Mozzarella cheese stick calories |

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 Like Rats

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Part Twenty-Two
Trains and Tails... In Space!
>>> Outer Colony - Yn Gyntaf Ymhlith y Ser <<<
>>> Starport - Diwrnod heulog, Bob dydd <<<
>>> Frontier Standard Date: 21-03-104 <<<
Shore leave for the group finally rolled around and so the little gathering rode a shuttle down planetside. Seren, Eira, Scanner, Zana and the seven Bridge Bunny brothers. Claiomh fada, Sciath bhabhta, Casur cogaidh. Saighead direach, Miodog gearr, Dhorn tapaidh, and Blath dearg. Most just referred to them as the Bridge Bunnies as a running gag with the crew and because they tended to do everything together. They were one of the few survivors of a raid and had been forced to fend for themselves for a month before aid would arrive. Ever since they had been practically inseparable. For Conin they were unusually quiet and reserved, except when on the bridge or playing games. When they had learned that Seren was a raid survivor as well they had opened up to him greatly. Of all the crew it was the Bridge Bunnies that empathized the most with the Dynol's struggles to cope with the aftermath of surviving.
Seren had packed some sunscreen and a complete survival kit, much to Eira's chagrin and amusement. "I keep forgetting you Dynol burn so easy." She herself had packed a few things but was keeping them secret. "Five bottles though?"
"Right. Yn Gyntaf Ymhlith y Ser is a hotter world due to a slightly closer orbit to its star. Higher UV index than even my skin can likely handle. So does not hurt to be prepared." he explained as they prepared to disembark.
"The forests provide alot of shade though so you should be fine. Now get ready!" Eira churred in anticipation.
The disembarkation ramp lowered and the shore leave team stepped down into a very bright world.
Seren got to the bottom and nearly got run over by the others as he stood there gawking. "...the screw?" The port itself was enough to cause him to pause. The style was reminiscent of Ancient Earth and the American Wild West with a heavy dose of Victorian England. A mixture of stone, brick and wooden structures. The usually angular straight Llygoden Fawr font adorning shops and signs was more curly, almost like question marks rather than straight or angled lines.
"...the screw?" The mode of dress though was more like the styles of Sixteen-Hundred era Age of Sail. Elaborate dresses and vests, broad collars and adorned hats. Sweeping gowns, snug bodices, and even boots which were a rarity amongst any of the starfaring species other than the Dynol and Rana/Salamandra.
But the real "... the screw?" were the people. At first glance they were your average Llygoden Fawr. That is until it settled in that something was wrong with this picture. The most striking was the tail. It was a fluffy bush to put any Vulpes-Vulpes to shame in its luxurious fullness. The faces were not as long and the eyes were a bit larger than average. The ears too were different, standing up and pointed. "Giant space squirrels... the screw???"
Eira was enjoying Seren's reaction and the others were getting a chuckle from it as well. "ahhhhh! Worth keeping it a secret just to see you phased by something."
"That is an understatement." he admitted as he continued to gawk.
Eira led her companion out of the way of the other visitors and explained. "Mutation. Similar to the splits in the Vulpes. Happened about a hundred years ago and with each generation instances increased ten percent. Some radiation from the sun was the cause, again much like with the Vulpes. There were some other less pleasant birth defects, some lethal, that we had to do extensive genetic screening to cull from the populace. The people now are a stable mutation and have been designated Wiwer Fawr."
"Do not stand outside unprotected long. Got it." He took in the sight and then a huge grin spread as he saw something pulling into a station off in the distance. A train. Or more to the point. A Llygoden Fawr style mono-wheel steam train. And after a bit he saw some of the squirrel folk ride past mounted on what looked nothing so much as a four-legged sparrow head... "Ok. That is something you do not see every day either." A carriage pulled by one of these beasts passed as well not long after that.
"Coesau plu? Yeah. They are native to the homeden and we exported the hardier ones here. We used to ride them in our early civilization stages. The electromagnetic field of the planet during stormy season messes with electronics to the point it was more cost efficient to just transplant the coesau plu and use them as mounts and drays like in olden times." She pointed at the mono-wheel train pulling to the distant station. "And same for the trains. It's like stepping back in time a thousand years."
"I take it the archaic mode of dress is protective?"
"Got it in one. All of a sudden the hat business saw a boom."
Seren glanced around thoughtfully. "If the planet is that troublesome then why colonize it?"
"It is one of the few we have come across with a breathable atmosphere, tolerable environment, and isn't bathed in lethal radiation. And the asteroid belt is big and mineral rich. The land itself does wonders for plant life as you can see." Eira pointed at the tremendous looking forest off to the east from the starport. "Colonists have adapted to an arboreal city structure away from the starport. The giant trees afford extensive protection from the sun." Here the white furred rat woman gave a little shudder. "Wouldn't catch me living way up there!"
"Says the rat girl who lives in a home that is hanging from the ceiling of a cave." So teased the Dynol.
"Hey now. Stone is very safe!"
Seren noted though that the common tricorn-like hats many males wore made sense from a protective design standpoint. The forward point shaded the snout and the back points shaded the ears. He got an explanation from Eira that the clothes also served to bleed off excess heat and had a passive cooling system built into every garment. "So why the archaic dress style?" he questioned.
Eira grinned. "A chunk of the early colonists turned out to be historical re-enactment buffs and since the buildings were less high tech why not have fun with it? The idea caught on and now it's their cultural thing. There is even a recreation of a thousand year old town and surrounding farmsteads further north in the cooler zone."
The Dynol took all this in and smiled more and more. "So what is the plan then?" he asked wile pulling out his silver reflective rat mask and donning it. The mask was treated against UV so was a better choice than his usual blister goggles. "I think we are all going to need at least hats pronto, yes?" Said with a worried glance at Scanner, Zana and the Bridge Bunnies who were all shielding their eyes with a paw as the looked around. "I doubt any of us wants to be holed up in a hotel all week right?"
"Right. There's a hat shop nearby for exactly that and right next door a visor shop. Both accommodate large folk." the Security Tech informed them. But I have something for you first." Here she pulled out a hat that was like a tall sloping hill with the long point in front and just a single short back facing point. Set in it was a white feather. "One of my distant cousins gave me this last visit. Never quite suited my style. But the blue happens to match your usual taste in off duty colors."
Seren accepted the gift and tried it on. "How do I look?"
Eira churrred with pleasure. "mmmmm! With the mask on you look like the Phantom Rider!" We need to get you fully dressed up now!"
"uh-oh!"
Scanner and the others of the party were still busy gawking as they had never actually made planetfall in all the years of being on Patrol. "Well this is different." the grey Backeneko drawled in amusement at the sight of the fluffy tailed Wiwer Fawr and the peculiar architecture.
Zana was looking wide eyed in delight at everything and her fluffy tail was practically vibrating with excitement. "They are so adorable!"
"Miss Zana. Please refrain from terrorizing the countryside hugging everything." Seren deadpanned. Vulpes-Canis were a very touchy-feely people and the large curly haired dog girl was like the poster pup for her species. She liked to just pick up the Dynol and hug him to death, or on coinciding lunch breaks she would sit him in her lap and idly pet him. The other Vulpes-Canis on the Patrol Carrier would do the same. Just not as grabby as the Wraith Pilot. She at least did not handle him while he was working. But she would sit and just raptly watch him work. The big dog folk's fascination with Dynol was well documented.
"Oh come on! I let you go... eventually." was accompanied by Zana's merry barking laughter and wagging tail.
