Podcasts about Wringing

It's not like you need me to tell you how nurturing your audience develops trust & relationships. How it creates connection & value. And (dolla dolla bills...) it's the thing people often need before they hit the "BUY NOW" button. And. So. But. ALL THE TIME people tell me how much they struggle to nurture their EMAIL audiences… (Cuz this shit isn't easy!) I'm delivering you an expert who's got real-life ACTIONABLE advice to help you do exactly that! Meet Breanna Owen, an email expert & communication strategist who's gonna show you on today's episode of Content Creation Made Easy… -The 5 email sequences your business needs now -How to alleviate your workload with email -Using automations while maintaining a personal touch -Wringing more out of every email you write -Use email to bring value AND create more S A L E S ***Cuz we're not here writing emails for the sake of it. Put your emails to work FOR YOUR BUSINESS! Breanna is extremely generous in this episode, sharing practical advice on strategically using email sequences to maintain a strong connection with your clients…. Keep them engaged after their initial spark of interest… And seamlessly guide them through the journey of working with you! Not to mention, with her advice, you're more likely to see repeat business and referrals. Breanna's approach is down-to-earth and tailored to match your business. Whether you're just starting out and need a solid welcome sequence or you're looking to nurture existing clients, Breanna offers valuable insights. ALSO MOST IMPORTANTLY! Please weigh in on your opinion of peanut M&MS or peanut butter M&Ms. WE MUST KNOW! Find her at https://www.owenyourmark.com https://www.instagram.com/owenyourmark And be sure to grab her resource: MAKE IT AUTOMATED — KEEP IT PERSONAL 7 ways to create genuine connection with email sequences https://owenyourmark.com/keep-it-personal/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How was the US election night covered in the media, and how will the newsrooms fare under President Trump?... Alex Farber, media correspondent from The Times is here to look at what it means for our industry.Also on the programme: Miranda Sawyer has been the audio critic at the Observer throughout the podcast boom... she reveals the latest trends in the industry, and her take on her paper's future under Tortoise.All that, plus: Will Wood, CEO of Multitude Media on being a modern PR powerhouse, why publishers are struggling with Google's new Ts and Cs... and, in the Media Quiz, we find out who's sorry not sorry.That's all happening in this edition of The Media Club. Sign up for free at https://www.themediaclub.comA Rethink Audio production, produced by Matt Hill with post-production from Podcast Discovery.We record at Podshop Studios - for 25% off your first booking, use the code MEDIA CLUB at podshoponline.co.ukThe Media Club's stories of the weekUS election night coverage roundupNew BBC Chair Samir Shah on permanent Royal Charter & misconduct complaintsCan you opt out of Google's AI crawler? Not according to the FT...Miranda Sawyer's new book - get your copy now...Observer/Tortoise update: Guardian CEO says paper is unsustainableWill Wood discusses new drama House of GuinnessClarkson's Farm renewed for fifth seasonBaby Cow court caseNew Radio 4 comedy commissions announced Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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"Let us know what you think."Trust that the Lord remains in command regardless of the world around us. 

Leonard Rubenstein is Professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, non-resident Fellow at CSIS, and Chair of the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition. He joins us to unpack the Coalition's 11th annual report on 2023. Four big wars—Ukraine, Myanmar, Gaza, Sudan—are driving up attacks upon civilians, and deaths, to exceptionally high levels. At the same time, attacks on the health sector reached over 2,500 recorded incidents in 2023, a 20% increase over 2022. Attacks on hospitals are often part of a deliberate, targeted military strategy. In other instances, they are a result merely of “contempt and indifference” as combatants wage war indiscriminately. What can be done, if policy is typically “hand-wringing” and “total impunity”? There could be breakthroughs through investigations and prosecutions in Ukraine and the International Criminal Court's actions in the Israeli-Gaza war. Over time, we do see progress at the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights and the World Health Organization.

The  April and Derrick series. by Deana Bard. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories. It's early evening when April is getting ready to go out for a few hours. Freshly showered and sweet-smelling, she puts on tight pair of jeans that enhance her firm thighs. The center seam separates and molds her two round ass cheeks but also tends to accentuate the lips of her pouting pussy. For a top, she chooses a light-colored silk blouse, sans a bra as usual, with the top three buttons undone to show some cleavage and sheer enough to just make out the darkness of her nipples.To her husband, Derrick, all of this preparation just for a night out with ‘the girls' at one of the local nightclubs seems a bit over the top. But he keeps those thoughts to himself. As she's about to open the door to leave, she looks over her shoulder with a twinkle in her eye and says, “Be showered by the time I get home.” Enamored by her beauty, Derrick steps over to her to give her a goodbye kiss. While doing so, his hand cups one of her breasts. She returns his gesture by putting her arms around him pulling him close. She opens her mouth, sticking her long wet tongue past his parting lips and deep into his hot mouth. The silk covering her soft but firm breast can not hide the erect state of her nipples. She lets out a soft moan when he gives the little brown pebble a pinch. Suddenly she breaks the kiss, takes her arms from around him, and gives her husband a punishing look. Stunned, he asks, “What's the matter, Babe?” “You're always too tired any other time,” she snaps. “So why do you wait until I have people waiting for me? I'm about to be late?” “Hey, my head wants it often,” he says defensively. “I can't help it if my libido and this head…, “pointing to his crotch, “can't keep up with you.” She comes close to him again, grabs the slight bulge forming in the front of his pants, and says, “Well, just make sure that you're clean and ready by the time I get home. Maybe then…” “I think I can manage that,” he says, enjoying this game they sometimes play. “If you only THINK you can manage that then,” she says in mock seriousness, “I might THINK about not coming home until morning.” He's heard that before. It's all part of their game. April smiles a wicked smile and says, “Don't forget, there are all these men who buy us drinks all night. Each hoping that they'll get lucky with us. Maybe I'll just have to let one of them serve my needs.” “My mistake, Madame,” he responds in playful homage. “I promise to be ready to service your every need upon your return, whenever that might be.” “That's more like it.” She says with a gleam in her eye while giving his balls a good squeeze. With a quick peck on the cheek, she turns and goes out the door. Through the front window, he watches as she saunters down the walk to her car. As she is about to get in, she turns towards the house. Looking right at him, she pulls at the opening of her loosely buttoned blouse and flashes a lovely tit at him, then gets in the car and drives away. He sits down to watch the evening news, but he can't keep his mind on what he's watching. His thoughts keep drifting to what April might have in mind when she gets home. Aside from normal, run-of-the-mill sex, from time to time, they had played other games. It could be based on a theme, such as ‘The Seductive College Nympho.' ‘The Barber' (where one of them gets a pubic trim or even a shave). ‘Hot Fudge Sundae' (while helplessly bound and laying naked on a plastic sheet, ice-cold ice cream is scooped onto very select and sensitive spots of the body. This is followed by drizzling hot fudge on his or her naked body. That is only half the fun because the other gets to take their time licking it all up.) They had even dabbled a little bit in 'Water Sports' (they had peed on each other in the shower several times. And when out camping one time, after drinking way too much, they held a pissing contest to see which one could pee the furthest, longest, and hardest. April won on all counts.) Once, after washing his hair, April rinsed the lather from his scalp by pissing on his head. But one form of role-playing they regularly come back to is 'Mistress and Servant.' At any other time, the responsibilities and chores of daily life are shared equally between them. But in the bedroom, something just clicks when they play these “dom” and “sub” roles. Interestingly, after several sessions with Derrick playing The Master to her role of The Servant, it became apparent that the results were never as satisfying as when April played The Master. With April's more expressive imagination, it became only natural for Derick to assume the role of Servant. This arrangement just worked for them both. After about an hour of glancing at the television and checking some porn on his phone, Derrick headed upstairs to take that shower. While the water is getting hot, he is thinking about that pussy of hers. Leaking the honeydew that he loves to lick and lap. When April gets going, the cunt oil flows so heavily that it rolls down her legs and between her ass cheeks. The sweet aroma and taste never fail to get Derrick so excited that he'll lick the entire slice between her legs, including around her dusty rosebud. All of which drives her to greater heights of pleasure and makes those juices flow heavier. He returns his attention to her big pink pussy, licking and sucking harder. Her cunt is opening and closing, and her hips start rocking up and down as if inviting the first hard cock to come along to slide in as far as it can go. She will still beg for more. Getting lathered up, Mr. Happy is rock hard and begging to be grasped firmly for a good stroking. As tempting as that is, Derrick resists the urge, instead making sure to clean every square inch, from head to toe and front to back, before rinsing off. Still dripping wet, his erection bobbing from side to side, he nakedly paces the house. Eventually, he plops himself onto the bed to finish air-drying in the warm summer breeze coming in through the open window. The orange, dusky sky of summer following a sunset gave the bedroom a dim, warm glow. Derrick soon drifted off to sleep dreaming about his sexy wife. His rock-hard cock laying across the flat of his belly – all five inches of it. He dreamed of her full breasts capped with those sensitive nipples that he so loved to suck and nibble on. This always brought on the sweet nectar that then flowed so abundantly from her beautiful pussy. Someday, he is going to get up the nerve to order one of those strap-on dildos he's seen promoted on adult websites. Designed especially to fit over a less than adequate male member. If years of internet porn have taught him anything, it's that he didn't come equipped with the best hardware. But an artificial phallus should make up for those shortcomings. And won't April be surprised when he puts that on! Then he can fuck her like he's never been able to fuck her before. The way a woman's cunt was intended to be fucked! Derrick so desperately wanted to see the blissful expression on his wife's face the first time he slides that lifelike cock into her. Like watching his very own porno movie, he has had visions of what it would look like from various angles. Watching this larger dong gliding in and out of the only pussy he has ever had the pleasure of knowing so intimately. An additional bonus of using a strap-on would be, he'll never again have to worry about cumming too soon. Whether he has an erection or not, the dildo never goes soft. That's when he'll be able fuck her juicy cunt much longer than he ever could otherwise. They will fuck until they can't fuck any longer. But she will want more. She always wants more! His dream soon takes on a life all its own. The cock he sees plowing in and out of April's pussy is suddenly not his own. Nor is it the strap-on dildo. Like an outsider looking in, he is watching his darling wife impatiently, imploringly urging some stranger to fuck her. To fuck her HARD! To fuck her like her husband can't. That remark draws Derrick's attention from his wife's face to the massive cock taking long and steady strokes as it penetrates regions of April's interior that Derrick has never come close to reaching. Derrick is mesmerized by the ability of his wife's cunt to welcome such a massive piece of man-meat without any signs of pain. Only the sounds of extreme pleasure fill the room and Derrick's ears. Strangely, this passion play doesn't stir Derrick from his sleep. Instead, he is entranced by the erotic scene playing out before him as this faceless stranger ravages the love of his life, taking her to all new sexual heights. It is both heart-rending and exciting at the same time. The rhythm of the conjoined lovers increases along with the lustful grunts and moans with the approaching climax. Derrick knows he should try putting a stop to this before she ends up with a belly full of a stranger's baby-batter. But then again, he is just as excited to witness the expression on his wife's face when massive quantities of cum explode into the deepest recesses of her insides. Just as the lovers were reaching a manic crescendo of lust, Derrick felt a tickling sensation on his belly. That's when reality began to drag him from dreamland. Warm lips were suctioning up the puddle of pre-cum that lay on his belly. Derrick cracked open his eyelids. Outside the window, it is now completely dark. Inside, only by the dim light from a lit candle on the headboard of their bed can he make out that April is completely naked, kneeling beside him. April's firm tits hardly dangle or sway. Her heavenly ass floats temptingly in mid-air. Eager to return the favor, Derrick can hardly wait to taste his wife's succulent pussy. Ever so slowly, he slides himself down until he can maneuver her lower end over his head. Bringing his hands around the backs of her legs, his fingertips discover her trimmed but thick bush is matted with moisture. A spontaneous thought flashes through his mind; What if this dampness is the result of his darling wife already having had wild, sweaty, and wanton sex? With a stranger?! It was said in jest. But April had warned of that possibility. Even that possibility could not dissuade him. No matter what, Derrick would not be denied the opportunity to get his tongue into his wife's pussy. Dare he look first for confirming evidence? Or should he just close his eyes, take the deep dive and let the chips fall where they may? His fingertips fought against the sliminess that coated her pussy lips to spread them wide. Only then would the truth be exposed. As it turned out, there was not a single visible trace that April had been with another man. A sense of relief came over Derrick that his wife had remained faithful to him and their wedding vows. Resting his head back down for a moment, Derrick watched as a few rivulets of her honey seeped out of her love hole and rolled down the length of her ever-enlarging pink gash. It rolls down the clit, which is getting longer and harder by the moment. Droplets of sensual oils formed on her clit then drip down into his hungry mouth, which he savors and then swallows. Another thought occurred to him. What if they used a condom? Evidence of any dalliance on April's part wouldn't be visible. There was only one way to be sure. The smell and taste of latex and lube would provide all the evidence needed. Curiosity took over. Raising his head, he inhales deeply, then without waiting for the results of the sniff test, he takes one long lick of her gash. Nothing unusual here. Everything tastes and smells just a perfect as it always had. Reassured in his wife's fidelity, he sticks his tongue out further and deeper into her inflamed crack, circling and lapping faster and faster. Laying on his back always helped to ensure little of her honey would go anywhere but into his mouth. Using his tongue, he tries to dig out more and more of her musky cream. Derrick may enjoy this even more than April does. What Derrick had no way of knowing, that April was having her own incidental thoughts. “If only he could lick and fuck at the same time. Oh, god! What a nasty thought. Having a tongue lapping at my pussy while a cock is plowing my pussy. Now that would be heaven.” As April is having these thoughts, she is busily attending to his throbbing manhood. Teasingly only sucking on the round head. Artfully swirling her tongue around the tip then across the little lips of the piss hole, swabbing out the steady stream of pre-cum. After a while, changing to long, deep bobs of her head. Devouring the entire shaft. Of course, Derrick's dick is only long enough for just the mushroom to reach and be tightly surrounded by her throat. At the same time, she cups, rolls, and squeezes his ball sack. “I wish…,” April thinks to herself. “I wish I could trade in Derrick's dick for something more substantial. The length is passable. But why does it have to be as skinny as a broomstick?” she laments. “I love him to pieces. But if I could change just one thing, it would be for him to have a thicker cock.” This train of thought is interrupted when she senses that he is getting too worked up, too soon. She doesn't want him cumming yet. And not into her mouth! She has other plans. Releasing his pulsing dick from her lips, she inserts her index finger into her mouth and coats it good with spit. Now, while lightly kissing and licking his dick down to the base, she slowly begins tickling and teasing the puckered rim of his asshole. From between her legs, she hears Derrick softly moan. Slowly, very slowly, she pushes her fingertip past his sphincter. Deeper and deeper. She watches as his dick bobs and throbs, bouncing off his belly as it strains to get larger and harder. With her finger fully planted in his anus, she begins massaging his prostate gland. Doing this causes even heavier and thicker pre-cum to flow out of his swollen erection, which she is all too happy to lick up and swallow. April has never been a fan of having cum in her mouth. But Derrick's pre-cum is the sweetest she's ever tasted. She feels Derrick's hands on her tits as he softly kneads them. She can feel his tongue darting in and out of her pussy, just slightly opening the membranes of her love hole. She knows her juices are flowing, and she contracts her kegel muscles hoping to squeeze out larger quantities into his waiting mouth. But this is torture, for what she really wants right now is a cock. A big, thick cock! And, what the heck, a longer one too. The kind she's seen on her own porn searches. This is not the first time to have these thoughts. But it is the first while in the midst of a sexual romp with her husband. At least once, she'd like to know what it feels like to have that kind of fullness. To get fucked in ways she has never been able to experience with her husband. Something only a much bigger cock could accomplish. But would something that large actually fit? She'd be willing to try. How exciting it would be to feel something that large and meaty pushing against the opening of her pussy. As if making sure it can fit. After all, her cunt has only had a real cock of half the size this faceless lover is packing. The longer April's mind thinks about it, the hornier she is getting. And as horny as she is right now, she's sure she could take it to the hilt! Suddenly it pushes through, and she can feel her soft pink membranes being stretched like never before. With each stroke, the oversized rod goes a little deeper, like a sword, piercing its way into realms thus far never explored. As it does, she senses only the slightest discomfort. But this is instantly followed by intense pleasure. Finally, it is almost all the way in. April has never known such sensations. Then the large shaft is drawn out until only the tip is still parting the lips. The sudden loss of fullness is almost unbearable. Then, suddenly, with one final lunge, the stranger shoves his massive cock is all the way into her hot cunt. Who is fucking who? With each mighty thrust, she rises up to greet it. She is fucking that man-meat with total abandon. With each thrust, she can feel it pushing on her cervix. She is moaning and groaning with delight. It feels as though the cock is getting even harder, and better yet, bigger! Suddenly the cock explodes with lots of cum! It's like white-hot lava filling her insides in ways she has never felt before. There is so much cum; it's pushing its way through her cervix and filling her womb. That did it. April's entire body is overtaken by a rocking orgasm. She is almost screaming with pleasure as she presses her pussy firmly onto her husband's gaping mouth and talented tongue. Spraying and smearing her juices all over his face. As she is regaining her senses, she realizes it was all due to her fantasy. She lies there a few moments longer, relaxes, and thinks, “WOW! That was great. I need to use that fantasy more often.” Rising up and off Derrick's chest, she notices he is still in need of relief. Her dreaming had caused her to ignore her husband's needy dick. Removing herself from Derrick's still attentive mouth, she turns and bends down to give him a kiss on the lips. His face is covered with her juices, thick and sticky from her orgasm. This causes her to momentarily wonder what pussy juice tastes like, first hand, direct from the source. Rather than second hand, either from his lips or off her fingers. This triggers another thought. A very devious idea pops into April's head. She immediately proceeds with a plan. Turning her back to him, she maneuvers herself until she is straddling his waiting hard-on. Holding his erection upright, she lines it up with her vagina, and, as if trying to puncture something deep inside her, she drops down on it with all of her weight. They start rocking together. Derrick loves this position because he can watch his rod going in and out of her dripping pussy. He is so turned on by the sight of this that he must use every bit of control to delay cumming. To assist in delaying the inevitable, he lays still. Letting his wife do all the work. This is a method they had worked out and used many times before. Still, April is being much more assertive than usual. An indication that she is more turned on than she has been in some time. Normally, she would use this position to help prolong their session. However, that doesn't seem to be her objective this time. Once again, she has shoved her index finger deep into Derrick's anus and stroking his prostate gland. At the same time, she is working so hard on his now well-oiled staff. Pumping faster and squeezing harder. Rather than trying to delay his orgasm, she seems to be trying to intensify it. As if she is desperate to feel an excess of hot jizz squirting inside her. And it's working. Unable to hold back any longer, Derrick is rocked by one of the most powerful orgasms he's had in a long time, possibly ever. He can feel big gobs of his cream flowing through his cock and into the confines of April's hungry cunt. And she is milking it out of him for all she's worth. Wringing out his balls and pressing firmly against his prostate while still holding tightly to his cock with the constricted membranes of her cunt. Derrick's heart is pounding. He closes his eyes for a moment to catch his breath and make the room stop spinning. Finally, once April is sure his dick has spit out the last of his semen, she lifts herself off him. Without looking, he is aware when his limping prick being released from her snatch and drops to his stomach. After a moment or two, Derrick groggily reopens his eyes. As he does, he is greeted with her pussy hovering directly over his mouth, white cream oozing from it. The exact scene he had expected to see when April first came home. by DeanaBard for Literotica

