Dollar tree sneads ferry nc

Requirements for the park: Merry-go-round arch
A recreation of "Da popo be fast on yo ass" from Vinesauce Joel's video
A water ride with busses.
Dinghy Slide with everything covered (As well as a fucking vertical loop like Action Park)
Italian Police Ride
The Heartline Twister Rollercoaster
1-tile maze
A ferris wheel that drowns you
A boat hire or submarine ride in the water that drowns you from the ferris wheel
A blue Air-Powered Vertical coaster with like 20 consecutive drops called "Sonic Wave"
Beheaded Roto-Drop
Comically high lift
Exploding mini-golf
An actually normal mini-golf with a burger shop right next to it.
Baby Park
Mini Corkscrew
Idk a Virginia Reel?
A miniature replica of Amity Airfield for NO REASON
20 dollar umbrellas babyyyyyyyyy
And more funny things

I wanna share what I did to get rid of these f**kers cause it was a really dark period of my life and the fact that anyone could be going through that hell right now is just too much for me to bear.
First of all before you do a treatment wash all the clothes you plan on wearing and tumble dry them or hang them up, this includes bedding and don't touch them for even a second for 2-3 days before treatment and anything that you're not gonna wear bag it up. Always wear socks if you have carpet don't go bare foot. You're also gonna wanna get a bug bomb and set them off the day of your treatment (they need to have permethrin in them) and set them off anywhere where you might have sat bareskinned. For me I just set them off in my living room and bedroom. after 1st treatment you need to repeat this whole process a second time 1 week later and do all the preparations again 2-3 days before your second treatment, maybe minus the bug bombs but I was especially careful so I did it again.
Don't touch anyone and even if you and your partner both have scabies do not engage in sexual contact and do no touch each other. This is why I kept getting reinfected.
When you do you treatment, try and get multiple permethrin tubes under the same prescription because it's expensive, but more importantly I found that one tube was not enough. I'd recommend using two whole tubes for each treatment this is what I did and I didn't start to see results until I started doing this. 1 treatment to kill all the mites, and then do it again a week later to kill all the eggs. 4 tubes total, 2 per treatment. don't forget it and use the whole two tubes and make sure you put it EVERYWHERE, including sphincter and genital areas and under toe and finger nails.
I'd recommend getting a really good excema cream because this stuff really destroys your skin and can actually make scabies symptoms show up when they're actually gone. I used E45 but it's really expensive, if you can't afford that Aldi (in US and UK and most of Europe) does a really good cocoa butter that really helped me. And if you experience any burning sensations get something with Aloe Vera in it. I'd really recommend the lip therapy lip balm by Vaseline it's brilliant you can also get Aloe Vera gel in dollar stores another thing that's really good is tea tree oil. Specifically the oil it provides instant relief from burning sensations at least in my experience.
Definitely take antihistamines because they illeviate a lot of the allergic reactions your body has to the dead mites in your skin, they leave all kinds of things in there, like urine and feces and this helps expel all that.
If you notice any little bumps after treatment this does no mean you still have scabies. Listen up cause this is the most important step. YOU NEED TO WAIT!!! You need to wait atleast 2 weeks after your second treatment before you do another one. if your rash hasn't improved in that time you might still have mites. But over the course of the 2 weeks if the treatment worked you'll have little bumps that come and go and your rashes will clear up, redness in bites will fade to white. And you'll start being itchy everywhere as apposed to just problem areas but this is because of the permethrin cream not the scabies. That stuff is literally a pesticide, which ideally we are not supposed to put on the skin. Anyway I took a massive leap of faith and decided to stop doing treatments and 5 weeks later and I have fully recovered. My skin is clear as a babies, so I don't know how long I was continuing treatments even though I was completely fine.
Lastly, unfortunately I couldnt afford to partake in this step but if you're still paranoid and anxious after your second treatment go to a dermatologist and give a skin sample and make sure those little s**ts are gone. If you can't afford that, go for a check up at the doctor it's not that expensive and it really helped me to feel better mentally.
I'm happy to answer any questions you might have I really hope this helps someone! Good luck I'm praying for all of you!

I grew up with a hoarder and it fucked me up.
It’s the main reason I have OCD today, why I don’t go to other people’s houses, and EVERYTHING that I own is clean and in order.
I can’t go to sleep if anything is out of place in my house.
I vacuum, sweep, and mop everyday. I wake up everyday and wipe down all the bathrooms in my home. I do laundry everyday. I vacuum my vehicles out everyday. I run the dishwasher multiple times a day.
It’s such a fucked up feeling. I’m always on edge. It’s not funny. It’s sick.
When you have kids and allow them to live in filth…
It shows that you don’t give a fuck about them or their mental health.
It costs NOTHING to get your ass up and clean. And if it does… it’s less than 20 bucks because you keep your raggedy ass in the Dollar Tree.
It’s about effort.
As a mom… I make sure my household is comfortable. Kids didn’t ask to be born. They shouldn’t have to suffer in any shape, way, or form.
I don’t force my ways on my household but they all know to clean up behind themselves even though they know I’m coming behind them to do it my way.
CLEAN YOUR HOUSE YOU DIRTY BITCH…
You fucking those kids up so bad without even realizing it. You are the most selfish person I have ever seen.
You worried about a man or a woman… a marriage.
“You're a dummy, bitch! You will never know shit! Don't nobody want you, don't nobody need you!” - Precious mama, Mary

Yeahh... don't really feel like doing a backstory on this.
I'm pretty much gonna go to this chain store fill up maybe 5 baskets and just leaving them there. When I was younger and worked at a Dollar Tree, customer did this all the time with no consequences, is it the same across all/most large chain stores?

https://imgur.com/RV0jjF6 if yall want to see the reciept. State is South Carolina.
Is there a special reason Dollar Tree gets to charge customers additional tax that other corporate retail locations do not? and why is it the only business (to my knowledge) in town doing so? All 3 locations in town do it. What fancy government knowledge am I missing here?

Vell Harlan and the Doomsday Dorms Book 3: Just a Moment
At the world’s top college of magic and technology, every day brings a new discovery -and a new disaster. The advanced experiments of the college students tend to be both ambitious and apocalyptic, with the end of the world only prevented by a mysterious time loop, and a small handful of students who retain their memories.
For the past two years, Vell Harlan has been caught in the loop alongside his best friends, Lee and Harley, and with their help he’s been able to survive every disaster the universe has thrown at him. But as Vell enters his third year, Lee and Harley are entering their fourth (and final) year at the Einstein-Odinson College. With a ticking clock counting down, the trio must cut through the chaos of killer crickets, haunted phones, and naked sorcerers to try and solve some of the mysteries plaguing their lives -including why all these butterflies keep following Vell around...
