Walmart meal prep containers

Just want to get people's thoughts and suggestions on my meal prep. It's for 6 days.
https://imgur.com/a/dHGfzWM
Mexican cauliflower
Cauliflower 16oz Chorizo 22oz(typically I use 9 oz but trying a new kind only 4 carba per stick but more liquidy.) 8oz cream cheese 4oz butter 3oz of cheese
Chicken cooked in air fryer One batch I used turmeric cumin, chili powder, red chili flakes on the other just pre blend of garlic,salt, Pepper

I live with family and recently I wanted to start eating healthier and exercising because my weight has reached unhealthy levels. I’m also a student and work part-time so I have to budget really well.
Sometimes I’m not able to afford other necessities and things I’d want but don’t need so adding groceries to that really makes my budget tighter. I’m starting to meal prep so I made a grocery list of healthy foods that is only enough for one person to last through the week. I cannot afford any other food outside of this list either.
Well as I was cooking and setting the foods In the containers for meal prep my grandma comes from the living room and ask if she could have a plate, then my mom comes in and ask for one also and said if my brother is hungry he can have some as well.
I had to kindly tell them no because it’s for my meal prep, healthy food that they usually don’t even eat, and that it’s what I’m living off for the rest of the week. Then my mom starts calling me greedy and says since I only cook for myself I can also start paying for my own phone bill too as she pays for my brother and I’s
Now I’m not only feeling guilty but if she goes through with her threat that’s also something I can barely afford.

I’m 5’ 2”, and 250lbs.
I’ve struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember. The first time I remember being bullied for my weight was in the third grade. I remember feeling so ashamed of when my 8 year old self realized I was the biggest one in the class.
By the time I reached middle school I was so ashamed of my weight that I started starving myself and running everyday. It helped me lose some weight, but not for very long.
By sophomore year of high school I was heavier than I ever had been before. I was so frustrated that I let myself go again. I started making myself throw up after I ate.
Juniosenior year, I finally decided to take a healthy approach. I enlisted the help of my Swim coach and started working out with her several times a week in addition to going to the gym by myself several times a week. I also followed a diet she recommended. It was so difficult, but I felt like the pounds we’re flying off. I was only a little overweight during these days so I only needed to lose about 30lbs. I ended up losing about 20, but I was ecstatic. I had never been able to lose that much weight so quickly before.
By the end of my senior year I was in the best shape of my life and I felt unstoppable. I made plans to join the Navy. I was ready to kick some ass and keep working on my health goals.
After I finished boot camp, I started slowly gaining weight again. I was going out a lot with friends and eating a lot of fast food because the food on base was terrible. I gained about 15 pounds in 6 months.
I was disappointed, but still determined to turn things back around. I arrived at a new duty station and continued working out and tried to start meal prepping, which proved difficult because I had very little cooking skills/knowledge at the time.
Shortly after this, things took a turn for the worst. I was in a very unhealthy relationship and my mental health was deteriorating. I was coping a lot with food and I was neglecting working out. When I ended the relationship, things only got worse. My ex wasn’t able to cope with the end of the relationship and started harassing me. 19 year old me just didn’t know how to handle everything.
Shortly after I had ended things, new people started coming into my life. I thought this was a positive change, but looking back, it is clear that these people likely always had ulterior motives. I won’t disclose all the details, but two of the “friends” that I had thought I made, ended up doing something to me that would change my life forever, and not in a good way.
After that experience, my mental health declined rapidly. It took me a while to seek help, but when I did I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. All the while I was just packing on the pounds. I stopped caring what I looked like. I thought that if I made myself disgusting enough, no one would want to hurt me in the way that my “friends” did.
I was prescribed a cocktail of medications, many of them were linked to weight gain. I started putting on pounds faster than I thought was humanly possible. Soon my whole torso was covered in stretch marks. I also started coping with alcohol, because food wasn’t enough. I was, and still am, miserable.
I was eventually medically separated from the Navy because of my depression. I’ve been out for almost two years now. I continued to gain weight once I got out but not nearly as rapidly as I did while I was in.
I stopped coping with alcohol, but now I just cope with nicotine and weed. My appetite is all out of sorts. I’m either eating to much or not eating at all. But I’m not losing any weight, I’m just gradually gaining. I’m 250lbs, the heaviest I’ve ever been, and I’m lost.
I don’t know what to do or where to start. My mental health is trash, I’m dependent on substances, and I’m morbidly obese. I can’t even look in the mirror most days. I’m so disgusted and ashamed with what I see. I’m embarrassed to be in public. I never thought I’d ever let myself get this big.
And there’s so much information out there about how to lose weight, and how not to lose weight. My Instagram feed is flooded with adds from different weight loss programs all claiming to know the secret to weight loss. There are so many different sources telling me so many different things and it just makes my head spin.
And I’m not even sure if I could follow a program if I tried. I was reading an article today that said that only 5% of morbidly obese people end up losing weight for good without weight loss surgery. And I guess I just don’t believe that I can be the 5%.
I just feel so weak, but I can’t keep living like this. I’m tired of my heart sinking into my stomach every time I see a picture of myself. I’m tired of always being the biggest person in the room. I’m tired of constantly feeling like I want to take a giant blade to my stomach. I’m tired of hating myself and my body.
But man, I don’t know how to get a handle on this. I’ve got a lot of issues I need to deal with and I don’t know how or where to start. I need to lose weight, I need to work on my mental health, and I need to get my substance use under control.
All of those things, just by themselves, are difficult. And I need to do all three. I know that I don’t have to do all of these things at the same time, but I’m not sure how to prioritize them. They each feel like they need to be addressed soon before they get worse.
I don’t know. I’m just exhausted. I want to believe I can do this, but I know myself. I’m a POS. I know I just sound whiny, but how is someone like me actually going to do this?
I just don’t know how to do this.

I live in Australia. Budget altogether is $1000. I want to make all sorts of recipes too. But mostly, rice, chicken, beef, pasta, stews maybe, cookies, cake, bread, cupcake. Cooking for myself, meal prepping too.

• Skillet (Cast Iron)
• Sauté Pan (Stainless Steel)
• Victorinox 8” Fivrox Pro Chef Knife
• Dough Scraper
• Knife/Spoon/Fork
• Drinking Cup/Plate
• Cleaning Rags
• Stirring Spoon…
• Tongs (Steel)
• Whisk
• Deep fryer or use normal pan for deep frying?
• cake tray
• Baking Tray
• Bread tray? Should I get one? Which one
• Dutch Oven (Enamel or which one?)
• Oven Mitts
• Bowl mixer (glass or metal)
• Colander
• Food Mixer
• Tea pot with diffuser maybe or separate?
• Stock pot? Should I get one, making pasta? Any good recipes worth it?
• Sauce pans? Should I get one?

Hi! I’ve been wanting to make a big batch of vodka sauce and store them in freezer for easy dinner nights. Should I add the cheese during the meal prep or should I add to it when reheating in pan?

