<46% area ER and urgent care visits were adults (age 18-44) for flu symptoms. Influenza A is the dominant strain. ------- Total Hospitalized: 9394*, ⬆️53 from 9341 (2/9)
ICU: 3470, ⬆️24 from 3446 (2/9)
Intubated: 1757, ⬆️11 from 1746 (2/9)
Deceased while hospitalized: 2928, ⬆️24 from 2904 (2/9)
*Hospitalized excludes deaths ------- Total Deaths: 3525, ⬆️16 from 3509 (2/9) (2240 with underlying medical conditions) Not mutually exclusive conditions:
Hypertension 1426⬆️
Immunocompromised 113
Chronic Heart Disease 685⬆️
Chronic Liver Disease 75⬆️
Chronic Kidney Disease 482⬆️
Diabetes 1052⬆️
Neurologic/Neurodevelopmental 273⬆️
Chronic Lung Disease 533⬆️
Historically Healthy 217
Other 830⬆️
------- Positive Results Age Range Breakdown:
0-4 4614⬆️13 2.10%
5-17 20958⬆️73 9.52%
18-24 27920⬆️72 12.70%
25-49 100820⬆️240 45.80%
50-64 42512⬆️120 19.30%
65+ 23328⬆️84 10.60%
Unknown 52 0.02%
MIS-C Cases 48⬆️2 ------- School Cases (2/10) Total: 836; Past 2wks: 80
Staff 458; 34
Students 378; 46
Public: 463; 36
Staff 321; 23
Students 142; 13
Private: 373; 44
Staff 137; 11
Students 236; 33
------- Hospitalized Age Range Breakdown:
0-4 69 0.60%
5-17 131⬆️2 1.10%
18-24 284⬆️3 2.30%
25-49 2898⬆️9 23.50%
50-64 3398⬆️18 27.60%
65+ 5540⬆️45 45.00%
Unknown 2 0.00%
------- Deaths Age Range Breakdown:
0-4 0 0.00%
5-17 3 0.10%
18-24 6 0.20%
25-49 234⬆️1 6.60%
50-64 678⬆️4 19.20%
65+ 2604⬆️11 73.90%
Test result average turnaround time is 24- to 48-hours with UMC/SNHD sites. CVS is averaging 2 to 3+ days. ------- Expect weekend delay in case reports. "Daily case counts reflect newly reported cases and may represent cases that were tested in the preceding days, which could significantly impact the count on days when a relatively large number of laboratory reports arrive in one day." SNHD confirmed they are not counting COVID-19 antibody positives into their COVID-19 positive case counts. Majority of information is pulled from Southern Nevada Health District's COVID-19 dashboard and historical reports. Our positives are under 1000/day, our recovery rate remains high (90+% range), our hospitalizations remain steady (under 500). SNHD dashboard has new "Place of Possible Exposure" tab, listing cumulative and last 30 days cases in establishments. Top 10 Places of Possible Exposure (Last 30 days)
Other (3643)
Food establishment (2178)
Work (1599)
Grocery store (1534)
Hotel/Motel (1120)
Medical Facility (1120)
Casino (824)
School (383)
Air travel (312)
General store/shop (271)
Nevada Hospital Association 2/8 report states: Hospitalizations improved over the weekend. Case counts are below last week's peak. All trajectories are in decline. Hospital capacity are within capable occupancy rates. PPE, supplies, and equipment are in good conditions. Majority of hospitalized CV19+ are in the 50+ age groups. Protect our vulnerable and continue to practice good hygiene habits, including wearing a mask to prevent asymptomatic spread as mandated by Governor Sisolak (onus is on businesses, which we want to keep open, but Metro will not enforce it; OSHA is responsible for mask enforcement by fining the business). To report a non-compliant business through the state, call (702) 486-9020. Doctors are doing convalescent plasma therapy treatments and are seeking plasma donors to help those in need. One plasma donation can help five patients. Blood donors can get the antibodies testing done for free through Vitalant. 54 therapeutics are still underway to treat COVID-19 worldwide. US FDA emergency use authorized treatments are: Remdesivir, Dexamethaaone, Regeneron's antibody cocktail (REGEN-COV2), and Eli Lilly's antibody treatment: baricitinib - a combination of Veklury and the JAK inhibitor Olumiant. Nevada is approved for the 24-hour test procedure. FDA approved a 30-minute and a 5-minute testing procedures. UNLV provides the main walk-in COVID-19 testing services. The first at-home testing kit was FDA approved on 5/15/2020. If you live within a 1-mile range of the Wal-Mart on Craig Rd, you qualify for a drone-delivered test kit to your front or back door. This is while supplies last, if anyone has info that they stopped providing this, let me know. Some testing sites require an appointment; some may need to be scheduled by your primary care physician or another authorized provider. City Serve coordinates testing sites throughout the valley. Testing is only on Saturdays. Schedule a no-cost test here: https://cityservelv.org/ UMC, E7 Health and local laboratories are able to conduct FDA approved antibodies testing. Cost is normally $149+, but your insurance may reimburse you for the test. Check your coverage