[Chapter 1 (Book Two)][Patreon][Cover Art]
The ferry finally came to a halt, and Samson wondered if his long nightmare was finally over. The Einstein-Odinson campus being on an island apparently came with some benefits, but quick commutes clearly weren’t one of them. Between planes, trains, and boats, Samson had spent most of the past 24 hours cooped up in a vehicle, traveling the long road from Nigeria to college. Thankfully, he had company.
“Still remember how your legs work, right?” Ibrahim asked. “Get a move on.”
“I need your fat ass to move first,” Samson snapped back. “Can’t get past you.”
Ibrahim chuckled at the joke and got moving, with Samson following close behind. The twin brothers made sure not to stray far from one another as they headed deeper into unfamiliar territory that got more unfamiliar by the second. Samson tried to avoid staring at the serpentine tail of a Lamia as it slithered by. He thought it would be rude. Ibrahim, on the other hand, very obviously stared at a cyclops lumbering past.
“Very...diverse,” Ibrahim said. He had no objections to any of the centaurs, vampires, or goblins arrayed in front of him, he’d just never seen so many in one place.
“Apparently they’re branching out,” Samson said. While the Einstein-Odinson had never been explicitly human-only, its facilities were designed by and for humans, so enrollment among the more magical forms of sapient life had been minimal. That had changed over the summer.
“Makes sense,” Ibrahim said. “They do have the robot, remember?”
Samson nodded. Of course he remembered. The school had made a big deal out of having the world’s first sapient machine among its students.
The twins cut through the crowd around the dock and found their way into a whole new crowd further on the campus grounds. Various departments and school organizations had set up recruiting booths to welcome the new students and hopefully snag a few members. The booths all had banners advertising organizations like the student council, culinary club, chess club, and one at the very center of them all which simply said “Ask us about your deja vu”. To Samson’s surprise, the robot herself was sitting at the deja vu booth, alongside a bulky man with tattoos on his cheeks. He took a quick look at the odd pair as he walked by. The robot, oblivious to his stare, appeared to concentrate on something for a moment and then held up a hand.
“Hey, stop for a second,” Kim said aloud. “You’re going to want to keep the space behind us clear.”
A few students who had been walking that way stopped in their tracks, not a moment too soon. The air split open as a crackling portal opened, and an icy blast of air surged forth. A second later, a quick spray of snow burst out of the portal, carrying with it three bundled-up bodies on snowboards and skis. They landed in a jumbled heap of snow, scarfs, and skis as the portal closed behind them. A few purple butterflies skimmed by the newly fallen pile of snow, circling a man on a snowboard before fluttering away as the robot approached.
“Nice landing,” Kim snapped.
“It’s a work in progress,” Harley shot back. “We’ll do better next time.”
“I’m sure. You guys enjoy the ski trip?”
“I’m not going to lie, Kim, it was fucking radical,” Harley said. “You should’ve come!”
Kim shrugged newly mechanical shoulders. After her dramatic journey of self-discovery at the end of last year, she had chosen to do so slightly less dramatic self-discovery and spent the summer studying herself and refining her new, robotic body. Now that she was no longer trying to imitate humanity, she was trying to figure out exactly what kind of design she was supposed to follow. She’d given herself a few once-over’s and refined her design a little bit.
Hawke, on the other hand, had just gone home and read a few good books, trying to de-stress after a year packed with multiple apocalypses, robot friends, and talking fish. It had done wonders for his mental health, and he was almost ready for another year at the Einstein-Odinson. Almost.
“Maybe next time,” Kim said. “Glad you guys had fun though.”
“And all at my parent’s expense,” Lee said. She removed some ski goggles, and the rest of her winter gear, as she made the quick transition from the cold mountain slopes to the warm air of the tropical island.
“Still baffled they sprang for the single-use portal,” Vell said. He shook a purple butterfly off his hat before removing it. “I know they’re like, rich rich, but still. That shit’s expensive.”
“But convenient,” Harley said. They’d been able to swing straight from their vacation back to school.
“I hope the Dean doesn’t make us clean up this snow, though,” Vell said.
“Eh, fuck it, it’ll melt,” Harley said. “Come on! Let’s drop off our stuff at Lee’s and then come take our turn at the deja vu booth.”
The snow-covered trio wandered off. Samson did a double take as they left.
“The hell was that about?”
“Robots and snake ladies all around and the ski trip is what has you asking questions,” Ibrahim said.
“The robot is involved in the ski trip,” Samson said. “The weirdness compounds.”
“Come on. We got a tour to join.”
Samson tried to put the weirdness out of mind as they weaved past the snow pile and tried to find their tour. As it turned out, the search for their campus tour was slightly harder than either twin suspected, because it was two tours instead of one.
“Ibrahim and Samson Onwe. I have you two down for separate tour groups.”
“Why would we be separate?”
“Why wouldn’t you be?”
Samson and Ibrahim each pointed to the other’s identical face. The tour guide rolled her eyes.
“I don’t make the group assignments, I just follow them,” she said. “Now, which one of you is Ibrahim?”
“I am,” Ibrahim and Samson said simultaneously. The tour guide lowered her glasses and stared at them for a long time.
“Seriously?”
“We’re a package deal, lady.”
An attempt at a staredown ended with the tour guide blinking first. She sighed heavily and decided she didn’t want to fight any battles this morning.
“Alright, fine, follow me,” she said. Samson and Ibrahim playfully elbowed each other and followed along, beaming with pride that their gambit had worked -again.
***
“I know it’s a big campus, and it’s only getting bigger, but do try not to run,” the tour guide said. “There’s always plenty of time to get where you’re go-”
The tour guide stopped herself mid-sentence as another tour group went sprinting past, headed the other direction. Samson and Ibrahim watched them go, noting the looks of fear on their faces.
“Is this the set up for a gag?” Samson asked. The past few hours had been pretty dull, so he’d be happy to see a good joke.
“No. They shouldn’t be doing that…”
The tour guide turned her head in the direction the other group had run from. A single log flew around a corner and bounced off the ground once before coming to a halt.
“Wood?”
The single log was joined by another, and then a stick, and then three branches, and then ten more logs, and suddenly a tidal wave of wood in all shapes and sizes was thundering in their direction. The tour guide chose to ignore her own advice and run, with Samson and Ibrahim close behind.
“What the fuck?”
While running, Samson had taken a moment to glance over his shoulder and try to get a closer look at the torrent of wood being launched his way. In between the falling logs and tumbling two-by-four’s, he caught occasional glimpses of tiny, furry little animals.
“Are those...big rats?”
“I don’t care what they are, Sam,” Ibrahim shouted. “I want to get the fuck out of here!”
The rumbling torrent of wood kept crawling closer and closer their way -until a crashing sheet of ice rammed into it from the other direction. Samson saw one of the skiing women from earlier suddenly step onto the field and sweep her hands, reshaping the flow of the wave of ice.
“How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood,” she said, sounding far too amused by the turn of phrase, given the disastrous circumstances.
“Apparently the answer is ‘too fucking much’,” Harley said. She looked over her shoulder at Samson and the other fleeing tour groups. “We got this! Keep running!”