So, here's the fourth chapter. Sorry for releasing it a bit late, I've had some pretty tough finals. The next chapter might be delayed as well but after that I should be able to get back to my normal schedule of once a week or possibly better. And thanks for the support on my last chapter, your upvotes and comments mean the world to me!
Big thanks to u/Rand0mness4 for proofreading my chapter and to u/SpacePaladin15 for creating NoP and its amazing literary universe.
CW: Descriptions of desecrated bodies (just your ordinary sapient cattle farm)
[first] [previous] [next (hopefully out in about a week)]
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Memory transcription subject: Oscar Williams, UN Marine
Date [standard human time]: December 3, 2136
With the hum of the cars’ engines tapering off, everything turned quiet, far too quiet. The only sound bar my own breathing was the wind making its way through cracks in the building’s metal shell. Gunfire should’ve been raining down on us by now. The building in front of was at least the size of a football field and going by the faint, but disgusting, smell of the poor victims, the place was packed. There was no way only the about two dozen scalies we eliminated worked here.
Where was the fight? Were all of them hiding inside? We couldn’t have gotten all of them before, right? Well, there’s only one way to find out where the fuckers were hiding.
Richards lined us up next to the large pair of doors separating us from the farm and a soldier from another squad grabbed a handheld battering ram. I doubted the door would hold after just a few hits with a rock but speed was of the essence. The faster we cleared out the arxur infestation, the more people would survive. I wasn’t about to let anyone else die in that hell. My grip around my rifle tightened and time almost seemed to slow down when the first hit was winded up.
We were quietly signaled to step back from the door and with just one hit with the battering ram the lock was separated from the rest of the door. The force from the hit slammed the door open and we promptly stormed in through the opening. But no gunfire met us. The inside was just as deserted as the outside had been. We had entered what seemed to be some kind of warehouse, large crates strewn throughout the floor and deep freezers lining the walls. At that moment I desperately wished I was a mouth breather. The stench, that had previously been contained by the sheet metal walls, was now flooding into my nostrils. Manure, unwashed bodies, and rotten meat. I tried my best to focus on anything but the freezers but every single wall was covered with them. Wherever my eyes darted, more proof of the murders appeared. A dried splotch of blood, some tufts of fur, a bloody machete.
They took pride in it. Pride in this… They’re going to pay.
We crept through the wide open space, making our way from cover to cover. The dirt floor muffled any sound our footsteps would’ve made and we were only exposed for brief moments. If any arxur caught us, we wouldn’t be caught like a deer in headlights. After one of our many rushes between covers, I ended up next to one of the many freezers.
Oh god. My poor nostrils.
The smell had grown even stronger and when I glanced at the freezer I quickly realized why. It seemed to have lost power, going by the fact that it wasn't cold, and that the lid was ajar. The remains of a person, a person who had friends and family, were rotting away inside. My knuckles were turning white from how hard I gripped my rifle and my teeth felt like they were going to crack due to my jaw clenching so hard. I was going to repay them in kind. Those motherfuckers, wherever they were.
When I stood up, en route to the next cover, my eyes caught a glimpse of the inside of the freezer. Pieces of mangled body parts filled the bottom of the box and a swarm of insects swarmed around something in the middle and-
Retch
Parts of yesterday’s meal filled my mouth when I realized what was hiding under the swarm. A severed venlil head with empty eye sockets stared back at me. Blood had dripped down from the sockets, painting long streaks of orange in the white fur. The head’s mouth was locked in an expression of terror and pain and the neck looked like it had been ripped off from the venlil’s body. Part of the spine hung limp beneath the neck and, knowing arxur, I doubted the venlil had been dead during the ripping.
As soon as I found out where they were- Where the hell were the arxur?
Realization suddenly flashed through my mind. Of course those cowards had fled. Fled their just punishment that I had sworn to deliver. My grip around my rifle tightened when I thought about the fuckers running this farm. They’d almost certainly escape justice, and there was in all likelihood nothing I could do about it. If only I could convince Olivia to hunt them down like they deserved.
My train of thought was brought to an abrupt end when we reached the other side of the warehouse. The door on this wall was far smaller, clearly just used by personnel. And it didn’t even have a lock. Maybe they decided to take cover behind this smaller choke point. I immediately squashed the idea in my mind as soon as I thought of it. They weren’t disciplined enough to not rush us with nothing but their natural weaponry.
My theory was quickly being proven true when we rushed into the next room. There wasn’t a single arxur in sight, but the sheer amount of victims more than made up for their absence. We had emerged on some kind of raised walkways, overlooking cramped pits filled with aliens sleeping in the most abhorrent conditions. The air reeked of unwashed bodies, feces, and many other disgusting smells I didn’t even recognize. The victims in the pits looked even worse for wear than the rest of this dilapidated building. Several of the harchen in the closest pit were covered in deep gashes and some even missed entire body parts.
Torture, there was no other explanation. Those fucking crocs.
As I looked around at the other pens, it was quickly made evident that the treatment of the harchen was more of a rule than an exception. Over in another pit, several krakotl had been completely plucked, and what I assumed to be words had been branded onto their backs. Despite my deep hatred for most of their governments, I couldn’t find it in myself to be mad at anyone here. They’d more than likely been captured long before they even knew earth was still inhabitable and even if they weren’t, they still didn’t deserve this torture.
This was so much worse than I thought. Of course it would be horrible but this, how-
Nausea quickly filled my thoughts and before I could even bend over, today's lunch spilled out of my mouth, and I wasn’t alone. At least a third of my fellow soldiers had the same reaction as me.
Good to know I’m not the only empathetic person here. Maybe they’ll agree that the arxur deserve to be treated like their prey after this. Oh, what I would do if I caught any of them.
“HELP!”
The krakotl’s hoarse scream sent a shiver down my spine. It sounded like they hadn’t used their voice for years. I hastily pulled up my bandana and checked that my visor blocked my entire face. I didn’t dare think about what would happen if they realized we were predators.
“P- P- Please help us…”
The screaming had quickly woken up the rest of the aliens who were looking at us with a mix of bewilderment, fear and hope. My eyes darted around the pens while my mind prayed that they wouldn’t land on anyone that recognized our ‘arboreal’ eyes. After what felt like the longest five seconds of my life, I finally allowed myself to breathe a sigh of relief. If no one had fainted yet, they probably didn’t know we were human.
“We’ve come to rescue you, you’re going to get out of here. Just stay calm.”
Richards immediately took command of the situation, preventing widespread panic from the aliens.
“T- T- Thank you… Is the f- f- federation winning?”
The brave krakotl who asked us for help clearly thought we were from the federation and I silently thanked god everyone else seemed to believe the same thing. If they didn’t there would be pandemonium. Those poor souls must’ve seen arxur bloodshed every single day. I could barely imagine how terrified they would be if our identity was revealed. In their eyes we would be nothing but another species of predators and this was the worst possible place to try convincing them we weren’t.
“We’re just going to make sure there are no arxur left in the building, then we’re getting you out of there. We’ll be back before you know it.”
Avoiding the question. I really hoped Richards didn’t tip off the aliens about us there. At least she didn’t deny that we were from the feds. As long as we got out of there as quickly as possible, everything would be fine.
“I- I- saw them leaving. They were a- a- angry, and before they l- l- left they- they…”
The krakotl lifted their wing and shakily pointed towards a dark corner of the room as their voice faltered. Some kind of poles with clumps in the middle filled the corner but any more detail was masked under the veil of darkness. Carefully avoiding looking at the flickering lamps filling the building with light, I turned on my night vision goggles and as soon as my brain registered what it was seeing, I wished that I had been born blind. The poles were wooden stakes and the clumps were the mutilated corpses of a dozen aliens. Deep gashes stretched across their abdomen and their intestines were pouring out of the holes. Not even their heads were spared. They were nigh unrecognizable from blunt force trauma and one of the victims still had the hammer buried in their face. Disgust and rage flared up within me, almost stronger than I’d ever felt before. I wanted to vomit and chop arxur into small pieces at the same time.
Why do they fucking exist? Why the fuck do I have to fucking see this. How can someone… do something like this? And why did we let them escape? Wait, the faster I clear this building, the faster we can hunt them down.
“You’re safe now, we’re getting you off this planet. Squad, we’re make sure there are no arxur left on the premises.”
Sergeant Richards’ command immediately pushed me to act. While about half our our force moved to clear out the rest of the building, my squad rushed for the back door at the other end of the cattle pens. We quickly made our way outside into a large yard, the dirt ground stretching several dozen meters from the building before slowly morphing into a field. In the distance, several large piles of timber were piled high next to a large, deforested area. The only feasible place for the arxur to hide on this side of the compound was the shack that stood at the edge of the yard. In contrast to the concentration camp, this building actually looked relatively structurally sound. Thick concrete walls, a door made of something other than sheet metal, and a roof with only a few visible holes. That was incredibly impressive for an arxur.
Just gotta check this shack, then we can start chasing the fuckers.
Following Richards’ directions, we quickly began making our way towards the building. Reminding myself there was no time to spare, I sprinted ahead of the others and squeezed through the slightly ajar door. A loud slam emanated from behind me as the door shut behind me and I emerged into something that almost looked like living quarters. Several bedrolls were laid out on the ground, piles of equipment were scattered across the floor, and a large scaly repti-
SHIT SHIT SHIT!
They hadn’t left. Those fuckers just laid in ambush, waiting for me to let my guard down. Its hideous body sat on one of the bedrolls, radiating bloodlust. I could feel its eyes bore deep into my soul, sending an involuntary shudder down my spine. Every single part of it was tailor made to kill, and nothing else. It could easily rip off my limbs with its massive claws, and then chop them into tiny pieces with its razor sharp teeth if I was careless.
Can’t be careless then. That fucker isn’t going to walk out of here alive. If I’m going down, it’s going down with me.
I instinctively threw myself to the ground, raising my rifle to take out my target. My rifle was aimed directly at the unarmed creature’s head, through the chain-link fence sectioning off the arxur from me. Just before I pulled the trigger, my brain connected the contradictory information, stopping me from firing from sheer bewilderment.
Why the fuck did that thing not have a weapon? And why were they in some kind of improvised prison?
“Hey! Oscar, the door’s locked. What’s your status?”
David’s voice and a loud banging on the door I just passed through snapped me back to reality. I was locked away from my squad in a room full of arxur. The same species that fucking impailed a dozen people out there. And here they were, right in front of me, behind a chain-link fence. Red flashed before my eyes as I realized what was happening.
They were trying to fool us. And those morons thought I wouldn't notice. They put up that barbed wire, trying to exploit our empathy. We’d try to imprison them, and then they’d strike. And they would have succeeded, had I not been alone.
I slowly stood back up, and shuffled backwards until I stood flush against some kind of railing. The multiple arxur that were hiding behind the chain-link looked at me with unreadable expressions but I could noticeably see their eyes widen as I raised my rifle.
Finally realizing the jig is up? They were going to pay for for the people they fucking impailed, for the venlil whose head they fucking ripped of, and for the fucking cradle.
All I had to do was tell the white lie that they attacked me and open fire. Then my squad wouldn’t be murdered and justice would finally be served. The arxur remained quiet as mice as I prepared to enact justice, probably in shock from their stupid ploy being seen through. I was eternally thankful that they were so stupid. The anger that had filled my entire system slowly melted away, being replaced by satisfaction at their imminent demise. Right as I was about to press down on the trigger one of the arxur began speaking but as I looked for the culprit I saw that all their mouths were shut. The voice was high pitched, almost childlike, and it echoed from… below.
What the-
“Hi, what are you? You look really cool!”
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Is Oscar being a bit delusional? Should he analyze the situation a bit more objectively? Possibly, but where's the fun in having completely sane characters.
Anyways, the two protagonists are about to meet. Will said meeting remain entirely civil or will Oscar "accidentally" drop a grenade into the pit? We'll find out next time.