Seren had to admit that the starfighter pilot had the reflexes to back up her rampant people pouncing. She could also beat him eight times out of ten at go-cart racing. "So what's the plan then Eira? You -did- have a plan? Riiiiight?" he nudged the rat alien.
"Sure do. I pre-ordered some steam train tickets to the great northern city of Gaer Garreg Werdd yn y Goedwig. It is a recreation of a fortress city from the homeden that was a major steam hub back in the day. It's now a sort of historical re-enactment with people acting out living the way folk used to." She displayed for all a paper map and traced a claw from the starport to their intended destination. "Big tourist attraction and there's a regular re-enactment of a raid by the Crwydriaid y Mor yn Dwyn Gwaywffyn, sea going aboriginals who raided inland every few years well into our early steam age. Quite a nuisance."
"Australia gets invaded by Hawaii." quipped the Dynol.
"I have no idea what you are referencing. But I know it is something embarrassing!"
They all made haste to the hat shop and it was Seren's turn to be embarrassed at being complimented for his Phantom Rider cosplay. Eira had her own hat as well. A white tricorn with a badge pinned to one side and several short square-ish red feathers sticking out back of it. "This is my dad's hat. He used to live here for a few years before getting his hauler gig."
"What is the badge for?" Asked one of the Bridge Bunnies.
"Ah that was for rescuing some folk who got lost in the deep forests. Dad was a pretty good tracker." Eira explained while tracing a finger round the brass badge. "The feathers represent how many people he saved. Six total."
The Bridge Bunnies each purchased high topped broad rimmed black hats with a green band around the base. They looked a bit like triangular witch hats with the point removed. Zana selected bonnet and Scanner donned her own green wild west style hat with one side pinned up. All the head-ware had built in heat dissipation materials to help disperse built up UV warming.
Next they ambled over to the clothes shop and here Eira helped Seren pick out a long coat in blue that went with his hat. "Yeah! Very Phantom Rider now! Just need to get you a silver steam pistol and a white coesau plu."
"Eira... Is this a vacation? Or dress up doll?"
"Why not both?"
Scanner picked out a woman's riding outfit in green while the seven lapine brothers all selected elegant coats and pants with buckled shoes. They looked reminiscent of Spanish aristocrats dressed so. Especially with the frilly lace. Zana dressed in a gown that spread out in all directions. She blushed so much it was visible through her cheek fur when Seren teased that she could hide all of the Bridge Bunnies under her petticoats.
All done with basic shopping they stopped by to say hello to Eira's distant cousin. This fellow was a Wiwer Fawr of a light brown fur pattern and blue eyes. "Eira ar y Blodau! Been three years since saw you last! Welcome Welcome!" He looked over the masked Dynol curiously. "Why are you so cute with that mask on? I am Gwynt Drwy'r Canghennau. You must be Llygaid Llawn o Ser my cousin has written about?"
"Probably unless she has more than one Dynol wrapped up in her tail." grinned the Systems Tech.
Gwynt grinned at that. "If the rumors are true then just one of you is more than enough." The squirrel-like alien and the human exchanged the double paw clasp greeting and then everyone padded over to an shaded eatery sized for small and large folk. "You hit a good time to visit. This is the cool season. Temperature will spike for three months during the hot storm season. Warm rain and high winds. Great for the plant life. But whooo! Don't plan on traveling!"
They got to try out the local quinine including bara haen fewnol, which was akin to a calzone stuffed with cheeses, a white cream sauce, ground nuts, lettuce and carrot equivalents, and strips of coesau plu meat for the omnivores in the group. Scanner and Zana had roast coesau plu with a selection of greens the two carnivores could ingest. From the store owner Seren learned that the Cozi Mari was picking up a shipment of meat to supplement the more carnivore sided crew's diets.
Gwynt would be joining the group as their guide while planet-side. Mostly just an excuse to catch up with Eira and socialize with aliens. "Not many offworlders stay long for obvious reasons. Too bad you Dynol can not improve the conditions here like are on the other colony."
"I am no terraforming expert, but the problem here is a bit more involved. Fixing it would require moving the planet's orbit or thickening the atmosphere to increase UV shielding. Any of which might disrupt the ecology established here." suggested Seren. "That is even assuming we could alter the orbit without wrecking the planet."
"Tis what I heard last time it was discussed. The trees here are dependent on the increased solar intake and adding more cloud cover might well cause them to weaken or outright die. There's also worry that thickening the atmosphere could increase the intensity and duration of the storms we get." A flick of the squirrel's bushy tail fore-back-fore showing his reluctant acceptance of that.
"It is a planet we Dynol would have passed on during survey simply because it would be more likely to make things worse trying to make it more agreeable for habitation. As is you need alot of tech solutions to stay here right?"
"Correct. But it is not bad once you get used to it and we have adapted to the environment slowly."
"At a cost." Seren pointed out.
Gwynt nodded. "At a cost yeah."
Seren shrugged. "Maybe in time a better solution can be had. Right now the tech just has not caught up to being able to handle a situation like this. So you are to be commended for sticking it out and finding solutions outside the box."
That perked up the tan furred squirrel and after everyone had eaten and gotten a drink they set about picking up another local to join on the trip. That being Gwynt's fiance Erlid Awyr y Nos. Erlid was a solid pitch black of fur and had bright red eyes. She was a shipping clerk for the starport. She also complimented Seren on his Phantom Rider cosplay. Much to Eira's continued entertainment at the Dynol's expense.
Finally it came time to board the train and Seren got to see first hand a functional and fully restored mono-wheel steam train. The engine and tender were were Thirty meters long and the main engine consisted of four interlinked mono-wheels. The series engine was surprisingly powerful and the train could pull eight-hundred unit-tons. Eira explained a little of the history as everyone boarded. "Very early on we developed parallel wheel designs. But one experimental company pushed for the mono-wheel design and it gained popularity and quickly muscled out other designs."
Gwynt added to this. Mono-wheels have always been a design aspect of transportation and no one is exactly sure when it supplanted other styles of wheels. Part of the success was very early gear and stabilizing breakthroughs."
"Due to the stopping problems when not used in series?" guessed Seren.
"Exactly. Early mono-bikes were more than a little harrowing to stop at speed." Gwynt grinned. "But were too fun to drop for safer designs. The basis worked fine. It was the sudden stops that kept leading to accidents. Speed laws were for a good while very strict. But people were always pushing it when out away from the dencities. Eventually someone hit on a pivoting gyro system to counter the rotation problem. The trains did not suffer that problem and just needed stationary bracing legs when at a stop."
The passenger cars were luxurious with padded seats and even a dining and lounge car. The sleeping cars were just as finely crafted of metal and wood. Each car of the mono-train was accessible via two doors, one on either side of each car's center-line wheel. Some luggage and cargo was packed into the lower parts of each sphere that comprised a car. The ride was scheduled to take a twenty-two hour day to cover some one-thousand kilo-units distance.
And so plans were made as to what to do during the shore leave at the re-enactment site and surrounding tree-city.
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My stats:
Height: 6'5/195cm Weight: 220lb/100kg
So one of my biggest things that I'm self conscious about are my love handles. I've been going to the gym off and on (I understand that doesn't help for weight loss) but I've decided to really dedicate and go as much as possible. But after 5ish weeks, I haven't seen much fat loss.
I don't do cardio as I walk a good amount in my day to day life. I try to eat at a calorie deficit but I don't count calories. And I know that targeted fat loss is a myth.
So I'd love to have some advice on what to do. Do I just have to stick to it and the love handles will slowly go away? Any help is appreciated!