The  April and Derrick series. by Deana Bard. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories. It's early evening when April is getting ready to go out for a few hours. Freshly showered and sweet-smelling, she puts on tight pair of jeans that enhance her firm thighs. The center seam separates and molds her two round ass cheeks but also tends to accentuate the lips of her pouting pussy. For a top, she chooses a light-colored silk blouse, sans a bra as usual, with the top three buttons undone to show some cleavage and sheer enough to just make out the darkness of her nipples.To her husband, Derrick, all of this preparation just for a night out with ‘the girls' at one of the local nightclubs seems a bit over the top. But he keeps those thoughts to himself. As she's about to open the door to leave, she looks over her shoulder with a twinkle in her eye and says, “Be showered by the time I get home.” Enamored by her beauty, Derrick steps over to her to give her a goodbye kiss. While doing so, his hand cups one of her breasts. She returns his gesture by putting her arms around him pulling him close. She opens her mouth, sticking her long wet tongue past his parting lips and deep into his hot mouth. The silk covering her soft but firm breast can not hide the erect state of her nipples. She lets out a soft moan when he gives the little brown pebble a pinch. Suddenly she breaks the kiss, takes her arms from around him, and gives her husband a punishing look. Stunned, he asks, “What's the matter, Babe?” “You're always too tired any other time,” she snaps. “So why do you wait until I have people waiting for me? I'm about to be late?” “Hey, my head wants it often,” he says defensively. “I can't help it if my libido and this head…, “pointing to his crotch, “can't keep up with you.” She comes close to him again, grabs the slight bulge forming in the front of his pants, and says, “Well, just make sure that you're clean and ready by the time I get home. Maybe then…” “I think I can manage that,” he says, enjoying this game they sometimes play. “If you only THINK you can manage that then,” she says in mock seriousness, “I might THINK about not coming home until morning.” He's heard that before. It's all part of their game. April smiles a wicked smile and says, “Don't forget, there are all these men who buy us drinks all night. Each hoping that they'll get lucky with us. Maybe I'll just have to let one of them serve my needs.” “My mistake, Madame,” he responds in playful homage. “I promise to be ready to service your every need upon your return, whenever that might be.” “That's more like it.” She says with a gleam in her eye while giving his balls a good squeeze. With a quick peck on the cheek, she turns and goes out the door. Through the front window, he watches as she saunters down the walk to her car. As she is about to get in, she turns towards the house. Looking right at him, she pulls at the opening of her loosely buttoned blouse and flashes a lovely tit at him, then gets in the car and drives away. He sits down to watch the evening news, but he can't keep his mind on what he's watching. His thoughts keep drifting to what April might have in mind when she gets home. Aside from normal, run-of-the-mill sex, from time to time, they had played other games. It could be based on a theme, such as ‘The Seductive College Nympho.' ‘The Barber' (where one of them gets a pubic trim or even a shave). ‘Hot Fudge Sundae' (while helplessly bound and laying naked on a plastic sheet, ice-cold ice cream is scooped onto very select and sensitive spots of the body. This is followed by drizzling hot fudge on his or her naked body. That is only half the fun because the other gets to take their time licking it all up.) They had even dabbled a little bit in 'Water Sports' (they had peed on each other in the shower several times. And when out camping one time, after drinking way too much, they held a pissing contest to see which one could pee the furthest, longest, and hardest. April won on all counts.) Once, after washing his hair, April rinsed the lather from his scalp by pissing on his head. But one form of role-playing they regularly come back to is 'Mistress and Servant.' At any other time, the responsibilities and chores of daily life are shared equally between them. But in the bedroom, something just clicks when they play these “dom” and “sub” roles. Interestingly, after several sessions with Derrick playing The Master to her role of The Servant, it became apparent that the results were never as satisfying as when April played The Master. With April's more expressive imagination, it became only natural for Derick to assume the role of Servant. This arrangement just worked for them both. After about an hour of glancing at the television and checking some porn on his phone, Derrick headed upstairs to take that shower. While the water is getting hot, he is thinking about that pussy of hers. Leaking the honeydew that he loves to lick and lap. When April gets going, the cunt oil flows so heavily that it rolls down her legs and between her ass cheeks. The sweet aroma and taste never fail to get Derrick so excited that he'll lick the entire slice between her legs, including around her dusty rosebud. All of which drives her to greater heights of pleasure and makes those juices flow heavier. He returns his attention to her big pink pussy, licking and sucking harder. Her cunt is opening and closing, and her hips start rocking up and down as if inviting the first hard cock to come along to slide in as far as it can go. She will still beg for more. Getting lathered up, Mr. Happy is rock hard and begging to be grasped firmly for a good stroking. As tempting as that is, Derrick resists the urge, instead making sure to clean every square inch, from head to toe and front to back, before rinsing off. Still dripping wet, his erection bobbing from side to side, he nakedly paces the house. Eventually, he plops himself onto the bed to finish air-drying in the warm summer breeze coming in through the open window. The orange, dusky sky of summer following a sunset gave the bedroom a dim, warm glow. Derrick soon drifted off to sleep dreaming about his sexy wife. His rock-hard cock laying across the flat of his belly – all five inches of it. He dreamed of her full breasts capped with those sensitive nipples that he so loved to suck and nibble on. This always brought on the sweet nectar that then flowed so abundantly from her beautiful pussy. Someday, he is going to get up the nerve to order one of those strap-on dildos he's seen promoted on adult websites. Designed especially to fit over a less than adequate male member. If years of internet porn have taught him anything, it's that he didn't come equipped with the best hardware. But an artificial phallus should make up for those shortcomings. And won't April be surprised when he puts that on! Then he can fuck her like he's never been able to fuck her before. The way a woman's cunt was intended to be fucked! Derrick so desperately wanted to see the blissful expression on his wife's face the first time he slides that lifelike cock into her. Like watching his very own porno movie, he has had visions of what it would look like from various angles. Watching this larger dong gliding in and out of the only pussy he has ever had the pleasure of knowing so intimately. An additional bonus of using a strap-on would be, he'll never again have to worry about cumming too soon. Whether he has an erection or not, the dildo never goes soft. That's when he'll be able fuck her juicy cunt much longer than he ever could otherwise. They will fuck until they can't fuck any longer. But she will want more. She always wants more! His dream soon takes on a life all its own. The cock he sees plowing in and out of April's pussy is suddenly not his own. Nor is it the strap-on dildo. Like an outsider looking in, he is watching his darling wife impatiently, imploringly urging some stranger to fuck her. To fuck her HARD! To fuck her like her husband can't. That remark draws Derrick's attention from his wife's face to the massive cock taking long and steady strokes as it penetrates regions of April's interior that Derrick has never come close to reaching. Derrick is mesmerized by the ability of his wife's cunt to welcome such a massive piece of man-meat without any signs of pain. Only the sounds of extreme pleasure fill the room and Derrick's ears. Strangely, this passion play doesn't stir Derrick from his sleep. Instead, he is entranced by the erotic scene playing out before him as this faceless stranger ravages the love of his life, taking her to all new sexual heights. It is both heart-rending and exciting at the same time. The rhythm of the conjoined lovers increases along with the lustful grunts and moans with the approaching climax. Derrick knows he should try putting a stop to this before she ends up with a belly full of a stranger's baby-batter. But then again, he is just as excited to witness the expression on his wife's face when massive quantities of cum explode into the deepest recesses of her insides. Just as the lovers were reaching a manic crescendo of lust, Derrick felt a tickling sensation on his belly. That's when reality began to drag him from dreamland. Warm lips were suctioning up the puddle of pre-cum that lay on his belly. Derrick cracked open his eyelids. Outside the window, it is now completely dark. Inside, only by the dim light from a lit candle on the headboard of their bed can he make out that April is completely naked, kneeling beside him. April's firm tits hardly dangle or sway. Her heavenly ass floats temptingly in mid-air. Eager to return the favor, Derrick can hardly wait to taste his wife's succulent pussy. Ever so slowly, he slides himself down until he can maneuver her lower end over his head. Bringing his hands around the backs of her legs, his fingertips discover her trimmed but thick bush is matted with moisture. A spontaneous thought flashes through his mind; What if this dampness is the result of his darling wife already having had wild, sweaty, and wanton sex? With a stranger?! It was said in jest. But April had warned of that possibility. Even that possibility could not dissuade him. No matter what, Derrick would not be denied the opportunity to get his tongue into his wife's pussy. Dare he look first for confirming evidence? Or should he just close his eyes, take the deep dive and let the chips fall where they may? His fingertips fought against the sliminess that coated her pussy lips to spread them wide. Only then would the truth be exposed. As it turned out, there was not a single visible trace that April had been with another man. A sense of relief came over Derrick that his wife had remained faithful to him and their wedding vows. Resting his head back down for a moment, Derrick watched as a few rivulets of her honey seeped out of her love hole and rolled down the length of her ever-enlarging pink gash. It rolls down the clit, which is getting longer and harder by the moment. Droplets of sensual oils formed on her clit then drip down into his hungry mouth, which he savors and then swallows. Another thought occurred to him. What if they used a condom? Evidence of any dalliance on April's part wouldn't be visible. There was only one way to be sure. The smell and taste of latex and lube would provide all the evidence needed. Curiosity took over. Raising his head, he inhales deeply, then without waiting for the results of the sniff test, he takes one long lick of her gash. Nothing unusual here. Everything tastes and smells just a perfect as it always had. Reassured in his wife's fidelity, he sticks his tongue out further and deeper into her inflamed crack, circling and lapping faster and faster. Laying on his back always helped to ensure little of her honey would go anywhere but into his mouth. Using his tongue, he tries to dig out more and more of her musky cream. Derrick may enjoy this even more than April does. What Derrick had no way of knowing, that April was having her own incidental thoughts. “If only he could lick and fuck at the same time. Oh, god! What a nasty thought. Having a tongue lapping at my pussy while a cock is plowing my pussy. Now that would be heaven.” As April is having these thoughts, she is busily attending to his throbbing manhood. Teasingly only sucking on the round head. Artfully swirling her tongue around the tip then across the little lips of the piss hole, swabbing out the steady stream of pre-cum. After a while, changing to long, deep bobs of her head. Devouring the entire shaft. Of course, Derrick's dick is only long enough for just the mushroom to reach and be tightly surrounded by her throat. At the same time, she cups, rolls, and squeezes his ball sack. “I wish…,” April thinks to herself. “I wish I could trade in Derrick's dick for something more substantial. The length is passable. But why does it have to be as skinny as a broomstick?” she laments. “I love him to pieces. But if I could change just one thing, it would be for him to have a thicker cock.” This train of thought is interrupted when she senses that he is getting too worked up, too soon. She doesn't want him cumming yet. And not into her mouth! She has other plans. Releasing his pulsing dick from her lips, she inserts her index finger into her mouth and coats it good with spit. Now, while lightly kissing and licking his dick down to the base, she slowly begins tickling and teasing the puckered rim of his asshole. From between her legs, she hears Derrick softly moan. Slowly, very slowly, she pushes her fingertip past his sphincter. Deeper and deeper. She watches as his dick bobs and throbs, bouncing off his belly as it strains to get larger and harder. With her finger fully planted in his anus, she begins massaging his prostate gland. Doing this causes even heavier and thicker pre-cum to flow out of his swollen erection, which she is all too happy to lick up and swallow. April has never been a fan of having cum in her mouth. But Derrick's pre-cum is the sweetest she's ever tasted. She feels Derrick's hands on her tits as he softly kneads them. She can feel his tongue darting in and out of her pussy, just slightly opening the membranes of her love hole. She knows her juices are flowing, and she contracts her kegel muscles hoping to squeeze out larger quantities into his waiting mouth. But this is torture, for what she really wants right now is a cock. A big, thick cock! And, what the heck, a longer one too. The kind she's seen on her own porn searches. This is not the first time to have these thoughts. But it is the first while in the midst of a sexual romp with her husband. At least once, she'd like to know what it feels like to have that kind of fullness. To get fucked in ways she has never been able to experience with her husband. Something only a much bigger cock could accomplish. But would something that large actually fit? She'd be willing to try. How exciting it would be to feel something that large and meaty pushing against the opening of her pussy. As if making sure it can fit. After all, her cunt has only had a real cock of half the size this faceless lover is packing. The longer April's mind thinks about it, the hornier she is getting. And as horny as she is right now, she's sure she could take it to the hilt! Suddenly it pushes through, and she can feel her soft pink membranes being stretched like never before. With each stroke, the oversized rod goes a little deeper, like a sword, piercing its way into realms thus far never explored. As it does, she senses only the slightest discomfort. But this is instantly followed by intense pleasure. Finally, it is almost all the way in. April has never known such sensations. Then the large shaft is drawn out until only the tip is still parting the lips. The sudden loss of fullness is almost unbearable. Then, suddenly, with one final lunge, the stranger shoves his massive cock is all the way into her hot cunt. Who is fucking who? With each mighty thrust, she rises up to greet it. She is fucking that man-meat with total abandon. With each thrust, she can feel it pushing on her cervix. She is moaning and groaning with delight. It feels as though the cock is getting even harder, and better yet, bigger! Suddenly the cock explodes with lots of cum! It's like white-hot lava filling her insides in ways she has never felt before. There is so much cum; it's pushing its way through her cervix and filling her womb. That did it. April's entire body is overtaken by a rocking orgasm. She is almost screaming with pleasure as she presses her pussy firmly onto her husband's gaping mouth and talented tongue. Spraying and smearing her juices all over his face. As she is regaining her senses, she realizes it was all due to her fantasy. She lies there a few moments longer, relaxes, and thinks, “WOW! That was great. I need to use that fantasy more often.” Rising up and off Derrick's chest, she notices he is still in need of relief. Her dreaming had caused her to ignore her husband's needy dick. Removing herself from Derrick's still attentive mouth, she turns and bends down to give him a kiss on the lips. His face is covered with her juices, thick and sticky from her orgasm. This causes her to momentarily wonder what pussy juice tastes like, first hand, direct from the source. Rather than second hand, either from his lips or off her fingers. This triggers another thought. A very devious idea pops into April's head. She immediately proceeds with a plan. Turning her back to him, she maneuvers herself until she is straddling his waiting hard-on. Holding his erection upright, she lines it up with her vagina, and, as if trying to puncture something deep inside her, she drops down on it with all of her weight. They start rocking together. Derrick loves this position because he can watch his rod going in and out of her dripping pussy. He is so turned on by the sight of this that he must use every bit of control to delay cumming. To assist in delaying the inevitable, he lays still. Letting his wife do all the work. This is a method they had worked out and used many times before. Still, April is being much more assertive than usual. An indication that she is more turned on than she has been in some time. Normally, she would use this position to help prolong their session. However, that doesn't seem to be her objective this time. Once again, she has shoved her index finger deep into Derrick's anus and stroking his prostate gland. At the same time, she is working so hard on his now well-oiled staff. Pumping faster and squeezing harder. Rather than trying to delay his orgasm, she seems to be trying to intensify it. As if she is desperate to feel an excess of hot jizz squirting inside her. And it's working. Unable to hold back any longer, Derrick is rocked by one of the most powerful orgasms he's had in a long time, possibly ever. He can feel big gobs of his cream flowing through his cock and into the confines of April's hungry cunt. And she is milking it out of him for all she's worth. Wringing out his balls and pressing firmly against his prostate while still holding tightly to his cock with the constricted membranes of her cunt. Derrick's heart is pounding. He closes his eyes for a moment to catch his breath and make the room stop spinning. Finally, once April is sure his dick has spit out the last of his semen, she lifts herself off him. Without looking, he is aware when his limping prick being released from her snatch and drops to his stomach. After a moment or two, Derrick groggily reopens his eyes. As he does, he is greeted with her pussy hovering directly over his mouth, white cream oozing from it. The exact scene he had expected to see when April first came home. by DeanaBard for Literotica