Now our process (to make our lives easier) is to prep our soup ingredients in large plastic containers so all we have to do in the morning is dump the containers in a pot with some water and turn on the heat. 

Hello all, given the fact one of most common posts we seem to get on the subreddit is tips/advice for coming to Nats Park either from Visiting Fans or First Times. I thought it would be a good idea to get a decent size run-down of all the things new and "old" this season at Nats Park and the surrounding area to help ensure a good experience by all (If I forgot something please comment, my brain can only hold so much Nats Park knowledge).
Old:

• Nats Souvenir Soda purchase means unlimited refills during game. I've heard tales you could use the cup throughout the season for unlimited refills but those days seem to have passed. Given the price of a regular soda is 6.49 and a Souvenir Soda is 10.99, this is one of the better deals in the park.
• First Game/Foul Ball/Home Run Certificates. If you go to Guest Services (located behind Sections 103, 131 and 320) you can get a certificates for these events. Additionally on first game you get a button, which might be something your kid will enjoy.
• Cashless Ball Park. The Ballpark is all cashless for better or worse. A pro-tip is to use mobile ordering (on the MLB Ballpark App) cause sometimes previous coupon codes will work a day or two after they were supposed to expire. Common ones that have worked: BUD, BUDHAPPY, VALUE. This can be helpful when you consider a cost of a single beer can be 14.99.
• Kids Run the Bases. All kids age 4-12 are invited to run the bases at Nationals Park after every Sunday afternoon home game, weather permitting. Kids will start their run at first base and they will be directed around the bases to home plate.
• Signature Sundays. Two Nationals players will sign autographs for fans at every Sunday home game all season long. Autographs will take place at the top of the Nationals dugout starting one hour prior to first pitch, weather permitting and subject to player schedules. Fans must obtain a free voucher in order to participate in the autograph sessions – vouchers will be distributed on a first come, first served basis at Section 103, starting when the gates open 90 minutes before first pitch. Fans are limited to one autograph voucher per person. These tend to go very very fast even in our current state of the franchise.
• Grandstand Tickets: These are $5 tickets available starting 90 minutes from first pitch, there are some rare exclusions and you will be sitting way up top but probably the best ticket deal you can get. You do need the MLB Ballpark APP to get the tickets though.
• Bags. I'm just gonna link it here cause shits complicated yo. here
• Fifth Inning is typically when the mascots (Presidents) come out and race. Very looney Tooney. (LET TEDDY WIN!!)
• Food: You can take food into the park whether it be a snack bag or Chipotle bowl. It just has to be a single serve item (no whole pizzas) and can't be in a glass or metal container. They say only water is in, but I've seen folks take soda in. So who actually knows. As far a takeout options will list below since some are new.

New:

• Food options in the park. Besides your standard hot dog (Hebrew national) and chicken tenders there are a few "local" places in the park that are worth noting: Ben's Chili Bowl (chili dogs), Capo Deli (italian subs), La Casita (Pupusas [Salvadorian "Quesadillas"]) , Swizzler (burgers and chicken sandwiches), Arepa Zone(Venezuelan food), Capital City Mambo Sauce (wings), ShakeShack, Rocklands BBQ, Roaming Rooster. Additionally some other places to note in the Park: Haute Dog (for my money the best hot dogs in the park), Jammin’ Island BBQ (Jerk Chicken and one of the better food deals), South Mountain Creamery (one of the few ice cream joints in the park , but warning melts fast).
• Also this is a Budweiser Park for better or worse so Bud, Bud Light, Michelob will dominate the landscape. That being said there has been a small influx of local beers into the stadium notably from Atlas to Devil's Backbone. Additionally Golden Road has a presence as well. I will also note that in the year of our lord 2023, I did end up finding Miller Lite being sold in Nats Park during the last home stand the Nats had.
• To the surprise of no one, this is a Coca-Cola Park so there's that. Sorry you weird Pepsi Lovers.
• Food options outside of Park: Walter's Sports Bar, Mission, Royal Sands, Atlas Brew Work (has an Andy's inside which for my money is one of the best if not the best pizza in DC for what's that worth), Bullpen, Buffalo Wild Wings, Silver Diner, Chicken & Whiskey (Peruvian Chicken great for taking inside the park), Swizzler (if you want a burger go here and save like $10 vs inside the park), Chipotle, Rasa, Greene Turtle, Dacha Beer Garden, Salt Line (Zimmerman owns a stake in them), Solace Outpost (great on hot days cause it gets really breezy there), Bluejacket Brewery. As of now despite previous reputation of being a good burger place, don't visit Duke's Grocery.

