Creed too hot to handle zodiac

A few months back my friend suddenly realised he started to like his colleague who had already been in a relationship for years. He started talking to me about all those feelings and I tried to tell him it'd be a bit of a dick move to pursue. But he came up with all sorts of reasons as to why he would not be in the wrong at all. In the months following that conversation he has been chatting with her day in day out, which he defended by asking "what am I really doing wrong when you think about it?" Cause they were 'just talking '.
So, fast forward to now, they just confessed their feelings toward eachother and she's about to break up with her boyfriend and start dating my friend. He wants me to accept this relationship too and the way he handled it. Other people I spoke to don't see anything wrong either. I saw it as him preying on the relationship so he could take his chances eventually.
What do you all think about this situation? What could I tell my friend? Because I really don't know what to tell him anymore

Before I dive into everything that has happened over the last couple of weeks I want to get a couple of things out of the way. I moved to this town four months ago because of a job offer: I was supposed to start working with a construction company. Second, I am not going to give you my last name. But I will tell you my first name, it's Tom. I am telling you all this, just in case. Ya know?
Anyway, I moved here four months ago. At first, the job offer seemed too good to be true. I was promised an apartment, full benefits, and grocery delivery twice a month. I was told the town was small, and honestly, it is! I am not used to living in a place like this. I mean, I saw the stars for the first time in my life the day I got to my new apartment.
The apartment itself is nice, I have two bedrooms and a good-sized bathroom. I have no complaints about any of the accommodations. Two weeks into moving here I was told that I would be starting at the end of the month. My boss told me that rent would be covered and gave me a list of things I needed for my first day.
As the end of the month came around I decided to go out and buy a new pair of work boots. I figured this would give me a good chance to get a look around town and maybe meet some people. I was mostly right.
The store was only a couple of blocks from my apartment building so instead of taking my truck I decided to walk. The town is cozy, ya know? Like everyone seems normal. Everything felt like it came out of a classic American novel though. So anyway, I went and got my boots and on the way home I decided to stop at a store and pick up the local newspaper.
When I got home and sat on my couch to crack open the newspaper, I could tell something was off right away. The story on the front page read “New Mayor Elected” and right below that, “Strange Lights in the Sky.” By itself, those two things would not raise red flags, but the pictures looked off. It’s hard for me to put into words but the photo of the new mayor looked both old and new. I scanned the page for a date and couldn’t find one. I figured that maybe something went wrong with the printing or something. After I gave the front page a good read I put the paper down and went to bed.
For two days I stayed home to make sure I was well rested. At this point, I had not purchased a tv yet and decided to jump on the opportunity and read more. On my way to pick up new boots, I noticed the town library and thought why not? I could get a couple of books and a new paper. The library itself is beautiful. The wood looks well maintained and the giant stone lions on either side of the staircase were extremely cool to look at the first time I saw them.
Heading into this library was just like walking into any other library. I don’t know what I was expecting. The outside was cool so I thought the inside would be more done up. As I walked through the aisle and scanned the books I could feel the hairs on my arms stand up. It was a weird feeling, something I had not experienced before this: It was almost like I was scared for no reason. As I pulled a book off of the shelf and read the cover I was extremely puzzled, for reference I was standing in the history section. The book read, “To Mars and Back. How America pioneered space travel.” It sounded more like a science fiction book to me, and there were a lot of other books like this. “They live among us, humanity's first contact with God.” or “The secret history of the Roman empire.” As I went through and examined more books I started to notice little scratches on the bookcase. They looked like tally marks. I followed them down the shelf until I found some writing. “Turn back” and “Go home” were scribbled on the shelf. I quickly stood up and clenched the book I was holding.
As I turned around I took one last look at the book in my hands before heading off to speak with a librarian. As I approached the counter I swear to god the woman behind the counter took my breath away. She was so beautiful, but it didn’t seem natural. I could feel the hairs on the back of my head stand up as I got closer to the desk. I decided to put the book down and leave. There was something inside of me, screaming at me to not speak to the woman. As I headed out of the building and walked down the staircase I noticed my hands were shaking. I was confused because technically, nothing happened.
I never bought a paper that day. Instead, I went home and went to sleep. Technically it was midafternoon, I had no idea why I was tired in the first place.
When I woke up the next day and went to check the mail, I found a rolled-up newspaper at my front door. I shit you not I have been getting a newspaper every day since that day. At first, I was interested in reading them, but the more I read the more I didn’t want to read. At the end of the month, I was waiting for a call from my boss, but the call never came. I tried to call him but his phone was disconnected.
As the next month rolled around I kept getting the newspapers. I stopped receiving normal mail, and I stopped wanting to live in this damn apartment. Two weeks into the new month I decided to call it quits and move back. I was not getting this job and my time here had been nothing but uncomfortable. So I packed my bags and stormed outside to climb into my truck. I was planning on leaving that day however, my tiers had been slashed.
I did what anyone would do, right? I called the damn police. They came promptly and once again I was met with the same feelings as when I saw the librarian. These men did not look real. Every inch of their faces looked…fake. I mean yes they were people but there was not a hair out of place. They were perfectly symmetrical in every way. The whole time I was filling out the police report my hands were shaking. My body was so tense I thought I was going to fall over on the spot. Once the situation was handled I ran back to my apartment. I was skipping steps as I went back upstairs. I felt like I could not get upstairs fast enough.
A couple of hours later I heard pounding at my door. I can’t stress this enough, the pounding scared the shit out of me. “WHO IS IT?!” I screamed. “Please! I need help!” A woman called back to me. I went to my front door, I wish I could tell you I did not hesitate but I did. I eventually opened the door for the women. She was an absolute mess, her makeup was running down her face and she was wearing pajamas. It will sound fucked up but I was so happy to see this woman, her crying gave me comfort. She did not look like the others, she looked real and natural. I asked her what happened and she told me her daughter had gone missing. I asked her if she called the police and she told me no. She said she wouldn’t, she told me her daughter wouldn't go to them either. I asked her what her daughter's name is, she told me her name is Zoey. We talked for what felt like hours before I told her I would keep my eyes open. She thanked me and went back to her apartment in tears. As I closed and locked my door I went to the pile of newspapers and opened the most recent one. I wanted to see if there was any mention of Zoey in the paper. The front page read, “Local man found dead outside of his home. No suspects.” below that there was another heading, “Local girl missing.” I checked for a name but it wasn’t Zoey. They are the same age though. As I scanned the paper I heard a scream come from down the hallway. I stood up quickly and rushed to my door, this time without hesitation I ripped it open and looked down the hallway. And that’s where I saw…it. One of the cops except it wasn’t a man. He had tight skin, he almost looked like a walking skeleton. His eyes were bulging out of his head, and his arms were larger. “Sir…” The thing said to me. I quickly turned and slammed the door shut. I locked all four locks and put the kitchen table up against the door. I haven’t left this apartment since. I did call my ex, she said she would come and get me but I don’t know how long I will be waiting. If this is fear, I have had enough. I can’t sleep and I am too scared to eat. It feels like my heart might explode like my whole perception of reality has changed.

im constantly doing research but i always find something i didnt know before and i have so many questions. i bought him a massive and extremely expensive cage, constantly buying him toys, talk to him all the time, etc. i just have some questions id so so grateful if someone could help.