Samson didn’t need to be told twice. Though very soon he would be getting told very many things twice. Running didn’t do him much good, as the tidal wave of wood caught up to him. He stuck next to Ibrahim for a sudden and splintery end -and then woke up in his own bed, alive, confused, and alone.
***
Samson narrowed his eyes and stared at the Lamia slithering past.
“Look! It’s happening again, man, just like I said!”
Ibrahim looked at the half-snake woman and shrugged.
“I’m not seeing the punchline yet,” Ibrahim said. “This better be a good fucking gag, Samson.”
“It’s not- Listen to me! Everything is repeating itself!”
He’d gone through the entire twenty-hour ride to the school all over, somehow, after waking up on what appeared to be the same morning. Disbelief had turned to confusion had turned to frustration over time. Twenty hours in transit was actually even more boring the second time, especially since everything happened the exact same way, unless he did something to change it.
“Look at this, there’s about to be an ogre -yep, there he is,” Samson said, gesturing to the ogre crossing their path. “And then we’re going to step out here and there’ll be a lot-”
Samson stopped himself mid-sentence. There would be a lot of booths, including one labeled “Ask us about your deja vu”.
“We need to go.”
The twins cut an even faster course through the crowd this loop, since Samson knew exactly where to go and how to get there. He cut past chess club members and student council leaders and beelined straight for the booth with a robot and a broad-shouldered Maori man sitting at it. He only froze in his tracks long enough to notice that the sign had changed. Now it said “What should you ask us?”. The two residents of the booth carefully eyed Samson as he approached.
“Hi, uh, hello, Samson Onwe,” he said. The robot’s electronic eyes flickered in his direction. “Am I supposed to ask you guys about deja vu?”
Kim made two raised eyebrows of surprise appear on her digital face.
“One second.”
A storage compartment on Kim’s metallic hips opened up, and she withdrew a five dollar bill, handing it over to Hawke.
“Told you it would work,” Hawke said.
“You know what’s going on?”
“We do,” Kim said. “But we can’t explain it just yet. I think you should know we’re waiting on someone.”
“Right. Behind you, yeah?”
At this point, Ibrahim closed the gap and examined the table, and more importantly, the robot lady sitting behind it. Kim examined him right back. She’d actually never met twins before.
“Okay, I get it, these two have been telling you about all the stuff like the snake ladies and the campus stuff,” Ibrahim said. “Can we speed this up now? I really want to get to the joke.”
Hawke and Kim shared a furtive glance with one another before turning it in Samson’s direction.
“Does he not…?”
Samson shrugged.
“Oh, that’s going to complicate things,” Kim said. Her brain buzzed at her for a second, and she once again stopped traffic in the area, clearing the grass behind their booth.
An icy portal snapped open and shut in an instant, depositing a small amount of snow and two point five very graceful snowbirds gliding to a halt. Lee almost managed to make it to a dignified finish, but toppled over and fell into the snow at the last second. Harley slid her skis to a stop and then sat down in the snow next to the fallen Lee as she removed her goggles. Vell, who was on his feet this time, took notice of just how many butterflies came to flock around him, and decided to compartmentalize that until later.
“Told you we’d get it right this time. Most of us, anyway” Harley boasted. Lee sighed heavily as Harley’s eyes caught a person out of place, and she latched on to Ibrahim and Samson. “Well hello new people!”
“New person,” Hawke awkwardly insisted. He pointed at Samson. “Just him.”
Ibrahim didn’t bother trying to hide his offense.
“Oh. Well,” Lee said. “This will be...interesting.”
“Lee, the dramatic pause shit, seriously,” Harley said.
“It’s warranted,” Lee snapped. “Harley, Vell, go take our things and put them in my dorm. I’ll get our new friend started on, well, orientation.”
“Got it, boss,” Harley said. She waved to Samson with one hand and picked up Lee’s discarded gear in the other. “Talk to you later, dude!”
Two-thirds of the skiing trio wandered off, leaving a still highly confused Samson and an even more confused Ibrahim to face off with Lee.
“Right, and you are?”
“Samson.”
“And Ibrahim,” his twin interjected. It sounded like his patience with this “joke” was wearing thin.
“Pleasure to meet you both, Samson, if you’ll come with me, I can answer most of your questions.”
The two twins stood their ground, though Samson did twitch a bit.
“I want to know what’s going on here too,” Ibrahim said. “Is this some kind of hazing thing? Am I being hazed?”
It took a lot of effort for Hawke not to roll his eyes. He’d thought the same thing once upon a time. He almost wished he’d been right.
“No. It’s...well, it’s hard to explain,” Lee said. “It’s just a bit of a randomly selected process, and random chance has turned up Samson! It’s nothing personal, dear, it’s not up to us.”
“Well, listening to you is up to us,” Ibrahim said. “We’re a package deal.”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Samson said. He looked for certainty anywhere he could get it right now, and his twin brother was the most certain thing he knew.
“Well, alright then, I can’t force either of you to do anything,” Lee said. “But, Samson, any explanations you may be wanting to hear right now will have to wait. It’s your choice.”
After delivering that gentle ultimatum, Lee stepped back and joined Hawke and Kim at the booth. Ibrahim stepped away, and though it took a moment, Samson walked away too. He took a few glances over his shoulder, but followed Ibrahim all the way to their tour guide. She sat in the exact same place as last time, and said the exact same things too.
“Ibrahim and Samson Onwe. I have you two down for separate tour groups.”
“Why would we be separate?”
“Maybe it’s just how things are around here,” Samson suggested.
“Well screw that,” Ibrahim said. “We’re a package deal.”
“Come on, it’s just a tour, the island’s not that big,” Samson said. “An hour or two, at most.”
“You’re suspiciously on board with this,” Ibrahim countered.
It was true, but Samson played it off anyway. He didn’t want to ditch his brother, but the weirder things got, the more he felt he had to.
“Fine. But this had better be a really good joke you’re setting up for,” Ibrahim said. He followed the tour guide away while Samson pretended to wait for the next tour group. As soon as Ibrahim rounded the corner, Samson went running back to Lee.
​
Author's Note:
Hello and welcome back to Doomsday Dorms for book three! Your friendly local lunatic/author here with two status updates on all things Doomsday Dorms:
First, for those of you desperate to know what happens next (and next, and next, and next...) the Patreon version of Doomsday Dorms has been updated to be a full month ahead of the free updates, rather than just a week, for the same price.
Secondly, to those who might be wondering about the availability of book one, I did want to say that while I had every intention of having the final version ready and published today, alongside book three's launch, a few different factors conspired to delay my plans. It is very close to completion, however, and I look forward to officially launching it within the next week or two, so if you're a new reader curious how this chaos started, or an old reader who wants to revisit a favorite chapter, stay tuned!