Seating in Ballpark:

• So the Homeplate faces NorthEast-ish. This means on sunny days, the home side of the stadium gets absolutely baked. This to me is the biggest flaw about the stadium cause that also means the outfield view is random apartment buildings. So for 1pm-4pm gametime, any ticket in the sections 128-143, 106-100,218-243, 317-321, and 416-420 are just in for a bad time. If 7pm don't worry becomes relatively tolerable. Also if you are determined to get a foul ball sections 133-134 and 112-114 see a sizable amount of action. Best chance for home run is probably sections 106-105.
• Terra Club: These seats are directly behind home plate. If you ever watched a ball game and noticed the people sitting behind the batter, those are Terra Club Seats. These seats come with a pregame meal from a chef, all inclusive food and beverage during the game (just beer and wine I believe), also this stuff comes with in-seat service (like a waiter), a climate controlled indoor club area, and a private bathroom. (Full disclosure never been so very much transcribing the website)
• Diamond Club: Very similar to Terra club except you sit a bit higher up and don't get a pre-game meal. That's pretty much the only differences I know of. (Full disclosure never been so very much transcribing the website)
• Champions Club: Sits in the 200s section of the ballpark (Champions club is 206 to 221, the other 200 sections don't give you access to the club). The highlight feature in the Champions Club are unlimited Soda, access to the Duke's Grocery in the ballpark, and shorter concession lines. Additionally this is where they keep the world series trophy next any other awards like Golden Gloves and the like. Indoor seating is included as well. (Full disclosure never been so very much transcribing from other reports)

Fans in Ballpark:

• Overall Fans are pretty welcoming in the ballpark. Not a whole of jeering or boos for rival teams. In fact umps probably see the worst of it. We very much aren't Philadelphia.

I spent 2 weeks traveling through Japan - Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and I'm writing this for those who are thinking about visiting. To preface, I did travel with a friend but spent a lot of time on my own. I'll cover as much as possible.
Pre-Trip
I booked a flight with American Airlines / Delta Airlines for $590 round-trip three months before departing.
I flew out of Los Angeles to Tokyo (Haneda). The trip started on February 9 and ended on February 20. I booked my accommodation before arriving in Japan. I used Hostelworld and Agoda. More about the hostels and hotels I booked are below.
COVID Screening and Visa information for US Citizens only
During the time I visited, Japan still required visitors to be fully vaccinated and have a pre-screening for arrival. First I had to do a pre-screening for American Airlines on VeriFly (please do this a day before checking in at the airport if so). Then, save yourself time and use Visit Japan Web (http://vjw-lp.digital.go.jp/en/) and do the pre-screening requirements a couple of days before departure.
When you land in Tokyo, immediately after deplaning, swaths of airport personnel ask if you have the screener filled out and ready to go. If you don’t, they put you to the side and ask you to fill it out using the airport’s wifi. It takes time and you still have to go through customs after.
Visas for US citizens is a free, 3-month visa if I recall correctly. Bring your COVID vaccination card just in case they ask for it.
Tech/Phone
I took my iPhone 14 Pro (unlocked) and connected buying Ubigi 10gb data plan. Do this before flying to Japan. When you land, you can activate your data plan directly on your phone. I didn’t get pocket wifi as the Ubigi worked perfectly.
Download the Ubigi app. They give instructions but please follow them.
Apps that I used:
Google Maps: you can download offline maps.
Google Translate: Use this everywhere you go. You can use the camera feature and it can translate Japanese to English really great. It saved me a lot of hassle when ordering at restaurants.
Currency Converter
You might want to download a VPN if you want to use Netflix and such. Express VPN is one I’d recommend.
Money/Currency
I took my Charles Schwab debit card and a backup Chase credit card/Chase debit card. Surprisingly, a lot of stores in Japan are cash-heavy; especially small shops and restaurants. My budget for the trip was $2000 with flights included.
Hostels and hotels were around $20-35 USD. Food prices were about $7-$20 a meal. It can get really expensive if you eat at fine dining restaurants. That being said, I stuck to eating mostly at hole-in-the-wall establishments where no English was spoken. Believe me when I say that the best ramen I ever had was only $7 USD. More on what restaurants I recommend are down below. If you really want to save money, don’t buy alcohol.
A solid budget for me was $60-$80 per day without lodging expenses. Some days, I only spent $40 which was all food (I spare no expense for food), then some days I went over because I bought cool souvenirs for myself and some excursions were pricey. You can visit Japan for less but I didn’t want to money pinch myself because I was only there for 2 weeks.
Transportation
I love Japan for this reason. So here’s my take: If you are visiting Japan for exactly 14 days; get the JR Pass on Klook. You buy this a month before departing your home country. For me, Klook delivered it about a week after I bought it over Mail. You could buy either a 7, 14, or 21-day JR pass so I would recommend planning a trip that matches these exact number of days to get the most out of your money.
Now imagine you’re in Japan. It is your first day officially visiting…go to a JR Pass office at any major train station and ask them to redeem your pass. They will ask for the paper ticket that arrived in the mail to your home and they will ask for your passport. After they verify that it is you, they will give you a small ticket which will be your JR pass. DO NOT LOSE THIS! I believe they will not replace it. On how to use it, check out this video.
Now to navigate, I used a combination of Google Maps and Apple Maps to get around. Use whichever one is more comfortable for you. These 2 apps are really exceptional at mapping out the best routes and the times trains depart. Note: the JR Pass only works for JR rail lines! Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka all have their own subways and train lines with their own payment system. More on this…
So the best way to get around the city is using a Suica card. These are sold virtually at any train station. If you can't find it, ask a train station attendant and say “Suica?”. They point you in the right direction.
A Suica card can be refilled unlimited times and can be used for any rail lines (JR included, but not for Bullet Trains). It is used by tapping at the turnstiles to enter the rails and at any vending machine in Japan! Also at arcades! It is a total mindblower haha Also in Tokyo, some hostels or hotels have a 3-day subway pass for cheap.
Bullet Trains - You can use the Shinkansen bullet trains if you have the JR Pass. Make an important note: You can only ride the Hikari or Sakura trains with your JR Pass. The Nozomi and Mizuho are reserved seating and cost extra because they have fewer stops. If they catch you using these rail lines, they will ask you to get off the next stop or worse, fine you and report you. To see Mount Fuji from Tokyo to Kyoto/Osaka, sit on the right side of the train (right side of the direction it is going). Use Google Maps and Apple Maps to pinpoint when to look out the window.
Food
I usually ate sandwiches and pastries from 7-Eleven in the morning or whenever I needed to pack a lunch. It was a great way to save cash and the food was delicious. High-quality foods and snacks.
As I said earlier, I really spare no expense for good, big meals. I save money at 7-Eleven so I can go all out for lunch and dinner. My go-to meal was usually ramen because it was so damn good. I tried a lot of foods. I’ll try and remember which ones I ate: - Ramen - Okonomiyaki - Unagi - Katsu Curry - Taiyaki - Tempura - Japanese cheesecake - Macha ice cream - Macha waffles - Onigiri - And a lot of different ice creams, confectionary snacks - McDonald’s - please try lol they have interesting combinations
Pack List
I used a 40-liter Osprey backpack.
1 scarf
1 beanie
2 cotton t-shirts
2 thermal polyester long-sleeve shirts (Odor resistant)
2 pairs of joggers
1 pair of Nike thermal leggings
8 pairs of Nike Dri-Fit boxers (lost 1)
4 pairs of ankle socks
3 pairs of Darn Tough Merino wool blend socks (Highly recommend, Odor resistant)
1 parka
1 pair of Adidas Ultraboost shoes
1 Hershel toiletries bag
2 Forge cable combination locks
External battery pack (13000 mAh)
Bose QC-25 noise-canceling headphones
Over the course of the trip, I bought a much-needed 30L Patagonia day backpack
I don’t sweat heavily so I re-wore my shirts, the Merino wool blend socks, and joggers. I did my laundry maybe once or twice at the hostels. It was freezing at the time I went, so I usually layered up when temperatures were lower than usual.
Safety
I am a 6'1" (1.85 m) male with a light brown complexion. I felt safe most of my time there. I think it was the safest country I have ever been to. Some Japanese people are known to be racist but I didn’t experience it. So I wouldn’t worry about it.
Itinerary/Activities
Feb 9 Day 1 Tokyo Feb 10 Day 2 Tokyo Feb 11 Day 3 Tokyo (Day Trip to Odiaba/Yokohama) Feb 12 Day 4 Osaka Feb 13 Day 5 Osaka (Day Trip to Hime-ji Castle/Kobe) Feb 14 Day 6 Osaka (Day Trip to Nara) Feb 15 Day 7 Kyoto Feb 16 Day 8 Kyoto Feb 17 Day 9 Kyoto Feb 18 Day 10 Tokyo Feb 19 Day 11 Tokyo Feb 20 Day 12 Tokyo (Fly Out)
I will put a star (*) next to anything that I highly recommend! 2 stars are for more emphasis! I will list the accommodation first, then activities, and then bars/restaurants.
Tokyo - 3 Nights (Asakusa + Akihabara + Odaiba + Yokohama)
Lodging: Sakura Hostel Asakusa
Activities: *Tokyo National Museum, *Senso-ji Temple, Kaminarimon Gate, Nakamise-dori Street, *Sengaku-ji Temple, Hirose Entertainment Yard arcade, Animate Akihabara, **Mandarake Complex Akihabara, Tsukiji Outer Fish Market, TeamLabs Odaiba, Gundam Yokohama, NISMO Museum Yokohama, Nissan Headquarters Yokohama
Restaurants/Bars: Fuji Ramen Asakusa, Asakusa Unana, *Naruto Taiyaki, *Koyangi Asakusa, *Ouzakura Ramen Yokohama
Took a Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka
Osaka - 3 Nights (Kobe + Nara)
Lodging: Backstage Osaka Hostel
Activities: *Hime-ji Castle, *Kaiyukan Aquarium, Dontonbori, Shinsekai, Round 1 Stadium (arcade), *Nunobiki Waterfall Kobe, *Todai-ji Temple, *Nara Park, Kasuga Taisha Temple, Gilco Sign
Restaurants/Bars: *Wakakusa Curry Nara, *Nakatanidou Nara, *cafe CROCO Nara, Fanny Mae Bar Osaka, Rikuro’s Namba Main Branch, PC and Retro Bar Space Station, Bible Club Bar Osaka, Untitled karaoke bar next to Rock Bar Cherry Bomb lol, Takoyaki Wanaka Sennichimae Osaka, Sushi Dokoro Kuromonsuehiro Osaka, *Dotombori Ichiaki Osaka, *Hamamoto Coffee Himeji, Tairku Ramen Kobe
Took a Shinkansen bullet train from Osaka to Kyoto
Kyoto - 3 Nights (Day Trip to Uji)
Lodging: **Gojo Guesthouse
Activities: Otagi Nembutsu-ji Temple, Adashino Mayumura (closed when I arrived early), Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, *Tenryu-ji Temple, Togetsukyo Bridge, *Nishiki Market, *pocoapoco Record Store, Super Milk Record Store, *Fushimi Inari Taisha Temple Complex, *Byodo-In Temple Restaurants/Bars: *comorebi Ramen House, 茶室 tea room Uji, *Gion Duck Noodles, 自家製麺 うどん 讃式
Took a Shinkansen bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo - Saw a glimpse of Mount Fuji :’)
Tokyo - 2 Nights (Shinjuku + Shibuya + Akihabara)
Lodging: **Capsule Hotel Anshin Oyado Shinjuku Station (Males Only)
Activities: Tower Records Shinjuku, Disk Union Shinjuku, Mandarake Complex Shibuya, Nakano Broadway, Tokyo Dome for Red Hot Chili Peppers concert, *Shibuya Sky at Night, Tokyu Hands Shop
Restaurants/Bars: Ramen Kaijin, Shakey’s, McDonald’s, Ichiran Nakano
Tips, Advice, and Bonus Stuff!