1. i read somewhere just a few minuts earlier that ur not supposed to make eye contact w ur bird cus then they see u a predator?? what?? i do that all the time and now im worried hes threatened of me
2. ur not supposed to chase around ur bird, ikik. butttt i used to give him a bath in my bathroom shower (in his cage). but now the cage is too big for that. i give him one in the balcony and use a water sprayer. he LOVES baths, and has no fear of water or baths. but the sprayer im using, he seems to be afraid of it? when he first saw it he panicked and flapped his wings and flew to the other side of the cage obviously panicked. my mom said its just cus its a new object, but i wonder if its cus of the colour? its bright red. he would also get scared when i sprayed it at him. idk why cus when we do it in the bathroom shower he loves it. i thought maybe cus its a new environment? but hes still not used to it. issue is when he doesnt do it i just chase him around with it, cus how else do i give him a bath? but now im realizing that was a bad decision. and i feel like its probably making him hate me. evetually he does settle down and stays still so i can shower him though.

he's a bit more accustomed to it now, lot more than before, but still he panicks sometimes and tries to fly to different parts of his cage sometimes esp if i get too close with the sprayer or try to spray his frontside. also he doesnt let me spray his frontside just the back. so like, how am i supposed to give him a bath? why is he scared of the sprayer, should i stick to what hes comfy with (the bathroom) or try to get him accustomed to this cus its a bit more convenient? im gonna try keeping the sprayer next to his cage today to see if he gets more used to it.
3) i put a lil container inside his cage for him to bathe himself sometimes. i took it out now but the issue is he keeps dipping hard things (pellets, biscuits) in it to soak them and eat lol. but the container is pretty big and wide so the biscuit floats away and then he cant take it again. and i dont want him taking a bath in that water.
4) i heard about target training to get him out of his cage. i have a question - so in target training u tap a stick and then he follows it, and when he does u treat him cus he followed te stick and eventually when hes used to it u take im out of the cage. thats cool but what if he follows the stick to attack it? do i still treat him?? cus if i give him a treat then, itll be like im treating him to attack, and i dont want him to attack things.
5) i got him to lick things i put inside the cage in exchange for a treat. but then i wasnt home for 2-3 days and now he doesnt do it anymore. also yesterday he was super mad at me for some reason, kept attacking me. he usually doesnt and i can put my hands inside the cage (as long as theyre not near him), sometime si even put my head in. yesterday he was NOT having in. today when i put my hand in to change his food he opened his mouth (didnt lunge). i took it a bit slow then he didnt mind.
6) his mood like fluctuates on certain days hes angrier than other. i think he likes kissy sounds lol whenever i make those hes a bit nicer. i think it soothes him or something.
7) i read somewhere that u shouldnt give ur parrot a bath and they can do it themselves?? this along with him not being a fan of the sprayer is making me consider it but when i give him a bath i can clean him nicely. plus he does LOVE baths, just not the newer version of it lol.
8) i dont give him seeds often. he loves them but ir ead theyre too high on fat so i rarely give it. yesterday i gave him 2 things he loves but no one was home all day n i came home n saw he hadnt eaten ANYTHING. and it was almost 9pm. so i gave him seeds and he ate that and i put him to sleep at 10. should i give seeds more often?
9) he sleeps from 8pm onwards and gets very cranky during that time i assume cus hes sleepy. but also the past few days ive been busy at night n my parents put him to sleep a lil late like 9-10pm. i think thats making him cranky??
10) how dark should his cage be at night? ever since i got this new cage, i cant cover it properly. his cage is in the hall. earlier his cage was smaller so we would drape a bedsheet over it but now the cage is too big for that. the hall has lights on until like 12am. i just drape a bedhseet over it and its semi-dark in the top part of the cage (where he sleeps) but its not DARK dark as light still seeps in from the bottom half of the cage + the bedsheet isnt fully opaque (little bit light still comes in from the bedsheet as i cant fold it since the cage is already big). also sometimes the TV is on during this time, is the noise annoying him? hes never minded the TV, in his smaller cage he used to sleep well cus we could make it dakr in his cage. now im thinking maybe hes not sleeping so good? i dont know, hes only been cranky the past 2-3 days, should i try keeping him elsewhere? how do i cover the cage well without making it super hot inside?
11) reasons i think hes been cranky - a) i havent been home the past few days and have been busy and not spending as much time w him b) the sprayer?? idkkk c) hes being put to sleep late? if the hall is dark he'll just go to sleep but then someone comes in and switches on the light and since theres no bedsheet covering him
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honestly just overall i need help w tricks on how to tame him. do i need to use those clicker thingies? overall, hes not super afraid of me. he eats from my hand (although one time he bit me), he loves it when i talk to him and listens intently. sometimes he gets mad or lunges at me. past few days hes been a bit mad.
hes not yet comfy coming out of his cage but if i can get this target training thing then ill try that soon. he doesnt let me touch him, not with my hand or any object.
i wanna eventually get him out and be able to touch him. but with the target training i really dont know if i should reward him when he follows the stick just to attack it. cus i dont wanna reward him attacking but i want him to follow the stick???

Tomorrow is going to be supposedly hot and i really want to wear this new t shirt i got when i go out but the thing is, it’s very oversized so i don’t have a jacket that fits me and also looks good with the shirt and i have scars that are way too noticeable if i don’t wear a jacket. My scars are kind of all over my arm so i can’t really wear bracelets or any accessories to cover them without people questioning it. So i was trying to think of ways to cover them up and i saw some old pair of tights i don’t really wear and cut them up into sleeves. they fit nice and they don’t slide down and are thin and you can cut them into any size you want! all i have are black tights but you can pretty much use any tights you have or buy some and they’re nice for a warm day. i don’t know if this hack was shared before but i hope this helps out anyone who has the same issue as me :))

Hello btechards,
I have just appeared for my JEE-ADV but don't have too much confidence if I would get anything. I personally was exhausted and lost all my confidence after the Mains 1st attempt and almost stop studying altogether. But now I am very regretful as I would be left behind but I was not like that always I have cleared KVPY and olympiad qualifiers in the past. I had th inclination to pursue aeronautical eng. but don't know now.
I have doubt regarding my college options. I have applied for IISER through the KVPY channel (as I thought this would be my best bet to get in), I might get a mid NIT and also chem or lower branch in Jadavpur(through WBJEE).
I am now finding the IITM-BS course interesting but I am confused as to choose what the DS or ES. I don't have any particular inclination towards CSE but I find IT and networks interesting and think it might come easy to me. I have no knowledge what the ES course would be about and what skills would I gain but I know DS is kind of a hot thing right now.
I understand there is some course structure thing in the program like N hrs/week. I am pretty sure I won't be able to pull off more than 25hrs/week for the course. I just want some general guidance as to what would be best as all of you are in the place that I am going to be in. And also something about which of the IITM- BS course would be a better option and be relevant?
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Educational_info: no college

