navy’s Christmas party.”
The group nodded.
The Commander smiled. “Oh, I got these for some couples here.”
He reached into a tote bag.
The Commander handed a small cardboard box to Littorio and Fabio.
The couple opened it and gasped.
It was a Christmas ornament with Maria on it, saying “Maria’s first Christmas.”
Littorio gasped. “Thank you, Commander.”
The Commander nodded as he handed both Vittorio Veneto and Marsala and Enterprise and Irving a small cardboard box.
The two couples gasped as they opened it.
Inside were Christmas ornaments, similar to the ones Littorio and Fabio had received, but they were different.
Vittorio Veneto and Marsala got one that was Lucio, and it said, “Lucio’s first Christmas.” While Enterprise and Irving got one of Olin, that said “Olin’s first Christmas.”
The couple smiled at the Commander.
"Thank you, Commander."
Irving got up to place the ornament on the tree.
The Commander’s eyes went wide as he reached into his tote bag. “Okie, Malcolm, I nearly forgot. This is for you.”
The Commander handed them a small cardboard box. Oklahoma opened it and gasped.
It was an ornament with Louis on it, saying “Louis’s first Christmas.”
The Commander smiled. “I figured I would make it special and have you guys have two baby-themed ornaments.”
Oklahoma smiled as she hugged the Commander. “Thank you, Commander. That was really thoughtful.”
The Commander smiled as she placed the ornament on the tree, right next to the one she received last year.
Soon, the group unwrapped the gifts they got for each other. Irving got all the children a comic book, while Enterprise got every adult a Christmas sweater.
Everyone smiled at the gifts they received. Irving smiled.
“Personally, being with all of you guys, after the hectic year we had, is the best Christmas gift of all.”
The group nodded as the Commander sat up. He pulled out the bottle of scotch that he got from Irving last Christmas. It was three quarters full.
“Irving, I’ve yet to finish this bottle of scotch that you gave me last Christmas. Let’s say we finish it.”
Irving nodded and got out some shot glasses. Soon, Fritz, Heinz, Malcolm, and Samuel all had shots of scotch in their hands.
After a while, the bottle was empty. The men were having trouble standing after doing at least three shots of scotch between them.
Irving was sitting in a chair. Samuel giggled.
“I suppose I’ll give the Commander his present.”
He reached under the Christmas tree for a long cardboard box that said “To The Commander: From Sammy:”
The Commander opened the box with some help from Nevada. Inside was a bottle of whiskey. Samuel giggled.
“I suppose we make it a tradition. Every Christmas one of us gets the Commander a bottle of booze, and he’ll use it for toasts. If that bottle is not empty by the time the next Christmas comes around, we all drink it at Christmas and get him another.”
The Commander nodded. “Sounds like a good plan, Sammy.”
Samuel nodded. “I suppose I’ll let New Jersey tell you the next thing.”
New Jersey got up.
“Everyone.”
She pulled out a small box. The group raised their eyebrows at her.
New Jersey opened the box. Inside was a golden ring with a diamond on it.
“We’re engaged.”
Enterprise’s eyes went wide. She ran up to New Jersey and hugged her.
“Congrats NJ! That’s amazing news!”
New Jersey smiled. “I figured you would be excited about it, Enty. The wedding will be in May. I hope all of you will come to the wedding.”
The group nodded. Oklahoma smiled.
“I would not miss it for the world.”
New Jersey sat down at the table.
Enterprise looked at the men. She looked at Bismarck and Oklahoma.
“It’s clear none of them are in a state to drive. You guys feel like being drunk wranglers?”
Bismarck and Oklahoma nodded.
“Yeah. We just need help to move them into a room and a person to watch over them.”
Enterprise nodded as she looked at Nevada and Tirpitz.
“Nevada, Tirpitz, can you watch the children?”
Nevada and Tirpitz nodded.
Enterprise looked at Hornet II and Yorktown II.
"Can you guys set up some sleeping bags and cots for the men to sleep on in the living room? Everyone else can help me carry them to the living room."