1. Goes without saying but please respect the local customs.
   
2. Please learn how to say “Thank You” in Japanese! Just learning and using “Arigato” anywhere you go will make you seem like you care and respect everyone. Nothing was more embarrassing than watching an American say “thank you” to a Japanese person.
   
3. Plan to do the major tourist attractions early in the morning. You will get nice pictures without any tourists and you’ll sometimes get the whole temple complex to yourself. The staff will also be more friendly and willing to chat with you. I usually aim to be at temples around 7:00 when they open.
   
4. Use Google Translate for everything! You can have full conversations with friendly Japanese people when using the conversation feature on the app! Use the camera feature to translate Kanji at restaurants that do not offer an English menu.
   
5. Get a Ubigi data plan, I bought 10GB and it had good service anywhere I went. Get more GB if you plan on staying longer.
   
6. I ate at 7-Eleven most of the time when I was too lazy or tired to go out. The 7-Elevens here in Japan are nothing like the ones in the US. Expect to find high-quality sandwiches, Onigiri, and more Japanese snacks.
   
7. Shop at supermarkets near the end of the day (1 hour before closing) and they usually mark down prepped meals half-off or at a discounted price! If you really on a budget, this can help you to save a ton of money and still get a taste of the local cuisine.
   
8. If you need to buy random stuff like clothes, bags, or toiletries; go shop at any Don Quijote or Tokyu Hands department store. They have other shops too that are great to find cool stuff.
   
9. Use Google Translate to translate English to Kanji (Japanese) and use Kanji to find restaurants that are hidden because they don’t use English words. For example, if you want to find the best ramen place, search “拉麺” and you’ll find hidden gems with 5-star reviews!
   
10. The best souvenir I brought back myself was a Goshuincho. These are “honorable stamp/seal book” used by people visiting shrines or temples. If you want more info, google this! I highly recommend doing this!
    

If you have any questions, comment below or send a DM. Peace!

Green tea is basically a very efficient and precious arsenal drink for iron overloaded folks. However, though study after study shows that it inhibits iron absorption and it chelates iron, those studies some of the time are conducted in experimental environment (vitro) or designed for subjects to consume "Green Tea Extracts". For that reason, not all the time anecdotal report positive feedback; especially if green tea source is a low quality tea bag, when brewing is done tap/hard water, or brewing is done with very hot-boiling water (Above 75-80 celcius degree) Almost of all of these mistakes guarantee that, you will absorb only a little of those catechins that are found in Green tea leave.
Green tea extracts have their own trouble, so sticking good quality green tea leaves would be better. And, to improve the bioavailability, synergistic mechanism of nutrients may be used.
1- Black Pepper: Black pepper is assumed to work by two mechanism, first, it enhances absorption of catechins in the stomach intestine by reducing glucuronidation. Secondly, it slows down a bit the clearance of catechins by liver, and allows EGCG to stay in system longer.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15284381/
2- Quercetin: It is commonly known in most of medical community now that, polyphenols most often have synergistic actions, which mean when two synergic compounds simultaneously consumed; their combined effect become greater than sum of its parts. Quercetin is one of those polyphenols which goes really well with EGCG. It increases cellular absorption of Green tea, and decreases the methylation of it. Obviously, supplements are not among top recommendations when there are foods that are rich in quercetin like red apple, onion peel (goes well in salads) tomato, grapes, berries, coffee etc.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3590855/
3- Sugar and Vitamin C: By sugar I refer to simple sugar, but I do not recommend processed table sugar which shown to be harmful. But natural molasses, and fruits still contain fructose and it is not detrimental. Sugar is shown to increase catechin absorption. Moreover, Vitamin C also is shown to protect EGCG and increase bioavailability of EGCG. Specific fruits and veggies contain very high amounts of vitamin C while fruits also including considerable amount of sugar. I think, when ones drink green tea apart from meals, it makes a lot of sense to include such fruits with green tea, especially considering that it is better for us to consume Vitamin C foods separately. (Maybe not veggies, but fruits add a good flavor to green tea)
Source: https://www.acneeinstein.com/hack-your-tea-2/
(This is simply a blogpost examining a couple of related scientific studies inside.)