first. Vitalant/Universal Blood Services will do a free antibody test for any eligible donors. UMC is able to process 4,000 tests per day. It is encouraged for anyone to be tested. Symptoms are no longer required. Appointment is preferred, walk-up testing is available. UMC's testing sites are inside Stan Fulton Building and Cashman Field Center. They can do 1,200 tests per day, Tues-Sat 8am to 4pm. No symptoms, insurance, or citizenship required for testing; starting 1/11 requesting insurance coverage. Schedule an appointment online through UMC's website (www.umcsn.com). Sites are walk-in, appointment or walk-up. Both sites now use the self-nasal swab test kits. Families can be tested as one household together. UMC's COVID-19 test guidelines:
After positive test, no follow-up test is needed after 7-day isolation period asymptomatic; or 10-day with symptoms and no fever after 24 hours.
If employer requires a negative test in order for employee to return to work, then employer provides the test
Guidelines are to save test kits for those exhibiting symptoms. See all testing locations on the SNHD website. All CVS pharmacy drive-thru locations can also testing, no cost should be associated. Validate with your insurance. If no insurance, there should be no charge. Requires an appointment. FDA officially grants emergency-use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (12/11/2020). Distribution of vaccine began (12/14/2020). The first vaccine was tested 3/16/2020. More than 160 vaccine prototypes are being tested. Clinical trials of the vaccine were administered. Phase 1 & 2 of trial vaccines completed with positive antibody results. Phase 3 clinical trials started with 30k volunteers; test size of 3k vaccine trials in the UK have completed. Africa started their vaccine trials on 06/24/2020. Of the 100+ vaccines submitted, 22 have made the cut to go through testing and final FDA approval phases (5/15/2020 briefing). The front runner vaccine conducted human trails (Phase 3 aka final stage). AstraZeneca has prepared to produce 2 billion doses. Pfizer claims their vaccine is more than 95% effective. Moderna vaccine claims about 94.5% effective. Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is 70% to 90% effective based on dosage program (single dose versus duo dose). US government has been working with four vaccine manufacturers who have completed final phases of vaccine trials, all prepared for massive vaccine output. Vaccine distribution has been revised two "lanes" for vaccination: Healthcare front line/essential workers and general population, with emphasis on health conditions. NV CV19 vaccine playbook v3.pdf To sign up for vaccine notification when you're eligible: NV CV19 Vaccine Interest Form. More info on where to get the vaccine. Total doses administered: 366,333 (2/10)
1st dose stage: 291,370
2nd dose stage: 73,088
Total doses received to distribute: 521,200 Source Cashman Center and Las Vegas Convention Center are prepared to become vaccine mega centers, to distribute 40k to 45k shots per week (about 4k per day per site). Regional vaccine pop-up sites will be throughout the valley to provide access to those wanting the vaccine. Visit SNHD site for eligibility and to book your appointment online. Seniors who need assistance scheduling for their COVID-19 vaccine, call 1-800-401-0946, 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week. Las Vegas Convention Center will be the main 2nd dose distribution center starting Tues., Feb. 2nd. Open Tues-Sat, Central Hall, for both Moderna & Pfizer. If you didn't receive a notification to get your 2nd dose, call (702) 759-0850 to make your 2nd dose appointment. UMC's vaccine mega center will be at Encore, near the parking lot of their convention center area. They are prepared to distribute hundred per day according to the state guidelines. Appointment is required. North Las Vegas residents 70 and older can visit VaxNLV.com to fill out a simple intake form to enroll for vaccinations. Enrollment for these seniors will be open until Friday evening. Immediately after, the City will begin pre-enrollment for the general public. Seniors ages 70 or older who would like a vaccine may also call (702) 342-8417 for additional assistance, though wait times may be significantly longer than using the online, mobile-friendly platform. Remain mindful to give our medical community the ability to focus on those in need of their expertise to survive and combat the virus. For Nevada COVID-19 metrics, with historical spreadsheet and graph data, visit: The Nevada Independent Coronavirus Tracking or check out the link in our side bar.