Chef Gordon Ramsay said that now we were down to the final 8 that there would be no excuses and no one to hide behind anymore, saying that Santos left due to not being able to hold down the fish station by himself. Chef Ramsay also announced that the next challenge would involve a chef from each team making a crepe and Antonio was worried having not had that much experience with crepes but Nikki was pumped having made many crepes. The blue team were struggling at actually making crepes in the beginning with Antonio and Ed constantly breaking them with Giovanni having to guide them on making them but they eventually finished their dishes. First up was the battle of the breakfast crepes and despite Nikki’s confidence, Kanae’s bacon and eggs crepe beat Nikki’s smoked salmon crepe and Kanae said beating Nikki was huge as she usually killed it in challenges. Elizabeth and Giovanni were next up with the lunch crepes and both were praised and awarded a point by Ramsay, and the red team tied up when Van’s scallops and crab crepe beat Antonio’s pork crepe which didn’t work at all. Tara and Ed were last up with the desert crepe and Tara’s had completely fallen apart while Ed’s was far too sweet so Ramsay said that neither of them got a point! As the teams were tied, Ramsay said the best crepe would win the challenge and announced that Elizabeth’s was the nicest to win the challenge for the red team! Elizabeth said this was her best moment in Hells Kitchen ever and Giovanni was fed up of punishments with the blue team only winning 3 challenges all season.
While the red team partied, the blue team knew black jackets were coming up and Ed felt that the team were being too focused on themselves and was worried about service tonight. Ramsay excitedly announced that tonight was French night with a crepe appetiser and some different entrees as well as frogs legs for garnish. Giovanni on appetizers said nothing would be sent back on his station and his risottos and flatbreads came out perfect with Ramsay telling Giovanni it was his time to lead tonight. Antonio on the fish station did not get off to a good start however and served boiled scallops before bouncing back and Antonio said he couldn’t allow any mistakes for the rest of the service. Giovanni continued to have a great service on appetizers and had no issues with the crepes saying this Italian guy can make crepes and the blue team moved onto entrees. Kanae wanted to lead the team on the garnish station but despite Ed getting off to a strong start with perfect wellingtons and duck, Antonio served raw salmon and Ramsay said that Antonio was out of control and needed to get it together. Ed said he was going to drag the team through service but Ed then managed to serve raw fillets which further set the blue team back and Ed couldn’t believe his mistake. Kanae then started to get behind on garnish due to having to redo garnishes and burnt Brussel sprouts with Kanae screaming at Giovanni to not help her but to help Antonio as he was the one sinking the kitchen. Antonio was getting behind on the salmon orders and Giovanni came over to cook salmon for him but also brought it up raw as Antonio angrily took over at basing the salmon but when he took it out the oven, Antonio realised the skin had come off the salmon and asked for an extra 6 minutes. Chef Christina angrily told the blue team to get their shit together but the communication continued to break down as Antonio asked for 2 more minutes on Ed and when 2 minutes were done, Ed served overcooked fillet and Antonio’s turbot was raw and Ramsay finally had enough and kicked the whole blue team out! Ed said that service was a joke and Kanae said she felt bad for the salmon and turbot that died only be ruined by Antonio.
The red team wanted to get off to a stronger start but Elizabeth instantly had issues with the crepes despite having the best crepe on the challenge, ruining her first two. Van came over to help out and realised that Elizabeth’s hands were shaking so he took over the crepes while Elizabeth cooked risotto and flatbreads and Nikki’s first scallops came out well. Elizabeth got her confidence back to take over the crepes but Nikki brought up 2 orders of scallops rather than 3 and after being told by Ramsay to get it together she had her pans too hot and served burnt scallops for the ticket. Ramsay told Nikki to wake up and she did bounce back to get the next scallops out and the red team did finish appetizers. Van on garnish wanted his ladies to get it together for entrees and Ramsay praised Vans leadership which saw Tara’s first fillets and chicken fly out as well as Nikki’s turbot. Tara though started to struggle and cut into her wellingtons and realised they were raw and asked for an extra 3 minutes with Van telling Tara she needed to communicate better before Tara fought back. Despite Van’s best efforts the communication continued to break down as Tara got behind on chicken, saying she needed an extra 2 minutes but when Tara brought up her chicken it was RAW and Ramsay said he couldn’t deal with anymore mistakes from the red team. Nikki and Tara did try and communicate but Nikki continued to have problems cooking fish and brought up overcooked turbot to the pass and Tara then brought up duck with burnt skin. Ramsay was apoplectic at this point saying “THE DUCK’S BURNT” and with the dry turbot he kicked the red team out of the kitchen as well!
The blue team were spent after service and Antonio accepted he should go up but said he was going to fight for his place while saying Kanae should go up with him for overall performance. Kanae was quick to say that Ed had a worse service though and Giovanni agreed that Ed should go up for his mess on steaks but Ed said the blue team wouldn’t be completing service without him. The blue team realised they had to come to a consensus and Antonio finally agreed that Ed should go up with him. The red team were torn as well as everyone decided Tara was the 1st nominee for sinking the meat station but Nikki and Elizabeth voted each other which left Van with a tough decision. Tara was fuming saying that she was actually fighting back until Nikki and Elizabeth fell apart halfway through service but Elizabeth pointed out this was twice in a row on the meat station she had gone down and Van was left with a tough decision, eventually deciding that Elizabeth should go up with Tara for overall worse performance. Ramsay sent Elizabeth and Ed back in line before finally eliminating ANTONIO for his disaster on the fish station but told him to keep his head up. Ed was annoyed at being voted up for 1 bad service but said tomorrow is another day and Elizabeth felt that improving in service seems to mean nothing when people go on past services.
Next episode will have a double elimination as only 5 Chefs will make it into the black jacket lounge.
https://strawpoll.com/polls/6QnMOpzQaZe
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yZAEyarJoN7y7eVxefqMECZJaQT4frCccvuZ5TdMGvM/edit#gid=0