I’ve been doing intermediate fasting for 10wks now (18/6) and I’ve lost 18lbs! I’m really happy with the results. I did this with exercising, jogging about 1.5 miles 4-5x per week and weight lifting 3-4x week. Also, reducing the size of my meals (lunch/dinner).
Is it normal to have issues with using the bathroom as is #2? Sometimes I feel like hardly anything comes out.
Lastly, my wife wants to join my journey but she doesn’t like black coffee, are there any other drinks to have in the morning during your fast for caffeine? She’s currently drinking a powder you mix with water called “Fyre’D Up” it contains 30 calories and 7g carbs.
TIA

2021 Was an interesting year. I moved out of my parent's house because I just got hired full-time at a non-profit, but they were moving to a different city. The rent in Miami on the edge of what's affordable. The rent is about 115% of my bi-weekly check, and I didn't have any savings before moving out since I was just hired, so I had to take out a loan with one of those loan services to cover the cost of moving. My parents weren't and aren't in a position to help. With rent, the loan and it's interest, and basic costs of living (food, laundry, gas/insurance), I'm unable to set aside any savings. By mid 2022 I sold my car and switched to being a cyclist for many reasons, but to save on Gas/Insurance was a major part and that helped. I've been slowly paying off the loan, and so unable to put anything in savings, however last month I forgot to pay on time in May for rent, and it's caught up with me. Basically, I pay rent via Zelle early in the month, and use anything extra after food and other needs to make extra payments on my debt, but since I didn't pay May's rent when I thought I did now we're getting close to June. I got a text from my landlord today letting me know May wasn't paid and sure enough I didn't, but since I've paid toward the loan, I'm short what's due from May, and even if I had it, then I will definitely be short for June.
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I'm living as responsibly as possible right now. Not buying unnecessary items or raking up huge CC bills, Rice and Beans meal prep basically every day, and I'll get out of this situation in probably a year's time, but this month I'm stuck. I'm worried that if I go back to that loan service and have to take out an even bigger loan (to pay off my current balance and still have enough for rent for 2 months) the interest will make it impossible for me to ever get out. If I have to take out another loan, I'll end up in debt for years when I'm so close to working my way out of it.
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I just need some help this month so I can avoid taking out any loans, and then I'll be back on track to work my way out of this mess. Any help will be greatly appreciated. I'm on venmo @ SettlesJohn or CashApp $settlesjohn

Many of you, like me, are looking toward Huel as a means of weight loss it seems. Many of you, like me, rather seem to like the prospect of using Huel's Hot & Savoury range as a meal replacement at work, and I'm about to place my first order and give it a try for myself.
But, like I'm sure a lot of you have, I've first been doing my research to see what similar products exist and what others have tried, and I'm quite perplexed to see that nobody's mentioned John West's "On the Go" range of products.
You can pick them up on Amazon or at any major UK retailer, they range from as little as £1 - £3 per meal (competing nicely with Huel on price, especially considering you can buy one at a time), and many of them are as little as 250 calories whilst still being filling, which is a big bonus for those of us in this for the weight loss. Granted, these are room temperature rather than hot meals, but they also have a range of microwaveable hot pots. My go-to hot pot is the "Tuna Meatballs in a Chilli & Garlic Tomato Sauce & Pasta 220g" bowl, which costs £2.50 from Sainsbury's and contains 325 calories.
So, as somebody who's looking to Huel H&S in an attempt to vary the work meal selection a little bit, is there anyone else here who's tried John West's instant meal products before? Is it something few people are aware of? How does Huel H&S compare? This post is both a question and a PSA I guess, I want to learn more, so please weigh in if you know of any other similar instant meals that aren't just powder or dry noodles.

Synopsis of my story (sorry for the length): On Saturday, 5/20 in Brunswick County, North Carolina, I had one drink (Vodka Cranberry) and a large glass of water with a meal in downtown Wilmington, NC. I did not drive until 12:45am on 5/21 (almost four hours later). That night, the Brunswick Country Sheriff’s office and Shallotte PD were running a "Booze it or Loze It" DWI checkpoint. I was subjected to this DWI checkpoint. A young Shallotte PD officer asked me if I had had anything to drink during the night. Unfortunately, I thought being friendly and honest with the officer would go a long way. BIG MISTAKE! He pulled me out of the vehicle. A Lt. from the Brunswick Country Sheriff’s office then jumped in my vehicle and pulled it up farther up the freeway. He locked it, then came back and handed the keys to the officer.
The Shallotte PD officer asked if I would perform FSTs. I told him that because of multiple sports injuries and surgeries to my legs, I would have to politely decline. The Sheriff's LT heard this and became angry. He went back up to my locked vehicle and began looking through the windows with a flashlight for evidence. The Shallotte PD officer asked if I would blow into a portable breathalyzer, which I gladly accepted. I blew a .01% BAC, the lowest detectable limit of BAC. At the same time, the Sheriff's LT saw a "Yeti" aluminum cup, with a lid on it and a straw in it, in my center console. It contained water. But, the Lt loudly exclaimed, "We have an open container of alcohol!". Apparently, he has some sort of x-ray alcohol vision to look through a locked car's window, through an aluminum cup, and see alcohol. He commanded the officer, “If he won’t perform FSTs- arrest him!” (evidence on body cam)
My arrest included violations of my civil and/or constitutional rights:

1. I was never properly Mirandized after being arrested
2. I repeatedly asked to speak with an attorney. I was repeatedly denied this request

I know you all will say to "lawyer up" and get an attorney, but I refuse to pay $5k- $15k for this, at least yet. All that has to be proven in court is a "Reasonable doubt", of which there is plenty.
There are procedural things I want to do first, such as view the body evidence for myself (and take copious notes). Can anyone recommend a good paralegal in Brunswick County, North Carolina who understands this system and can help me get access to the evidence that I need?