I (46F) have been a stay at home mom for 23 years. My children suffer from mental health and autism. She has suicidal tendencies and have been I'm and out of mental hospitals. My husband is the sole bread winner and I hate asking for things because our finances have is living paycheck to paycheck. The only thing I can do is ride my bike (I don't mind but riding the bike in traffic scares the hell out of me,) Everyday my husband comes home and bitcjes about everything. NO CANT DO THIS OR THAT. He always chose to start and really makes me angry. I get no how was your day When I ask how his day is going he cuts me off to bitch about anything. He is bipolar and stopped taking his meds years ago. I refuse to argue. Is there any jobs online I can apply for that doesn't consist of my having a car? I have a computer. He always bitch about my kids not having a job but we have no car. My daughter doesn't have have a license to get a job. I finally told him if he can help us on his days off since there are weeks he is at home and refuses to take us to get things done. My mother is in the ICU AND I asked him If he could take me and he said yes but slept until 4pm. Any advice would be appreciated 🙏. Please don't be hateful

[←Chapter 53] [Cover Art] [My Links] [Index] [Discord] [Subreddit] [Chapter 55→]
The day had slid by Aya like so much water off of a duck’s back. It took a particularly hard prod by Frare to dislodge her from a slurry of inattentiveness. As she looked around she realised the barricades had been almost completely disassembled, with only scraps remaining on the church floor. The pieces of broken glass and masonry were being carted outside by the villagers that remained.
Currently there was a lukewarm debate around the command table, dragged to the centre of the hall. Aya’s consciousness glossed over Sorore reprimanding her brother for bothering her, as well as the various arguments over logistics and provisions. She half-heartedly listened to discussions of various threats on various roads, and then quickly forgot about it.
Without really realising it, she found herself peaking at the parchments spread over the table. The lined scrolls held no real meaning for her, but the centre map with its pins certainly did. It was a large and fairly extensive map of the continent, with various cities illustrated with flowing script too elaborate for her to read. Slowly her eyes flitted from north to south, and found the curl of a mountain range bleeding into a peninsula where she assumed Karkos was.
“What about here?” she said, pointing to the location through the greaves of the captains before her.
Most turned to look with amused confusion, and she quickly felt a flush creeping up her neck.
“It’s a city,” she said.
The officers continued to look at her, awaiting elaboration.
“Y-you could get food there,” she offered weekly.
She almost added ‘I’ve heard the food is quite good’, though fortunately for her dignity the phrase died on her lips before it could enter the world. Naia, almost directly across from her, looked down and stroked his beard.
“It’s far from the worst option,” he said, “in fact, it’s probably one of the better ones.”
“It charges an arm and a leg, just for the usage of one ship. The cost of transporting all of us will be steep,” one soldier protested.
“The mountains are blocked off with the Alonshaze destroyed. None of the other passes can be reliably quickly traversed, even in summer,” Naia countered, “going the land route right now would be asking for trouble. The flatlands at the base of the Alonshaze have always been unstable, but ever since Ein’elen broke up it-”
“Sharaloch would be another option,” spoke up Damafelce, without much enthusiasm.
“You want to bet on a city of pirates and mercenaries for transport?” exclaimed another captain.
“Unwise, especially with such valuable persons,” Naia said, “we’ve already had enough headaches. The last thing I need is a hostage situation while sailing the strait.”
“You get what you pay for in Karkos,” yet another captain offered, with general murmurs of assent, “though with what gold we have I-”
“The gold’s not the issue,” said Naia, “if necessary, we can issue bonds in the name of Angorrah, or the paladins can in the name of the church.”
Niche, glum and surly, still nodded at the implied question.
“The general would not be happy. You know how possessive they get over money on a mission,” said Damafelce.
“We’ve been attacked multiple times, crossed half the continent, and found a long lost bequeathed, all with about a hundred men,” snorted Naia, “with all due respect to my betters, they can take their complaints and shove them-”
“If we’re going by speed and stability, Karkos is the best way,” cut in Niche through the laughter of the soldiers, “the safety of the Bequeathed should be our top priority. A good ship will get us there in under a week.”
“A ship to Espala, then Inalthia. Draskar forest is a nightmare at any time of the year,” Naia said, leaning over the map. With a subtle motion, he moved Aya’s finger northwest, and she realised with horror that she’d been pointing to the wrong end of the peninsula where some lesser settlement stood.
“Captain Deckard, I assume those that don’t want to come for pilgrimage will be returning to the fort?” he continued without giving any sign that she’d done anything wrong.
A new man, eyes blazing underneath furry dark brows nodded fervently.
“Well, I suppose we’ll have to clear out. I want everyone ready by sunset - it’ll be just under a week before we reach Karkos. Get what sleep you can - we’ll be riding out the next morning.”
There were a few finer points of debate that were bandied back and forth, but the conversation largely seemed to be settled. Niche and Damafelce both seemed to be locked in a staring match as Naia approached her.
“A good suggestion, my lady,” he said, “it’s been a long time since I’ve been in the city, but it might be just the place after this string of close calls.”
Aya tried to take what credit she could with a burning face.
“Now, there’s one other piece of business I have to attend to, I think,” he said, “where is the mage?”
“He’s on the roof,” she blurted, “I can show you.”
“No,” he said, holding up a gauntlet, “I think we’ll be just fine by ourselves. You should go and rest. It’s been a long night.”
He and Damafelce walked away from the table and vanished through the side door. Aya returned back to the altar with Niche, who was muttering some unkind things under his breath. It wasn’t more than a half hour before Naia returned with his captain, looking troubled. Before she could ask any questions, however, he quickly exited through the front of the church.
The rest of the day was largely spent on routines of amusement, the Bequeathed and the children of the village playing little games and telling stories among each other. The paladins, though they kept an eagle eye upon their charges, were not in a talkative mood that day. Lillian’s face was particularly dark, and she often muttered things that no one cared to listen to.
When evening came, any residual fears of the monsters returning were put to rest. The icy fear was no more, the villagers placed back what intact pews there were, and the flow of people from the medical bay slowed to a trickle. A simple meal, and a dreamless sleep, and Aya awoke in the early hours of the morning. Pulling herself up to one of the broken windows, she could see the summer green of the trees, their vibrancy somewhat damped by a light blue-grey fog.
Before they left, a service was held to bury those who’d been slain. The dead were laid side by side, wrapped in simple drab cloth, in a large pit just outside the doors of the church. Niche stood over the graves, eyes shut, pronouncings the blessing and peace that these brave defenders would lie with. Aya took the time to say a silent thanks as she gazed at the cloth-bound bodies.
As the remains were covered with soil, Niche shifted into a louder, older language as he sang in a husky tenor. Some kind of funeral liturgy, she guessed, though it was unfamiliar to her. The villagers cast tears into the ground with clouds of earth as they passed along the pit, then they left for the wall and the village beyond.
Aya’s concerns as she reentered the church shifted to more material things - hunger, cold, the lack of bathing over the last few days. At least some of those needs were addressed by the paladins in the next hours, with furs and food. But soon enough, they were on horses, walking in a line down to the south over open fields before the forest.