First post...be kind! This happened way back in the dark ages, 1986. I was 21 at the time and working for a gas station that was associated with a certain grocery store chain in Washington state. It was owned by a company not affiliated with said chain, but had locations at nearly every one. As this was long before the days of debit cards, this was a cash only gas station. We didn’t even take credit cards. Customers would pull up, pump their gas and then come to my window to pay. We also sold cigarettes. No drinks, no snacks...customers couldn’t even get into my booth. I had been working there about a year when the company announced it was closing the location. My manager and I were offered positions at another location upstate and we both accepted. We moved our respective families and started our new jobs. As new hires (ugh). This station was incredible busy. We did more business in 8 hrs than my old location would do in a week. This location also had a different set up: here you would pull into the station from a single entrance, pump your gas, and then drive forward to a single exit where the “Pay Here” booth was located. There were always 2 cashiers on duty. Each cashier had a cash drawer. One thing I should note, there were also no computers. So closing the drawer down between shifts was timing consuming and tedious. We had to manually count the cigarettes remaining, and count the cash drawers. We would fill out an end of shift report listing the starting balances and the ending balances. We also had to list the gallons sold from each pump. At the end of the shift the total of gallons sold and the total cigarettes sold should equal the cash balance. It is important to note here that not once in the year I had worked for the previous location had I been off by more than 10 cents. The following morning after my first shift I was informed by the manager that I was short $50. Impossible I said, I balanced out yesterday. He said that I must have stolen that money after I had completed the paperwork. I just looked at him and said, no I didn’t. He gave me a verbal warning and said if it happened again I would be fired and the stolen money would be deducted from my paycheck this week. In the 5 days that followed I realized quickly the manager was up to something. My old manager who was just another worker now, was also accused of stealing. As was one other new employee. I can’t vouch for the other employee but I’m pretty sure she did nothing wrong. The employees that had been there awhile were never accused of anything. I did some checking and found out this manager was relatively new (had only been there about 6 months) and the other cashiers had been here before him. Only new cashiers were being accused of stealing. And that location had been having “stealing problems” for about 6 months and the turnover was high with the new employees. I came to work at 6am on a Monday only to be told I was being fired. For cause. The manager accused me of taking $500 out of my drawer the previous Friday. He said he only discovered it this morning (even though he had worked Sat and Sun). I said ok and left. I was pretty angry and instead of going home, I parked in the grocery store parking lot and proceed to settle in to watch the gas station. I knew that at 9am sharp, he would take the cash in the safe and make the weekend deposit. At 9am he left the gas station and headed to the bank. But instead of walking into the bank, he walked into the Indian “casino” next door. It’s not really a casino like we think of today, but more of a betting parlor for the races. It did have slot machines, but no card tables. I think “Well, this is interesting”. He comes out of the casino at exactly 10 am, walks next door to the bank, does his business and then heads back to the gas station. I head home with a plan. Every morning I follow him from the gas station to the casino. I take a picture of him leaving, and one of him arriving at the bank and walking into the casino. I take pictures of him coming out and then heading to the bank. I do this for 5 days straight. He