Hey there ReddX gang, it looks like I finally got a bit of time to write, so let’s not delay any longer and get into another story about Chris.
Who is Chris? Chris is a very fat and sweaty man surrounded by an impenetrable aura of poopycum stinkystank. He is a grotesque goblin content to dwell in his own personal dark triad of meth, anime, and lot lizards. Chris and I both used to work for a trucking company – a major one – and him and I would take turns driving our big rig down the road. Things were usually okay when Chris was driving, but when Chris’s shift would come to an end, or worse yet, when we would pull over for the night, Chris would find himself free to do Chris things. You know the things. Then, despite my best efforts to make him bathe and behave, it was all in vain, and we would descend just a little bit further into madness. Thankfully, I no longer have to ride with Chris.
Last installment we were introduced to Christina. Do you not know who Christina is? Well, maybe you should go and look up that last post, or better yet, go and listen to the narration of it as done by our good pal ReddX. Christina really was the feminine counterpart to the poopycum man. Well, after some sly maneuvering, I managed to escape the clutches of this wily bovine.
Now, I woke up the following morning to find both truck doors still locked and I thanked myself that my comfortable sanctuary had not been breached in the night by the poopycum people. I looked at my clock and realized that we were getting a bit late in the morning and that we needed to get on the road. Begrudgingly, I got out of bed, put on my shoes, and went out into the travel plaza to locate the gruesome twosome. I didn’t have to go far. I found Chris and his sister outside of the convenience store, wolfing down microwaved carbs, grease, and high fructose corn syrup like they a couple pigs in a trough. I came up, Chris dismissively remarking hey, and Christina replying with a sultry “good morning honker donkers” which I ignored. I turned to Chris, pretending his sister didn’t exist, and said, “we gotta get on the road, dude. Are you ready?” He shoved half a hot dog down into his mouth as if to deep throat the thing and said, “yeah, let’s go. Come on Christina.”
We all got back to the truck and I jumped in the passenger seat first that morning, taking us out of our parking space and further down the road. I figured I’d get my drive time out of the way first so that I could make my money without having to fight with Chris, and alternatively, if Christina drove the afternoon, I could spend it in relative peace without fear of molestation. Of course, that first shift was hell. Christina was still in heat – swampy, musky heat – and kept trying to coo her way into giving me road head. Thankfully, Chris was still the same scum that he was from yesterday and made things too awkward even for the beast beside me for her to make her moves. Every time she got a little too close to me, I’d find some way to rouse Chris’s attention and he would fluster her with his incestuous masturbatory desires.
When my shift finally came to an end, I got up and headed to the back to relax in my bunk while Chris and Christina fought over the driver’s seat. Chris shouted, “dude! I haven’t drove at all this whole trip! I need to make money so I can get some new figures for my army. Get up Christina,” to which Christina replied, “shove it. Just ask dad for some money. I wanna drive the truck.” Well, Chris wasn’t having it. I guess dad had been cutting him off as of late and gave the landwhale a hard shove, sending her careening into the side of the truck, causing the whole rig to rock back and forth. She came back and lunged at Chris and they started throwing blows at each other. I didn’t intervene, of course. I sincerely doubted either of them had the required upper body strength to actually injure the other. No, I let them get tired. Christina gave up first and said, “fine! Drive the damn truck! I’ll just go hang out with honker donkers.” At this, my ears perked up, I got up from my bunk, and plopped down in the passenger seat – a place only big enough for one person mind you – and Christina cast me a sour look. She knew I didn’t want to be anywhere near her, but that didn’t seem to stop her from still trying to put on the moves. With a dejected sigh, she waddled towards the back, and I screamed, “you better not lay down on my bunk,” and she said, “fuck you, I’m not going to lay in your bed.” Chris did his pre-drive checklist before casting a glance over to me, mumbling, “women, am I right or what, bro,” before putting his phone on the dongle and pressing play. We pulled onto the road to the throaty cries of “nani? Baka!”
As we drove, I did my best to ignore the people about me, grateful that I was safe with Chris driving the truck. I descended into my book as best I could while the poopycum man took us down the road. I was doing a good job pretending I wasn’t there, of course, but it certainly didn’t last forever. Somewhere around the hour mark, however, a symphony of squeaking bedsprings arrested my attention. Chris even looked away from his podcast for a minute and locked eyes with me, and we exchanged a what the fuck moment. Cautiously, I looked over my shoulder towards the back of the cab.
The ham planet had made herself comfortable in my bed, alright. Too comfortable. Her languid, throaty breaths punctuated the awkward scene before me. Her swollen red ass was firmly planted on my bed and she sat there, one hand lifting up her sagging belly, the other fondling her yawning crevasse. She smiled coyly as she saw that I had turned around and motioned for me to approach, but I did not dare to do so. I recoiled in absolute disgust, letting out a “what the Hell are you doing?” Chris swerved a bit at my outburst but managed to stay on the road. My disgust only elevated exponentially when I saw that the hand that touched her rancid cooch held something in it. “What the fuck is that?”
She smiled wryly as she held up a dirty old sock, and I practically gagged. She replied, “Even if you don’t come here inside me, I’ve got your come inside me.” I dry-heaved for a moment as Chris said, “what the Hell is going on back there?” Pale as a ghost, I mumbled, “dude, she’s masturbating with an old sock.” Chris swerved again. “Oh fuck. Christina, where did you get that sock?”
Things got real quiet real fast. Christina mumbled, “I got it off of honker donker’s laundry hamper. I can tell he must have been thinking about me when he used it.” I shuddered. I don’t beat off into socks in the back of the truck cab, and even if I had done it, I certainly hadn’t done it today. Whatever hypothetical cum sock she had found would have been long dried up from the night before if I had made one. No, somebody else’s cum was on that sock. She smiled wryly as she lifted it up and played with a sticky strand of goo that adhered to the fabric before pulling her fingers down to her snatch and I gagged.
“Christina,” I said slowly, “that isn’t my sock.” She retorted, “don’t lie, it was on your hamper,” and I practically yelled at Chris “why are you throwing your cum socks in my laundry basket, bro?” Chris said, “I didn’t throw a cum sock in your laundry basket honker donkers, for fuck’s sake. What the Hell is Christina doing back there?” I described the scene to Chris, telling him, “well, she must have found a cumsock of yours from today and she’s rubbing it into her ax wound.” Christina paused for a minute, a strand of that goopy jizz hanging from her lips to the sock and I practically threw up. I rolled down the window and heaved for a minute as the gravity of the situation was dawning on me. Christina had grabbed one of Chris’s cumsocks, thinking that somehow it was mine and still had a trace of viable seed on it, and began rubbing it into her vagoo.
Christina cooed, “what’s wrong, honker donkers? I’m sure you taste even better when you’re fresh,” and I practically shouted, “That’s Chris’s sock!” Things got real quiet as the gravitas of the situation kicked in for both Chris and Christina. Christina instantly flew into a rage, throwing down the cumsock and waddling up behind the driver’s seat and began to beat Chris on the back of the head. The truck swerved left and right, and I started yelling, “Chris! Brakes!” I pressed the hazards and grabbed the wheel while he tried to shield his head and slowly decelerate us to a stop while Christina screeched about how Chris had just raped her. The whole deceleration, Chris was pummeled by his sister’s hamfists, until we finally made it to the shoulder of the road with the hazards on. The whole time, Christina, half-naked and shrieking, accused Chris of having tricked her into inseminating herself with his poopysplooge.
Chris got up from where he sat and started to throw blows against his sister, the useless and ineffectual impacts of each combatant wailing upon each other’s heads with little to no actually damage inflicted. I figured they would tire themselves out eventually, and when things finally did settle down, Christina collapsed into a sobbing, half-naked mess, still clutching the gnarly sock that contained her brother’s fetid ejaculate. She lifted up a corner of it and used to wipe a tear that trickled down her cheek. Across from her, Chris stared ahead for a thousand miles, comatose and catatonic.
I didn’t break the silence. I just listened to the wails in meditative silence. Finally a choked sob came from Christina. “You’re… you’re just messing with me, right?” I came back hard and unapologetic. “At what time between then and now did you think I went into the back and rubbed one out? In the two minutes you guys were fighting over the driver’s seat, did you think I whipped it out and spanked it? I’m not gross like either of you two.” The wails intensified. Chris continued to gaze into the abyss, wondering just what in the Hell had led to this culmination of events. When things started to calm down, Christina whined and sniveled and said, “well, what happens now?”
I remarked that she should probably go head to a hospital and get checked for STDs. I mentioned Chris’s long history of having unprotected sex with truck stop tutes, which he fervently denied in the moment, calling me a liar, but I persisted and said that that was the best course of action for her. She should probably go get checked out. She curled into a ball in the back while Chris looked at me with a scowl and said, “dude, I can’t believe you’re telling lies about me like that. Why would I ever sleep with a prostitute bro? I’m an alpha pussy magnet.” I said, “whatever, fat boy, get back in the driver’s seat and get your sister to the hospital so they can take a look at her.”
Begrudgingly, he got up from where he sat and got to the driver’s seat, starting the truck up again and taking us off the shoulder in a tense and awkward silence. Not even the cries of “nani? Baka!” serenaded us as we went down the road, the gravitas of such a situation apparent to even one poopycum man who was otherwise oblivious about everything. We rode for about an hour before we finally came off the interstate on the of Amarillo, and Chris drove us into a hospital. Christina got up from the back and sullenly walked towards the hospital entrance while Chris and I sat there in quiet.
We exchanged a look between each other, a silent, “so what do we do now,” before Chris mumbled, “I guess I’ll call in to dispatch and let them know what’s going on.” I replied that that would be the best, and so Chris picked up the radio receiver and Chris told dispatch, verbatim, “hey, uh, dispatch, this is Chris, and we’ve had to stop at a hospital. I guess my sister found one of my cum socks and used it to masturbate and now she needs to get checked out because she’s worried about STDs or something.” The line crackled in awkward silence. I tried not to cackle with laughter. He could have stopped at “I had to drop my sister off at the hospital” and that was that. Well, it took about a minute to get a response. I’m sure dispatch was wondering just what the Hell Chris was even talking about, and trying to come to terms with that awkward sentence he had given them. Eventually, dispatch got back to us. They wanted to know how long we would be. Chris said there was no current ETA at the moment.
Eventually, we were told to sit tight, and Chris and I sat back in the truck, letting the hours whittle away while we waited for Christina to get checked out. He was a man of few words then, just repeating to himself, “I can’t believe this happened,” and “god, my sister is such a stupid slut.” I couldn’t disagree on either of those points, of course, and so I held my tongue too. We must have sat in that lot for several hours, before Chris shot upright and yelled, “it’s not fair!”
I didn’t reply. Something was bothering the big guy, obviously, and I wasn’t about to invite it out of him because I didn’t give a damn. He launched into a rant about how he never wanted to take his stupid sister out on the road anyway because women don’t know how to drive trucks and she was a disgusting beast who shouldn’t have masturbated with his laundry and now he was gonna be late for the drop off which was eating into his time for roaming the lots looking for drugs and lizards. All these things were true, but like I said, the last thing I wanted to do was encourage him. When finally he tuckered himself out with all his whining and complaining, he collapsed into the driver’s seat once again in sullen silence. I have anticipated for him to start up, again. Quietly, he mumbled, “so, do you think she’s gonna keep it?”
I was mortified at the thought. Another hour passed in awkward silence before we could see Christina come barreling down the parking lot towards the truck. When she hoisted herself into the cab, the truck lurched under her weight and she came in, sullen faced and more disturbed than ever. I didn’t ask her what happened, but Chris was eager to know. The short summary is that the hospital gave her something called prep, which is basically a medicine to guard against HIV infection, and a morning after pill for her to take on her own time. When Chris heard the mention of the morning after pill, he started up, “so you’re just gonna kill our baby like that?” Christina loudly voiced what everyone was thinking. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Chris? Ugh, god forbid if anything even took root, of course I’m going to kill it.”
This precipitated a long argument as Chris pulled us out of the lot, shouting over his shoulder that his sister was a disgusting infanticidal sow and that it was morally repugnant for her to terminate the life of a small child, even, yes, if it was forged in the poopycum passion of a serial molester’s mistake. I let this get more and more heated, of course. I wanted it to end, don’t get me wrong, but at this point, I was banking on them becoming so antagonistic to each other that either Chris or Christina quiet and I could continue the night in relative peace. The good lord must have been listening to my prayer that evening, because eventually Christina shouted, “screw you! I’m calling daddy!” and she whipped out her phone to call her father.
She ranted into the mouthpiece that Chris was a disgusting subhuman troglodyte (accurate) and that he was also a gross pervert (also a fact) and that she didn’t think she could hack the trucking lifestyle if she had to copilot with Chris. Her father, doting on daddy’s girl, I can only assume, responded something, and she continued, “fine, I’ll be there in an hour.” She turned to Chris in a huff and told him to take her to the airport. My reprieve had come. Chris didn’t do that, though. He pulled over the truck, told her to go screw herself with a used splooge sock, and that she could walk home. Christina did get out of the truck, presumably to call a cab.
I never did encounter Christina again, but according to Chris’s reckoning, their dad placed her in another truck to learn under someone else, and my heart went out for that poor soul who inevitably was sexually assaulted by her discolored nipnops and yeasty odor. Thankfully, no poopycum child was ever forged by Christina’s spoiled eggs and Chris’s stagnant seed, either, because that, my friends, would have truly been an abomination against all that is holy. I don’t know if Christina got the clap or the herp or any of that, but my best is safely on, yes, it happened.
After she left, Chris and I were surprisingly sympatico for the next two days. I almost felt a debt to the poopycum man for saving me from his sister’s sexual wiles by way of his own disgusting degenerate nature, but I never expressed it. The last thing I wanted him to think was that I was approving of him jacking off in the truck again and giving him carte blanche to do so. We never spoke of her again, though from time to time, when I would walk through the yard office back in California, I would catch the odd wafting fragrance of curdling yeast and wondered if Christina actually did manage to get herself into a company truck. I would not be surprised.
And that, my friends, concludes today’s installment, but don’t you guys a worry, because even though the real world is calling my name, I’ll be back in the not too distant future with yet another story about everyone’s favorite opprobrious little cumstain, Chris.