The first morning passed with very little conversation between anyone as they passed underneath the trees. That was all the better for Aya, who found herself enjoying the crisp air and the rapidly warming sunlight. It did take a bit of a turn for sorrow when she remembered that she often swam with her mother on mornings like these in the mountain lakes. Still, she was determined to extract what happiness she could on such a wretched journey. It was a resiliency that Frare seemed to share, while his sister still glanced nervously at the trees around them. Aya wondered if the girl was still seeing the creatures from last night in every shadow.
When they reached a clearing around midday, the children were made to sit before Niche as he handed out various meagre components of meals. As they began to eat, Lillian joined him, and both cleared their throats in unison.
“Right,” Niche began, “I realise the last few days have been less than smooth. Hardly a time for lessons, unfortunately.”
His dry chuckle was not reciprocated by any of the listeners, so he quickly moved on.
“But, given the nature of what happened, I think it’s advisable to speak on magic and mages, and what the scripture says about them.”
Frare, at the word ‘scripture’ audible groaned, which was followed by a hiss as his sister seized his ear.
“We have been forced into a position where we needed the help of a mage,” Niche said, picking his words with care, “it was not something we did willingly. It wasn’t a choice, but rather the product of circumstances beyond our control.”
You mean, the commander overruled you, thought Aya, though she elected not to voice such thoughts.
“If we had another choice,” Lillian chimed in, “we would’ve taken it. Survival, however, takes precedence, especially for you three. The choices were made, we might not be proud of it, but we’re all still here and that’s what matters.”
“That being said,” Niche said, fumbling in the interior of his breastplate and withdrawing a small booklet, “it would be good for you to understand what exactly underlies our choices.”
Aya’s eyes flicked over to the twins - Sorore was sitting upright and attentive, while her brother was a glum and slumped mirror. Niche thumbed through a few pages, focused in on the one he’d selected and once more, cleared his throat.
“And thus it was found, a great conspiracy, conspired against the children of Angorrah, conspired with creatures both great and small, but terrible all, in darkness and stagnant pools, where the profundity of their sin would go unnoticed by the decent and pious. Hated and proclaimed sinner, traitor, rebel against the Lost themselves. Three Boons would be taken, and three Houses be condemned to dust.”
Sorore perked up, for she clearly already knew the story and was excited to hear it yet again. Aya waited with a tempered anticipation, hoping at least there would be a half-way interesting tale, despite its lacklustre delivery. The story progressed into a broad parable, describing how three houses arose in rebellion against the church, and how three holy items had been robbed from the sepulchre of the ‘roiling cathedral’.
Apparently, they were ferried into the hands of mages, who perverted their holy functions until they burned the most sacred tree on the continent, one laid by Nafthtazia herself. For all of Aya’s doubts about the moral, she couldn’t deny the enjoyment of a good piece of history.
“Magic exists beyond the purview of the church,” Niche began, then quickly corrected his error, “rather, it is a part of the mystery of the Lost, but others can access in inappropriate ways. Some speculate that it should be left entirely to the Lost, not handled by mortal hands. Regardless, the church has taken upon a sacred duty, to ensure that what magic is used is done so sparingly, and with the utmost care.”
He closed the book with a flourish, clearly pleased at the depth of his instruction. Frare’s eyes were fluttering, which prompted a painful poke from his sister.
“So, magic is evil?” said Aya, trying to square that conclusion with all she’d seen.
Niche puffed out his chest, no doubt about to exclaim that it was in the strongest possible terms. Lillian however, had her own thoughts to add before he could.
“Not… inherently,” she said, “But it is broadly forbidden and for good reason. It is less evil, rather a great risk for evil. That is, far too easy to put it towards evil ends. That’s why mages are, as a rule, cruel, selfish, and dangerous creatures. Perhaps it is better put that magic attracts evil, even if it can be used for good.”
Aya stewed in that statement for a while - clearly the church was deeply knowledgeable, expanding and attending to her own, meagre education on the matter from the local priest. Still there were holes, obvious holes, or so she told herself.
“It might be hard to understand,” Niche said, “it might seem a little strange that the church forbids something that could be so useful. There are very good reasons both in scripture and in history that proves the point - magic is not to be used with abandon, and thus must remain under the Church’s eye.”
He patted the sigil of the church, engraved on his breastplate.
“That is one reason why the Light Lords were created in the first place,” he said, with thinly veiled pride, “we are the watchers, investigating the use of magic and capturing the perpetrator that would harm or cheat with it.”
“It was a decision made long ago,” added Lillian, “it was a sort of… half-agreement between the church and the army. We kept the peace that was broken by the mages during the Night of the Burning Tree.”
“So there are mages in Angorrah?” said Aya, drawing a strange, near insulted look by Sorore at the question.
“Well…” said Lillian, sharing a look with Niche, “a handful at most, who operate under the strictest scrutiny.”
Sorore’s face twisted at this, but whatever comment she would’ve liked to make stayed in her head.
“The point is that mages are faithless and concerned for themselves above all else. They are to be engaged on only the most necessary basis. They may be directed towards good in service to the church, but never on their own.”
The rest of the lesson served as constant reinforcements and examples of the danger of mages. There were one or two arguments between Frare and their teachers that Sorore was too slow to suppress. Before long they were off again, the leaves shaking above them as a wind blew from the south. The evening camp mercifully spared them another lecture and after a simple dinner, both twins made their excuses and retired.
Aya huddled beside the fire as the temperature dropped. Around them were a circle of waggons, some covered by a framework of canvas, others bare, all loaded with supplies. The gifts of the grateful villagers, granted to the commander who had saved them.
The paladins were busy doing maintenance, carefully laying out arms and armour, scrubbing, polishing and sharpening. Aya got up, murmured a good night to the paladins, who nodded curtly. They were so absorbed that they didn’t seem to notice Aya slipping away.
She poked her head into one of the ‘empty’ waggons, scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. Save for a handful of small crates, there lay the crumpled form of the mage just as they’d loaded him. Aya felt her breath still as she looked at Inniaylsia’s amber eyes. Even from this distance, she could see the subtle inner flames of reds and yellows softly illuminating them.
“Yes?” came the voice of the older woman, curt and snappish.
Aya started to speak, then stopped, realising that she had no real reason to be here, at least not one that she’d thought out.
“Come out with it child,” came the voice again.
Aya was put in mind of a line of children, heads bowed before a grandmother picking detritus from their scalps.
“I- I-” she said, “I was wondering if…”
“No. There’s been no change in this old bag of bones,” said Innie, her voice softening slightly, “though I’m sure he would appreciate your concern.”
Aya stood there for a moment, awkwardness rising, before setting her jaw, looking behind her, and upon seeing the paladin’s backs, clambered in as quietly as possible. The cat sat attentively and silently, regarding the young girl before her. Aya began in a hushed whisper, talking about the Night of the Burning Tree and the lessons of the paladins from the morning.