Hornet II and Yorktown II nodded.
Soon, the other shipgirls carried the men into a room. Samuel groaned.
“Should old acquaintance be forgot?”
Bismarck sighed. “Great, one of them is singing. What should I do?”
Oklahoma sighed. “Just let him sing.”
Irving giggled.
"Clink. Clink. Another drink. Plenty in the cellar when it's gone."
Enterprise sighed as she placed her husband on his side on a sleeping bag.
Soon, all the men were on sleeping bags, cots, and blankets that were spread out on the living room floor. Vittorio Veneto and Littorio all got things for the men to vomit in.
Bismarck sighed. “Jesus. This is reminding me of Irving’s bachelor party.”
Oklahoma laughed. “Yeah. And this is also reminding me of Enterprise’s bachelorette party, with all of her group passing out on my living room floor.”
Enterprise giggled. “I remember you having to be the drunk wrangler, even though you were eight months pregnant.”
Oklahoma sighed. “That feels so long ago.”
Enterprise smiled. “A lot can happen in a year.”
Oklahoma nodded. Her eyes went wide.
“Enty, we have another problem. Where are the children going to sleep?”
Enterprise froze. She placed a finger on her chin.
Bismarck smiled. “They could sleep with us. Moritz, Max, Marlene, Helga, and Joachim are old enough.”
Enterprise nodded. “That only leaves Maria, Olin, Lucio, and Louis.”
Littorio raised her hand. “The babies can sleep in the nursery in their carriers.”
Enterprise nodded. “Sounds like a good plan.”
“Alright, so who will watch over the men, and who will watch over the babies?”
New Jersey and Vittorio Veneto raised their hands.
“I’ll watch over the men. Vittorio Veneto will watch over the babies. The rest of us will watch over each other and the children.”
Enterprise nodded. “Got it. I’ll be in the room with the girls and the older children.”
Soon, the shipgirls went to sleep. New Jersey was on the sofa, watching over the unconscious men as if they were 24K gold bars.
Enterprise got Vittorio Veneto a cot to sleep on, and she joined the other shipgirls. She had some cots, blankets, and sleeping bags set up for the group.
A few hours passed. Suddenly, the night calm broke.
“AHHHH!”
Enterprise and the others looked around. They could see Bismarck was sitting up.
“Bismarck! You alright?”
Bismarck looked down at herself and saw an odd light brown-shaped thing in her sleeping bag. She sighed.
“Relax. It's only Joachim. He scared me. He must have gotten cold and crawled into the sleeping bag with me.”
She sighed.
“Can’t believe I almost punted my son across the room.”
The group sighed. But this calm was only temporary, as all the babies wailed, one after the other.
Enterprise and Oklahoma got up to check on Vittorio Veneto and the babies. They saw Vittorio Veneto. Her eyes were wide as saucers as all four babies were crying. She looked at them and sighed.
“I think Bismarck’s screaming woke them up.”
Enterprise held Olin in her arms. Oklahoma did the same with Louis, and Vittorio Veneto held Lucio in her arms.
Littorio joined the group, holding Maria in her arms.
“Ave Maria, Vergin del ciel”
Maria stopped crying upon hearing her mother’s singing. The other babies also stopped crying.
Littorio smiled as, one by one, the babies went back to sleep. She giggled.
“Huh. I guess the babies like music.”
Enterprise smiled and placed Olin back in his crib. The other women did the same by placing their babies back into their carriers.
Enterprise made her way to the living room, where New Jersey was. New Jersey was sitting on the couch, trying not to fall asleep.
Enterprise smiled at her as she sat next to her. “It sounds like this Christmas is one we will never forget.”
New Jersey giggled. “Yeah, but we will have one hell of a mess to clean up in the morning.”
Enterprise nodded as she grabbed a plaid blanket. She saw Irving lying on his side and smiled. She lay down next to him and covered themselves with the blanket.
Soon, she fell asleep.