Heart-healthy eating helps you have the right food and keeps a check on your heart health. It aids in weight loss, reduces cholesterol, inflammation, blood pressure, and other heart risks, and increases lifespan.
According to WHO, “cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year”. One-third of these deaths occur prematurely in people under 70 years of age. Four out of five CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes.
This definitely is a problem of concern and needs to be addressed soon. But as it’s said – “Prevention is better than cure” It’s always better we start to visualize the problem, spread awareness, and follow practices that help us. Altering our lifestyle and incorporating a healthy diet are the best ways to stay safe from heart risks. And our heart-healthy recipes could be a great choice to start with!
Diet Changes that Can Eliminate the Risk of Heart Disease
Increase the intake of whole grains, veggies, fruits, and seeds in your regular diet. This makes a balanced diet and reduces heart problems.
Limit your consumption of Sodium, saturated fats, and trans fats like sugary foods & drinks, fried food, and processed meat.
Cook your meals at home. This ensures you eat healthy food regularly.
Complement these practices with regular exercise; quit smoking and alcohol consumption to prevent heart disease.
Heart-Healthy Recipes You Need to Try
Home-cooked-meals don’t just fill your belly, you also become mindful of what you feed your body by selecting healthier ingredients and practicing portion control. Not to forget, home-cooked meals help us save money and bring our loved ones around the table.
Grab the chance and try out our heart-healthy recipes that are easy to make and extremely tasty. Our list has a combination of foods covering veggies to whole grains that keep you satiated until your next meal.
Black Salmon with Roasted Vegetables
Salmon, rich in Omega-3-fatty acid, is a healthy fat. It can reduce cholesterol, control blood pressure, and is great for your heart and brain. When Salmon is paired with carrots, bell peppers, onions, or other veggies, it adds vital nutrients, making it a perfect dish that could make your heart crave for more.
This nutritious dish is a quick recipe that can be prepared within 30 minutes. You first need to preheat your oven to 400O F, place the salmon filets seasoned with salt and pepper on a baking sheet and roast the fish for up to 15 minutes. Now add the roasted vegetables seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil and transfer it to a platter along with the Salmon, and your delicious recipe is ready to taste!
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut squash is a rich source of vitamins, Potassium, Magnesium, Manganese, and fiber. It is low in saturated fats and cholesterol and, thus, is an excellent heart-healthy appetizer.
Saute diced onions, carrot, and garlic, with butternut squash in olive oil for 5-10 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a slow cooker and add vegetable or chicken broth and coconut milk. Lastly, add your desired spices (salt, pepper, cumin, chili flakes, and curry powder) and cook on low. This heart-healthy soup is ready to serve after 6-8 hours and tastes like heaven.
Lentil and Vegetable Stew
Lentils reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. They are a good source of plant protein and are rich in iron, Vitamin B1, and folate, which helps your heart be healthy. Additionally, the vegetables in this dish provide essential vitamins and minerals, making it a balanced diet.
Saute onions, garlic, celery, and carrots in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add lentils, tomatoes, herbs, and vegetable broth and bring it to a boil. Add the seasoning, simmer the stew, and boil the lentils and vegetables until they are tender. Lastly, garnish the stew with parsley and serve it hot as is or with quinoa or brown rice.
Grilled Chicken and Veggie Skewers
Unlike red meat, chicken is healthy as it is comparatively low in saturated fats and is a great food choice for non-vegetarians. And when you add your favorite veggies to it, don’t you think it’s a medley of rich flavors?
To make this incredible heart-healthy recipe, cut the chicken breast into small pieces, marinate them in a mixture of olive oil, lime juice, spices, and herbs and add these chicken pieces to the skewers along with tomatoes, zucchini, onions, or bell pepper. Grill the skewers until the chicken is cooked. This dish can satisfy your taste buds and is something you would love to devour.
Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
You can’t go wrong with this recipe when you are looking for a dish that is heart-friendly. Quinoa and black bean salad is a classic cuisine that is extremely healthy, with its main ingredients being Quinoa – a superfood high in amino acids and nutrients, and black bean – which is power-packed with proteins. This dish is delicious and can be made in a jiffy.
Cook the Quinoa as per the package instructions and add the canned black bean to it. Mix them with chopped bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, corn, and your desired spices, and serve them hot.
Roasted Root Vegetable Salad
Root veggies can protect you from heart diseases as they are low in calories and sodium and have higher amounts of potassium and fiber. Thus, they curb your hunger pranks and are healthy.
To make this salad, dice your favorite veggies, and sprinkle salt, pepper, and olive oil. Now spread these veggies on a baking sheet and roast them in the preheated oven for up to 35-40 minutes. Add the roasted vegetables to a bowl of greens, walnuts, crumbled cheese, and vinaigrette; toss them with the dressing, and voila! You got a healthy and yummy salad to savor.
In conclusion, incorporating heart-healthy recipes into your diet can help reduce the risk of heart disease and keep you healthy. These recipes are easy to make and delicious, making it easier to stick to a healthy diet. Remember to also complement these dietary changes with regular exercise and other healthy lifestyle choices.