“If you want to ask a question about history,” interrupted the cat, “you best ask this sod when he wakes up. He proves irritatingly well-versed on that. Considering his age, he might've lived through it.”
“I thought you were old as well,” Aya said, trying to remember where she got the notion from.
“I am. Older than him. Old as half the company put together,” she said, “but I rarely venture outside of the forest. This is the furthest south I have been in decades, perhaps a century or two.”
Aya paused to try and get a grasp on the scale of time the creature had just casually gestured at.
“So my dear, if you’re going to ask me about the great deeds of men or the history of cities, I’m afraid you’re out of luck,” said the cat, tail bobbing this way and that.
“But that’s not exactly what I…” said Aya, taking a deep breath before continuing, “I wanted to ask about magic.”
The cat cocked its head, the speed of the tail picking up.
“What about magic, child?” she said.
Swish-swish.
“Well, I was wondering, just for a start, what is it?” Aya said.
“You should sit down,” said the cat, “this might take a while.”
[←Chapter 53] [Cover Art] [My Links] [Index] [Discord] [Subreddit] [Chapter 55→]

Sooo I messed up. I accepted a job offer then they told me I have to do a 5 panel drug test. I smoke weed everyday, last time was yesterday. I have until Wednesday 6/7 to go to the testing place. What’s the best thing to do? Am I completely screwed because I smoke so much?? I was thinking of going to a smoke shop to buy a detox, then dollar tree for some THC tests to make sure I’ll be negative ahead of time. Please lmk what works best for you guys. Thanks in advance

I have chosen five races at Belmont Park and 2 races at Woodbine on Saturday June 3, 2023 that I am willing to take a shot at and hopefully find my next nice score. I will not be betting the last race at Belmont individually, but it is the last race of the late P5 which I will take a couple of small shots at. I have always preferred to get as many shots as I can to hit some type of exotics in one or two races but believe spreading in any pick type sequences is not the best use of my money. Much prefer using a few dollars every race and get more opportunities every day compared to putting all my eggs in one sequence and watching them all break when one horse or race does not go as expected.
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Belmont Park 4th Race: Maiden Special Weight --- Purse $75,000 --- 3 YOs & Up NY Bred Fillies & Mares --- 7 Furlongs Turf:
1)Ace Up Her Sleeve (12-1) Has 10 lifetime starts with 4 starts and 3 thirds since the beginning of this year. In her last three starts she was tried twice on the AWT in sprints against open company and then shipped back to NY to face state breds in a turf sprint, but race was moved to a muddy dirt track where she was well beaten but managed to get up for third. One slow work since at Delaware Park. Dialed In - Clearly Cheating by Broken Vow. 3x3 to Storm Cat, 4(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Blushing Groom, 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Secretariat. As usual, most interested in her broodmare sire, Broken Vow, to figure out what distance is best for this runner, and I believe turf sprinting is the answer for this one. Broken Vow as a G2 SW on dirt but plenty of his progeny has won on grass up to a mile and he has a daughter (Broken Dreams) similar bred to this one's dam that won 3 stakes turf sprints including 2 of them G3 stakes and banked just shy of $400K. Fits with these.
6)La Chance (50-1) Has started 10 times in her career and has one second in 4 starts this year as her only board finish in her first ten starts. She will need her best effort yet but has the bloodlines to upset this field at a huge price. Her last two races and her recent works gives a clue that improvement is on the way after getting a trainer that acts like he knows what he is trying to achieve and gets her first real chance on grass. Looking At Lucky - One Wise Cowgirl by Wiseman's Ferry. 4x5 to Clever Trick. Her sire, Looking at Lucky, was a Champion 2 YO and Champion 3 YO on dirt in the U.S. and broodmare sire, Wiseman's Ferry, won a couple of G3 dirt stakes at 9 furlongs but is best remembered as sire of Wise Dan, who was good on dirt to begin his career but took his popularity to an entirely different level by winning 14 of his last 15 starts on grass with 1 second and 15 of 17 overall, with every grass start against either G1 or G2 competition. La Chance's dam, One Wise Cowgirl, has also produced a G1 sprint SW on dirt (Haveyougoneaway).
4)Cerretta (8-1) has started once this year finishing 3rd in a grass sprint but also started 7 times last year with a second and a third her other two board finishes. Has four decent to useful works since her last start which should move her forward. Midnight Lute - Lift by Pulpit. 5x4 to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Raise A Native & Secretariat.
7)Souffle (2-1) started twice last year, finishing second in her first start on grass as the favorite before returning as an odds-on heavy favorite and finished 4th after getting beaten to the early lead and then coming up empty late. This is her first start this year and trainer Clement is good at hiding which one of his trainees is ready to win first back or may need a race or two but normally uses Rosario when he thinks one is live and he does so here also. Will also race with lasix for the first time. Candy Ride - Portmagee by Hard Spun. 5x4 to Mr. Prospector. Both Candy Ride and Hard Spun are known for their high speed in mid-distance races especially but dam, Portmagee, won one 6 furlongs grass sprint in her career but falter both times when asked to go just slightly further.
My Risks: $4 Ex Box 1-6, $1 Ex Box 1-4-6, $1 Tri Box 1-4-6, $.10 Super Box 1-4-6-7, $.50 Super Key 4 with 1-6-7 with 1-6-7 with 1-6-7. Total Risks $25.40.
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Race 6: $.50 Pick 5 ---- 6 with 8 with 7 with 2,4,5 with 3,4,5,6,8,9,10,12. Total Risk $12.00.
Race 6: $.50 Pick 5 ---- 6,9 with 8 with 7 with 2,4,5, with 3,6,9,12. Total Risk $12.00.
Race 6: Allowance --- Purse $95,000 --- 3 YOs UP F&M N/W 1x or N/W 2 Lifetime --- 6 Furlongs Turf:
6) Anna Karenine (9-2) was shipped to U.S. late last year and was given the rest of the year off. Returned in March in a G3 stakes and sat close up early behind a crawling pace and faded after a half mile on grass. Cut back to 6 furlongs in her next start, she sat just behind the two early leaders in third, was sent after a half after the front runner had put only early challenger away but could not get by and hung in deep stretch to lose 2nd nearing the wire in this class and conditions. She has 4 more works in typical Brown style but should be getting close to her best effort. Tornado - Ivory Style by Desert Style. 4(C)x5(F)x5(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer, 5x4 to Danzig, 5x5 to Special. Anna Karenine's 4th dam, Ivory Wand, is also 2nd dam of Elusive Quality, and this dam line flows back through Frizette, an important member of family #13.
9) Redifined (5-1) has one start this year where she tracked a fast early pace but came up empty in the stretch run in an O/C allowance race. However, she broke her maiden in the first start of her career, then competed in 3 stakes races, 2 of them listed and the other a G3 stakes where she placed in all three. She has recorded 3 very good works since her last race and is the one to beat. More Than Ready - Mrs. Boss by Wild Event. 4x5 to Northern Dancer, 5x5 to Nearctic.