The  April and Derrick series. by Deana Bard. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories. It's early evening when April is getting ready to go out for a few hours. Freshly showered and sweet-smelling, she puts on tight pair of jeans that enhance her firm thighs. The center seam separates and molds her two round ass cheeks but also tends to accentuate the lips of her pouting pussy. For a top, she chooses a light-colored silk blouse, sans a bra as usual, with the top three buttons undone to show some cleavage and sheer enough to just make out the darkness of her nipples.To her husband, Derrick, all of this preparation just for a night out with ‘the girls' at one of the local nightclubs seems a bit over the top. But he keeps those thoughts to himself. As she's about to open the door to leave, she looks over her shoulder with a twinkle in her eye and says, “Be showered by the time I get home.” Enamored by her beauty, Derrick steps over to her to give her a goodbye kiss. While doing so, his hand cups one of her breasts. She returns his gesture by putting her arms around him pulling him close. She opens her mouth, sticking her long wet tongue past his parting lips and deep into his hot mouth. The silk covering her soft but firm breast can not hide the erect state of her nipples. She lets out a soft moan when he gives the little brown pebble a pinch. Suddenly she breaks the kiss, takes her arms from around him, and gives her husband a punishing look. Stunned, he asks, “What's the matter, Babe?” “You're always too tired any other time,” she snaps. “So why do you wait until I have people waiting for me? I'm about to be late?” “Hey, my head wants it often,” he says defensively. “I can't help it if my libido and this head…, “pointing to his crotch, “can't keep up with you.” She comes close to him again, grabs the slight bulge forming in the front of his pants, and says, “Well, just make sure that you're clean and ready by the time I get home. Maybe then…” “I think I can manage that,” he says, enjoying this game they sometimes play. “If you only THINK you can manage that then,” she says in mock seriousness, “I might THINK about not coming home until morning.” He's heard that before. It's all part of their game. April smiles a wicked smile and says, “Don't forget, there are all these men who buy us drinks all night. Each hoping that they'll get lucky with us. Maybe I'll just have to let one of them serve my needs.” “My mistake, Madame,” he responds in playful homage. “I promise to be ready to service your every need upon your return, whenever that might be.” “That's more like it.” She says with a gleam in her eye while giving his balls a good squeeze. With a quick peck on the cheek, she turns and goes out the door. Through the front window, he watches as she saunters down the walk to her car. As she is about to get in, she turns towards the house. Looking right at him, she pulls at the opening of her loosely buttoned blouse and flashes a lovely tit at him, then gets in the car and drives away. He sits down to watch the evening news, but he can't keep his mind on what he's watching. His thoughts keep drifting to what April might have in mind when she gets home. Aside from normal, run-of-the-mill sex, from time to time, they had played other games. It could be based on a theme, such as ‘The Seductive College Nympho.' ‘The Barber' (where one of them gets a pubic trim or even a shave). ‘Hot Fudge Sundae' (while helplessly bound and laying naked on a plastic sheet, ice-cold ice cream is scooped onto very select and sensitive spots of the body. This is followed by drizzling hot fudge on his or her naked body. That is only half the fun because the other gets to take their time licking it all up.) They had even dabbled a little bit in 'Water Sports' (they had peed on each other in the shower several times. And when out camping one time, after drinking way too much, they held a pissing contest to see which one could pee the furthest, longest, and hardest. April won on all counts.) Once, after washing his hair, April rinsed the lather from his scalp by pissing on his head. But one form of role-playing they regularly come back to is 'Mistress and Servant.' At any other time, the responsibilities and chores of daily life are shared equally between them. But in the bedroom, something just clicks when they play these “dom” and “sub” roles. Interestingly, after several sessions with Derrick playing The Master to her role of The Servant, it became apparent that the results were never as satisfying as when April played The Master. With April's more expressive imagination, it became only natural for Derick to assume the role of Servant. This arrangement just worked for them both. After about an hour of glancing at the television and checking some porn on his phone, Derrick headed upstairs to take that shower. While the water is getting hot, he is thinking about that pussy of hers. Leaking the honeydew that he loves to lick and lap. When April gets going, the cunt oil flows so heavily that it rolls down her legs and between her ass cheeks. The sweet aroma and taste never fail to get Derrick so excited that he'll lick the entire slice between her legs, including around her dusty rosebud. All of which drives her to greater heights of pleasure and makes those juices flow heavier. He returns his attention to her big pink pussy, licking and sucking harder. Her cunt is opening and closing, and her hips start rocking up and down as if inviting the first hard cock to come along to slide in as far as it can go. She will still beg for more. Getting lathered up, Mr. Happy is rock hard and begging to be grasped firmly for a good stroking. As tempting as that is, Derrick resists the urge, instead making sure to clean every square inch, from head to toe and front to back, before rinsing off. Still dripping wet, his erection bobbing from side to side, he nakedly paces the house. Eventually, he plops himself onto the bed to finish air-drying in the warm summer breeze coming in through the open window. The orange, dusky sky of summer following a sunset gave the bedroom a dim, warm glow. Derrick soon drifted off to sleep dreaming about his sexy wife. His rock-hard cock laying across the flat of his belly – all five inches of it. He dreamed of her full breasts capped with those sensitive nipples that he so loved to suck and nibble on. This always brought on the sweet nectar that then flowed so abundantly from her beautiful pussy. Someday, he is going to get up the nerve to order one of those strap-on dildos he's seen promoted on adult websites. Designed especially to fit over a less than adequate male member. If years of internet porn have taught him anything, it's that he didn't come equipped with the best hardware. But an artificial phallus should make up for those shortcomings. And won't April be surprised when he puts that on! Then he can fuck her like he's never been able to fuck her before. The way a woman's cunt was intended to be fucked! Derrick so desperately wanted to see the blissful expression on his wife's face the first time he slides that lifelike cock into her. Like watching his very own porno movie, he has had visions of what it would look like from various angles. Watching this larger dong gliding in and out of the only pussy he has ever had the pleasure of knowing so intimately. An additional bonus of using a strap-on would be, he'll never again have to worry about cumming too soon. Whether he has an erection or not, the dildo never goes soft. That's when he'll be able fuck her juicy cunt much longer than he ever could otherwise. They will fuck until they can't fuck any longer. But she will want more. She always wants more! His dream soon takes on a life all its own. The cock he sees plowing in and out of April's pussy is suddenly not his own. Nor is it the strap-on dildo. Like an outsider looking in, he is watching his darling wife impatiently, imploringly urging some stranger to fuck her. To fuck her HARD! To fuck her like her husband can't. That remark draws Derrick's attention from his wife's face to the massive cock taking long and steady strokes as it penetrates regions of April's interior that Derrick has never come close to reaching. Derrick is mesmerized by the ability of his wife's cunt to welcome such a massive piece of man-meat without any signs of pain. Only the sounds of extreme pleasure fill the room and Derrick's ears. Strangely, this passion play doesn't stir Derrick from his sleep. Instead, he is entranced by the erotic scene playing out before him as this faceless stranger ravages the love of his life, taking her to all new sexual heights. It is both heart-rending and exciting at the same time. The rhythm of the conjoined lovers increases along with the lustful grunts and moans with the approaching climax. Derrick knows he should try putting a stop to this before she ends up with a belly full of a stranger's baby-batter. But then again, he is just as excited to witness the expression on his wife's face when massive quantities of cum explode into the deepest recesses of her insides. Just as the lovers were reaching a manic crescendo of lust, Derrick felt a tickling sensation on his belly. That's when reality began to drag him from dreamland. Warm lips were suctioning up the puddle of pre-cum that lay on his belly. Derrick cracked open his eyelids. Outside the window, it is now completely dark. Inside, only by the dim light from a lit candle on the headboard of their bed can he make out that April is completely naked, kneeling beside him. April's firm tits hardly dangle or sway. Her heavenly ass floats temptingly in mid-air. Eager to return the favor, Derrick can hardly wait to taste his wife's succulent pussy. Ever so slowly, he slides himself down until he can maneuver her lower end over his head. Bringing his hands around the backs of her legs, his fingertips discover her trimmed but thick bush is matted with moisture. A spontaneous thought flashes through his mind; What if this dampness is the result of his darling wife already having had wild, sweaty, and wanton sex? With a stranger?! It was said in jest. But April had warned of that possibility. Even that possibility could not dissuade him. No matter what, Derrick would not be denied the opportunity to get his tongue into his wife's pussy. Dare he look first for confirming evidence? Or should he just close his eyes, take the deep dive and let the chips fall where they may? His fingertips fought against the sliminess that coated her pussy lips to spread them wide. Only then would the truth be exposed. As it turned out, there was not a single visible trace that April had been with another man. A sense of relief came over Derrick that his wife had remained faithful to him and their wedding vows. Resting his head back down for a moment, Derrick watched as a few rivulets of her honey seeped out of her love hole and rolled down the length of her ever-enlarging pink gash. It rolls down the clit, which is getting longer and harder by the moment. Droplets of sensual oils formed on her clit then drip down into his hungry mouth, which he savors and then swallows. Another thought occurred to him. What if they used a condom? Evidence of any dalliance on April's part wouldn't be visible. There was only one way to be sure. The smell and taste of latex and lube would provide all the evidence needed. Curiosity took over. Raising his head, he inhales deeply, then without waiting for the results of the sniff test, he takes one long lick of her gash. Nothing unusual here. Everything tastes and smells just a perfect as it always had. Reassured in his wife's fidelity, he sticks his tongue out further and deeper into her inflamed crack, circling and lapping faster and faster. Laying on his back always helped to ensure little of her honey would go anywhere but into his mouth. Using his tongue, he tries to dig out more and more of her musky cream. Derrick may enjoy this even more than April does. What Derrick had no way of knowing, that April was having her own incidental thoughts. “If only he could lick and fuck at the same time. Oh, god! What a nasty thought. Having a tongue lapping at my pussy while a cock is plowing my pussy. Now that would be heaven.” As April is having these thoughts, she is busily attending to his throbbing manhood. Teasingly only sucking on the round head. Artfully swirling her tongue around the tip then across the little lips of the piss hole, swabbing out the steady stream of pre-cum. After a while, changing to long, deep bobs of her head. Devouring the entire shaft. Of course, Derrick's dick is only long enough for just the mushroom to reach and be tightly surrounded by her throat. At the same time, she cups, rolls, and squeezes his ball sack. “I wish…,” April thinks to herself. “I wish I could trade in Derrick's dick for something more substantial. The length is passable. But why does it have to be as skinny as a broomstick?” she laments. “I love him to pieces. But if I could change just one thing, it would be for him to have a thicker cock.” This train of thought is interrupted when she senses that he is getting too worked up, too soon. She doesn't want him cumming yet. And not into her mouth! She has other plans. Releasing his pulsing dick from her lips, she inserts her index finger into her mouth and coats it good with spit. Now, while lightly kissing and licking his dick down to the base, she slowly begins tickling and teasing the puckered rim of his asshole. From between her legs, she hears Derrick softly moan. Slowly, very slowly, she pushes her fingertip past his sphincter. Deeper and deeper. She watches as his dick bobs and throbs, bouncing off his belly as it strains to get larger and harder. With her finger fully planted in his anus, she begins massaging his prostate gland. Doing this causes even heavier and thicker pre-cum to flow out of his swollen erection, which she is all too happy to lick up and swallow. April has never been a fan of having cum in her mouth. But Derrick's pre-cum is the sweetest she's ever tasted. She feels Derrick's hands on her tits as he softly kneads them. She can feel his tongue darting in and out of her pussy, just slightly opening the membranes of her love hole. She knows her juices are flowing, and she contracts her kegel muscles hoping to squeeze out larger quantities into his waiting mouth. But this is torture, for what she really wants right now is a cock. A big, thick cock! And, what the heck, a longer one too. The kind she's seen on her own porn searches. This is not the first time to have these thoughts. But it is the first while in the midst of a sexual romp with her husband. At least once, she'd like to know what it feels like to have that kind of fullness. To get fucked in ways she has never been able to experience with her husband. Something only a much bigger cock could accomplish. But would something that large actually fit? She'd be willing to try. How exciting it would be to feel something that large and meaty pushing against the opening of her pussy. As if making sure it can fit. After all, her cunt has only had a real cock of half the size this faceless lover is packing. The longer April's mind thinks about it, the hornier she is getting. And as horny as she is right now, she's sure she could take it to the hilt! Suddenly it pushes through, and she can feel her soft pink membranes being stretched like never before. With each stroke, the oversized rod goes a little deeper, like a sword, piercing its way into realms thus far never explored. As it does, she senses only the slightest discomfort. But this is instantly followed by intense pleasure. Finally, it is almost all the way in. April has never known such sensations. Then the large shaft is drawn out until only the tip is still parting the lips. The sudden loss of fullness is almost unbearable. Then, suddenly, with one final lunge, the stranger shoves his massive cock is all the way into her hot cunt. Who is fucking who? With each mighty thrust, she rises up to greet it. She is fucking that man-meat with total abandon. With each thrust, she can feel it pushing on her cervix. She is moaning and groaning with delight. It feels as though the cock is getting even harder, and better yet, bigger! Suddenly the cock explodes with lots of cum! It's like white-hot lava filling her insides in ways she has never felt before. There is so much cum; it's pushing its way through her cervix and filling her womb. That did it. April's entire body is overtaken by a rocking orgasm. She is almost screaming with pleasure as she presses her pussy firmly onto her husband's gaping mouth and talented tongue. Spraying and smearing her juices all over his face. As she is regaining her senses, she realizes it was all due to her fantasy. She lies there a few moments longer, relaxes, and thinks, “WOW! That was great. I need to use that fantasy more often.” Rising up and off Derrick's chest, she notices he is still in need of relief. Her dreaming had caused her to ignore her husband's needy dick. Removing herself from Derrick's still attentive mouth, she turns and bends down to give him a kiss on the lips. His face is covered with her juices, thick and sticky from her orgasm. This causes her to momentarily wonder what pussy juice tastes like, first hand, direct from the source. Rather than second hand, either from his lips or off her fingers. This triggers another thought. A very devious idea pops into April's head. She immediately proceeds with a plan. Turning her back to him, she maneuvers herself until she is straddling his waiting hard-on. Holding his erection upright, she lines it up with her vagina, and, as if trying to puncture something deep inside her, she drops down on it with all of her weight. They start rocking together. Derrick loves this position because he can watch his rod going in and out of her dripping pussy. He is so turned on by the sight of this that he must use every bit of control to delay cumming. To assist in delaying the inevitable, he lays still. Letting his wife do all the work. This is a method they had worked out and used many times before. Still, April is being much more assertive than usual. An indication that she is more turned on than she has been in some time. Normally, she would use this position to help prolong their session. However, that doesn't seem to be her objective this time. Once again, she has shoved her index finger deep into Derrick's anus and stroking his prostate gland. At the same time, she is working so hard on his now well-oiled staff. Pumping faster and squeezing harder. Rather than trying to delay his orgasm, she seems to be trying to intensify it. As if she is desperate to feel an excess of hot jizz squirting inside her. And it's working. Unable to hold back any longer, Derrick is rocked by one of the most powerful orgasms he's had in a long time, possibly ever. He can feel big gobs of his cream flowing through his cock and into the confines of April's hungry cunt. And she is milking it out of him for all she's worth. Wringing out his balls and pressing firmly against his prostate while still holding tightly to his cock with the constricted membranes of her cunt. Derrick's heart is pounding. He closes his eyes for a moment to catch his breath and make the room stop spinning. Finally, once April is sure his dick has spit out the last of his semen, she lifts herself off him. Without looking, he is aware when his limping prick being released from her snatch and drops to his stomach. After a moment or two, Derrick groggily reopens his eyes. As he does, he is greeted with her pussy hovering directly over his mouth, white cream oozing from it. The exact scene he had expected to see when April first came home. by DeanaBard for Literotica