Pizza flavored cheeseburger with crispy pepperoni, green pepper, marinara sauce & mozzarella cheese

This happened yesterday.
I invited this cute girl over to my place to "Amazon Prime and Quality Time" and she accepted. I was excited about it and was picking a movie to watch and decided on a cool space movie to watch, that neither of us have seen before. Interstellar. Inter-fucking-stellar.
Man, what a movie.
So anyway 3 hours long, surely we'll get bored in the middle and get to the fun stuff, right?
She arrives, we lay down on the bed together and start watching. We're both kinda hungry so I made some mac and cheese and we ate it together, watching Interstellar while doing so. The first half an hour is kinda boring, but her company is fun and we laugh, play around, and I start tickling her and end up on top of her. We kiss while the movie plays in the background, but sex right after eating is a bad idea, so we decide to wait another half an hour.
Then, the movie begins. Michael Caine. Matthew McConaughey. Anne Hathaway. The graphics, the CGI, the physics, the acting, the music, the corn, my god. We both lost track of time and started watching the movie. We cuddled together and I swear, any other movie and I would've made a move but when they landed on the time planet (don't wanna spoil the movie), I forgot about the sex completely. I'm happy she also enjoyed the movie or I'd be in the sticks lmao.
I won't spoil the movie any more than I already have but holy shit.
After the movie was over, we both just hung out for a bit before she had to leave and even though we didn't have sex, we saw an amazing movie and had a great time in general. No regrets. In fact, it turned out to be better, because since she enjoys my company a lot, she would like to do this again, but with a less interesting movie, which I cannot blame her for.
To anyone who's read this and not seen Interstellar, go watch it, just not when you wanna bang.
Would also appreciate movie advice for the second date, so I don't get back here with another "I picked the best fucking movie of all time" post :)
TLDR: Picked a really, really, really interesting movie to watch with a girl, ended up missing out on sex but watched a great movie, no regrets

Due to dietary restrictions, I'm looking for a place that does gluten-free pizza with mozzarella for cheese.
The only place I know in Abby that does Gluten free is Papa John's but they don't have an option for mozzarella to my knowledge.
As an added bonus anywhere that also has a dairy-free cream pizza base would be heavily appreciated.