even went on Saturday. On day 3 my old manager was fired for “stealing” $150. I get the film developed (no digital camera in the dark ages) note the times and dates on the back of each one. Then I call the main office of the gas company. It’s after 5 but I’m hoping someone is there. And there is. I speak to a woman and explain my situation and she says she knows exactly who I should speak to and transfers me. By some grace of God, she has transferred me to none other than the President/CEO of the company! I tell him my story and tell him I did NOT steal from his company and could prove who actually did. He took down my information and said he would be in touch. I’m thinking to myself “yeah right”. The next morning I went to the station to perform my usual observation of the manager. At 9am he leaves for the “bank”. At 10 am he comes out. At that moment 2 stern looking gentlemen approach him. One pulls out his wallet and shows him something. The other one is talking. The manager goes pale and takes a step back. Next thing I know he is being escorted to a car I hadn’t noticed and they drive off. I lose them at a traffic signal so I head back to the station. They all show back up about 5 min later, and a few minutes after that a police cruiser pulls in. The officer talks to the stern gentleman and proceeds to place the manager in handcuffs. The other man says nothing but is glaring daggers at the manager. The President called me later that after noon and informed me that the manager had been arrested for embezzlement (turns out that in 6 months he had managed to steal about $5k). He would take the store cash into the casino and gamble with it; if he won, he would make the normal bank deposit. If he lost, he would make the deposit and note in his records that we had been short the previous day. The CEO had already been focusing on that location because of the stealing and high turnover rate, but my information helped them figure out what exactly had been going on. I was thanked and sent a substantial check as a reward. My old manager was offered the manager’s job and I was offered my old job back. I declined as I had already found another job that I liked more and paid better. The gambling manager was sentenced to 1 year in jail and ordered to attend counseling for his gambling addiction. His wife divorced him and took their 3 children to California. His house was foreclosed on and he ended up in a homeless shelter. Don’t accuse me of stealing. I will get revenge. ** UPDATE** Thank you for the likes and awards! Update 2: this was my first post and I really didn’t expect all the awards. Thank you!
29 influenza-associated hospitalizations and 2 deaths. <41% area ER and urgent care visits were adults (age 18-44) for flu symptoms. Influenza A is the dominant strain. ------- Total Hospitalized: 9474*, ⬆️47 from 9427 (2/11)
ICU: 3516, ⬆️12 from 3504 (2/11)
Intubated: 1784, ⬆️4 from 1780 (2/11)
Deceased while hospitalized: 2975, ⬆️15 from 2960 (2/11)
*Hospitalized excludes deaths ------- Total Deaths: 3600, ⬆️23 from 3577 (2/10) (2282 with underlying medical conditions) Not mutually exclusive conditions:
Hypertension 1456⬆️
Immunocompromised 117
Chronic Heart Disease 696⬆️
Chronic Liver Disease 75
Chronic Kidney Disease 494⬆️
Diabetes 1072⬆️
Neurologic/Neurodevelopmental 282⬆️
Chronic Lung Disease 540⬆️
Historically Healthy 225⬆️
Other 844⬆️
------- Positive Results Age Range Breakdown:
0-4 4631⬆️8 2.09%
5-17 21064⬆️59 9.52%
18-24 28032⬆️57 12.70%
25-49 101233⬆️203 45.80%
50-64 42717⬆️99 19.30%
65+ 23488⬆️80 10.60%
Unknown 50⬇️1 0.02%
MIS-C Cases 48 ------- School Cases (2/12) Total: 839; Past 2wks: 71
Staff 456; 26
Students 383; 45
Public: 463; 31
Staff 321; 18
Students 142; 13
Private: 376; 40
Staff 135; 8
Students 241; 32
------- Hospitalized Age Range Breakdown:
0-4 70⬆️1 0.60%
5-17 132⬆️1 1.10%
18-24 285 2.30%
25-49 2921⬆️12 23.50%
50-64 3423⬆️9 27.60%
65+ 5616⬆️39 45.10%
Unknown 2 0.00%
------- Deaths Age Range Breakdown:
0-4 0 0.00%
5-17 3⬇️1 0.10%
18-24 7⬆️1 0.20%
25-49 239⬆️3 6.60%
50-64 690⬆️3 19.20%
65+ 2661⬆️17 73.90%