Today I'm welcoming Ruth Newman to the podcast, a “cookier” who specializes in creating intricately decorated sugar cookies for showers, charities, and friends. However, she has never felt the urge to turn her beloved hobby into a career.  And that, in fact, is exactly the reason she is my guest today. In 2024, I wanted at least some of the episodes I release to be just easy, meandering conversations with everyday people that I've never met before. Without publicists or books, series, or movements to sell, sometimes it's everyday people who restore our faith in the power of food and remind us to nurture and celebrate connections to our closest people, the people who, quite frankly, may cheer for us, but don't really care what we do or how successful we are. Ruth begins by sharing her recipe for German Rouladen, a complicated beef dish she made for the 200 guests at her only child's wedding. After discussing the recipe and a day so special it still stand out in Ruth's memory 25 years later, we wind our way through topics and stories, ending with the people who are supporting Ruth and her husband through his Parkinson's disease, which has now reached a 4th stage.  While I've got some powerhouse episodes lined to share with you in the next few weeks - and I'm thrilled, honored, and excited to share those episodes - I know I will not enjoy them any more than this simple discussion with Ruth about the memories and values that truly make a life worth living. Thank you, Ruth! Highlights A day so special Ruth clearly remembers it 25 years later The best daughter-in-law in the world ;-) All the tips on making this complicated Rouladen (beef rolled around pickles and cooked in gravy!) recipe Is lean bacon a thing? A day of preparation! :-) Wringing out hundreds of potatoes in towels! What makes German potato salad different Ruth's special relationship with her only child and how food and cooking solidified the recipe Memories of Yan Can Cook on PBS  The German -> Russia -> North America migration pattern Newman

Sports writer Greg Hansen says the thing that nobody will tell Tucson's Mayor and Council: putting a walking path through the city golf courses is a bad idea. Tucson Mayor and Council discussion of resuming fares for Suntran and Sunlink

The top snubby revolver experts in the country met at Lipsey's in Baton Rouge last week for hands-on with the runaway handgun hit of SHOT 2024, the Lipsey's/Smith & Wesson Ultimate Carry J-frame revolver. The results were nothing short of spectacular! MichaelBane.TV - On the Radio episode # 209. Scroll down for reference links on topics discussed in this episode. Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed here are our own and may not represent those of the companies we represent or any entities affiliated to it. Host: Michael Bane Producer: Flying Dragon Ltd. More information and reference links: NOTE: AFR is no longer on Patreon! American Fighting Revolver Lipsey's /S&W Ultimate Carry J-Frame The Theory of the Snubnose Revolver/The Snubnose Files Other S&W J-Frames The Smith & Wesson J-Frame: A Short History/Dave Campbell, AMERICAN RIFLEMAN FB Post on S&W UC/Michael Bane The Inadvertent Revival of the 3-Inch Snub (Charter Arms Professional .32 H&R)/Michael Bane XS Sights VZ Grips The Music of the Bostweeds The Music of Blues Saraceno

January 7, 2024 -- "Wringing Wet!" -- Pastor Kevin Kritzer, Bible Text: Romans 6:1-11 (6) What should we say then? Should we continue to sin so that God's kindness [a] will increase? 2 That's unthinkable! As far as sin is concerned, we have died. So how can we still live under sin's influence? 3 Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 When we were baptized into his death, we were placed into the tomb with him. As Christ was brought back from death to life by the glorious power of the Father, so we, too, should live a new kind of life. 5 If we've become united with him in a death like his, certainly we will also be united with him when we come back to life as he did. 6 We know that the person we used to be was crucified with him to put an end to sin in our bodies. Because of this we are no longer slaves to sin. 7 The person who has died has been freed from sin. 8 If we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, who was brought back to life, will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once and for all to sin's power. But now he lives, and he lives for God. 11 So consider yourselves dead to sin's power but living for God in the power Christ Jesus gives you. --GW http://www.bethanylutheran.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.facebook.com/Bethany.Long.Beach⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/c/BethanyLutheranLongBeach