About a two and a half years ago my ex-best friends sister got me drunk and had sex with me. we’ll call her Reese. Reese was always quite close to me and acted like the older sister I never had so I was very trusting and attached to her and she seemed pretty normal too always trying to help me and give me good advice. Around 14 and a half this changed from like a sister to her undressing infront of me and being really physical, I had expressed before it made me uncomfortable but she would just brush it off as “your my brother it’s normal” for a while i thought it was normal until she started staying around me more and it felt purposeful atp. Mind you I was 14 and she was 17 almost 18. anyway this behaviour of sorta showing herself off continued for about a few months to the point where i completely forgot about how weird it was and assumed it was normal, plus I only saw her a few times a week so it wasn’t often at all. It started to get worse when I had just turned 15 with me and her hanging out more because our family’s got a lot closer, with more family vacations and her being 18 she was told to stay with me and my best friend Victor. this caused her to be alone with me much more. she started to lay on me and i have no proof but i swear she would always make sure we had to share a bed. She would press her chest against me and sit on me and “accidentally” feel in my pants. eventually we ended up being even closer then me and victor, she would invite me to events and parties with her and other seniors, one of which she got me drunk to the point i barley could walk on my own and she took me to the bathroom and pulled my pants down, pretending to act like she was trying to help all while i was asking her what she was doing and slurring my words clearly uncomfortable. she sat me down on the toilet and slid my dick inside her taking my virginity. I was clearly telling her to stop but she kept going and convincing me to let her keep going and saying over and over again “it’s okay” “It’s just me” for what felt like a eternity and when i was about to finish in her I kept telling her to stop and she would just say “it’s okay i’m on birth control” which leads me to believe she had planned it. After I had finished she kept going which made me even more upset and betrayed then I already was feeling. when i was starting to almost pass out i saw her talking her phone out and the flash turning on and off a few times which made me want to throw up even more, i felt terrible and just wanted to disappear. I’m not 100% certain she took a picture but it’s still so scary to think she might have a picture or video of me like that. all hot and sweaty begging her to stop it’s disgusting. the next day when I was home I told victor and his parents what reese had done but since I was bigger and stronger then her and she always acted so nice to me no one believed me and even my befriend said that I went to a party and was drunk and the blame started to shift to me for going out to a party and for making up a rape accusation. My parents also got angry at me and punished me for going to a party, just like reese was a perfect angel and it wasn’t possible anything i was saying was true. I’ve felt so betrayed and angry with my family and reese and victor but the worst part of this all is my family is still close with them i still have to see reese consistently and it’s so awkward she acts so cold towards me but like a angel when anyone else is around us. anyway i’m 17 now and feel like my entire family hates me. I live with my gf now and don’t talk to anyone in my family and i’m happier then i’ve ever been.
(sorry for shitty spelling and grammar it’s 2am and i barley can see)