I knew that Ray liked to party, but this was a little too much. He was on the dance floor with a spaced out look in his eye, dancing like he’d just stepped out of some 1980s music video. The people around him didn’t seem all that put off, but they were probably almost as high as he was.

Almost, being the operative word in that sentence.

Look, I get it. I like to party too from time to time. But you gotta be smart about it. You gotta know where your limit is, and I don’t think that Ray knew his limit.

***

I’d never actually been to this part of town before, but hey, there’s a first time for everything, right? Ray and I had just closed the deal of our careers and figured a little celebration was in order. I’d initially figured we’d just have a few drinks and maybe get laid. But when he broke out the molly, I wasn’t going to say no and the next hour or so after that was fucking killer.

Then we’d ran into that dude at the bar.

This guy was… well, he looked like he was on drugs, not like he sold them. He had messy hair, a grin that said: ‘I just farted!’ and I’m pretty sure he was covered in glitter. He was wearing a hot pink suit, with a neon blue bowtie, on top of a regular black tie. Yeah. Two ties.
Anyways, he must’ve realized that we were also high off our asses, because as we took a seat at the bar he came right over to us, wearing that ‘I just farted’ grin and chatted us up.
“Hey man! You two having a good time tonight?”
“Fuck yeah we are!” Ray replied, “Fucking love your getup, man!”
“Aww hell yeah, brother!”

The Glitter Man went in for a high five and Ray reciprocated.
“You having a party?” He asked.
“Yeah, just closed a fuckin BIG ASS client. Fuck yeah, we’re having a party!”
“Oh man, then I’ve got just the thing for you! Check this shit out.”

Glitter Man reached into his suit jacket and took out a gunmetal gray cigarette case. He opened it, showing us a collection of small neon blue pills inside.
“These right here? These are gonna kick your night up a whole other notch,” He promised. “You want in?”

Ray stared down at the pills, and I could see his eyes widening like a kid who'd just walked into a candy shop.
“Fuck yeah, I want in!” He said with barely a moment of hesitation, and that is when I stepped in.
“Wait up, the fuck are these?” I asked. “Molly?”

“Nah, man. It’s a new thing. Been calling it Blue Lagoon. Trust me, this is the shit! One pill… and you’re never gonna forget tonight. I got a buddy who swears this shit lets him see into other worlds.”
“How much?” Ray asked.
“Tell you what, man. I’ll hook you both up for ten bucks a pop!”

Ray started reaching for his wallet, but I stopped him.
“Dude, we don’t even know what this shit is!” I said.
“C’mon, loosen your asshole and live a little, Geoff!” Ray replied, pulling away from me. “Sorry about my friend, man. He just needs a few more drinks.”
“Hey, no worries!”

Ray handed over twenty bucks and Glitter Man dropped two pills into his hand, before taking off.
“See you around!” He said, and that was it.
“You in this with me?” Ray asked, offering me one of the pills.

I didn’t answer, so he started making a ticking clock noise.
“Times almost up…” He sang, “You gonna get the stick out of your ass and party like a man, or are you gonna pussy out?”

I took the pill, sighed and put it in my mouth.
“ATTA FUCKIN’ BOY!” Ray cried and slapped me on the back, before taking his own pill. “Thought for sure you were gonna go all fuckin’ soft on me!” He teased, “Go full Mr. Mackey from South Park. ‘Drugs are bad, M’kay!’” He laughed at his own bad impression of the show.

He turned back to the bar, reaching into his pocket for a pack of cigarettes.
“Hey, my buddy and I are gonna have two dry martinis!” He said, “Dirty as you can fuckin’ make them!”

He popped one of the cigarettes into his mouth, and that was around the time I noticed that the world around me seemed… off…

I blinked slowly, looking around at the people in the bar. I could’ve sworn that I saw flowers blooming on their skin, but it was hard to get a look at them. They only ever seemed to be there when I wasn’t looking directly at them. From the corner of my eye, I thought I saw something moving behind the dance floor. Some tall, wandering shadow although I couldn’t get a good look at it either. I think that it might have looked at me, with eyes on stalks like some kind of slug. But I couldn’t be sure. It disappeared completely when I tried to look at it head on.

I looked over at the bartender, a relatively plain looking brunette. She glanced at me briefly as she shook our martinis, and I swore that I could see flowers growing out of her hair, wreathing her head in vibrant colors that were impossible to really describe.

I looked over at Ray, and he was staring at her too. I’m not sure what he was seeing, but whatever it was, it had to be beautiful! The man beside me had roses growing out of his eyes and whenever he laughed, I heard a chorus of angels singing. He was holding a giant chameleon that he kept petting, and it was looking at me.
“Think this is DMT?” It asked.
“Who the hell knows?” Said the man. His head was mostly flowers now.