IntroductionHey friends and fam, it's J-Mart and this is State of Health. Today we're delving into the journey of my 2023 New Year's resolution to run a half marathon in 2 hours or less (meaning a pace of 5:42 min/km or faster) without incurring an injury. Why, you might ask? Well, besides the typical "new year, new me" vibe, I decided to take up running as a strategic move to improve my endurance for when I'm playing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I wanted to use cross-training to boost my performance on the mats, and what better way than getting outside and clocking in kilometers?Now, let's rewind a bit. About a decade ago, I took a swing at a full marathon, but due to lack of appropriate preparation I had to throw in the towel at the 30 km mark. Fast forward to today, and the half marathon became the first step of a multi-year plan to take another shot at that elusive full marathon. Join me as I share the details of my training process and the lessons I learned, the race day experience, the results and my insights.BackgroundBefore we dive into the specifics of my half marathon training, let's quickly go over how I arrived at this particular goal. Quick shout-out if you've already listened to my State of Health #19 podcast with my personal trainer friend Daniel Yores where we talked about our fitness goals for 2023, why we wanted to go for those goals specifically and how we planned to accomplish them. Despite having different objectives, our approaches were surprisingly similar. You can catch the full podcast and glean some actionable fitness advice by clicking here. It's worth a listen for some fitness inspo!Specifically, my goal was to run the Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon in 2 hours or less without hurting myself. Beyond the finish line, this goal was about enhancing my cardiovascular fitness to up my game in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Running was simply the method I used to boost my endurance, a key player for success on the Jiu-Jitsu mats. Running was also a good fit specifically for me because of my previous failed attempt at running a full marathon. My last attempt was a rushed endeavor, lacking the depth of knowledge on effective training strategies. The completion of a full marathon is an unfinished chapter of my life that I wish to close by applying my newly acquired knowledge to train effectively and efficiently and being wise enough to have a multi-year approach to ensure that I'm fully prepared. 2023 was the year of the half marathon and 2024 will be the year to complete a full.Now, let's talk about how I came up with this goal specifically. Well, I applied the SMART goal approach. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. It is used to guide goal setting to make sure goals are clear and reachable. Let's go over it together.Specific: I defined who, what, when, where, and why. The goal had clear answers for all these questions.Measurable: I set clear metrics – 21.1 km, aiming for less than 2 hours, and steering clear of injuries.Achievable: Many others have accomplished a similar goal successfully. I've got resources such as trails nearby and home training equipment and the knowledge and plan to do the same.Realistic: With a generous 7-month timeline I felt confident I would be prepared even while training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu more frequently than running.Timely: The Toronto Waterfront race day was scheduled for October 15th. It lit a fire under me, keeping the goal time-bound.Besides my previous training experience, I had two new influential figures shaping my running training, David Weck and Dr. Matt Minard. David Weck, the man behind the BOSU ball, has been a digital mentor of mine for a few years as I've followed him on Instagram (@thedavidweck) and slowly absorbed the concept of the spinal engine for balanced locomotion. Dr. Matt Minard, on the other hand, a Physical Therapist who I came across on Instagram (@learn.2.run) at the beginning of this year, taught me to economize movement to maximize distance. I'll get more specific about exactly what techniques I learned from each individual later on in the post/podcast.TrainingIn crafting a plan to run the Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon in two hours, I divided my training into four phases spanning seven months. During the initial phase, lasting two months, my focus would be on building a robust foundation. The plan was to do weight training 2-3 times a week and start a consistent running routine, gradually increasing distance from 5 to 10 km. The plan for the subsequent phase was to discontinue weight training to focus on increasing the distance of runs to 15 km in one run and 21 km accumulated in one week. Next, I would transition to a six-week speedwork and peak training phase by adding hill sprints and completing at least one slow 21 km run outside of the 2 hour limit. Finally, the last phase of the plan was a 2 week tapering phase aimed to optimize readiness by reducing mileage. Half Marathon Training Plan4 phases: 7 monthsPhase 1: Build Foundation- 8 weeksPhase 2: Build Endurance - 12 weeksPhase 3: Speedwork and Peak Training - 6 weeksPhase 4: Taper - 2 weeksBuild Foundation - 8 weeks* Build muscular endurance for major leg muscles (quads, hip flexors, glutes and adductors) with strength training ideally 2-3x per week 20-30 minute sessions* Get body used to running (tissue resiliency)* Establish a consistent running routine of short runs ideally 2x per week* Gradually increase running distance of one of the runs from 5 to 10 km by the end of the phase * Don't worry about speed, do easy recovery jogging, conversational pace to keep runs in Zone 2 (60-70% of your maximum heart rate, 190 max HR - 114-133)Build Endurance - 12 weeks* Maintain running routine and add short runs when schedule allows* Focus on building cardiovascular fitness with at least 1 long distance run (10-15 km) per week* Increase weekly mileage to 21 km by the end of the phase * Keep runs in Zone 2Speedwork and Peak Training - 6 weeks* Incorporate hill sprints into running routine at least 1x per week* Keep 1 long distance run per week at Zone 2 pace* Complete one 21 km run in over 2 hour time limit by end of the phaseTaper - 2 weeks* Reduce weekly mileage and distance of individual runs to 5 km or less at Zone 2 pacePutting theory into action, I started the Foundation phase in early March with these short strength training sessions minimum 3 days a week.App:A. Squat to forward fold 1x10B. Downward dog to upward dog 1x10Main: (pick one)A1. Weighted squat variation 3x15-20A2. Weighted lunge variation 3x10-15/sideB. KB Swing variation 3-10x10orA1. Weighted deadlift variation 3x15-20A2. Weighted single leg squat variation 3x10-15/sideB.  KB clean/snatch variations 3-10x10Dessert: (pick one)A. Calf raise variation 1x20-100B. Tibialis raise variation 1x20-100orA. Hip flexor raise variation 1x20-100B. Hamstring curl variation 1x20-100The program primarily aimed to build muscular endurance and enhance tissue resilience, focusing specifically on lower body joints. I accumulated a high volume by programming high rep ranges for bilateral and unilateral squats, deadlifts and lunges. I varied training speeds by combining slow and controlled movements with explosive kettlebell swings, cleans and snatches. Each session concluded with two max effort single joint exercises targeting either ankles, knees or hips. These workouts were designed to be time-efficient, considering my constrained schedule. Additionally, I performed a daily set of 100 bodyweight squats and incorporated supplementary stretches for leg muscles as needed. Here is a list of the key stretches I employed:Stretches: 3 x 60-120 secondsCouch stretch for quads and hip flexors Forward fold for hamstringsPancake for adductorsPigeon for glutesDownward dog and half kneeling lunge for calves In less than four weeks I was starting to feel the effects of strength training on my body which coincided with a significant improvement in the weather allowing me to begin outdoor runs. I went on my first run on March 24th, initiating a sequence of 22 slow training runs, interspersed with four hill sprints in the Peaking phase. My preparation also encompassed a short trail run organized by 5 Peaks Adventures, all leading up to the half marathon on October 15th.Throughout the 7 months, I maintained a rhythm of about one run per week which was less than ideal but proved sufficient for my needs while also accommodating my twice-weekly commitments to Jiu-Jitsu. I strategically expanded the distance covered during my runs by incorporating 'consolidation' runs of similar or shorter distances. Notably, I increased the distance immediately after a single consolidation run five times and after two consolidation runs four times.My average pace during runs was intentionally slow, aligning with my goal of completing the half marathon without incurring an injury. Risk of injury is always higher at higher speeds so I remained slow. I also determined that I would follow the 80/20 principle and use 80% of my training on slow Zone 2 runs where the goal is to keep the heart rate below 140 bpm and 20% to Zone 5, involving hill sprints that approached my maximum heart rate. For improved cardiovascular adaptations I practiced nasal breathing during more than 80% of my slow Zone 2 runs.The pace of my initial 5 km run, the most frequently repeated distance in my training (10 out of 22), was 8:52 and (to my surprise) it improved to 5:14 on my final run before the race. The fastest pace I achieved for long distance runs above 10 km was 6:19 for an 11 km run on June 10th. Starting mid August, I incorporated sprints on a short, steep hill near where I live which perfectly loops back on a gentle trail down the hill to a field below. I would sprint up the hill with maximum effort and slowly walk down the trail, ensuring I resumed running only when my heart rate dropped below 140 bpm. After 6 loops up and down the hill I would get sufficiently exhausted and return home. Unlike my slow Zone 2 runs, I did not employ nasal breathing during sprints to enable maximal effort with an open mouth. While the hill sprints were an all-out affair, judging the intensity of the slow Zone 2 runs proved to be a very subjective task. Seeking a more objective approach, I created a points system to evaluate the intensity of each run by factoring in two crucial data points: average pace and duration, resulting in a numerical value termed "Run Intensity."Run Intensity = (Points for Average Pace) + (Points for Run Duration)Points for Run Duration is easy. It's simply the number of minutes it took to complete the run. To calculate the Points for Average Pace, convert the pace to a 3-digit number and subtract from 1000. By doing so we reverse the scale, ensuring that faster paces result in higher points, aligning with the goal of correlating higher intensity with greater numerical values in the Run Intensity calculation. This approach provides a clear and standardized method for evaluating the intensity of each run, making it easier to compare runs and track progress over time.Taking my first run on March 24th as an example, which lasted 46 minutes with an 8:52 pace, we convert the pace to a 3-digit number (852) and apply the formula:Run Intensity for March 24th = 1000 − 852 + 46 =194Here's another example from October 10th of the last 5 km run I did with a pace of 5:14 in 26 minutes a few days before the race. This run gave me a glimmer of hope that I could possibly reach my goal of completing the half marathon in under 2 hours.Run Intensity for October 10th = 1000 - 514 + 26 = 512I want to share one more example to give a good idea of how this scale works in case you want to use a similar system for keeping track of your runs.On September 20th, I ran my longest training run of 21 km with a deliberately slow pace of 6:54 for 2 hours and 25 minutes. Run Intensity for September 20th (21 km training run) = 1000 - 654 + 145 = 491Interestingly the Run Intensity score for this half marathon training run, while significantly high, is actually lower than the score for the 5 km run on October 10th because the pace is more than a minute and a half per kilometer slower than that short run. This formula significantly prioritizes the impact of running pace on intensity because I had a time limit component to my goal. You could formulate personal ways to calculate Points for Average Pace and Duration that give each category different weighting based on your goals. Perhaps weighting the run duration more by simply doubling the minutes in the calculation would serve you better for calculating Run Intensity. Lastly, I noted that Calories burned during each run could also be used as an indicator of Run Intensity, however they were less helpful specifically for me because of the significant inherent duration bias in that calculation.  The table below lists the average pace, duration, calories and calculated Run Intensity for each Zone 2 run, with instances of achieving new personal bests highlighted. Initially, improvements in running pace led to new records in Run Intensity points, but eventually, as the pace plateaued, run duration had to be increased to break the points record. It's crucial to note that, for sustainable training and injury prevention, significant improvements were made in either pace or duration, but not both simultaneously. Running Techniques I LearnedAs someone who never had a track and field coach to assess my running technique, this training cycle really forced me to think deeply about the intricacies of running. My understanding of running mechanics was significantly enhanced by principles I learned from David Weck and Dr. Matt Minard, thus refining my running technique to optimize speed and endurance.Let's start with a simple definition: running is rapid locomotion on feet. In contrast to walking, the main difference is that in running there's a brief period where both feet come off the ground. While some vertical movement is unavoidable, Dr. Matt Minard's cue “to push with the tush” reminds me to push the earth backwards using glutes to minimize vertical movement and maximize horizontal propulsion.Another valuable insight from Dr. Matt Minard is to hinge from the ankles, leaning forward such that the torso is angled between 12 and 1 o'clock on a clock's face. By doing so I harness gravity to work in my favor, creating forward motion without energy expenditure.One crucial tip from Dr. Matt Minard was incorporating heel striking into my runs. Previously I favored exclusively forefoot striking to leverage the Achilles tendon for a bounce. However, I didn't realize that by doing so I was slowing myself down unnecessarily. In essence, running is a continuous interplay of acceleration and deceleration as one leg pushes the ground back to propel you forward and increase speed while the other leg lands and absorbs the ground to decrease speed. Heel striking minimizes braking, facilitating a quicker transition back to acceleration. Gliding forward with a heel strike is self-evidently more efficient than striking with a forefoot when we consider walking. Landing on the floor with your forefoot while walking slows down the forward glide and creates an awkward Elmer Fudd like movement. The only time we normally use the forefoot as the first point of contact with the ground is when we walk down a set of stairs which make sense because we need to slow down our speed as we descend down to prevent a fall. For my runs now, I strategically employ both heel and forefoot striking based on the terrain—heel striking for flat surfaces or uphill climbs and forefoot striking for descents, minimizing impact on ankles and knees. This nuanced understanding has allowed me to run faster and save precious energy for extended runs.Dr. Matt Minard's insights provided a solid foundation for running mechanics but what I learned from David Weck added another layer of more in-depth understanding of balanced locomotion. Let's start with another definition. During a run, that leg absorbing the ground then transitioning to pushing the ground back can be summed up by three words: land, load and launch. It's important to have this framework and understand that when our body position is out of balance it's much harder to land, load and launch. That's why the key to efficient running is balanced locomotion with “head over foot” as the main cue to make that happen. As popularized in “The Spinal Engine” by Serge Gracovetsky, I believe that the spine is the primary engine that makes us move. Gait, generally, and running, specifically, are not simply a function of the legs only but of the whole body. If you search “walking with no legs” in YouTube, you'll come across this video of a double leg amputee walking with no prosthetics by using his spine to create a short and long side and counter rotating shoulders and hips to each other to make locomotion happen. This is exactly what the “head over foot” cue, which I got from David Weck, accomplishes without so many words. If you position your head over your foot right at landing, the spine creates a long and short side and the hips and shoulders counter rotate but you also achieve a state of balance on each step. Therefore, there is no wasted energy to land, load and launch making your running more fluid and energy efficient so you can add distance. One thing I personally noticed right away when I started to run with the “head over foot” cue in mind was my hip felt easier to extend as far as possible and more natural. To further amplify the rebound effect in the load and launch phase, I incorporated the techniques of double down pulsing and wringing the wrists from David Weck. These are difficult subjects to try to unwind in this format but I'll do my best. Let's start with the double down pulse. When you perform a double down pulse, both hands are moving down during the split seconds before the foot touches the ground. Here's what that looks like. The goal of the techniques is to use the upper body to deliver more total force into the ground. As I already said, we want to push the ground back and maximize horizontal propulsion, however some vertical movement is unavoidable. By moving both hands down right before the foot touches the ground, we increase the vertical rebound which gives more time for greater horizontal propulsion. Essentially, the double down pulse makes me apply as much force into the ground as possible and connects my upper and lower body in synchrony for running.Wringing the wrists or the spiraling action of the arms is harder to explain so I recommend you to check out this post by David Weck himself about it. In short, the arms alternate between fully spiraling internally and externally to integrate upper body fascia with legs and feet for optimal running.As I was incorporating these principles into my running, I began practicing rope flow to enable my body to have better timing and balance for rotating my spine for head over foot locomotion. What is rope flow? It's a movement practice that takes away the “jump” component from using the jump rope so that the body is forced to rotate with every rep thus creating a dynamic practice that swiftly reinforces the lessons learned from David Weck. It's really fun to practice and has been a welcomed addition to my daily movement practice.By integrating these insights from Dr. Matt Minard and David Weck, my running technique evolved profoundly. Dr. Minard's emphasis on 'pushing with the tush' and ankle hinging provided a solid foundation, optimizing efficiency through strategic foot striking. David Weck's techniques, including 'head over foot,' 'double down pulse,' and 'wringing the wrists,' added depth, fostering balanced and energy-efficient strides. The rope flow practice solidified these lessons, contributing to a feeling of confidence as the half marathon approached. Having said all that, besides training and refining my running technique, navigating the path toward my half marathon goal also entailed managing health challenges as they arose. While my initial concerns centered on the possibility of injuries from Jiu-Jitsu sidelining me, a less anticipated hurdle emerged in mid-September. A seemingly routine respiratory illness took a drastic turn, triggering gastrointestinal distress that persisted for weeks. Stomach pain became a constant feeling, disrupting my nutrition and resulting in a significant 10 pounds weight loss. Luckily this happened during a planned taper period of my training, however even a slow 5 km run at this time felt like a Herculean effort, erasing months of progress. I feared I would have to cancel the half marathon run putting reaching my goal in jeopardy, but miraculously, a week before the scheduled run on October 15th, I began to recover. As my health significantly improved, I achieved my fastest pace in a 5 km run, just days before the scheduled half marathon. This unexpected health saga added a layer of uncertainty to my journey, testing both my physical resilience and mental fortitude. As I approached the half marathon, a deep sense of gratitude welled within me—for the recovery, the opportunity to run, and the chance to break that two-hour goal I set for myself.Race Day and ResultsRace day began at 7 am as I woke up and packed my bag with essentials like a water bottle and pre-run snacks. With my kids safely in the care of their grandparents, I could focus on the upcoming race. After a light breakfast of yogurt and berries, I quickly made my way to the subway station to catch the first train to the race start line near Nathan Phillips Square. During the journey, I practiced breathing exercises to ease any lingering nervousness.Before handing my bag to the event organizers and heading to the start line, I adhered to my pre-run ritual of consuming a large tablespoon of honey with Himalayan pink salt in order to remain hydrated and run without feeling thirsty. In lieu of a spoon, I used apple slices to scoop all the honey and salt into my mouth, followed by drinking at least half the water in my water bottle. I wanted to recreate these familiar conditions of how I trained for race day so that I would not need to stop at any water stations throughout the course because I hate the feeling of water sloshing back and forth inside me when I drink mid-run.I also consumed a sports drink called HVMN just before the race. It's a caffeine and sugar-free drink that provides the body with ketone esters as an added source of energy to boost performance. Ketones are an efficient source of energy that become available to the body when we fast or significantly restrict carbohydrate consumption to induce ketosis. Consuming the drink induces a short period of ketosis without fasting or carb restriction. I had bought and tried this ketone ester drink many years ago with a positive outcome but had one bottle remaining. It worked equally well this time as low energy levels were never part of the race and I attribute the ketone ester energy drink in large part to that success. The boost of energy from the bottle had a lasting effect that remained with me for the whole race. Note that ketone esters are different from popular ketone salt supplements in that they provide a stereospecific isoform of ketones making them more potent. The only negative about the ketone esters is their bad taste which also lingers for a while. At the start line, I felt energized and anxious to get going. I was surrounded by a sea of runners where I had little personal space but found peace knowing we were all about to embark on a collective journey. My opening km was intentionally the slowest of the entire run at 5:49, allowing me to gauge the average pace needed to achieve my 2-hour goal. Once confident, I turned on the jets and completed the first third with relative ease at an average pace of 5:08. At one point I noticed that my Achilles tendon felt a little sensitive after a long downhill stretch leading to the waterfront where I was mainly forefoot striking. Once I reached the waterfront, the ground became flat and I switched to heel striking which made the pain go away. Later on, when I switched back to forefoot striking the sensitivity was gone.Navigating the middle section, I strategically maintained a slower pace of 5:25, resisting the urge to go too fast as I anticipated a significant slow down during the last third of the run. I remember feeling pleased to reach the 14 km mark and knowing that only the last third of the race remained. My average pace continued to slow down to 5:28 from 14-20 km as muscle soreness especially in my right hamstring made itself really apparent.Despite physical fatigue finally setting in, my mental focus persisted thanks in large part to the music I was listening to. Fuelled by my favourite album, Daft Punk's Alive 2007, and the cheering crowd of people all along the race track, equipped with funny signs and motivating words, I was in a positive mindset to finish strong. I unleashed a full sprint for the last km, passing every competitor in sight and setting a pace of 4:13—over a minute below the average pace for the entire half marathon at 5:24.I completed the race in 1:53:48, six minutes under my 2-hour goal. This was by far my most intense run all season and I was glad I saved it for race day.InsightsHere are a few insights I've gained now that the training season and half marathon are completed.Let's first address the most important reason why I personally set goals—to improve, to get better, to adapt. Adaptation is a keystone to the whole goal-setting process. At the onset, this goal was beyond my current capabilities, but I firmly believed that, with the right training plan, my body could Adapt and surpass its existing limits. Armed with training knowledge and experience, I crafted a plan tailored to my specific needs.Once I started the training plan, I realized my ideal training frequency wasn't feasible. However, despite being able to train only once a week, I observed continual progress that brought me closer to reaching my goal. Adapting the training plan to make it more sustainable is equally important as the adaptations your body makes in response to the training plan. The importance of flexibility in pursuit of long-term goals can not be emphasized enough.Another way of being flexible is being resilient in the face of adversity. Getting sick near the end of the training cycle, as I did, felt like a significant blow, casting doubt on the progress I had made. I had to have faith that when I recovered, I would be the version of myself with adaptations from executing the training plan. Adaptation is not only about crafting the perfect plan but also about having the resilience to navigate unexpected obstacles and trusting the body's innate capacity to rebound, recover, and ultimately adapt.It's also important to adopt a holistic approach to reaching your goals. Complementing the physical training, my diet and nutrition were held to high standards, ensuring my body received optimal fuel for performance and recovery. On the mental front, injecting an element of enjoyment into the training, despite running not being my favourite activity, helped me stay motivated and engaged throughout the process. Focusing on my breathing during runs created a profound mind-body connection and fostered mental focus capable of reaching the goal.A major shift in my thinking with regard to running was realizing I could glide better with a heel strike. Initially, I adhered strictly to forefoot striking in my running technique, but thanks Dr. Matt Minard, I embraced a more versatile approach and integrated both heel and forefoot striking into my training. This shift allowed me to leverage multiple strategies, adapting my running style based on varying terrains, speeds, and conditions. By acknowledging the importance of versatility in foot striking, I enhanced my adaptability and my body's resilience by adapting to the different forces produced by the different striking patterns.My ultimate insight from adopting multiple strategies is that there is no right or wrong technique to running. To me, running technique is an outcome of the interaction between the unique individual and the unique location where the run is occurring. Not only does running technique constantly change with changes in terrain and other environmental conditions but is also influenced by changes in the runner's goals and motivations and even skeletal structure.If there is no right or wrong running technique, that underscores the importance of managing the intensity and frequency of training sessions to allow for the body's adaptation and growth without reaching a breaking point. Drawing an analogy to the skin, when stress is applied gradually, the skin builds resilience in the form of a callus, whereas a blister forms when a sudden and excessive stress is applied. While perfecting running mechanics undoubtedly contributes to efficiency, the intensity of each run determines how close you get to unleashing excessive stress that the body is not ready for, resulting in acute injury or the proverbial blister.There is a delicate balance between stress and injury, as given the right dosage of stress at regular intervals, the body can flourish and adapt to new capacity. It's a reassuring perspective, knowing that the commitment to consistent training holds the key to unlocking the body's incredible adaptive potential.During my half marathon run, I took note of runners of all different shapes and sizes and age groups displaying unique running techniques. Many of the people I noted, I thought, were exhibiting inefficient techniques, yet a handful were running as fast as I was, some even faster. The diverse running techniques I witnessed really highlighted the adaptability of the human body. As I was running, I was thinking about how the beauty of running lies not just in the pursuit of a singular perfect form but in the individualized journey of adaptation and growth.ConclusionCompleting the half marathon has been a fun journey that has filled me with a profound sense of accomplishment and a thirst for more. I have more appreciation than ever for the incredible capacity of the human body to adapt to stress and stimuli. I look forward to restarting the process for the full marathon journey and embracing the new cycle of growth and adaptation. I encourage others to take on similar physical challenges appropriate to their capabilities. I invite you, the reader, to set your sights on a challenging goal that is beyond your current limits. It doesn't have to be to run a half marathon like I did, but it can be. The beauty of embarking on such a pursuit is not just in the physical achievement but in the transformative process you must undertake. The flexibility and resilience you must display throughout the process of growth and adaptation becomes a permanent fixture in your persona, fostering a mindset and a belief in your ability to overcome obstacles.The many different running techniques I noted during the race also underscored to me the individualized nature of accomplishing challenging goals. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to success, and each individual takes a unique path to discover the incredible potential that lies within. Just remember to embrace the journey and adapt to it.QUESTIONWhat is the longest distance you could run in 2 hours?Time codes0:00 - Start0:41 - Introduction1:48 - Background5:30 - Training11:19 - Running Techniques I Learned20:47 - Race Day and Results25:49 - Insights31:07 - Conclusion32:38 - OutroConnect with J-Mart on Social MediaNostr - npub1cqfrrgxs6mwpl2xpmh2kzw322qv2n0e4r65jllzncv65krmvwhnsct3p5uEmail - jmartfit@substack.comInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/jmartfit/ ​X - https://twitter.com/jmartfit Facebook - https://fb.me/jmartmoves ​Medium - https://jmartwrites.medium.com/Also listen to JMART CAST, my Monday Morning Bitcoin Podcast about physical and financial health. Subscribe @ https://jmartfit.substack.com/ to make JMART CAST part of your Monday morning routine!YouTube - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZiptzWGRSXNYGgPEVFFzUGauXObYProZApple -Spotify -Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.ca/podcasts/53f3b6e8-ca9d-492f-bb68-0282d65344fb/jmart-castReferral LinksShakepay - Sign up with my link and we'll each get $10 to buy Bitcoin. Don't buy Etherium.https://shakepay.me/r/HNT0N6QWild Meadows Farm — Amazing quality meat from a Southern Ontario farmhttps://wildmeadowsfarm.ca/register?referral_code=V2OMFtc5XYJdMusic: www.bensound.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jmartfit.substack.com

In this episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust, host Kiri Masters shares a special replay from "Unpacking the Digital Shelf," presented by our friends over at the Digital Shelf Institute, Peter Crosby and Lauren Livak. They're diving into the realm of Amazon Marketing Cloud, an open database that provides deeply insightful data for advertisers, with Ross Walker, the retail media team lead at Acadia, joining them to unfold the complexities of AMC and, more importantly, how to use it to our advantage. Whether you're an executive, an e-commerce manager, or a budding data analyst, get ready for a knowledge-packed session. Make sure you tune in to find out more! In today's episode, Peter, Lauren and Ross discuss: - AMC offers the ability to positively target customers based on specific behaviors, which includes customers who added items to the cart but didn't purchase. - Use of the AMC in remarketing to customers who were previously exposed to a campaign. - AMC helps brands identify their prime products for generating new customers and aids in making wise marketing decisions. - Introduction to the ASIN Overlap report aiding in predicting customers' future purchases. - Differences in the adoption and usage maturity of the AMC among clients, ranging from unawareness to sophisticated usage. - Successful clients often have internal abilities and use AMC data for informed marketing decisions. - Importance and significance of the 'New to brand' metric for Amazon sellers and vendors. - Insights offered by AMC allow a better understanding of marketing performance from a new-to-brand perspective.  - The emergence of the incremental ROAS concept for assessing sales lift and ROAS due to increased ad spending. - Potential improvements for Amazon Media Console, such as AI capabilities for natural language queries. - Recommendations for incorporating AMC into future strategies by tracking new-to-brand campaigns. - Challenges in effective utilization of data when outsourcing AMC insights to third-party tools. - The bystander effect of very few brands using AMC to upload and anonymize CRM data to target customers through Amazon DSP. - The importance of the 'New to brand' metric surfaced by AMC in evaluating the effectiveness of campaigns in attracting new customers. - Possible shift towards a focus on acquiring new customers rather than upselling to existing ones in uncertain economic times. - Features of AMC being complex and requiring understanding of writing SQL code. - Explanation of the queries AMC offers for various stakeholders to get insights into their advertising performance.  - The use of AMC in providing broader picture of a brand's performance on Amazon.  - Use of AMC to target audiences based on shopper behavior, location, and other factors.