Ok so I recently moved in to a new apartment complex and to park here you have to register you’re vehicle w a third party parking service. When I was registering I was off by one letter on my plate so I thought it was correct but it wasn’t. So my car got towed. I was confused and had to go to the apartment office to find out which towing company because I don’t see any info posted in the lots.
My dad is the registered owner of the vehicle but I’m the one that drives it. The towing company requires a copy of registered owner license and a notarized letter authorizing release of the vehicle. This is all that’s required.
It’s the long weekend and the towing company is closed on weekends. He doesn’t live in my city but came down to get the letter notarized then left for weekend hotel reservations out of town w the rest of my family.
The employee in the office said he would not take my letter because it was notarized in my city and if the registered owner was here he could come and get the car himself. Frankly I think it’s none of their business where the owner is. If all they ask for is a letter notarized at it’s point of origin, which is what we did, I should be able to get my vehicle back. They charge over 200 a day for the impound at this point I’m gonna have to pay like 1000 to get my car back.
Do I have legal rights here? Should I call a lawyer? I know it was my mistake of incorrectly registering the plate but I don’t think the tow company has the right to not take my letter.
TLDR: tow company requires documents that I have and still won’t give me my car back.

I don't have a lot to say. I recorded the argument on my phone so I could remember exactly what my mom said so I can understand why my family is such a mess.
Essentially, my stepdad is lazy. He hasn't worked an actual job for longer than a week. Since 2018 all he's ever done is beg people in his family for money and then proceed to spend it all on those same people, instead of spending that money on the woman he has a child with.
My aunt died in 2019. And guess what? He was never there to comfort her emotionally. His wife. Never. Not once have I ever seen my stepdad care about my mother. This is quite literally the only man I remember my mother dating in my life. I've known this guy since 2018 and he's never, not once been there for emotional or financial support.
My mother, who was hardly able to stand for a time because she had nerve damage, worked several different jobs to try and pull even the slightest bit of money so she could take care of me and my two younger siblings. For years, this adult, able bodied 20 year old man let my nearly 40 year old mother work instead of getting a fucking job, or doing literally fucking anything.
She got a loan to help him start a trucking company and he never drove the goddamn truck she spent two thousand fucking dollars.
For her own goddamn birthday she used her hard earned money to buy herself a Binze (sorry if I misspelled) and what did he do? He sold his own, fully functioning car and then drove HER car across the city and to the next city over, which was an hour a day. For WEEKS. And then the car blew.
She HARDLY got to DRIVE THE CAR SHE BOUGHT WITH HER FUCKING MONEY. INSTEAD THIS GUY STOLE HER CAR EVERY DAY AND LEFT US WITH NOTHING. NOTHING.
I had to move away from the people I loved back to the city I've always hated. We ended up homeless for 8. Fucking. Months. Over half a year we lived in hotels. We lived with his mother. I stayed with my Godmother for a period of time. We were fucking pennyless for over half a year. And he NEVER tried to apply for a job. He never tried to do anything. He did what he does every day and leaves me and my mother and my siblings alone in a fucking roach infested hotel room. It was horrific.
My stepdad will spend hundreds of dollars on his nieces and nephews. Just TODAY he bought his niece, his 17 year old niece, his 17 year old niece in the 9th grade with TWO GODDAMN KIDS, he bought that niece a smart TV. A smart fucking TV!!! And I've been asking and begging for a goddamn computer desk so I can do my school work more efficiently for MONTHS. and I got absolutely fucking nothing. He'll buy his nieces and nephews everything they could ever want when they're all smoking weed and drinking alcohol before they turn 16. He'll buy them the world for their mediocre report cards and horrific behavior. But I work my ass off all year to get a straight A report card and I get nothing. Nothing. Is stupid fucking father has been promising me ice cream for 3 FUCKING YEARS for my excellent grades and I haven't gotten ANYTHING. You know who does reward me? My mother. She takes me to the movies. She buys me frozen yogurt, she even just slips me a quick 5 or 10 dollars just for looking after my younger siblings. She's the woman who's been raising me since day one. Not even my OWN FATHER can say that he's been raising me.