5) Dekanter (12-1) has started twice this year which was also her first two starts of her career and finished 3rd on dirt, then won a maiden special weight race on grass in fairly fast time but it was during a small period when Aqueduct's grass course was blistering fast. Has 4 more works since her last start, none that are eye catching but all done on a 7-day then 6-day splits which is what you (or at least I) want to see from grass runners instead of fast works. Kantharos - Morning Rush by Unbridled's Song. 4x4 to Storm Cat, 5(C)x5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Mr Prospector.
8) Michele M. (15-1) started twice last year, both time on the AWT, breaking her maiden in her first start before finishing unplaced in a Canadian listed stake. She will be making her first start of this year, first start on grass in her career and first start for a new trainer that wins often on grass but tends to struggle with trainees first start on grass. West Coast - Juliamarie by Mizzen Mast. 4x4 to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Secretariat, 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Raise A Native. Dam line traces back to Penelope/Prunella and the most influential family #1 in bloodlines history, without a doubt.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 6-9, $1 Tri Box 5-6-9, $5 Tri Straight 6 with 9 with 5, $1 Super Straight 5-6-9 with 5-6-9 with 5-6-9 with 8. Total Risk $27.00.
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7th Race: Maiden Special Weight --- Purse $90,000 --- 3 YOs & Up --- 1 1/16 Mile Turf:
8)Redistricting (3-1) is a first-time starter. It looks like his training started under another barn, then was a private purchase by current owner (private or purchases away from sales are not reported in most cases), then has a consistent work pattern for current trainer Brown with only one small break in his training that lasted 10 days until the day after the Ky Derby (likely concentrating on runners already entered to race). None of his works are eye catching but his last 9 works have all been at 4 furlongs officially, which is the normal Brown pattern. Kingman - Cascata by Montjeu. 4x4 to Kris, 5x4 to Northern Dancer.
1)Certified Loverboy (20-1) has started once this year where he tracked the early pace for 6 furlongs, then faded near the rail as the slow early pace quicken in a maiden race at 1 1/8 mile on grass, which is likely a little further than he is bred to excel at. Now cuts back 1/16 mile, which fits his bloodlines better and has one useful work since that start and returns to jockey who likely knows him better than others. Mendelsohn - Tasha's Moon by Malibu Moon. 4x4 to Mr. Prospector. Dam family traces back to family #3 which is the family of Sister One To True Blue, a daughter of a Byerley Turk mare who, along with her full brother Young True Blue, is most responsible for the formation of the 2nd X-factor gene family.
6)Ohana Honor (8-1) has two starts this year, the first on GP speed favoring dirt track where he tried to impact the race from well off the pace but had no real opportunity to do so. Next out, he was shipped to Aqueduct and moved to grass for the first grass start of his career where he was rolling in the stretch to just miss winning but also encountered enough trouble to make him late arriving to compete. Trainer Shug has put 6 more works in him since that effort, the first 4 useful works and then 2 easy works just to let him stretch his legs until a spot could be found to race him. Has the look of a trainer who is serious about breaking this one's maiden. Honor Code - Spacy Tracy by Awesome Again. 4x5 to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Bold Ruler, 5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer. Dam has already produced 3 stakes winners from 6 known foals to race, including this one.
7)Fly Right (6-1) is making his first start of the year after making three starts last year and drew near the rail in every start, thereby forcing jockey to send him early for the lead to avoid being trapped (at least perceived by most). He has 10 works for his return, including last 9 at Belmont Park, but his last 4 works should have him fit and ready. Also goes first-time lasix. Astern - Fly By by Johar. 4x5 to Sadler's Wells, 5x5 to Danzig. 6th dam, Where You Lead, is an important and influential broodmare.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 1-8, $1 Tri Box 1-6-8, $1 Super 8 with 1-6-7 with 1-6-7 with 1-6-7, $3 Super Straight 8 with 1 with 6 with 7. Total Risk $25.00.
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8th Race: Allowance --- Purse $80,000 --- 3 Yos & Up N/W 1x or N/W 2 lifetime NY Bred --- 1 1/16 Mile:
7) Shadow Dragon (2-1) has three starts this year, finishing 2nd in a G3 stakes in his first start then giving a half-hearted effort in his next two in G2 stakes company, races he was clearly overmatched in and thrown against them much too soon in his young career. Will find these fits his current ability much better and looks like a solid key in the pick exotics. Has 6 works since his last start and most of them shows he still has a desire to be competitive. Army Mule - Fire Assay by Medaglia D'Oro. 5x5 to Northern Dancer but also has Somethingroyal crossing in the sire line through Secretariat and in the broodmare sire line and dam line through another son Sir Gaylord(x2). Has even more crossing influence through Turn-To & Teddy through multiple sons and daughters on both sides.
6) Ormstown (5-1) broke his maiden in his last start against NY bred in the third start of his career and now tries state-bred winners for the first time. This is a fairly weak field for an allowance race and the reason I landed on this one is I feel he has an ability to rate though he went gate to wire against easier in this last (or at least his bloodlines suggest he should). Bernardini - Sandra by Bluegrass Cat. 2x4 to A.P. Indy, 4x5 to Secretariat, 5(C)x4(F)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector, 5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer.
My Risks: $8 Ex Straight 7-6. Total Risk $8.00.
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Race 9: Pennine Ridge Stakes(G2) --- Purse $200,000 ---- 3 YOs ---- 1 1/8 Mile Turf:
4) Silver Knott (2-1) has one start this year and was overmatched against much better than he will see here. Will be looking to make amends for such a poor showing in last. Probably a little more eager than normal as he was fresh off a break and ended up burning all his energy before the real running began on a slow grass course. Europe does not record works between races as most works on private property and normally have to rely on what trainers tells everyone. Brings a substitute jockey along as main rider stays in England for the Epsom Derby. Lope De Vega - God Given by Nathaniel. 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector. Lope De Vega is a son of Shamardal (from 1st crop of Giant's Causeway and dam was a full sister to Street Cry). Broodmare sire, Nathaniel, is also a 2-time G1 stakes winner on grass but is more famously known as the sire of Enable (15 wins in 19 lifetime starts).
5) Congruent (10-1) has started four times this year with a win on the AWT 2 starts back his only board finish. He switches trainers since his last start and new trainer has put 7 works in him, the first 4 looks like they were leg stretching type works to let him get a good feel of Belmont dirt surface followed by 3 good solid works with two of them grass works. Tapit - Part The Seas by Stormy Atlantic. 4x4 to Seattle Slew, 4(C)x5(C)x4(F) to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Northern Dancer, In Reality & Secretariat.
2) Sharar (12-1) is making his U.S. debut after shipping over from Dubai, switching trainers and given plenty of time to rest and become familiar with U.S. racing. Like a typical Pletcher trainee, he put in a few non-descript works but works improved in his last two after he was switched to grass, which he had already suggested in his first two starts he did not like the feel of Dubai's dirt (possibly did not care from Belmont dirt either). Upset potential at good odds. Gun Runner - Sacre Coeur by Saint Ballado. 5x4 to Herbager.