United Mileage Plus is an extremely popular program, but how can you get the best value out of the miles? This week, we talk about using flexible awards to your advantage, cheap intra-European awards, the Excursionist Perk, and a lot more. 00:00 Intro 01:20 Giant Mailbag #1: Can we get a Delta-free podcast? 02:35 Giant Mailbag #2 03:48 What crazy thing . . . did Delta do this week? https://frequentmiler.com/deltas-window-seat-shop-of-horrors/ 06:46 Card Talk: United Quest card https://frequentmiler.com/uaq/ 11:33 Mattress Running the Numbers: Citi transfer bonus to Accor Live Limitless https://frequentmiler.com/50-transfer-bonus-from-citi-to-accor-live-limitless-get-1-6-cents-per-point/ 17:34 Award Talk 18:00 Bilt adds Marriott as a transfer partner https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-bonvoy-added-as-bilt-rewards-transfer-partner/ 19:40 Marriott's secret award chart https://frequentmiler.com/marriotts-secret-award-chart/ 23:03 Marriott Choice Benefit changes https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-say-quiet-part-out-loud-with-new-upgrade-award-enhancements/ https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-choice-benefits-now-give-1000-off-mattress-bed-rather-than-40/ 29:24 Book JetBlue with Qatar Avios https://frequentmiler.com/book-jetblue-including-mint-with-qatar-avios/ https://frequentmiler.com/uh-oh-did-qatar-create-a-new-jetblue-award-chart/ 35:56 Main Event: Wringing value from United Miles 37:00 First up: the bad stuff 40:20 Higher award prices, but not bad value 41:40 Best uses of United miles 41:46 Dynamic pricing can work in your favor 44:35 Free changes and cancellations 48:55 Cheap intra-Europe flights (from 6K miles) 50:04 Sao Paulo to/from South Africa for 50K miles in business class 50:40 Fly across the length of Africa for less than 25K in economy or 50K in business class 52:15 United Excursionist Perk https://frequentmiler.com/maximizing-and-understanding-united-excursionist-perks/ https://frequentmiler.com/saving-thousands-of-miles-with-united-excursionist-perk/ https://frequentmiler.com/united-excursionist-perk-maps-visualize-regions-to-optimize-awards/ https://frequentmiler.com/leveraging-the-united-excursionist-perk-to-save-miles/ 57:42 Question of the Week: Will a bank extend the minimum spending requirement period? Music credit: Annie Yoder

With market share and profitability becoming ever more important in this economic era, using data to get more revenue juice out of every marketing squeeze is on the top of everyone's list. Today's guest thinks that a good amount of that juice can come from a savvy use of Amazon Marketing Cloud. Ross Walker, Retailer Marketplaces Paid Media Team Lead at Acadia, joined the podcast to walk us through the data that will drive the business metrics you want from your Amazon marketing campaigns. Trigger Warning: Incremental ROAS may be discussed.

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Our fantastic legislature passed a 1% increase in the sales tax this year that just took effect. This pushes Minneapolis' sales tax up over 9% and St. Paul is almost at 10%! Of course, the DFL wants to claim that this increase is "for the kids", yet the kids never seem to be any better off. Our taxes keep going up, and it's getting harder to keep up with the increases. Part of this money is set aside for "affordable housing" and the rest is for transportation. They want to build affordable homes, rental units, and provide rental assistance. It's part of the $0.50 tax on deliveries and pegs the gas tax to inflation. As if that wasn't enough, Golden Valley wants to go over and above that to implement another 1.25% sales tax (along with further bonding) to go toward public buildings because they haven't saved a single red cent. If the sales tax isn't approved by voters, Golden Valley says they will find another way to make you pay it. The cost for these projects is $190 million over 30 years, but inflation will push that number. Just for a comparison, Hudson, WI has a 5.5% sales tax. Pretty sweet, huh? We also discuss the removal of (former) Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy. There's a lot of ideas going around regarding who should be next. We set the Republicans straight. Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We've launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy! Don't forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss some renewed fretting about playoff formats, long layoffs, and upsets, recap (31:44) Clayton Kershaw's playoff career and consider how (if at all) it will affect his legacy, and then examine (55:25) the latest action in each Division Series, plus follow-ups (1:29:49) on multiple topics from the preceding episode (including […]

Today we continue our book study, “Never Finished” by David Goggins. This is week we review Chapter Nine-Wringing Out The Soul (Part 2). This is the final chapter of this book and David is taking us on a journey thru his next challenge to become a fire jumper. David is showing that he is still a warrior but has changed into a leader. He continues to push his personal boundaries but as this chapter reveals he is a very different David. _______________________________________________________ Join The Stress Mastery Community today for FREE! Click here to register HERE! Love the show? Tweet me a shoutout at: @Billcortright Want to sponsor episodes of The Stress Mastery Podcast?  Email Bill at : Bill@livingrightwithbillcortright.com  Mentioned in this show: Join the private Facebook Group: The Stress Mastery Podcast Subscription/SocialLinks: Subscribe on iTunes Subscribe to the The Stress Mastery Mailing List Watch on Youtube www.livingrightwithbillcortright.com Instagram: @livingrightwithbillcortright Facebook at Bill Cortright STAY INSPIRED!

Today we continue our book study, “Never Finished” by David Goggins. This is week we review Chapter Nine-Wringing Out The Soul (Part 1). This is the final chapter of this book and David is taking us on a journey thru his next challenge to become a fire jumper. David is showing that he is still a warrior but has changed into a leader. He continues to push his personal boundaries but as this chapter reveals he is a very different David. _______________________________________________________ Join The Stress Mastery Community today for FREE! Click here to register HERE! Love the show? Tweet me a shoutout at: @Billcortright Want to sponsor episodes of The Stress Mastery Podcast?  Email Bill at : Bill@livingrightwithbillcortright.com  Mentioned in this show: Join the private Facebook Group: The Stress Mastery Podcast Subscription/SocialLinks: Subscribe on iTunes Subscribe to the The Stress Mastery Mailing List Watch on Youtube www.livingrightwithbillcortright.com Instagram: @livingrightwithbillcortright Facebook at Bill Cortright STAY INSPIRED!

If you're flush with Delta SkyMiles, don't flush them on poor redemptions -- instead, listen to this week's show and learn how you can squeeze good value out of your SkyMiles. One quick update: During our Award Talk segment, we discussed the ability to book Starlux via Alaska Airlines, but that availability and pricing got pulled between the time we recorded and the time we published -- we were right that you had to jump on it quickly, but it died even faster than we expected. 00:00 Intro 00:56 Award Talk 01:07 Bilt: 75% to 150% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-august-rent-day-up-to-150-transfer-bonus-to-virgin-atlantic/ 07:31 Now book ITA via Virgin Atlantic https://frequentmiler.com/ita-airways-bookable-with-virgin-atlantic-miles/ 10:17 Alaska makes Starlux bookable*** Note that we discuss pricing for this award that Alaska has already pulled. See our post for more: https://frequentmiler.com/alaska-airlines-fumbles-launch-of-starlux-awards/ 12:59 Amex adds Qatar as a transfer partner https://frequentmiler.com/amex-transfer-partners/ 15:44 Aeroplan now allows awards to be changed online https://frequentmiler.com/aeroplan-awards-can-now-be-changed-online/ 17:27 Choice and Radisson finally merge https://frequentmiler.com/radisson-to-choice-conversion-low-end-slight-deval-high-end-better-value/ 21:47 Card Talk: Delta Gold SkyMiles and Delta Gold SkyMiles Business cards https://frequentmiler.com/dlgold/ https://frequentmiler.com/dlgoldbiz/ 28:34 Main Event: Wringing value from Delta SkyMiles 29:46 15% discount on Delta awards on Delta metal with several credit cards 30:17 Compare against the round trip prices 31:05 Unannounced sales https://frequentmiler.com/delta-award-sale-40k-miles-in-economy-to-australia-and-more/ 33:50 Westjet to Canada 36:18 Book awards that don't start or end in the US or Canada https://frequentmiler.com/delta-skymiles-business-class-deals/ 41:35 Finding partner award space on Delta.com https://frequentmiler.com/a-great-new-way-to-find-delta-partner-award-availability/ 46:29 Question of the Week: What's the best strategy to get rebooked when your partner award gets cancelled? Music credit: Annie Yoder

Wringing the most out of your paid search, organic search, and content excellence programs must be a group activity across all the teams and agencies responsible, or brands risk wasting the investment in any one of them by underperformance in the others. Amanda Wolff, Head of Marketing at Flywheel Digital, joins the podcast with the innovations she has been seeing among leader brands to ensure that these functions are operating more as one, and less as three.

A flash-fiction podcast where a handful of writers create an original story with a limited wordcount in a limited amount of time. In this episode we pop a marble in the cultural run by homaging each other's homages. The stories are: 'The Crab King' by Amelia Armande, an homage to 'Crabalocker' by Paul Davies.  'Happiness is Just A Warpway Away' by Joshua Crisp, an homage to 'Old Medicine' by Claudia Treacher.  'The Archaeotheologists' by Paul Davies, an homage to 'Dies Iudicii' by Joshua Crisp.  'Saurian Wash' by Claudia Treacher, an homage to 'The Last Steak Bake on the Hot Plate' by Tom McNally.  'Confundamubulus approaches' by Tom McNally, an homage to 'From the Margins' by Amelia Armande. Featuring listener submissions: 'véttr' by Noah Bradbury 'The Last Bastion of Creativity' by Christopher T. Dabrowski Pour your love and scorn on Red Button Audio's twitter or by mailing us on 100words@redbuttonaudio.org Created by Tom McNally, featuring Amelia Armande, Joshua Crisp, Paul Davies and Claudia Treacher. Transcript and all story iterations are available here. Theme tune is Music For Jellyfish by Bell Lungs.Story music was taken from DisKlavier World. Track art generated by Midjourney Support 100 Words of Astounding Beauty through our Ko-Fi.

In the 7a hour, NewsRadio WFLA Anchor Chris Trenkmann runs through today's top stories, including new developments in the ongoing battle between Governor DeSantis and Disney. An 84-year-old is charged with shooting a black teen who went to the wrong house, while a New York man is accused of fatally shooting a woman who pulled into the wrong driveway. NHL Host for BetQL & Lighting Fill-In In-Studio Host Kasey Hudson stops by to preview the Tampa Bay Lightning first-round playoff matchup. Ryan has a national politics update with stories on George Santos, Senators John Fetterman and Diane Feinstein, and Joe Exotic. The show 'Yellowstone' is set to end after season 5.

We're in the midst of earnings season and 70% of companies have beat expectations, and that seems to be the theme this year. Whatever the economists and strategists told you was going to happen is not happening. Things are better than expected, just like we told you on this podcast. We're going to tell you why everything is going better in the economy than everyone anticipated. On the Tipping Point with Aaron Dessen, CFP® we're talking about what you need to be doing right now with your money. Also, we go over reasons why some investors choose to DIY their financial plan rather than have a professional financial adviser.   #recession

Brian has finally done it: His last request of 2022 is that we all listen to The Grateful Dead (Live in Europe, 1972). And by god, we're doing it! (Help!) Also we break with tradition and visit the very best new songs of 2022. HNY from DBL! Email: dadbandland@gmail.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/dadbandland Insta: https://instagram.com/dadbandland FB: https://www.facebook.com/dadbandland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many families are sharing their homes with an Elf on the Shelf this season. Halifax privacy lawyer David Fraser also noticed a new product, a Santa Cam with what appears to be a glowing red eye! He humorously asks: when did Santa become more Big Brother than jolly old elf?

Acts 7:54-60 "Spiritual Wringing." (Part One) with Special Guest Pastor Jimmy Rosas. Thank you for listening to Pastor Michael Petit from Calvary Chapel Devine, Texas. We hope you enjoy our podcast, Sunday and Wednesday Teachings. You can get more information from calvarydevine.org

Acts 7:54-60 "Spiritual Wringing." (Part Two) with Special Guest Pastor Jimmy Rosas.Thank you for listening to Pastor Michael Petit from Calvary Chapel Devine, Texas. We hope you enjoy our podcast, Sunday and Wednesday Teachings. You can get more information from calvarydevine.org

Have you ever woken up feeling anxious? Maybe you were going about your day, and anxiety or worry hit you out of nowhere. What do you do when you're anxious? Do you continue stressing? Or do you have a process to let the anxiety go? Today is for you if you've ever felt phantom anxiety. Like you're anxious, but you can't pinpoint why or where it's coming from. Maybe you wake up anxious, or it hits you out of nowhere, driving down the road, watching TV, or having a conversation. In the last episode, I gave you three simple steps to release anxiety if you missed that episode, head over to episode 49 and then join me back here. This week I want to give you another technique to release that phantom anxiety that hits you out of nowhere. It also compliments the process you learned in the last episode of exchanging your thoughts. The other day husband asked me if I was okay. I stopped and noticed I was feeling anxiety in my body. I could feel a heavy sensation in my heart area. So I shared with him that I was feeling anxious, but I wasn't sure why. Phantom anxiety. Even after awakening and examining my thoughts, I wasn't sure what was bothering me. Steps to get phantom anxiety to subside: 1. Scan Your Body and Label the Sensation Where do you feel the anxiety in your body? Tightness in chest Tightness in shoulders Knot or butterflies in your stomach Clenched jaw Fuzzy feeling in your head Are you using any nervous cues? Holding your breath Biting your nails or lip Wringing your hands Stroking or twirling your hair Touching the suprasternal notch (the indent at the base of your neck) Cracking knuckles Rubbing your arms Notice the emotion. What's the underlying feeling? Are you angry, worried, frustrated, lonely, sad, etc.? Notice your thoughts. Are they racing? Do you have difficulty staying focused? 2. Acknowledge the feeling or thought. “It's okay, I'm just feeling fear, anxious, sad, frustrated…” etc. 3. Breathe through the feeling and release it Bodily feelings last for 90 seconds. Beyond that, we choose to keep them or not. 4. Pivot to a new thought These physical steps help you get the phantom anxiety to subside. Use them to let go of any negativity you're feeling in your body. Anxiety is fear in disguise. If you want to live a life free of fear, pick up my free resource, Three Habits to Live Fearlessly Free, at https://www.heatherlbunch.com/. This worksheet will help you overcome the fear holding you back and help you stop the negative thoughts causing you anxiety. Thanks a Bunch for listening. Until Next Time, Live Fearlessly Free.