Test result average turnaround time is 24- to 48-hours with UMC/SNHD sites. CVS is averaging 2 to 3+ days. ------- "Daily case counts reflect newly reported cases and may represent cases that were tested in the preceding days, which could significantly impact the count on days when a relatively large number of laboratory reports arrive in one day." SNHD confirmed they are not counting COVID-19 antibody positives into their COVID-19 positive case counts. Majority of information is pulled from Southern Nevada Health District's COVID-19 dashboard and historical reports. Our positives are under 1000/day, our recovery rate remains high (90+% range), our hospitalizations remain steady (under 500). SNHD dashboard has new "Place of Possible Exposure" tab, listing cumulative and last 30 days cases in establishments. Top 10 Places of Possible Exposure (Last 30 days) (2/12)
Other (3806)
Food establishment (2295)
Work (1679)
Grocery store (1606)
Hotel/Motel (1165)
Medical Facility (1111)
Casino (856)
School (399)
Air travel (321)
General store/shop (298)
Nevada Hospital Association 2/8 report states: Hospitalizations improved over the weekend. Case counts are below last week's peak. All trajectories are in decline. Hospital capacity are within capable occupancy rates. PPE, supplies, and equipment are in good conditions. Majority of hospitalized CV19+ are in the 50+ age groups. Protect our vulnerable and continue to practice good hygiene habits, including wearing a mask to prevent asymptomatic spread as mandated by Governor Sisolak (onus is on businesses, which we want to keep open, but Metro will not enforce it; OSHA is responsible for mask enforcement by fining the business). To report a non-compliant business through the state, call (702) 486-9020. Doctors are doing convalescent plasma therapy treatments and are seeking plasma donors to help those in need. One plasma donation can help five patients. Blood donors can get the antibodies testing done for free through Vitalant. 54 therapeutics are still underway to treat COVID-19 worldwide. US FDA emergency use authorized treatments are: Remdesivir, Dexamethaaone, Regeneron's antibody cocktail (REGEN-COV2), and Eli Lilly's antibody treatment: baricitinib - a combination of Veklury and the JAK inhibitor Olumiant. Nevada is approved for the 24-hour test procedure. FDA approved a 30-minute and a 5-minute testing procedures. UNLV provides the main walk-in COVID-19 testing services. The first at-home testing kit was FDA approved on 5/15/2020. If you live within a 1-mile range of the Wal-Mart on Craig Rd, you qualify for a drone-delivered test kit to your front or back door. This is while supplies last, if anyone has info that they stopped providing this, let me know. Some testing sites require an appointment; some may need to be scheduled by your primary care physician or another authorized provider. City Serve coordinates testing sites throughout the valley. Testing is only on Saturdays. Schedule a no-cost test here: https://cityservelv.org/ UMC, E7 Health and local laboratories are able to conduct FDA approved antibodies testing. Cost is normally $149+, but your insurance may reimburse you for the test. Check your coverage first. Vitalant/Universal Blood Services will do a free antibody test for any eligible donors. UMC is able to process 4,000 tests per day. It is encouraged for anyone to be tested. Symptoms are no longer required. Appointment is preferred, walk-up testing is available. UMC's testing sites are inside Stan Fulton Building and Cashman Field Center. They can do 1,200 tests per day, Tues-Sat 8am to 4pm. No symptoms, insurance, or citizenship required for testing; starting 1/11 requesting insurance coverage. Schedule an appointment online through UMC's website (www.umcsn.com). Sites are walk-in, appointment or walk-up. Both sites now use the self-nasal swab test kits. Families can be tested as one household together. UMC's COVID-19 test guidelines:
After positive test, no follow-up test is needed after 7-day isolation period asymptomatic; or 10-day with symptoms and no fever after 24 hours.