I'd love some opinions for those who are on TRT, or just use test for bodybuilding/aesthetics.
For full context, I'm 27 years old and ~150lb. I've always been 'skinny fat' but my diet is pretty good IMO - I try to meal prep grilled chicken breast, steak, rice, etc most days, and then eat out approx 2 times/week. I work out 3-4 times a week, but I've never really felt like I've hit my potential. I have good form, I can lift lots, but my gains seem to disappear really quickly (Ex: I could work out 30 days in a row and if I took a break for 2-3 days, it'd look like I never lifted in my life). Also have some symptoms such as: low energy/motivation, difficulty focussing, low social battery, and a bit of ED.
Anyway, my cousin is a ripped gymrat and just started a stack of test + juice - he recommended I try test for gains. I want to do things the right way though, so I'm going the doctor route. Recently got my blood done and my test levels came back as: 406ng/dL (14.1 nmol/L). While this is in the normal range, I realize its on the lower end of the spectrum.
I have a call with the doctor to review the results and talk next steps tmrw (I'm still not sure what he'll recommend, seeing as I'm in Canada). While I've loved reading all of the amazing TRT success stories, I'm hesitant to go on something this permanent at 27. Can I do test on a cycle instead of going the full TRT route - is it even a thing? I'd really love your thoughts/opinions, I'm happy to give more context and details. Thank you!!

I am 38 weeks tomorrow and this will also be my last day of work. I really want to use the time before my due date to set my husband and I up for success (as much as possible) before baby comes.
I’m looking for freezer friendly meals to prep ahead of time to help during the first few weeks. Anyone have any recipes?

Okay, its time i confessed and open up about my old job and ask you how crazy does that sound, so don't be shy and let me hear your opinion in the comments. I'm from Europe small country called Croatia. I worked in a private company for 7y years. Long but good times. 9 do 12h a day depended of the work that day. 6 days a week always morning shifts, Sundays free. If you guessed I work in a cantina you would be correct. 1300 meals everyday. It was neckbreaking but i loved it somehow. 20 ppl under me to coordinate around and give the customers the best. Anyway, corona hit everything got f... Up, key ppl left the company and i got a proposal for new position. But it would be a catering, double the pay. I foolishly accepted. It was the "cold kitchen" me alone folding cold cuts like pršut, cheese and other dryed meats and mini canape sandwiches... It was a horror show. At first it was like "we have a bit more work" so pulled 14, 15, 16h shifts. No biggie. Buy a month later the shifts begin "moslty over the weekend" to be 18, 20, 22, 24h long. Slowly starting loosing my mind. Gf helped me to stay sane, told me to quit, but i was like "i can take this" (idiot) Then came a weekend where a pulled 36h... At midnight friday got there and went home at Saturday around 19h... 40kg of pršut, 50kg hard cheese. 35kg other dried meat.... 6000 mini canape sandwiches later.. And btw. I worked alone in the cold kitchen... That was the first time in life i had a panic attack, next day i worked a 6h shift just to clean up and prep for next week. I felt a burnout. The weekend after was "only" 30h and I was HAPPY... i left 6h sooner then last time... How fucked up is that huh? Still hate myself for what happend. Droped 3kg over every weekend. I wanted to leave work but i saw how much work we have, how much is there to be done. And i know it sounds stupid but i think you can partialy understand that kind of responsibility and not leave any unfinished work... Don't know why i had guilt of leaving early and stayed .. So after 3 months of that kind of work i left the company. Now work stable chef job.. 8h a day max, 2 days free, gained 18kg in the first 5 months of the new job.. Still feel a bit of a burnout, but im getting better. And no this isnt bragging this is realty in other kitchens If you want more of the story in detail ask 😊 Anyway, thanks for comming to my tedtalk Btw. Sorry for bad english

I live in what I think is a pretty realistic headspace, but I still like the idea that anything could happen on a given day. I’m not thinking “I might win a million dollars today” when I wake up but I like to keep my options open as much as I can for where I go or who I talk to in a given day. I have a regular Monday through Friday job and certain responsibilities that don’t change, but I like to keep the amount of “non-negotiatoable” hours to the minimum so I have as many flexible hours as I possibly can. I just like to have possibilities. So the idea of making a big family schedule where I outline my comings and goings and plan things to do in the free time sounds awful to me. I also don’t like the idea of meal prep/planning. The idea of knowing several days ahead of time what I’m going to eat sounds so depressing and predictable to me. I love to leave myself time and energy for “that place looks new, I might stop in there” or “I’ve never tried cooking this before, maybe I’ll try cooking it tonight”. Is there a name for this type of attitude? My wife is the exact opposite, she likes to plan out every minute of every day if she can and know weeks ahead of time what is happening. I’m just trying to better understand our differences.