Ray absentmindely handed me my martini, and I took a sip. It tasted like heaven. It tasted like a fresh donut, right out of the oven with the glaze still melty and warm. I wanted to cry from just how beautiful it was!

A hazy mist swirled around me, lifting me up to new levels of paradise. As Ray and I went to the dance floor to join the party, I felt at one with the universe.

A beautiful girl with flawless dark skin danced with me, as we danced I realized that my place in the cosmos was here! Right here!

And then I saw it, really, truly saw it. The grand tapestry of all things. It was right there in her eyes. Right there for me to see. An expanse of events, all seemingly unconnected save for the fact that they contributed to some great, glorious final outcome. A perfect future for all mankind, for all that existed beyond mankind. Hundreds of lives, thousands, millions, billions… perhaps even an infinite amount, all moving parts in an enormous machine, working toward the completion of a single function. Pawns in a grand game whose outcome had been determined outside of time. Every little piece would in it’s own way, fall into place exactly when it needed to, at the moment it needed to, each one carefully guided by a grand design, that operated exclusively through others. An outside force, that pushed them to trigger the events that would lead to the favorable outcome, and arguably, the only outcome, but there really was no big picture to be seen. The end result was something far less finite. It was a state of being. A higher state. A type of perfection that went beyond perfection. Oh, the knowledge of it burned so bright in my skull!

I hugged the girl that I was dancing with and we kissed. She told me that she was proud of me before promptly dissolving into a cloud of butterflies, and as I watched them fly away I laughed, knowing that they too were part of the fabric of the universe! I admired the crowd dancing around me, basking in their radiance. They seemed to go on forever and I could see every aspect of their lives in each of them. Their hopes, their dreams, their aspirations. I loved each of them, and looked into each of their souls, looking at what the greatest possible version of them might be.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow. The same one from before, possibly? I looked at it, watching as it surveyed the crowd. Despite its darkness, I could see its shiny white teeth and beady eyes. The eyes shifted to me for a moment where they lingered, but the shadow didn’t move.

Water flowed around me, distracting me from the shadow again. Fish swam past me, daring me to chase them and I obliged. They promised to take me to a mermaid and teach me how to live in the sea with them. Then I promptly threw up all over some poor girl who was just trying to dance, and after I apologized to her, I tried to explain to the fish that I just needed to sit down for a moment, but by then they’d already turned into seagulls and were just casually shitting on the dude they were sitting on.

I stumbled over to one of the booths and collapsed into it, trying to catch my breath.
“Would you like some cheese, sir.” Asked the sentient platter of cheese on the table underneath me.
“My name is Brie!” Said the brie.

I stared down at the platter, before picking up a cube of cheddar and trying to eat it. For some reason it tasted like a napkin. This was because it was actually a napkin.

My skin felt cold, my hands were shaking a little. The music was way too loud and my mouth was dry.

I looked up.

There were no fantastical creatures around. No fish, no seagulls, no flowers, no talking cheese. Just a normal nightclub.

My head was kind of throbbing.

I took out my phone to look at it. It’d been about an hour since Ray and I had gotten our martinis. Had time really passed that quickly?

Speaking of which, where was Ray?

I looked around for him, before finding him still on the dance floor, dancing like a goddamn maniac. He didn’t seem to be coming down the way that I was. Maybe I’d puked some of the drug up when I’d vomited and it had cut my trip short?

Speaking of which, what the hell was that? DMT or something? I was pretty sure that I’d just hallucinated everything that had just happened. Those had to be hallucinations, right?

I shook my head, before trying to ground myself in the moment. I still felt dizzy and weak. I ended up going to the bar to just get some water before finding another seat where I could rest for a while while Ray partied his little heart out… and after another hour, I started thinking that maybe something was wrong with him.

I noticed that he only seemed to take a break once, and when he did, it was only to head to the bar to get another hard drink. While he was there, I noticed him slipping a familiar gunmetal gray cigarette case out of his pocket. He downed some pills from inside and chased them with a generous sip of whatever he’d gotten. Then, swaying like an idiot he put the cigarette case back in his pocket and lumbered back to the party.

That idiot.

He must’ve bought the whole fucking case off of that weird guy we’d seen earlier! It was one thing to try some weird new drug like a dumbass, but this? This was insane!

I considered going up to him to ask him just what the hell he’d been thinking, but given how out of it he probably was, I knew there wouldn’t be much point to it.

So I resolved to just watch him, and make sure he got home safely like a responsible friend/co-worker. I didn’t really want a repeat of the Vancouver Incident where I’d had to drag him crying like a baby out of a convenience store at 4 AM because they were out of gummy bears. (He’d promised me that it would never happen again and up until now I’d held him to that.)

I guess if nothing else, Ray didn’t seem to be violent or anything while he was high. The bouncers in this place looked pretty tough, and I really didn’t want to have to watch them beat the crap out of him. And it wasn’t until around 2 AM when the party was dying down that I started to notice Ray acting strange. Well… strange compared to the way he’d been acting for most of the night.

He’d seemed more unstable on his feet and seemed less interested in dancing now. He kept looking around frantically, and I saw him take out the cigarette case to look for more pills.

I figured that this was probably the time to get up and stop him.
“Hey, hey… relax, man,” I said, coming up to him and stopping him from taking more of those pills. “Take it easy, alright?”

He looked over at me with wide, bloodshot eyes as I spoke to him.
“Geoff?” He asked in a small voice.
“Yeah, it’s me. Put the pills down. How many of those have you had?”