Ashton Rotman joins the show after his car got stolen for the third time in 6 months and tells us about how it keeps happening. Jason Wilde joins the show to talk Packers. What do fans expect from Graham mertz and the Badgers. Jonathan Brust and his children join to embarrass Ben Brust.

Home for Horny Monsters: A Gargoyle With A Fetish - Abella isn't like other gargoyles. Mike Has A Dilemma.  (part 5)By  writerannabelle.  Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Mike gazed at the shy creature in wonder, finding himself once more in a predicament. With Tink, it had been about protecting her from the unknown, a risk he had taken for the greater good. Now, however, it was about his own salvation. Abella had a muscular, almost reptilian build to her. “You would do that for me?” He asked.“It is my duty,” Abella said, her voice a whisper.“It may be your duty, but I don't believe in making others do what they don't want to do. I would rather risk the lightning than feel like a bag of shit every time I look in the mirror.”Abella muttered something that was lost to another blast of thunder.“I didn't catch that,” Mike told her.“It's not that I don't want to,” Abella whispered. “It's that I'm afraid that you won't.”“Wait, what?” Mike could tell he was missing a piece.“I have a…” Abella sighed. “The other gargoyles thought I was weird because I have a human fetish.”Mike almost laughed, nearly broke that stillness between them. A human fetish? Was that like a reverse furry?“A human fetish.” Mike said, and Abella nodded.“It's why I came here. I enjoy being around humans and interacting with them, something that is forbidden in the outside world. Gargoyles are a terrible species, content with killing for fun. They are very territorial, and last I heard, many were either wiped out by man, or in hiding as statues. I don't wish such a life upon me. I enjoy the smile on a child, or the way a human woman tosses her hair. I like how smooth and soft your skin feels, and…”“Have you ever been with a human in that way?” Mike asked, kneeling next to her.“No.” Abella stared into the distance. “I've been too afraid to try it. How does one go about finding a man who can see me as enough of a human woman that the rest of my body doesn't bother him?”“That's easy.” Mike stroked Abella's stony curls, tilting her face toward his. “You see, I struggle with being around my own kind, and I'm rapidly discovering that what I like is outside the norm.” He pressed his lips to hers, marveling at how hard they felt beneath his. Pulling back, his eyes met hers. “There's a storm coming, you know.”He let his hands run along the edges of her wings, pulling them away from her body to reveal naked flesh beneath. Her breasts were smooth, yet strangely supple. Her lack of nipples threw him for a moment, but her breath seized in her chest as he squeezed her stony breasts. Even with all his strength, he was only able to compress them slightly beneath his fingers.“This is okay?” She asked him, stroking his stiffening cock through his pants.“It is,” he answered, running his hands down to her hips. She didn't have a belly button either. Sometime later, he would ask her more about gargoyles anatomy. For now, he kissed her stone skin, grateful for the little sighs she made. He had no way of knowing if she could even feel them otherwise. He explored her body with his hands, marveling at the musculature of her thighs.Thunder boomed again in the distance. Mike looked back, watching the thunderheads building. “You know, I would ordinarily be in favor of doing this slower, but do you mind if I hurry things up a little?”Abella was panting. “You'll have to be on top. I might crush you, otherwise.”Fair enough, Mike thought, spreading her legs with his hands. The folds of her vulva formed a triangle instead of a normal slit. Tracing his fingers along the edges, he found that the stone was softer here, like thick leather. Abella fumbled with the zipper on his jeans, gasping as his dick sprung free of his fly.“I've never seen one so close before,” she told him, stroking it experimentally.“Just… don't squeeze it so hard, okay?” Abella nodded, relaxing her grip. He licked his fingers, running them around her creases in a search pattern. Her vagina was also triangle shaped, and it took some effort to slide two fingers into her- he was grateful to discover that she was very wet just inside her folds. He had no idea how he was going to fuck her without some sort of lubrication.“Please,” Abella begged him. “I want to feel a human dick inside of me. Do it!”Mike pulled his fingers free. Her bodily fluids were dark, like oil, and smelled like black licorice. He gave himself a few strokes and pressed his cock against her opening, marveling at how it unfolded for him as he pushed into her.“Oh. Oh. OH!” Abella trapped Mike with her muscular legs, pulling him in tight as she rubbed herself with her hand. She tugged at her folds, revealing a ruby clitoris the size of a Robin's egg. Mike stared at her as she did all the work, using her wings as a lever to lift her hips and lower them. He did his best to thrust into her, but she had him pinned in place.“Loosen your grip,” he said, slapping her thighs to get her attention. Abella ignored him at first, but finally caught on when Mike let out a grunt of pain. She was crushing his hips, her stony legs bruising the skin on his sides. She slowed the pace, allowing him room to maneuver.“This is so hot,” she whispered, touching his chest with her free hand. “I can feel how warm your skin is when you're inside me, Mike. Human beings are so warm, and so soft, and-Nngh!” Her teeth clenched and she bucked against him, slamming the cliff with her back and scattering tiny rocks with her fluttering wings. Her excitement drove him closer to the edge, and he put his hands on her smooth breasts, pummeling her as hard as he could. He pulled all the way out, teasing her triangular slit with the head of his cock briefly before pushing back in. Every time he did it, Abella gasped for air as his balls slapped against her cold buttocks.“Oh shit!” Mike tensed, and then came. His eyes wide, he felt it, a sudden shift in energy between them. Abella pulled him close, gasping and muttering in French as he went limp in her arms.Tiny drops of rain pelted his face. He was laying between her breasts, a stupid smile on his face. She was running her fingers through his hair.“Did it work?” He asked her, catching his breath.“Only one way to find out,” she told him. He pulled free of her, watching her vagina close up, trapping all of his semen inside her. She stood, her wings cast defiantly into the stormy wind that was barreling down on them in the distance. She jumped from the ledge, wings spread wide, circling out over the valley.Mike fumbled with his pants, zipping them shut as she returned.“We must hurry,” she informed him, flapping her wings so that she hovered above him. “I am already weakening.”“Let's do this, then.” He grabbed her ankles, and she clutched his wrists gently with her feet. Pulling him out into the sky, she beat slow, lazy circles as they climbed, the cliff's edge becoming visible once more. Once they were high enough, she soared toward the greenhouse itself, a distorted wall of glass that climbed into the sky until it disappeared from view. The Mandragora vines were moving about a different part of the cliffs now, still searching for its prey. They shot overhead the Mandragora, crashing through one of the previously broken panels. Abella and Mike crashed into the yard, tumbling head over heels until they came to a rest, both of them staring into the darkening afternoon skies of Earth.Firing Squad“Ow, fuck!” Mike winced as Naia inspected the large bruise forming above his hip bone where Abella had squeezed him with her stony thighs. The Mandragora plant had actually injured him less than the gargoyle had, surprisingly enough. Save for some scrapes on his hands (well, and not being eaten), he was fine.“Yeah, that will sting for a while.” Naia placed a kiss on it. “You had me so worried! I've never seen the Mandragora do that before. You're going to need to feed it pretty soon.”“Yeah, that's right. Meat and cheese and wine. We're going on a picnic next Wednesday.” Mike informed her.“Oh, really? I think that's a great idea,” Naia said. “She'll love that!”“Wait, the plant…” Mike felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead, even though he was standing naked in the fountain. “It can…it can…”“I'm just kidding, goofball. The Mandragora can't leave the greenhouse.” Naia glanced over at Abella. She sat in the water, her wings pulled close to her body, watching the tiny water spheres circle the fountain, glowing with their own inner light. The sun was setting on the other side of the house, and the garden was cast into darkness, save for Naia's magic spheres. “You need to be more careful, Abella. Mike isn't made of steel.”“I know,” Abella grumbled, flicking the water with her finger. “Felt really good though.”“That part I get,” Naia agreed. “And I'm grateful you got to him before he was eaten. None of this would have happened if you hadn't picked that little cubby to hole up in.”“I was tired of washing off bird shit,” Abella said, popping a bubble with her talon. It reformed on the other side of the fountain. “If I had known Emily was going to croak, I wouldn't have come down here. It wouldn't have mattered if the Mandragora hadn't broken loose.”“And that's the peril of living here,” Naia agreed. “The Mandragora wouldn't have broken out if Tink had spotted the cracked windows. Tink wouldn't have slept for so long if a new guardian had been selected in a reasonable amount of time. I'm actually kind of worried about what other surprises await us as we discover more of the house. I can't imagine that the Mandragora is the only potential danger.”“There's an easy solution,” Abella said. “We need to make sure that someone is with him at all times. Currently, any time he is outside the house, he is under my care.”“You can come inside,” Mike offered. “There's no reason for you to be out here.”“There is, actually. I'm a living statue-not only am I likely to damage the interior of the house, but my kind hates being indoors. I come inside only for emergencies.”“Oh.” Mike sat on the edge of the fountain. The water was warm, heated by Naia's magic. “If guardianship is so important, then why didn't Emily have something set up in advance?”Naia shrugged, her greenish-blue hair shifting along the curves of her breasts. She was wearing her simple gown currently, which Mike actually preferred. It gave her some wonderful cleavage to look at. “It seems like there was a reason, but it's been gobbled up for me. I remember arguing about it with her, but there are definitely gaps.”“Which means it involves another monster.” Mike frowned at the water. “It seems like inheriting this home in itself is like a trial of sorts. If I'm not qualified for the job, something could kill me.”Naia and Abella exchanged looks. “Someone with him at all times,” they both said.“Well, that just means Tink needs to stick with me when I'm indoors,” Mike said.“Anytime you go exploring, anyway. Currently, you've restricted your explorations to out here, and unless you go back in the greenhouse, you should be fine.”‘And I need to feed the Mandragora, apparently. Any other plants living in there I should worry about?“Naia shrugged, but Abella nodded.“Yes, actually. The forest inside the greenhouse is an extension of the house. The plants being grown in there are there for a reason. Think of it like a little herb garden, but with spell components. A wizard would kill for access to it- I imagine that there are things in there that might even be extinct in the wild.”“Wait, wizards? Those are real too?” Mike looked to Naia, who just rolled her eyes at him.“Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”“They aren't as prevalent in those pigwarts books,” Naia told him.“Hogwarts,” Mike corrected her.“Whatever. Last I heard, the wizards of this realm were extremely limited in number. Less than forty total since Merlin sealed away magic for humans. Maybe one person a century figures out how to do magic, and usually the others track him down and kill him.”“Holy shit.” Mike shook his head. “That's insane.”“Now you know why monsters and magic items are so coveted. For some, it's the only way to gain any true power.” Naia tilted her head at Abella. “Gargoyles are impervious to most normal means. Neither blade nor flame can scratch their hides, and they are extremely strong. There are few places in the world that could protect you from a gargoyle attack. With just Abella at your side, you could have your enemies killed with little fear of recourse.”“Well, not that I really do that now,” Abella added. “I'm bound to the house. Unless such a task involves the long term protection of this place, I can't fly very far from here without feeling a strong urge to return.”“So, if I was in trouble a mile from here, you would come for me?” Mike asked.“If I knew you were in trouble, potentially. It would need to be a situation dire enough that I knew your chances of survival were slim.” Abella shrugged, her stony breasts shifting. “I'm more like a bouncer than anything else.”“How do you know what a bouncer is?” Mike asked.“Please. I'm not that sheltered.” Abella popped another bubble. “I have a people fetish. I watch lots of TV.”“Outside?” Mike asked.“Emily would leave the window open for me sometimes,” Abella said. “It's not like I need sleep or anything.”“Aren't you supposed to be watching the house?” Mike asked.“Gargoyles have phenomenal hearing,” Abella told him. “If it's quiet enough, I can hear a heartbeat from twenty feet.”“Whoa.” Mike said.“Speaking of which, Tink is looking for you. I can hear her calling your name.” Abella informed him.“She's probably worried. I've been gone all day.” Mike walked in the back door listening carefully. He heard noise from the kitchen, and found Tink digging through a junk drawer full of random crap.“Hey there.” Tink jumped at the sound of his voice. Her body was covered in dirt and grime, and even cobwebs. “Where have you been?”“Checking pipes,” Tink informed him, beaming a smile. “Easy fix.”“What are you looking for in there?” Mike asked.“Tink look for money.”“Why do you need money?”The doorbell chimed, echoing through the house. Mike stared at Tink, who stared back.“Who is that?” Mike asked.“Pizza.” Tink replied, scratching at a greasy smudge on her face.“How did you order a pizza?”“Tink use magic screen. Type in pizza.”Mike stared at the little goblin, mouth open. “My laptop was locked. How did you get in?”Tink tapped the goggles on her head. “Tink order extra good pizza.” The door chimed again. Mike grabbed his hair in frustration, then pointed at Tink“Stay out of sight. We'll have the internet talk later.” Tink shrugged, walking out of the kitchen. Shaking his head, he ran to the front of the house, opening the door. Holding pizza in one hand and a two liter of soda in the other was Dana. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and tonight she wore a tight white top under her black jacket. The jacket was unzipped, revealing a large pair of breasts that had been forced together by a dark black bra that peeked out along the edges of her neckline, the same breasts that had sent him into Naia's tub in the first place.Mike's mouth went dry.“Hey!” Dana said, handing over the pizza. “How are things?”“Um, good?” Mike took the pizza in one hand. Dana was all smiles for him, and he felt that familiar nervousness hit him, a wave of anxiety across his whole body. “Uh, I didn't, um, expect you so fast. Let me grab my wallet.”“Yeah, sure.” Mike backed into the house and was dismayed when Dana followed him inside“Whoa, this place is spooky!” Dana looked around at the furniture, which was still covered with white sheets. She pointed just off to the side of the stairs. “Does that Grandfather clock actually work?” She knelt down to examine the pendulum. The back of her pants slid down, revealing that she wasn't wearing any underwear. Dana opened the door of the clock, her jacket sliding up to reveal a tattoo along her lower back.“I, um…” Where had that clock come from? He couldn't concentrate, staring at Dana's exposed ass. “I'll be right back.” He ran into the kitchen. Tink was busy staring at his laptop computer, which she had unlocked again. “Don't touch anything on there,” he told her, setting the pizza down on the table. Grabbing his wallet, he walked back out to the main room to find Dana giving the pendulum inside the clock a push.The entryway filled with the soft sounds of moving gears. The old clock's second hand started moving around the face of the clock. Dana's face lit up in excitement. “That is so cool!” She declared.“You like clocks or something?” Mike asked. He held out a twenty, unsure what the total was.“Oh yeah. I'm going to school for mechanical engineering. I love stuff like this.” Dana took the money from him and dug into her pockets for change. Upstairs, Mike heard a loud splash in the bathroom. They both looked up.“What was that?” Dana asked.“Bad pipe. Trying to get it fixed is all. Go ahead, keep the change,” Mike told her.“Are you sure? Thank you!” Dana's face lit up, and she hugged Mike. Her breasts were soft, pushing against his chest, and Mike felt a shiver as his body redirected blood flow to his dick. “Oh, shit, I'm so sorry!” She said, her face turning red as she backed away, stuffing the money in her pocket. “I don't normally do that, it's just that you've been very generous, and I needed extra money for my car payment, and you're so cu-“Dana's mouth slammed shut, her face glowing brighter. "I'm sorry, I just-thank you.”“It's okay. I remember what it's like, working my way through school. I'm doing pretty well now, so just trying to pay it forward.” He stepped around her, opening the door. Dana stepped out onto the porch and Mike would have left her there, but Cecilia was sitting on the swing, gazing out into the yard. Mike walked onto the porch, keeping Dana from looking at the banshee. “So tell me more about your major.”“Not a lot to tell. Class during the day, labs on weekend mornings. I have this gig to help make ends meet with student loans and such. I'm the only girl in my program, so I deal with a lot of creeps.” Mike stayed just ahead of her, walking down the path to her car, hoping she wouldn't look back. Cecilia seemed quite content on her swing, her hair fanning out around her as if she was storing up a massive charge. “Hey, if you need an extra hand fixing stuff around here, I would love to help out. My dad worked construction when I was growing up, so I'm pretty handy.”“I'll keep that in mind.” They were at her car now, the glowing Pizza Palace marquee on her roof. She seemed reluctant to leave, but gave him a wave, the light from her GPS casting an eerie light on her face as she drove away. Mike let out a huge sigh, then ran back up the steps to the house. Cecilia wasn't sitting anymore-instead she was staring inside the living room window.“Something is happening,” she informed him.“What's happening?” Mike asked. Cecilia shrugged. You're the Check Engine Light of the Damned, Mike thought to himself. He walked inside, staring upstairs and then toward the kitchen. Choosing the kitchen, he found Tink sitting at the table, clicking through websites on his laptop while eating her ill-gotten pizza.“We need to have a quick chat about… what the hell are you eating?” He was standing behind her, and Tink tilted her head up and back.“Tink order best pizza,” she informed him, holding up a slice for his inspection. Pepperoni, sausage, and pineapple adorned the top. The soda she had picked was orange, most of which was gone already. Only two slices of pizza were left in the box.“You really are a little monster, aren't you?” Mike flicked a piece of pineapple off.“Tink find good stuff on magic screen,” Tink informed him. Looking over the top of her head, he saw that she was on Amazon and currently had nearly a hundred items in his cart. He leaned past her and opened it up to see what she was buying.“Tink!” He shouted, seeing that his total was in the thousands. “What do you think you are doing?”“Tink see good stuff for fix house.” She opened her mouth wide, dropping an entire piece of pizza in. She licked the grease off her fingers. “Tink has job to do.”“Okay, I see we're going to have to talk about this right now.” Mike closed the laptop, eliciting protest from Tink. “The magic screen is off limits for the time being. Now I want you to-”A loud thud caused the light hanging above the table to sway from side to side. Tink slid her goggles on, and they both stared at the ceiling.“What was that?” Mike asked.“Tink not sure.” She touched the side of her goggles, rotating a dial Mike had never noticed. “Water in ceiling.”“Oh fuck.” Mike remembered the splashing noise from before. Running toward the stairs, he slid to a stop when he saw that the Grandfather clock was no longer there. “Fuck!” Running up the stairs, his feet squished on wet carpet as he neared the bedroom door. Shoving it open, he heard running water splashing the bathroom floor. “Naia?”“It's about fucking time!” Naia appeared, splashing water everywhere. “I've been shouting this whole time.”“I didn't hear you,” Mike told her. “The door was closed.” Tink slammed into Mike from behind, staring at the floor. “What's wrong?”“There's a fire elemental loose,” Naia told him. “Nasty little shit was sniffing around up here. I was trying to snuff him out, but he got away.”“What does it look like?” Mike asked. Walking into his room, he saw tiny scorch marks all along the wall. Looking closer, he saw that they were foot prints.“Like a lizard,” Naia told him. “Mike, it isn't something from the house. It got in somehow, and it was laying low.”“For what reason?” He asked, looking under the bed.“To kill goblin husband,” Tink hissed, looking all around the room. She hit a hidden button on her goggles and several mechanical arms sprouted, each one with a different covered lens. Flicking them into place, she knelt by the door of the room.“Wait, to kill me?”“Possibly. This one was sniffing around like it was trying to find a place to hide. If it wanted to, it could just burn the whole house down, but they are great for assassinations.”“That doesn't make sense,” Mike said, checking the window, but it was locked from the inside. He heard stomping above the room, followed by the sight of gray claws on the rain gutter. He opened the window up. “Abella, have you seen anything leave the house?”“No. I don't know how it got in, either.” Abella leaned over the edge of the house. “If you chase it outside, I can take care of it.”“But where did it come from?” Mike asked. “Did it come in with the pizza girl?”“It was here long before that.” Naia informed him. “It must have come in with you earlier today.”“But that doesn't…” he thought back to the spark he felt when he had taken the paperwork from Elizabeth. “Tink, check the trash downstairs.”“Tink go look.” The goblin grabbed a towel, dunking it in the bath. Wringing it out, she rolled it up, cracking it like a whip. “Mike stay here.”“Like hell I will.” Mike dunked his own towel. “I'm coming with you.”“You both need to be careful,” Naia said. “If it touches you, it may just immolate you to nothing but ash.”“Fantastic,” Mike muttered, following Tink out into the hall. Tink was walking down the hall, her eyes intent on something he couldn't see.“Tracks everywhere,” Tink informed him. “Upstairs, downstairs. Elemental go in most rooms, but come back out.” Turning to go down the stairs, Mike noticed the wardrobe at the end of the hall. Walking toward it, he made to turn the latch.“No tracks there,” Tink told him, yanking on the band of his pants. “We go look downstairs.” Mike followed her, holding his towel ready as they stepped into the living room. Moving into the kitchen, Tink opened up the trash can. Reaching in, she pulled free what was left of the folder from Elizabeth. “Fire elemental come from here.”Mike didn't have to ask how she knew. The folder was burnt. Looking into the can he saw the nest of ashes at the bottom. The elemental started as a spark, and he wondered if throwing away the offer had triggered it to burn and grow. “Okay, so what now?”Cecilia's loud wail carried through the house, sending shivers up Mike's spine. Tink covered her ears, frowning in the direction of her cries. Running toward the noise, they made it past the stairs and into one of the sitting rooms in the front of the house. Cecilia stood just outside the window, her mouth stretched wide and one hand pointing at the ceiling. Up above, Mike saw the angry creature standing on the ceiling, hissing in response.Mike and Tink walked further into the room as Cecilia drifted through the walls, her shrieks rising in volume. Mike put fingers in his ears, his eyes on the angry red lizard on the ceiling. It looked like it was made of lava, the air around it shimmering from the sheer heat of its skin. Its eyes blazed like fiery coals, hissing at Cecilia. It leapt off of the ceiling, passing straight through the banshee and colliding with the carpet. Spinning in place, leaving scorch marks on the hardwood, it spotted Mike.“Oh shit!” Mike yelled, raising his towel as the lizard came at him. It left a fiery trail on the floor, the hardwood burning up beneath it. It launched itself at him, and Mike dodged out of the way, letting it collide with a piece of furniture behind him. The white sheet burned up beneath it, the chair underneath igniting. The elemental burned its way through springs and fluff, the chair igniting, but the flames remaining local. Uncertain how to proceed, Mike watched the chair from the side, squatting down to see beneath it.The elemental charged him, crossing the space in a second. Leaping for his face, it was knocked out of the air by the fast crack of the wet towel from Tink. The elemental missed, crashing into the table behind Mike. Mike, acting fast, unfurled his towel and scooped up the elemental inside. It shrieked, steam rising from the towel.“Fuck!” Mike shouted, dropping his bundle from Hell. It was too hot to carry. Cecilia grabbed the bundle with both hands, spinning in a circle and launching it through the window. The glass shattered, the elemental and towel landing in the front yard.“Quick!” Mike and Tink ran outside, where Cecilia met them. The wet bundle looked like an angry steamed dumpling, rolling around in the yard as the elemental fought its way free. Mike grabbed the towel from Tink. “Is there a hose out here?” Mike asked.“Tink find.” She leapt over the railing, running along the side of the house. Mike held up the towel like a blanket, going the long way down the front steps. Staying off to the side, he watched the elemental squeeze free, scorching a circle in the grass and growing in size.“Tink!” Mike cried, the lizard now the size of a large dog. It ran at him on its hind legs, letting out a high pitched shriek. He saw Tink off to the side, wrestling with a house that had too many kinks in it.A thousand pounds of stone slammed into the elemental from above, grabbing it around the neck. Flames licked at Abella's stone skin, but the fire wasn't hot enough to bother the gargoyle. Clutching the elemental in her talons, Abella lifted into the sky, crossing over into the backyard. Mike and Tink ran back through the house and into the garden in time to see Abella fighting the angry elemental above the fountain.“Naia!” Mike shouted, the nymph appearing directly below Abella. She waved her hands, forming intricate patterns in the air as a wall of water formed around the fountains perimeter. Abella landed in the fountain, holding the fire elemental in place as Naia made the walls crash in. The fountain steamed, the elemental desperately fighting through the waves that kept catching it and pushing it back toward the middle.Abella pinned the elemental in place, the water in the fountain beginning to boil. Naia ran around the edge of the fountain, coaxing more water up from below. The garden filled with steam as the elemental unleashed its magic attempting to boil off the water and escape. Abella's face was a mask of anger, her teeth bared at the threat beneath her as it shape shifted, an amorphous being determined to survive. Mike and Tink could only watch helplessly as the air became too thick with vapor to see.Several minutes passed, the noise dying down. A cool breeze sucked the steam away, revealing Abella crouched in the middle of the fountain, a tiny glowing ember trapped beneath her hand. Naia nodded at the gargoyle, and Abella crushed it with her fist, extinguishing its light.“Holy shit,” Mike muttered. Abella collapsed in the fountain, breathing hard. Mike hopped in, the warm water soaking his pant legs to help her stand. The gargoyle was covered in soot marks across her stony body. She sat in the cool water, breathing hard.“That was no simple fire elemental,” she told him. “He was almost too hot for me to hold onto.”“She's right,” Naia added, kneeling by Abella's side. She ran her hands gently over Abella's skin. “Whoever summoned that creature has use of some powerful magic.”“We know where it came from.” Mike explained what he and Tink had found in the trash can. “The fact that it came from the trash and didn't just attack me when I walked in the door means something, but I have no idea what. The Society clearly wants this house, otherwise they would have just burned the place down. Ideas?”“I'm thinking this was partially a scouting affair,” Abella said, holding up a blistered palm. Naia summoned a streamer of icy water to wash across it. “The elemental needed to see who was here first. I'm sure they have ideas, but it would be a bad idea to just attack without knowing who and what. I saw it in wars all the time.”“You've been in wars?” Mike asked.Abella nodded. “Usually I used forts or castles as a hiding place. I loved watching the people below, and nobody questions another statue on the roof of a church. I have seen my share of sieges. My guess is that they sent in the elemental to scope out the territory and then kill you if possible.”“If I die, that's it. It was hard enough to find me, and as far as I know, I have zero family left anywhere.” Mike shook his head. “I almost sold the place anyway, but the will stipulated that I had to come and see it first, and could only sell when full ownership transferred, which takes a few days. I die, it's only a matter of time before the Society gets this place, and then they get to you.”“Who are they?” Naia asked.Mike looked at Tink, who sat on the edge of the fountain.“Let's find out.”to be continued. By  writerannabelle for Literotica