John was bored one night and decided to get to work on something. He didn't know what exactly to do, so he decided to write a story since writing was one of his hobbies. However, John was so bored that he didn't even know what to write about, so that's when he gave up and went right back to bed staring at his vinyl record copy of The Best of Bread resting on his turntable. He was too lazy to at least make an attempt to drop the needle on the record and listen to some music. Instead, he just stared at the ceiling desperately wanting to do something great, but lacking the energy and motivation to do so; he needed some kind of incentive... John suddenly jolted not realizing that he had dosed off, so he decided to call it a night and close his eyes for good till morning. It was 12:37am...
Twisting, turning, and mumbling, John finally woke up not feeling too well, but it was only 2:00am. He stumbled to the bathroom like a blind drunk man to pee and wash his face. He was cold and shivering like a worried puppy trying to shake off the unpleasant dream that he woke from. After he washes his hands, he stares at himself in the mirror recalling the dream he just had...
A white middle aged man was mowing a lawn. The lawn looked like a small version of John's childhood home in Jonesborough Tennessee. The man was wearing a beige straw hat and had a smirk on his face while constantly wiping his sweat. There was no one else around, just the man mowing the lawn. There was something cold and unwelcoming about the lawn mowing man's presence. He never made eye contact with John, yet John felt as though he was looking at him. "But how?" John whispered to himself... The more John wondered that question to himself, the more hostile the presence of the lawnmowing man became. Still, the man never batted an eye at John, but gave the feeling as though he knew everything about John and was watching him like a Hawk... The lawn mowing man's smirk grew larger, more sweat began to pour from his face as he violently swatted his hands across his sunburnt forehead... Suddenly the ambience became louder and louder which resembled a chaotic orchestral crescendo and...
John suddenly snaps back to reality while still gazing at himself in the mirror; he smirks and tries to laugh the dream away, but there was just something so unsettling about the dream that words just couldn't describe. John desperately wanted to forget about the dream and was too scared to go back to bed fearing that the dream may reappear. He gets back in bed and stares at the ceiling once again but accidentally doses off...
John finally sleeps well until morning when he wakes up to briefly eat some cereal and then gets back in bed realizing he doesn't work on Saturdays... It was dark and raining, but no thunder or lighting, just rain. John hears the sound of a lawnmower revving. It comes in and out of audible range. He rolls out of bed like lazy lion and peeks out of the window only to see the lawnmowing man once again. This time however, the lawnmowing man waves with a normal looking smile on his face while politely hollering, "Hi John! How are ya?"
John suddenly springs upward on his bed like a petrified deer unable to move and process what's going on! "Oh crap, it's 2:00pm!" John says to himself feeling like the end of the world is at hand. John's mind slowly starts to wake up as he begins to relax remembering that he doesn't work on Saturdays. But nothing seemed to be able to ease him away from that dreadful dream. Nothing he did could shake that feeling off, it was almost as though the dream really did happen in some unearthly dimension or realm that the human spirit goes to while slumbering... But there it was again, the sound of the lawnmower slowly going in and out of audible range... John chuckles realizing that the active lawnmowing team outside was the reason he dreamed of a lawnmower in his dream... But what about the first dream? he thought to himself...
It was a beautiful sunny day and John wanted to take advantage of the day while also hoping to forget about the unpleasant dream he had. He ate a quick meal and dressed himself for an adventure to the grocery store. He had to pee before leaving, so he went to the bathroom to take care of business... While washing his hands, he stares at himself in the mirror and chuckles again trying to convince himself that it was just a normal dream. "It was literally just a dream about a man mowing the lawn, I mean how is that scary?" he said. "I mean, maybe I was feeling a little sick and that's why such a normal dream felt so terrifying. Oh well, it's normal. Let's go get some groceries and ice cream so that I can focus on that story I want to try to write this time tonight!"
John hits the road in his silver 2012 Mustang leaving nothing but dust and bad bad dreams behind. As he's driving through a suburban area, he notices a man in a beige straw hat mowing their lawn... John chuckles and says, "Haha, see? Totally normal!" John finally arrives at the local grocery store... John parks his Mustang when the sky suddenly turns grey as rush of pale clouds dim the skies. The grocery store looked rather ghostly and depressing. There were many old looking cars that resembled a 2002 Toyota Camry, some with rusting canopies and dirty hubcaps. Out in the distance of the lot, there was a lawnmowing team truck branded with a decal that read Straw Hat Lawncare...
John made his way into the the grocery store and felt a bitter welcome from everyone inside. Nobody glanced at John. Everyone in the store looked like depressed fish passing by each other. There was a Hispanic family talking Spanish. The father was wearing a green jersey and the mother was sporting a pink sweater with grey sweatpants. Their kids were following along while randomly touching items. John was Hispanic as well, but felt no connection around this family. That's when John started to notice that nobody made eye contact with him, even when he said "excuse me" to reach for something. Not the employees, not the local sheriff, not the old lady looking at flowers, nobody... Not that John wanted to be looked at or noticed, but there was something odd about this, almost as if everybody was purposefully told not to make any kind of contact with him. It was a feeling that was hard to explain.
John quickly grabs some groceries to rush over to checkout to test if the cashier would at least say hello or something. But to John's disappointment, the cashier did not even greet John when he set his items down on the checkout countertop. The conveyor belt squeaks every time it moves; it's movement seems so lifeless, just like the cashier... Still, no eye contact whatsoever, not even if he tried to make conversation. The cashier just looked down the whole time. John started to panic inside, something just didn't feel right. It's not all in my head! John thought to himself... John grabs his groceries and heads for the exit when he notices a dirty looking man wearing beige straw hat smoking a cigarette. This man happened to be the only person that glanced at John, but it wasn't a pleasant glance. The man had a grim look on his face... John started to get the feeling that everybody was on to him, and that even the people who were ignoring him were actually very aware of his presence.
John was a good guy, not a saint, but a good-hearted person. He's never caused any harm to anyone and has always been a respectful gentlemen. But why? Why does it feel like these people hate me for no reason? John thought to himself again. Although John was physically being ignored, he got the feeling that everybody was actually looking at him... John quickly paces towards his Mustang. His heart throbbing, muscles tightening, jaw clenching, head aching; John starts his car and glances around. He looks out his right window and sees the dull grocery store. He looks straight ahead and sees the lawnmowing team truck. He looks to his left and sees a man with a beige straw hat right next to the window. The man knocks looking like he was begging for money. John being good hearted lowers the window but the man speaks before John could do anything, "Your back tire is flat!" The man kept repeating the same phrase over and over as if having a flat tire was bad luck. The man reeked of whiskey and tabaco, he had no front teeth and looked like he was wired on methamphetamine or something. "Come on out here and look!" the man exclaimed. "That tire's lookin bad man, you gotta get that fixed. You got one of them spares?" "Yeah, I got a spare." John said. "I got this, don't worry about me." "OF COURSE I'm gon worry bout you brother, that's what we do round here!"
The man starts telling a story about his brother Phil who had a flat tire because he was being shot at by some thugs. The man's story seems to go on forever and John starts to tune out. John glances out in the distance over the man's shoulder; the man's voice begins to get muddled as John focuses on someone getting out of the lawnmowing team truck in the distance. His heart starts to race when he sees another man with a beige straw hat stepping out of the car, except this time, John felt a very hostile vibration. The man in the distance puffed a cloud of smoke when he quickly glanced towards John's way with an evil look on his face... John looks behind and sees another man with a beige straw hat just like the one from his dream. Oddly enough, this man waved and shouted, "Hello! Need some help?"
John's heart started to pound and he almost felt like fainting. Maybe it's just my anxiety. "I've got to go!" John told the whiskey breathed man and cranked on his Mustang. He peeled out of the parking lot like a rabbit fearing for it's life. He could still hear the whiskey breathed man crying, "Hey man! I just wanted to help!" The whiskey breathed man kept crying, "I just wanted to help man! I JUST WANTED TO HELP!!" Tears rolling down his face, down his now sad face, "I just wanted to help you DOOD!! Why? WHY this gotta happen to me man? WHY! Why man? Come on! I JUST WANTED TO HELP!! I just wanted to help! Ahh!! AHHH!!!"
John finally arrived back home and hurried out of his car into his house... Suddenly everything was quiet... Too quiet... Finally, peace. I just have to rest and forget about that dream I had. It's ok, that whiskey breathed man was just really high on meth, he didn't hurt me. I was just really freaked out, that's all. I hope that man will be alright. I feel kind of bad, I didn't want to leave him there all alone. He looked like he was a hurting man, could've used a little company. No, what am I thinking? He was just high. Why should I trust some random meth-head like that? Awe, he's alright. He's cool... I'm tired now, I'm just going to relax and see if I can start that story! Yeah, that'll cheer me up! It's just life, weird stuff happens! But what about... No, forget it... But why was I seeing men with beige straw hats all day like the man in my dream? Nah, I'm overthinking, it was just a hot sunny day today, duh... But what about all of those grim looking people at the store? I felt like they were on to me, like they were all in on it. Oh crap! Maybe they know about my dream! No way, that's not possible... But what if dreams really are connected to real-life? I mean, it's part of life after all... Nah, that's too weird, it's all in my head...
Suddenly, the sound of a 4-stroke engine starts revving... Grass? At this time? It's late evening. John crawls over to his window and sees a man in a beige straw hat cutting the neighbors lawn... "Ahh!!" John jolts upwards biting his nails. He crawls back to his bed and tries to once again justify what's happening... Suddenly, he smells cigarette smoke. "What's that smell?" he says... He slowly glances at a dirty light blue uniform and before he could make out what it is, a raspy voice 'declares, "WE"RE WATCHING YOU..." Another voice says, "WE'RE LOOKING AT YOU, HAPPY NOW?" Another voice answers that one, "LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO DALE JERK! AH HAHA!" "YEAH, YOU'RE SO MEAN FOR LEAVING HIM BEHIND!" "DALE ERA UN BUEN HOMBRE..." Said a Spanish voice...
John slowly looked up and saw an extremely pale faced version of the cashier from the grocery store and still not making eye contact, but three inches away from John saying, "Hi honey, how are ya?" and then repeats the phrase over again, "I SAID HOW ARE YA HONEY? WHAT, CAT GOTCHA TONGUE? WELL I'LL FEED IT TO MUH CATS WHEN I GET HOME THEN! BET CHU DON'T HAVE THE DECENCY TO HELP OUT DALE WITH A LITTLE BIT OF FOOD, DO YA?" She kept shouting at John three inches away while still not making eye contact. "SO? HOW YA DOING HONEY? FIND EVERYTHING YA NEED? HAHAHAHA! YOU SU................
John wakes up again... It's 2:00am. Everything is quiet. Desperately trying to forget the bad dreams and the strange day at the grocery store, he finally decides to drop the needle on the Best of Bread vinyl record. The music is soothing. He begins to drift into slumber once again.
John sleeps in and wakes up at 2:00pm on Sunday, he doesn't work on Sunday's either. John realizes he never got the groceries that he actually needed, so he makes his way to the grocery store once again. on another sunny day. He pulls into the parking lot, but this time they sky stays sunny and blue. The lawn mowing team truck is gone. John makes his way inside the grocery store. This time, a jolly old man greets him as he walks in. "How are you doing young man?" Says the old man. "Fine, thank you." John replies. Today, everybody was acknowledging John and making him feel welcome. Lots of smiles and hellos. There was even another Hispanic family who smiled at John while crossing paths. Even the children seemed happy. Hmm, too suspicious. It's almost like they're watching me and know what happened yesterday.
John grabbed all the items he needed and headed for checkout. He approached the counter and was greeted by the same cashier from last time. This time she actually speaks to John... "Hey honey, how are ya?" Says the cashier with a cute smile. "Great, how are you? John replies. "Oh honey, I had such a busy day yesterday! First I had to go see my doctor because of my back pain, then my car ran out of gas and I had to tell my hubby to help me out. Then he starts going off on me about how these lawn mowing guys woke him up at 5 in the mornin' and I told him, honey, they just doin' they job. Oh honey, today is much better, it's a beautiful day and my back feels better." Something about this doesn't seem right... She knows... She knows and she's playing around with me... Everybody is... No, I'm just being paranoid. Forget it, today is a great day!
John makes his way back to his mustang with a kart full of groceries... "HEY DOOD!!" suddenly screams the whiskey breathed man from behind. "Whoa man, you scared me!" Says John. "Oh I'm sorry man, didn't mean to startle ya.. Hey, I noticed you got a spare tire now. Good job buddy! Hey listen man, I'm feeling happy today a.. a.. and I just want to give you my hat!" John looks at the beige straw hat... "Are you sure?" John asks. "Yeah man, go on and take it, it's time I let go of somethings in life. I'm trying to start a new life man and stay away from theses drugs out here man. You go on an take it, it has good luck man!" John accepts and takes the hat. The man smiles. John smiles. "Hey I'll see ya later DOOD!"
It's 12:37am and John is staring at the beige straw hat that the whiskey breathed man gave him... John lugged out his vintage 1970's typewriter and was finally in the mood to write. He knew what he wanted to start with, but just right before he was about to type the letter L with his ring finger, the sound of a 4-stroke engine starts revving...
​
​
WERE LOOKING AT YOU. WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE. HOW YA DOING HONEY?