8) Far Bridge (9-5) has three starts in his career, with all 3 coming this year and he has 2 wins and a second, losing his perfect record in his last start when beaten a nose. However, I will take a stand against him for the win as his two works are typical Pletcher works, but his last was not an improvement which is normal for one of his trainees just before a start. Could be the track switch but more likely last took a little fitness from him. Your call, as he certainly has the bloodlines to beat these. English Channel - Fitpitcher by Kitten's Joy. 5x5 to Northern Dancer.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 2-4, $1 Tri Box 2-4-5. Total Risk $16.00.
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Race 10: Maiden Claiming $40K --- Purse $45,000 ---- 3 YOs & Up New York Bred --- 1 1/16 Mile Turf:
3) War Prince (9-2) 4(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Northern Dancer.
4) Atlanta's Acuna (6-1) Complete outcross in first 5 generations.
5) Fluorescent Bay (20-1) 5x3 to Icecapade.
6) Just For Luck (12-1) 5x5 to Northern Dancer.
8) Silent Running (10-1) 5x5 to Secretariat.
9) Thethrillofvictory (5-1) Complete outcross in his first 5 generations.
10) Sea Cruise (30-1) Complete outcross in first 5 generations.
12) Bad Larry (4-1) 4(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector.
No bets on this race but using these in last race of P5. Total Risk All Bets: $125.40.
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Woodbine June 3,2023:
5th Race: Maiden Special Weight --- Purse $111,600 --- 2 YOs ---- 5 Furlongs:
7) Call The Question (8-1) started once and finished last but had only 3 furlongs works with one poor gate work before that start in 4 1/2 furlongs and did not try after a poor break. Now has two more good works since that start, a 4-furlongs followed by a 3-furlongs gate work that is much better and now stretches out to 5-furlongs where she should get a better break from gate. 5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Mr Prospector.
6) That Girl Artemus (6-1) is a first-time starter. Her 4-furlongs two back is very good followed by another good 4-furlongs work from the gate. If she breaks as well as she has shown, becomes a candidate to wire the field. 4x5 to Mr. Prospector.
2) Pipit (5-2) is a first-time starter. Has a good gate work two back at 4 furlongs followed by an easy 4 furlongs work. Attracts top jockey with an above average trainer. 4x4 to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Secretariat & Sir Ivor, 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Raise A Native, 5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer.
9) Miramichi (15-1) has one start on the AWT at 4 1/2 furlongs, but drew outside on a rainy track which is usually the worst place to be, and the one just inside her got better break and she chased them throughout as they pull away while closest to the rail and she lost third at the wire to a late runner. Returns in two weeks but has another good 4 furlongs work since that start.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 6-7, $1 Tri Box 2-6-7, $.20 Super Box 2-6-7-9, $.30 Super Straight 2-7 with 2-7 with 6-9 with 6-9. Total Risk $22.00.
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Race 7: Royal North S(Can-2) --- Purse $175,000 --- 4 YOs & Up F&M --- 6 1/2 Furlongs Turf:
2) Bay Storm (3-1) has three starts this year with 2 seconds and one third. She has been an ultra-consistent runner throughout her career, missing a placing once in her 14 lifetime starts. While this looks like a step up for her into G2 company, it is actually a step down in class as she has missed twice to odds-on G1 winning fillies in her last 5 starts while 2nd both times, including beaten a nose by one of them. She will be going back on lasix for the first time in a while. 4x4 to Storm Cat.
8) Baby No Worries (12-1) has started four times this year, winning her first start in an allowance race on the AWT at TP with a good late kick to get up in time, then finishing 2nd in a small stakes race at same track in her third start using a good late kick again to just miss before finishing 3rd in her last start against the probable favorite in here in a G3 stakes race at this track with another good late kick. She has the look of finally putting it all together as she gets more racing experience and is also moving back to grass. 5x5 to Hoist The Flag & My Charmer.
5) Our Flash Drive (9-5) has started once this year and made it a winning effort in a G3 stakes race on the AWT at her home track here. She switches back to turf here where if she has a weakness, it is on grass as only one of her stake wins have come on that surface. However, all her grass tries have been in the U.S. where the competition is usually much tougher and since she is back on her home turf, so she deserves to be the favorite. One useful work since her last start. Outcross in her first 5 generations but has Nasrullah influences on both sides.
6) Sweet Enough (20-1) has started 3 times this year in two G3 stakes and a listed stakes race in the U.S. and has not placed. However, in all three starts, she was beaten by horses that would be vying for favoritism in here and her last indicated she is near to regaining her best form. Trainer is one of Canada's best and he has put 5 more works in her, the last three very good and indicates this filly is still moving forward. She will be racing on lasix for the first time this year. 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 2-8, $1 Tri Box 2-5-8, $.20 Super Box 2-5-6-8, $1 Super Key 2 with 5-6-8 with 5-6-8 with 5-6-8. Total Risks $26.80.
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Total Risks Both Tracks $174.80.

It seems there is a connection to me between interests rates held too low, Fed money printing, rampant food and housing inflation, and the resilient labor market.
You view of any of these aspects?
We printed so much money, it flowed into corporate buybacks, equities and real property. So how will a solution work focused on tamping inflation by raising rates? Is Reich or Jon Stewart right we are doing this on “the backs of low wage workers”?
1) How should the Fed navigate interest rates?
2) What is sound tax policy to spread tax burden more efficiently between corporate profits and medium to lower income workers, yet still benefit small businesses (that generate the majority of jobs)?
People have to work more hours to cover essentials. Yesterday in the US, Macy’s Costco and Dollar Tree all indicated recessionary forces and customer spending pullback for essentials. That said, I understand corporate profits and oligopolies are the reason food prices are high.
Commentary on forces, your views welcome:
-Combining Macro and Demographics, Gen X, Millennials and younger who are not home owners have a long wait ahead, and still rental housing prices that are too high. The rent eats first.
I believe home prices will not correct until 2024, as the bid ask spreads in commercial multifamily and residential are too wide. We won’t see meaningful corrections until loans are up for renewal, and we uncover how regional banks won’t lend (due to rising interest rates).
3) And current homeowners stay out as they cannot replace their low mortgage rates. Any solutions here?
We also have market forces that are quite different-does that change recommended policy?
-low housing starts, (do we have lower household formation too?), crisis of affordable housing.
-social media news (see bank run for Silicon Valley), Yardi software extracts highest possible rents, and a demographic baby bust in western countries not fully replaced with immigration.
I’m leaving out unpriced externalities like climate change, but seems we are —spending prolifically now before we need it —we used up all the gas with pedal to the metal zero percent rates, when the workers in the economy needs support.
Help an Econ minor out? Non homeowner here struggling with housing, food and daycare inflation.