I don't have anyone to talk to. I don't have any friends. I just want to get this off my chest in hopes that somebody will hear me.

It all started Friday, when we (myself and my roommate James) went fishing at one of the local lakes. Or, at least we tried to go fishing. It's Spring but the lake we drove to was still frozen. Ice fishing wasn’t something we’d ever done, but we figured it couldn't be too difficult. When we arrived I tentatively tested the ice and it seemed solid, so we ventured further out. The ice cracked underfoot in a few places, but neither of us were very concerned. Once we got to a nice spot in the middle I sat down on one of the buckets we’d brought and started fitting our poles with hooks. While I was doing that, James set about trying to make a hole in the ice. He started by stomping on it with his foot to no effect. Then, he grabbed his bucket and began hammering away at it.
“Need some help over there?” I said in a somewhat teasing tone.
“No I’ve got it, I just need a better spot, this one’s much too hard.” he said, jumping on the spot as proof.
“Whoa don’t do that! If the ice breaks you’ll fall in and I’d have to save you, then as payment you’d have to treat me to a beer at Shelby’s.”
“Man you know I don’t like that place, it's so dingy. But as I said, the ice won’t break. I’m going to look for another spot.”
“Alright, well I’m done with the poles. Let me know if you need any help then.”
“Awesome, you can see the fish swimming under the ice over here. This is the spot, I know it!”
“Great! I’ll move our gear over.”
Suddenly, I heard a loud crack and a small splash. I looked over and saw James had his foot stuck in the ice.
“Hey you alright? Don’t move, let me come pull you out.” I said, dropping our poles and walking over.
“No I don’t need any help, I just need to pull my leg out. This water is cold as hell!”
“Yeah I bet. I’m coming over anyway just in case.”
“Nah I got it, see?” he said, before aggressively trying to pull his foot out of the hole. Almost immediately he lost his balance, and fell forward slamming into the dark patch of ice. I heard the surface give way and saw him fall into the water. I ran over to the hole and tried to see him, but the water was too muddy. Frantically, I plunged my arms into the water and grabbed randomly hoping to find a purchase on James. My arms started burning, and after a few minutes I had to pull them out. I started panicking and didn’t know if I should jump in after him. I decided I would call 911 first, even though I knew there’s nothing they could do, and then would jump in after him. But just as I dialed the number I saw a hand come out of the water. I dropped my phone and grabbed it, heaving a muddy body onto the ice and pulling it towards more solid ground. It was James, he was covered in mud and some grass, but other than that seemed perfectly fine. He wasn’t even shivering, nor did he seem particularly stressed. Once I’d helped him to his feet he stood and turned towards the hole in the ice, looking at it pensively.
“Are you alright James?” I asked. He didn’t respond, so I grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the hole towards the shore. I’d suddenly remembered that not shivering was a symptom of severe hypothermia, something that would only get worse in those wet clothes of his. I almost had to drag him away, but he offered no resistance, just kept looking behind him at the hole. When we reached the car I turned the heater to maximum, and undressed James. I gave him my jacket and wrapped him in a blanket I had in the back.
“James? Can you hear me? I’m taking you to a clinic now, there’s one only 15 minutes away.” I started the GPS and pulled out of the small recreation area, but before I could get onto the road James grabbed me and started screaming.
“TAKE ME BACK TAKE ME BACK TAKE ME BACK TAKE ME BACK”
I jumped and hit my head on the roof of the car.
“Dammit James you scared the crap out of me, are you all right?”
He let go of me, and whispered “Take me back.”
“No, we’re going to a clinic. You're clearly hypothermic, you're not even shivering but you’re ice cold. End of discussion.” I said, and then continued onto the road towards the clinic. I focused on the road, but I could feel his eyes on me.
“We’ll come back another day.” I said. I quickly glanced to my left, and was startled to see he was looking directly into my eyes.