Sorry this is a bit of a rant.
So my MIL is a bit of a financial mess. She was made redundant 2 years ago and won't go back to work. She has a small (£400pm) pension and that is her only source of income until she gets the state pension in 5 years time.
My wife got her a job but she only wanted to work Fridays and they got fed up with her declining work so stopped giving her it all together. I even gave her a job working in my business 1 day a week for £1000 p/m but she recently refused that too.
She lives in an old 2 up 2 down terraced house worth about 80k when all done up but it's a shithole, no carpets , no hot water, leaky roof, kitchen falling apart. She doesn't look after it and if there's an issue she just ignores it.
She has recently come asking for money to pay her mortgage for this will be the third time in 3 years we have paid her mortgage, it's only a few hundred a month and not a big deal financially but I resent giving it to her.
I have an idea that we offer to buy her house for £40k. We would pay her mortgage off now (about 15k) and give her a monthly payment of 400pm till she gets her state pension.
She would be able to live there till she dies or goes in a care home and pays £1PM, "rent". we would write up a 30 year lease to that effect. I'd want any maintenance during that time would be her responsibility ( or just ignored like now) we would obviously make sure it was secure enough not to affect the neighbors houses causing us legal issues.
I understand we would be paying more stamp duty on it.
I wondered if anyone else had done something similar and what's everyone's thoughts. I'm at my wit's end with my wife's money sucking family they are always asking for handouts and she won't let them be homeless (understandably).

Hello! I've posted here on r4r a handful of times now and I wanted to try and write up a more definitive ad. Every time I've written up a new one it contained new information or less information than a previous post so, I'm going to try and compile it all into one master post. That way everything there is to decide whether you'd like to message me is easily available and accessible to you without having to dig around a dozen other posts.
Now that the "prologue" is out of the way let's jump into why you're here and what it is I'm looking for.
Who Am I?

• Future Lawyer - Currently working as a Student Attorney this Summer at my school's legal clinic before my final year of law school. Will probably be taking the Bar July of 2024. I'm not sure as to what kind of law I'll be doing as a full fledged lawyer, but I know I intend to practice here in California. I'm working in Sacramento.
• Philosopher - I got my BA in Philosophy from UC Berkeley. I've always enjoyed philosophical discussion and occasionally write philosophical pieces. I was always into the classical Greek philosophers; Socrates/Plato and Aristotle. If you ever need a deep conversation we can delve into the depths of any subject.
• ENTJ/Leo - For those that enjoy Horoscopes or Myers Briggs tests. I'm an extrovert. I enjoy people and being alone is draining for me. I'm a bit shy and anxious at first, but once I'm comfortable that all goes away.
• Muslim - I know religion can be a big deal for some people, but I don't ask that anyone hold similar religious views as me. As long as we both value humanity, family, and general goodness, a difference in religion shouldn't be an issue. As a Muslim I don't drink and I don't eat pork. I don't care if you do. I'm not the best at praying (it's something I should fix) and I don't do the prayers (I generally just recite prayers to myself without doing the ritual aspects). I do fast during Ramadan.
• Drug Free - I also refrain from smoking and doing drugs. I just ask that if you do any drugs it's no more than weed, but ideally you don't smoke. I just don't like the smell lol and it sets me into a coughing fit if I'm around people that are smoking.
• Writer - I enjoy writing if you couldn't tell from the absurd length of this post. I apologize in advance. I write short stories, philosophy, political opinion, and whatever else comes to mind when I feel inspired.
• Traveler - I've traveled to a handful of places and there are a handful more I'd like to complete. I've been to Italy, Ireland(for a day), Austria, Hungary, Germany, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan

Things I enjoy:

• Mythology - Especially Greek mythology which I'm more acquainted with. My favorite myth is Orpheus or as some know it from the play Eurydice which I have yet to see or read. Also love the myth of Sysiphus hauling the giant boulder up and the one about Prometheus stealing fire for mankind.
• Literature - I try and read on occasion. Haven't been too successful. The last book I completed was last winter and that was Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers. Trying to get through Homer's Iliad at the moment before jumping to Homer's Odyssey. Some of my favorite books include: Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, Rand's Atlas Shrugged, Tolkien's The Hobbit, Luo Guanzhong's Romance of Three Kingdoms, and lots more.
• Gaming - PC Gamer, but do own consoles like the Switch, 360, PS4. I just bought a Gameboy Advance SP to play some old Pokemon games. I have a Gameboy Advance, but it doesn't have the light and the battery exploded inside it, rip...
• Movies/Shows - I love films. I watch a lot of foreign stuff too like Kdramas, Chinese, Japanese, language doesn't matter as long as it's good and it has subtitles for me to read. My favorite film of all time is The Godfather. Some of my favorite shows include Game of Thrones(prior to season 8 of course), Better Call Saul, South Park, Rick and Morty, Criminal Minds(before they changed the whole cast), and plenty more.
• Anime - I could've put the animated cartoons in here too, but I'm currently watching Dr. Stone. Some of my favorites include: Steins;Gate, Kaiji, Legend of the Galactic Heroes(the original although the new one is alright), Death Note, and plenty more.
• Comedy - Love a good comedy show. I've been to a few clubs, the Ice House down in Pasadena, the Laugh Factory in Vegas, and Cobbs in San Francisco.
• Sports - Big fan of Soccer. Watch the Premier League when I get the chance and try and keep up. Man United fan. Also enjoy going to Sacramento Republic games. Football is cool too, 49ers. Watch Basketball on the rare occasion as well, Sacramento Kings.
• Music - Rock and Metal fan. Going to be seeing Nickelback in July and I want to see Disturbed in July as well, but have no one to go with, rip. Some of my favorite bands include: Green Day(who I got to see live alongside Weezer and Fall Out Boy), Rise Against, Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed, and a handful of others. My music tastes can be a bit eclectic, but rock and metal is my go to.
• Tea - I'll definitely brew you some tea someday. I enjoy black tea for the most part. I order loose-leaf tea online. I enjoy Assam, Darjeerling, Oolong, Pu-erh, Keemun, Earl Grey, and more.
• Museums - A big fan of history so I enjoy going to museums and looking at old things. Love Renaissance/Enlightenment period artwork. Just about any kind of museum is cool. I love learning new things.
• Going out in General - Whether it's hiking in nature among the redwoods, going to a bar, dancing at a club/bar, eating out, or bowling with friends. I'm good for just about anywhere as I like getting out of the house.
• Homebody - As much as I enjoy going out and exploring new places, sometimes I need a break from adventure and enjoy relaxing at home. Play some board games.
• DnD - I'm relatively new to it, but I'm DMing currently for a group of friends that I played my first campaign with. Been playing around two years now if not three (a bit on and off due to scheduling conflicts).

What I'm Looking For?
A woman who I can meet, befriend, love, marry, have kids, and grow old with. I'm a hopeless romantic, I guess lol. It would go in that order and as for the timeline, that's for fate to decide.
Age - Ideally 21+, but will accept as long as you're 18+. Ideal age range 21-30. If you're slightly older or slightly younger that's fine too. +/- 7 is the general rule of thumb.
Looks - Personality beats looks, but attraction is still important. I don't have a type per se. Don't really care about race/ethnicity. I'm trying to work on my weight myself so I rather not cast a stone at a glass house, but proportionality is something I find attractive. A gym partner or someone who can help me with my weight would also be appreciated(we can run together or go hike, etc.)
Personality - I find that sometimes when I'm not attracted to a person , their personality attracts me to them. Personality can elevate a 5 to a 10 or reduce a 10 to a 1 instantly. All I ask is that you're intelligent(a woman who can think for herself, articulate her thoughts, and is able to challenge me when I'm wrong), kind, communicative(communication is key in any relationship), and is sociable(don't need to be extroverted, just able to socialize when the situation calls for it).
Location - In California, looking to move to California, or willing to relocate (a hard ask considering everyone is leaving California lol). For the foreseeable future, I'm stuck here for work and family. Maybe someday I'll have a nice plot of land in the middle of nowhere and can live off the fatta the land with some rabbits. If you read the post and know the book, you got the reference.
What can I Give You?
Tea - As I mentioned before, I'll brew you tea and sometimes I might have a good story to tell over tea lol.
Laughter - I have a contagious laugh and I enjoy joking around. I laugh at most things so it's not too hard to elicit a laugh from me which might get you laughing too.
Adventure - I like visiting new places with friends or a companion so as long as you desire it, we can always adventure out to new places. Whether it's a beach, a new city, a forest, mountain, you name it, we can go.
Optimism - I have a generally happy-go-lucky attitude with life and I'll be happy to reassure you life is good and things will be fine. And if you need the opposite with harsh realism, ask and you shall receive lol.
Hygiene - I do my best to keep myself clean. I also wash my own dishes. I try to keep my home clean, but it's a bit difficult when you're never home. I bought my first condo in 2021 and now I understand why people rent. It's difficult to maintain everything and expensive. And on top of all that you gotta keep it clean even when you're not home.
Attention - As much as you desire. I enjoy people and having someone around all the time is fine by me. I also don't mind some alone time and lawyer stuff can be a bit time-consuming.
Food - I can't cook, but I'll try. I tried to make sushi and failed two weekends ago. Rice was too sticky and too hot. Also the sashimi refused to thaw no matter how long I waited(was well over 12 hours...) But wrapping it was actually easier than I expected just not evenly distributed along the roll.
I think that covered everything I needed to add or wanted to add in here. If I come up with more I'll be updating this master ad over time. Feel free to message me or use the chat feature. Also if you like we can move to Discord, feel free to ask for it. Attached is a photo of me as well. Thanks for bearing through this long post. And if you didn't read it all, that's fine. It's too damn long.
https://imgur.com/a/GgHS6Iu

Hi Makklea, I hope your doing fine in this hot day.
The post is about how i get know my crush and how I saw her after a decade. It's a very big post kindly bear with me.
This happened during 2012. I was studying +2 & she was studying +1. Our classes are next to each other. She is a new to my school,she was dead gorgeous. Every guy in my school had crush on her.
So every day I will go to school early just to see her. We constantly see each other when ever we had the opportunity. This was goin on for few months.
So oneday I was not feeling well,so I took leave. The next day I came to school & my friend told, She came to our class and asked about you da. I was totally in shock to know that she asked about me. I was smiling & laughing the entire day. The next day during interval I was standing out side in the corridor. She was also standing opposite to her .
There was no one expect me & her. So I gathered all the courage, did some breathing practice & counted 1 2 3 started to walk in her direction. It was just few steps. But for me it was like mile walk.
I went near and said "Hey Hi" she didn't even see me she just ran in to her class room. Gosh I felt so sad & cold. I went to my class and sat down. For the next 1 week I didn't go out of my class & I didn't see her.
After a week I was eating lunch in my class. Everyone from my class went out for lunch. She came inside my class. She said "Excuse me duster irruka?" I didn't even look up I just pointed where the duster is and I started to eat. After few mins she again came in.
This time she came to my & placed the duster on my desk. And said thank you. I didn't say anything. And she ask can I sit next to you. I just nod my head. After that she said "Hey I am really sorry for what happened on that day, I got shy and ran in to my class dont mistake me"
I started to smile, and we spoke for few mins. And she went to her class. From next day onwards we became very close. We didn't cellphones at that time. So we will come to school just to talk. We will walk together to her area. This was going for few months. I wanted to propose her but I thought once we both are in college I will Express my love towards her.
After the public exams I joined in college. And +2 class have started in my school. So I went back to school to see her. But she was not there principle said her father died so she discontinued. I even asked her friends they don't know what happened to her & she shifted her house too. So I felt really sad. It took me an year to move on.
This week Tuesday I went to OMR to see a client.Whle coming back it started raining. I was standing in the red signal & a girl crossing the signal with her umbrella. She looked amazing. So I was looking at her suddenly I remember it was her. It was my 1st crush. She saw me but I was wearing helmet so she couldn't recognize me. So I was there standing and thinking all the good times we had. I was seeing all the way till she disappeared into the crowd. It was one hell of a day.
So Makklea tell me about crush stories .I love to know how you met your crush or GF or wife. Thank you all 🙏🏻