This morning we discuss the controversy over including Bilaam's famous blessing (Mah Tovu Ohalecha, How Good are your Tents) as the first line we pray when we enter the synagogue. Though Bilaam intended it as a curse, Rabbi Norman Lamm explains it is our character to wring blessing from curse. We demonstrate this with the destruction of the Bet HaMikdash (Holy Temple in Jerusalem), and with the invention of automobile air conditioning. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/adathyoutube Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts - https://tinyurl.com/miningtheriches1 Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/miningtheriches3 Stitcher: https://tinyurl.com/miningtheriches4 Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions for feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.

Brad Lamensdorf, editor of the Lamensdorf Market-Timing Report and chief executive officer of Active Alts, says that investors can expect a lot of 'sub-surface  volatility throughout the entire year," but all of that chop amounts to the market getting past the bigger-than-expected gains of 2020 and 2021. Lamensdorf says that most market sentiment gauges and indicators are negative but that is creating some pockets of opportunity, though they are hard to spot amid bear-market bounces. Also on the show, Edward Yardeni of Yardeni Research returns for a second day, this time to talk about his latest book, "In Praise of Profits," Michael Bell of Primark Capital discusses how private-equity investments can bring something to a portfolio that most investors are missing, and Simon Lack of SL Advisors -- the firm behind the American Energy Independence Index -- returns to talk about energy stocks in the Market Call.

My eyes are killing me! Lots of editing and recording because. We want you guys to have lots of new shows while we're out on vacation! Sure - that makes us strange but we just love doing it. With all of that said, I'm going to get back to editing these videos and skimp on the notes this week. You get the idea! See you Monday and bring a friend! - d ### On this week's show: * Wringing hoses and pinching noses  * Seth has ninja turtle feet  * Tommy being called a pussycat  * "Get away from me homo"  * Kids and video games  * Kimbo Slice Jr vs Seth  * Bitcoin Rodney  * Seth wants to do an OnlyFans * Magnet fishing * Feet saber * Dancing with Tom  * Turkey necks  * Generational cartoons  ### For all audio versions of this garbage, please go HERE: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-mediocre-time-with-tom-and-dan/id308614478 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/a-mediocre-time-with-tom-and-dan-podcast/a-mediocre-time-with-tom-and-dan-show TuneIn: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Comedy/A-Mediocre-Time-with-Tom-and-Dan-Podcast-p393884/ iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1248-a-mediocre-time-with-tom-30696640/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IMs3hgNDuD6qI8ldHMWvH Thanks for watching us and we'll see you again tomorrow on Twitch at 10am-ish.  Like - subscribe - and use the alert thingy. d

The Super Bowl halftime show sent some folks into a tizzy. Wonder what was so different about this year's show that set people off. Just kidding. We all know why.  Check out copodco.com to listen for more shows, including Under the Covers and Pretend This Didn't Happen.  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/copodco/

Hour 1- Sean Payton's stunning retirement, MLB Hall of Fame hand-wringing, Century Club COO Marty Gorsich on changes to the Farmers Insurance Open.

A break from our usual cast, today we talk japanese wood burning technique and change wringing competitions...along with secret government projects.

Three retired Marine Infantry Officers — Colonel Will Costantini, Colonel Jeff Kenney & Major Tim Lynch join host Mike McNamara for an hour of current events discussion every Thursday here on ALL MARINE RADIO. TODAY'S TOPICS: Tim's $300 “Heritage Turkey” — how did it taste? Will vomits in his car The Russia vs Ukraine situation… […]

After all the hand-wringing about the Tax Gap, wealthy tax evaders and Crpto cheats the US Treasury collected a record $283,927,000,000 in total taxes in October, which was the first month of fiscal 2022. However, Federal spending hit $448,983,000,000 in October, which was the second highest ever for the first month of a fiscal year. Do these numbers demonstrate a need form more money, or a need to cut spending? That is ALWAYS the battel question. Attorney Steven A. Leahy reviews the latest tax numbers. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/steven-leahy1/message

Pastor listens to his congregants' "towel miracles" but not all believe and that gives Pastor faith.

In their inaugural episode, Maddy and Morgan tackle the terrifying (and perhaps ridiculous) tales of the Loveland Frogmen, The Beast of Bladenboro, and just how long it can take two people to sync their audio! 

Gordon & Corey take a look at a recent survey of local marketing activity amid the COVID-19 crisis and find that small group of businesses have gotten very busy indeed. Master marketers and a few media companies have skipped the hand-wringing altogether. This episode looks at how skilled local marketers are viewing the crisis, and how one broadcaster has sprung into action and created a dynamic library of more than 600 examples of crisis marketing messages for ad-sales reps. The show features an interview with the Vice President of Digital Media Sales for Nexstar Media Group, Bill Caudill, who talks about how the company's 1,000+ reps have pivoted.

It's time for the longest episode yet... as far as how much time passes in the story. We get to see what happens to the meurgicians as the weeks pass by. Quis gets a job. Raner asks some questions. Jonathan develops a business. And has anyone seen Leroy?

Much like a Hollywood movie, this Podcast  has everything! Action, romance, laughs and most of all, bizarre dirty references! Before Dick, The Stepfather and Harley Marie discuss stories, they pass along info on voting for Harley and her X-Biz Awards nomination, and the evolution of dating deal-breakers. Articles include things movies getting it wrong when it comes to the love, one man's woodland run-in and sex records to aspire to. This blockbuster may not win any awards, but it will be a cult classic for years to come!