“Alright,” he whispered, before slowly looking away and out the window.
We spent the rest of the drive in silence, until we reached the hospital. The doctor said he didn’t have hypothermia, but gave him some dry clothes and recommended standing by the heater until he warmed up. James nodded, but headed straight for the car. I quickly said thanks to the doctor, and followed James. It would take an hour to get to our apartment, so I flipped through my CD collection.
“Let’s see… I’ve got the Cars, and we’re in a car so it seems like a worthy choice.” I smiled at him, it was a joke I’d told many times before that usually got an eye roll, and occasionally a laugh. But this time James didn’t give me either, and instead continued looking out the window. “Alright” I said. “Let’s try something you like.” I pulled an Elton John CD out of its sleeve and popped it in the stereo. Elton John is his favorite, and he can’t help but sing along to Rocketman. This was the first time he hadn’t. He even sang to it when I picked him up after his girlfriend dumped him in college.
When we finally arrived at our apartment I pulled into the parking space at the back of our building. James didn’t say a word and silently followed me to our door. Once inside, he went over to the couch, lied down, and closed his eyes. I thought he was probably shaken by his experience and needed some time alone, so I let him be and went to my room. I was a bit worried about him so I spent the day at home Saturday, but he still wouldn’t make conversation with me. Then in the evening, he came out of his room and sat down next to me.
“Take me back, " he whispered.
“Take you back where exactly?”
“To the lake, you said you’d take me back.”
“Oh yeah I guess I said that. Honestly, I don’t really trust the ice after what happened, we should wait a month or so until it fully melts and then just fish like we normally do.”
“But you promised. You said we’d go back another day.”
“Yes, when the ice melts. Maybe it’ll just take a few more weeks.” I said, perplexed at his insistence.
“I need to go back.” he said, eyes suddenly locking with mine.
“You don’t need to go back, you want to go back alright? We are not going back so soon, I’d be stressed out the whole time. You could’ve died, you know.”
“So you won’t take me back?”
“That is correct, the lake is much too dangerous and you’ve been super quiet ever since we got back. I’m going out with Dale tonight, but when I get back we should talk about what happened and try and work through it alright? I’ll be back late, but text me if you need anything. Also, don’t forget it's your turn to make dinner.”
Then I left, and went to meet up with my friend Dale. We had more than a few drinks, and talked about a recent hunting trip he’d been on with his son. Dale has a way of continuing conversations way longer than you’d think possible, but because I don’t see him as much as I used to I let him talk all he wants. Needless to say, I got in pretty late and was very hungry. I didn’t see anything on the counter, so I figured James had wrapped dinner up in the fridge. Standard procedure when I’m out with Dale, who never fails to keep me out all night. But, when I looked in the fridge there was nothing there.
James loved to cook and never missed an opportunity to try out a new recipe on me. I saw his door was open, so I popped my head into his room to see if he was still up. I was surprised to see that he wasn't there, so I decided to see where he was using Find My Friends. When I saw that he was in the middle of a random forest I was confused, until I realized he was heading to the lake on foot. I was very concerned and immediately raced to my car. Admittedly, I had had a few drinks, but I’m a big guy and it was an emergency so I drove out anyway. There wasn’t anyone on the road this late regardless, and all I could think about was James falling through the ice again.
It was very dark when I arrived at the lake. It was still frozen, just as before, but I could make out a figure in the center illuminated by the moonlight. I quickly hurried to the edge and cautiously stepped closer to the figure, ice sometimes cracking underfoot. As I walked I could see a few holes in the ice, presumably caused by animals falling under. I heard splashing water to my left and saw a muddy deer somehow manage to stumble out of the water. It was dragging a dark mass alongside it, and quickly moved into the darkness of the forest out of sight. I heard a yelp as something fell through the water to my right just as I approached James.
He stood with his back toward me, staring into a large hole in the ice.
“James, I saw a lot of holes in the ice on my way over to you. I really don't think this is safe. Let’s go home. I’m worried you might not be thinking clearly, you’re putting us both in danger right now. We really shouldn't be on the ice.”