I took the case from him and looked inside, only to feel my stomach sink a little when I realized that it was empty.

It suddenly occurred to me that I probably should have been watching him closer, to make sure he didn’t take all of the goddamn mystery pills, and I quietly kicked myself for not thinking about that sooner!
“Well shit… you feeling okay, bud?” I asked.
“Fraid…” He slurred, “Universe is… wrong…”

His eyes suddenly widened, filled with a horror that I’m not sure I could properly describe.
“THERE!”

He pointed at something over my shoulder and I looked.
Behind me, sat the unknowable terror that lurks in all places where something ceases to exist and only absence remains… absolutely fucking nothing.

“Maybe we need to get you to a hospital…” I murmured.
“No hospital! N-no hospital!” He said, “Please… Geoff… j-just get me somewhere safe! Please!”

Yeah, I was definitely getting him to a hospital. I’d already made enough dumb decisions for the night. I didn’t really feel up to making one more.
“Alright, let’s get you someplace safe,” I said with a sigh. I took out my phone to call us a cab. “C’mon, Ray.”

He grabbed at me like a scared child as I led him out of the club, jumping at every shadow that we saw on the way out.

***

“So what exactly did he take?” The nurse asked me. She had a sort of deadpan, matter of fact tone and barely even looked at me, while Ray screamed bloody murder in the next room. I gotta say, I wasn’t exactly beaming with pride as I confessed to the nurse that Ray and I had partied in defiance of every 1980s anti-drug PSA we’d grown up with. But it needed to be done.

“I think the guy called it Blue Lagoon,” I said. “I don’t know how many he had, but it was a lot.”
“Blue Lagoon?” The nurse asked, “That’s a new one.”
“Yeah I’ve never heard of it either. I took one of the pills too,” I said. “I was seeing shit for about an hour before I came down. Like, mermaids, talking cheese, flowers… that kinda stuff.”
“So it’s a hallucinogen?” She asked.
“Yeah, I’ve never done DMT but I was thinking it might be similar to that? I don’t know.”
“We’ll take some bloodwork shortly, see if we can’t figure out some more,” She said before leaving me.

I quietly went back to Ray’s room, and watched as he fought against the restraints that bound him to the bed.
His face was bright red from all the screaming and he was sobbing like a little kid as he struggled.
“IT’S COMING! IT’S COMING FOR ME!”

I didn’t bother trying to talk to him. He was still pretty out of it, and he’d been screaming about something coming for him.
“GEOFF!” He sobbed, looking at me. I saw him trying to reach for my hand, “Don’t… don’t leave.. Don’t let him take me, Geoff… please… you gotta let me out of here, YOU GOTTA LET ME RUN!”
“Relax, you’re gonna be okay,” I promised. “I’m gonna stay right here with you.”
The words didn’t seem to do much for him. He just kept fighting and sobbing.

At around 4 in the morning, I finally slept. It was in a chair in one of the waiting rooms, since Ray was still screaming too loud for me to sleep in his room, but I slept. I figured that when I woke up, Ray would have sobered up a bit and we could both go home.

I was wrong.

When I woke up, there was a police officer standing over me, gently shaking my shoulder. My first thought was that the nurse we’d talked to had reported us for taking drugs (which I thought they weren’t supposed to do!) but no.

He just wanted to ask me a few questions about Ray.

My memories of talking to the police are hazy. I don’t entirely remember how the conversation went, but I knew that they’d asked me about where we’d been that night. They asked me if Ray had gotten into any fights, or if I knew anyone who might want to kill him. It wasn’t until around halfway through the conversation that I figured out that Ray was dead.

I never saw the body. It was covered when they wheeled it out of the room.

But I saw the blood.

Good God… all that fucking blood… more than I thought could fit in a person.

From what I heard, none of the nurses saw what happened. At some point, the screaming had just stopped and when they’d come in to check his vitals again, they were greeted by the gory mess that used to be Ray.

After the police talked to me, I didn’t hear a lot about the investigation into Ray’s death. To my knowledge, they never identified any suspects. Hell, I don’t even think they’re entirely sure about what killed him. I heard somebody say it could have been some kind of animal attack, but I think that got shot down pretty quickly, since where the fuck would the animal have come from?

The police cleared me as a suspect in the case pretty quickly, since I’d been asleep when it had happened and there were plenty of witnesses who could confirm I was in the waiting room, passed out.

I imagine that they talked to some people at the nightclub we’d been at too, but I don’t think anything ever came of that. I’d been watching Ray for most of the night. He’d been dancing and having a good time. The only time I hadn’t been keeping an eye on him was when I was hallucinating, and I highly doubt he picked a fight with someone who’d be willing to break into a hospital to murder him during the hour that I was indisposed! There was literally no logical reason he should have died the way he did! There wasn’t a single person I could possibly think of who could have killed him!

Person being the operative word here.

Before he died, Ray had been screaming about something coming for him. My memories of the hallucinations I had after I took that pill are a little hazy, but I remember the shadowy thing I glimpsed among the crowd a few times.

I remember the pitch that the guy who’d sold us the pills had made:
‘I got a buddy who swears this shit lets him see into other worlds!’

Call me crazy… but I’m wondering just how true that pitch was. Maybe not everything we saw after taking those pills was a hallucination. Maybe they let us see something… touch something… and they let that something touch us right back.