As a child, I was always afraid just for being born so late. I grew up with my grandparents and only saw my parents during the early mornings before they go to work and at night when everyone's about to sleep so my parents and I weren't really close. The most I was close to was my grandfather. He was the goat. He'd teach me math but it was always wrong so I'd get scolded by my teacher, to which my grandad would respond "no it's not, your teacher is wrong!" which I think is really funny. And I'd always bother him in the mornings while he's drinking coffee, then I'd bother him again before he sleeps just because I got a lot of energy lol. After a while, however, he got really sick so my mother would always tell me not to bother him anymore.
After my grandfather died, I began to realize the situation I was born in: I was surrounded by old people and began to fear that everyone was gonna die and I'd have to witness it all happen. Luckily, I was easily distracted as a child so I eventually forgot about that fear, until covid happened and killed many of my older relatives.
Now, I never had a good relationship with those relatives. Most of my memories with them were pretty bad but it doesn't change the fact that I grew up with them. Our house always felt way too small because of how many relatives we had to share it with (and I get it. It was my grandmother's. It's none of my business if she wants to keep her children close) but now it feels empty and I don't know what to do. My parents are more present now after their retirement but I can't say I'm happy about it. They failed to protect me while growing up, they never believed in me, but now they expect me to take care of them because they're old? Man what a joke. Sure, I'm greatful for them for providing for me, but it's not like they took care of me either. They didn't even believe me when I was being bullied and just assumed I was a problem child! I had to endure that shit for years until they finally decided I should transfer. Why did they even keep me if they didn't want to take care of me? Sometimes I start to wonder if I was just an accident lol but it doesn't really matter now, does it?
I wanna leave this house so bad but I feel guilty about it now since I'm afraid what will happen if I leave. What if they die while I'm gone y'know? But if I stay, I don't think I can handle seeing another person die. I've been trying to get a job for some time now so I can at least provide for them but I just keep getting rejected. It doesn't really help that my mom always say I'm not putting an effort, while my dad, who is still barely home, don't think I'm capable of doing anything by myself. Now I'm even more pressured since I'll be graduating next month and I still don't got a job to repay them before they die on me too. Man I got unlucky bigtime.
Tldr: I hate my parents but I feel bad about it because they're old.

Hey Reddit!
I'm a software engineer and I'm in the market for a new MacBook for my personal use. I have a few options available to me, and I could really use some advice to help me make a decision.
Here's what I'm considering:

1. M1 Pro 14 (Refurbished) - €1799: I found a refurbished M1 Pro 14 for €1799. I'm particularly interested in the 14-inch size because my current work MacBook, the M1 Pro 16, feels a bit too massive for my personal needs. Can anyone confirm if the 14-inch MacBook is still reasonably portable and easy to carry around?
2. M2 Air - €1456 (with Student Discount): With my student discount, I can get an M2 Air with 16GB RAM and a 256GB SSD for €1456. I'm wondering if the M2 Air would be capable of handling occasional intense work, as I don't want it to struggle with the projects I work on.

Here are the main tasks I'll be using the MacBook for:

• Side projects: I work on side projects related to data architectures, Spark, Kafka, and Docker. However, I don't have many Docker containers running, and they are primarily used for testing purposes rather than running resource-intensive workloads.
• DB Project: I'm also working on a side project involving building a database from scratch. This project doesn't require extreme resources, so it shouldn't be a problem for either MacBook.
• Reading and Note-Taking: I frequently read technical books using the Kindle app/website and take notes on VSCode. Having a smooth reading experience and efficient note-taking capability is important to me.
• Browsing, Videos, and Video Calls: I'll be using the MacBook for general browsing, watching videos, and participating in video calls. While these activities aren't particularly demanding, I still want a smooth and enjoyable experience.
• Storage Speed: Storage speed is not a major concern for me, as I currently have about 20GB of data on my Huawei MateBook 14 running Fedora, which has similar specifications (16GB RAM, Ryzen 4600H).

Based on these requirements, I'd appreciate any insights or experiences you can share regarding the M1 Pro 14 and the M2 Air. Which one would be the better choice for my needs? Any advice or recommendations are welcome! Thanks in advance!

Hey Reddit!
I'm a software engineer and I'm in the market for a new MacBook for my personal use. I have a few options available to me, and I could really use some advice to help me make a decision.
Here's what I'm considering:

1. M1 Pro 14 (Refurbished) - €1799: I found a refurbished M1 Pro 14 for €1799. I'm particularly interested in the 14-inch size because my current work MacBook, the M1 Pro 16, feels a bit too massive for my personal needs. Can anyone confirm if the 14-inch MacBook is still reasonably portable and easy to carry around?
2. M2 Air - €1456 (with Student Discount): With my student discount, I can get an M2 Air with 16GB RAM and a 256GB SSD for €1456. I'm wondering if the M2 Air would be capable of handling occasional intense work, as I don't want it to struggle with the projects I work on.

Here are the main tasks I'll be using the MacBook for:

• Side projects: I work on side projects related to data architectures, Spark, Kafka, and Docker. However, I don't have many Docker containers running, and they are primarily used for testing purposes rather than running resource-intensive workloads.
• DB Project: I'm also working on a side project involving building a database from scratch. This project doesn't require extreme resources, so it shouldn't be a problem for either MacBook.
• Reading and Note-Taking: I frequently read technical books using the Kindle app/website and take notes on VSCode. Having a smooth reading experience and efficient note-taking capability is important to me.
• Browsing, Videos, and Video Calls: I'll be using the MacBook for general browsing, watching videos, and participating in video calls. While these activities aren't particularly demanding, I still want a smooth and enjoyable experience.
• Storage Speed: Storage speed is not a major concern for me, as I currently have about 20GB of data on my Huawei MateBook 14 running Fedora, which has similar specifications (16GB RAM, Ryzen 4600H).

Based on these requirements, I'd appreciate any insights or experiences you can share regarding the M1 Pro 14 and the M2 Air. Which one would be the better choice for my needs? Any advice or recommendations are welcome! Thanks in advance!