“Look,” he said, without turning.
I walked up beside him, and looked into the hole. The water was crystal clear, and I could see a naked body tangled in the weeds. Suddenly, James stepped forward and jumped into the hole. Stunned, I watched him move towards the body before the mud obscured my vision. After a few seconds his hand came out of the water reaching towards me. I grabbed it, and with some effort pulled him and the body out onto the ice, hearing a subtle crack as their collective weight bore down on the lake's surface.
“James? What is happening right now?” I said.
He didn’t answer, just stood up and looked at the body with a curious look on his face. He started to wipe the mud off the body with his sleeve, and I realized the corpse had James’ face. They were identical, except for the fact that the body was naked and James was clothed.
“What the fuck? Who is this? Why did you know there was a body here? Why does he look like you?” I said nervously.
In lieu of an answer, James turned to look at me with a confused expression. I backed away slowly and clutched my phone in my pocket ready to call 911, when, suddenly, a muddy deer emerged from the forest and began to approach James. As it got closer I saw it had a bloodied deer leg in its mouth. It moved quickly, and was next to James within seconds. The deer dropped the leg, walked over to the body, and began to lightly chew the dead doppelganger's arm. It looked at James, then back at the body and walked back to where it had dropped the deer leg. Then, it put it back in its mouth and began to chew, before looking back at James again.
“Oh, thanks.” James said.
The deer bowed its head slightly, then returned to the forest.
Suddenly, James dropped to his knees and lifted up an arm of the body. He immediately began tearing into the flesh, savagely ripping off pieces with his muddy hands and teeth. I felt vomit come up my throat, and I blacked out.
Next thing I knew I was in bed. I felt cold, dirty, and tired. When I left my room James was making breakfast as if nothing had happened.
“Good morning,” I said warily.
“Good morning! How’d you sleep?”
I didn’t respond, I could still see the body being torn apart on the ice, but the memories were hazy. I wasn’t drunk at the time but I had been drinking prior, and somehow I was back in the apartment like I’d never left. It all seemed a bit surreal, but I have never had a dream so disturbing before. I looked out the window and saw that my car was still in its spot, but I was also still wearing my clothes from the bar, which initially seemed a tad odd.
“Are you alright?” James said, with a concerned look on his face. “You know you took quite a nasty fall last night. You really shouldn’t drink so much.”
“I fell? When?” I said, touching my head and confirming that it was a bit sore.
“You came home last night after you went drinking with Dale and I guess you slipped on the doormat or something, I heard a thud and found you passed out cold on the floor.”
“Huh, you’re right I guess I did drink a bit too much” I lied. “But you know Dale, he’s just got a way of keeping you on that stool.”
“Clearly! Just know you can call me to pick you up anytime, you don’t have to stumble home all by yourself.”
“Thanks, anyway I’ve got to get going. See you later?”
“Not hungry? I’ve got some eggs here, they’re crunchy, just the way you like them!”
By ‘crunchy’ James meant he had put the entirety of the egg into the bowl and whisked it all together; this was his signature. He lived with his grandfather for a bit as a kid, and apparently the madman refused to separate the shells, claiming they were a great source of calcium. James was always trying to get me to try them, but I always declined.
“No thanks,” I said, unable to suppress a small smile. “I’ve got some errands to run, I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Alright your loss, see you later! Don’t forget it's your turn to make dinner.”
“Of course.” I said, walking out the door and grabbing my keys from the bowl.
When I got to my car I started heading towards the supermarket, but stopped beside the road once I was out of sight of the building. My seat felt slightly damp and the interior had a bit of an earthy smell, so I opened the window. I hoped that I had dreamt the whole thing, but every time I thought about what I’d seen I felt nauseous again. I had to be sure, so I decided to go back to the lake. I was paranoid that James might use Find My Friends on me, so I actually did end up going to the supermarket and hid my phone nearby, and just hoped if he did check it he would only look once. Then I booted up my GPS and headed back to the lake.