I don’t know for sure. But that’s the closest thing to an answer that I’ve got. Either way, I’ve been sober ever since that night and I think I’m going to stay that way.

Currently I’m almost overweight so I’m exercising more, more weights, heavier weights, running a little longer every cardio session, etc. but I’ve also resolved to track calories with a mindset that it’s an experiment.
About two and a bit weeks into really sticking to it, I had this moment of feeling really confident and good about the fact that I’m self-aware of my decisions. Making it a little game like a middle school lab class or video game stats has made it really fun tbh in a way that calorie counting in the past wasn’t.
Today I went over my ideal recommended calories, but rather than stressing, being able to see my week at a glance is very reassuring. I’m showing a trend that indicates that I will follow through with my goals.
Does anyone else find CICO fun like a game? Are there any breakthroughs you’ve had throughout your journey? What was your game changer, because this gamification is definitely mine.

For context, I'm 33F, 5'6". I started out at 256 lb in early March, and am currently at 215 lb through IF, CICO, water fasting (maybe a few days once a month primarily for autophagy and reducing insulin resistance), and 5 days a week of 30 min cardio with about 1-2 hour of weights (depending on how long it takes to complete my set that day with rests, waiting for machines, etc). I alternate days of push, pull, core/abs/lower back, rotator cuff rehab, and leg day.
My daily calories are typically 1200-1500 (BMR is around 1540 with 45.9% body fat according to my last health office assessment), and I try to hit at least 120g protein and around 20g carb per day. With rare exceptions, I cook my own food and weigh everything out with a food scale. In the past, I've had issues with reactive hypoglycemia, so I'm trying to stay low carb, high protein. I don't have a gallbladder, so I'm hesitant to do a high fat diet like keto.
I currently take a daily prenatal vitamin (not pregnant), as well as supplements for vitamin d (i have a deficiency), collagen peptides, and fish/krill oil along with a non-caffeinated pre-workout.
I don't have much meat in my diet, and get most of my protein from eggs, cheese/dairy, and whey protein, with a variety of vegetables (usually cucumber, tomatoes, and carrots), though i occasionally will have a salmon fillet or rarely some other kind of meat. I also aim to drink about 1 gallon of water a day with sodium <2000 mg (typically around 1500 or less).
My goal is to hit 150 lb and increase my strength and lifts. This was going well with a steady increase in my bench press, squats, deadlifts, etc while losing weight, but in the last 1-2 weeks, I feel I've been stalling or moving backwards. I was feeling great, better than i have in years, but lately I've been sluggish and had to move back to a lower weight on several different machines. I've also seen a dramatic decrease in my weightloss with only .6lb in the last week. Friday I had to call off work because I was feeling so exhausted and weak I couldn't get out of bed, so I ended up sleeping all day.
I'm really frustrated right now because I've been working so hard and don't know what else I can do. I've been thinking about adding a small dose of creatine just to bring myself up to a typical level of 2-3g a day since I don't typically eat meat, so I know I'm not getting it from my diet. Any help would be appreciated!

I’m a 5’11 ~220-230 lbs 21 year old man. Was at 205 in November but due to life I gained more fat and feel ashamed. I moved for the summer so now I have a 50 day window to build habits before I return to friends, family and desires as well as to claw my way back to the high 180s and low 190s. What calorie deficit should I be eating? What diets should I consider if any or should I just stick to high protein and little to no junk food? Thank you in advance
P.S was 180 in 2019-2020 before Covid and felt awesome have to reach there again.
P.S Don’t expect to make it to 180 or even the 90s by the time I come back. Just want to get all my habits right in the kitchen and need help making them. (Also hopefully look and most importantly feel better.)

I know people use it a lot for bowls or spoons and the famous burnt out canoe but does anyone know the extrames of it? Because I'll find myself using it to drill holes or "saw" things a lot but I wonder how often it would be used for plaining or more complex shapes?
This is more in the realms of experimental archaeology but I'd imagine fire carving would be even more important when you have stone tools because how many calories it'd take to make something like a throw stick or complecated war club design , obviously using stone to get the finishing work done but to rough out the primary shape

Hello gentlemen of the academy, I’m a league of legends player who wants to try alternative MOBAs because league is bad for the soul. I’m a filthy Seraphine APC one trick and I’m struggling to find a smite champ who fits a similar niche.
What I enjoy the most is
1: Having extremely high damage and being able to blow people up
2: Being able to win teamfights not just through damage but through utility
3: playing an ❤️e-girl❤️ champ
I tried out Ra and I liked his gameplay except for his 1 which was way too telegraphed, and his 2 which seemed pointless. The ult was fun but it was basically just a Lux ult so I already knew how to use it.
I usually play as the bot lane carry despite playing a mage, but it seems like in smite that’s more of a faux pas as I can’t really find that many mages who go bot regularly in the meta, and unlike in league there don’t seem to be any major cheese benefits in mages going bot, and generally the negatives outweighs the positives, so I’d be fine with transitioning to a solo lane (not support because I want kills, and jungle is for people who look at the map), ideally mid because I know in league of legends top lane is where good men go to die, and their souls are turned into beasts of burden for Satan’s herd, and I see no reason why solo would be any different.
I’m not very good at marksmen in league and I’d be even worse in smite, so I’d like to stick to burst mages as that’s my comfort zone. Right now Aphrodite, Chang’e, Scylla and Nox stick out to me as possible good choices, which one of these should I start learning?

Mozzarella cheese stick calories

Mozzarella Sticks

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Nutrition