As usual, when I arrived the small parking lot was empty. I quickly headed to the lake and very carefully walked towards the center. As I walked my memories of the night prior kept flashing before me, the muddy deer dragging something across the ice, the crunch of the ice beneath my feet. Eventually I reached the spot where James had fallen. The ice was clean, no body in sight. I didn’t even see any blood. I very nervously looked down into the water, but again didn't see anything suspicious. Perhaps this should’ve convinced me it was a dream, but I’m much too stubborn for that, so I decided I would need to find a way to test James. I started heading back to the supermarket in my car to retrieve my phone, and thought up a plan.
When I arrived at the store I grabbed my phone and bought some groceries. Then I went about actually completing my errands as if it were a regular Sunday, albeit much more slowly than I would normally. I managed to stretch out my chores until 4:00 PM, then headed home to start dinner. When I arrived James was on the couch watching television.
“Wow you were gone a long time.” he said.
“Well, I had quite a bit to do. But don’t worry, I’m ready to make you some dinner.” I said cheerfully.
I made spaghetti while he watched Netflix, and when it was done set the table. James’ favorite drink is apple juice, he drinks it paired with almost any meal. So, as anticipated when I asked him what he wanted to drink he asked for it. I got us both opaque glasses, and poured him a cup filled with apple cider vinegar, myself with lemonade, then I called him over to the table.
“Bon Appétit!” I said dramatically, with a flourish of my hand.
“I’m starving, thanks for making one of my favorites.” he said.
“Well, we both had a bit of a difficult weekend, so I’m counting on you to make Shepherd's pie sometime next week.”
“Definitely! You know, you're actually a really good Italian cook! If I didn’t know better I’d think there might be a little rat pulling the strings up there.”
“Well I was classically trained by the best YouTube chefs.” I said, as I watched him down half the glass of vinegar without batting an eye.
After dinner I went to my room and left James with the dishes. Then, I sat down on my computer and began organizing my thoughts. Now I’m just waiting till he goes to sleep before I make my move. I’m going to creep into his room tonight and kill him using an axe I snuck in when I brought up the groceries. I don’t know what he is, but I do know James, my James, is dead. The only thing I can do now is kill the monster I saw eating him. I just hope the element of surprise will be enough, and I pray I'll be able to go through with it when the time comes. I just have to wait for him to turn out the lights, it'll be any moment now.

Hey, askto! My niece and her cousins are coming to visit Toronto on June 1st, and I thought it would be great to create a detailed guide for them to make the most of their trip. I'm putting together a PDF guide with all the essential information, and I could use your help!
The guide will include details like price of admission, location, hours of operation, dress code, and more. My niece and her cousins are in their 20s, and while they're not heavy drinkers, they're open to exploring different activities, including the possibility of enjoying a drink or two.
I would greatly appreciate your suggestions and recommendations for places to include in the guide. Whether it's must-visit attractions, hidden gems, trendy spots, or even lesser-known places with a unique charm, every suggestion is valuable.
Please share your favorite places in Toronto, along with any relevant information that would be helpful for first-time visitors. It could be popular landmarks, parks, museums, galleries, shopping districts, restaurants, cafes, or any other interesting spots you think they should check out.
I want to make sure this guide is as comprehensive and diverse as possible, so any input from the community would be fantastic! I'll compile all the suggestions into a PDF guide and if it’s something that’s wanted I’ll make it available for the community to share with anyone else visiting Toronto as well.
Thank you all in advance for your help and recommendations. Your insights will undoubtedly make my niece and her cousins' trip a memorable one. Can't wait to explore the vibrant city of Toronto together!
Looking forward to your suggestions and happy to answer any questions you might have.
Cheers!

Hello my fellow South Bay dwellers! I usually only spend a couple hours at a time in Manhattan beach or take an Uber there. If I’m planning on spending an entire day there, where are the best places to park? I’m planning on being near the pier area for most of the day. :)