If employer requires a negative test in order for employee to return to work, then employer provides the test
Guidelines are to save test kits for those exhibiting symptoms. See all testing locations on the SNHD website. All CVS pharmacy drive-thru locations can also testing, no cost should be associated. Validate with your insurance. If no insurance, there should be no charge. Requires an appointment. FDA officially grants emergency-use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (12/11/2020). Distribution of vaccine began (12/14/2020). The first vaccine was tested 3/16/2020. More than 160 vaccine prototypes are being tested. Clinical trials of the vaccine were administered. Phase 1 & 2 of trial vaccines completed with positive antibody results. Phase 3 clinical trials started with 30k volunteers; test size of 3k vaccine trials in the UK have completed. Africa started their vaccine trials on 06/24/2020. Of the 100+ vaccines submitted, 22 have made the cut to go through testing and final FDA approval phases (5/15/2020 briefing). The front runner vaccine conducted human trails (Phase 3 aka final stage). AstraZeneca has prepared to produce 2 billion doses. Pfizer claims their vaccine is more than 95% effective. Moderna vaccine claims about 94.5% effective. Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is 70% to 90% effective based on dosage program (single dose versus duo dose). US government has been working with four vaccine manufacturers who have completed final phases of vaccine trials, all prepared for massive vaccine output. Vaccine distribution has been revised two "lanes" for vaccination: Healthcare front line/essential workers and general population, with emphasis on health conditions. NV CV19 vaccine playbook v3.pdf To sign up for vaccine notification when you're eligible: NV CV19 Vaccine Interest Form. More info on where to get the vaccine. Total doses administered: 394,172 (2/12)
1st dose stage: 308,611
2nd dose stage: 83,485
Total doses received to distribute: 533,800 Source Cashman Center and Las Vegas Convention Center are prepared to become vaccine mega centers, to distribute 40k to 45k shots per week (about 4k per day per site). Regional vaccine pop-up sites will be throughout the valley to provide access to those wanting the vaccine. Visit SNHD site for eligibility and to book your appointment online. Seniors who need assistance scheduling for their COVID-19 vaccine, call 1-800-401-0946, 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week. Las Vegas Convention Center will be the main 2nd dose distribution center starting Tues., Feb. 2nd. Open Tues-Sat, Central Hall, for both Moderna & Pfizer. If you didn't receive a notification to get your 2nd dose, call (702) 759-0850 to make your 2nd dose appointment. UMC's vaccine mega center will be at Encore, near the parking lot of their convention center area. They are prepared to distribute hundred per day according to the state guidelines. Appointment is required. North Las Vegas residents 70 and older can visit VaxNLV.com to fill out a simple intake form to enroll for vaccinations. Enrollment for these seniors will be open until Friday evening. Immediately after, the City will begin pre-enrollment for the general public. Seniors ages 70 or older who would like a vaccine may also call (702) 342-8417 for additional assistance, though wait times may be significantly longer than using the online, mobile-friendly platform. Remain mindful to give our medical community the ability to focus on those in need of their expertise to survive and combat the virus. For Nevada COVID-19 metrics, with historical spreadsheet and graph data, visit: The Nevada Independent Coronavirus Tracking or check out the link in our side bar.
I went from minimum wage to 6 figures with no college after being a deadbeat for 18 years. AMA
I am posting this because I see a lot of young people failing and I see a ton of my past self in them. I want to help other's empower themselves, to be able to pursue their dreams, and enrich their lives as well as those of their friends. I was a massive loser most of my life. Do you know that guy you've seen drunk at the local bar for the past 15 years after graduating High School? The roommate who buys a new graphics card/console every 6 months making minimum wage but never pays rent on time and says it's cause he "doesn't get paid enough"? The guy who boomerangs back to this parent's house every other year because his bank account is perennially +-$20? The guy who has been going to Junior College for 12 years? I was that guy. Started work at the age of 15, my first job was McDonalds where I was slangin' nuggets for 4 years. The jobs I've had since then were:
Bagging Clerk at grocery store(Fired for walking off job to go bang a co-worker )
Busser at MANY restaurants(never made server)
Caterer for private events
Moved rocks with my hands in 100 plus degree weather, no exaggeration.( Fun facts, I was stabbed by a baby palm tree at this job, an idiot customer dropped 150lb sheet rock on my boot that missed my steel toe by millimeters and striking my unprotected foot, and my boss nearly crushed me with boulders on accident. But I became friends with the guy who literally paints every picture for every Yard House Restaurant, so that was cool.)
Construction Equipment Rental. I cleaned and prepped machinery. All my coworkers were ex-cons, supervisors included, which made for awesome story time
Bellman at a local casino for 5 years. Met celebs and prostitutes.
Walked door to door trying to sell fiber-optic internet
Worked at Sprint/Nextel selling cell phones
Self-employed personal trainer for a few months
Tour guide for very drunk people. Adult baby sitting basically.
I was terminated for not making my sales quota at Sprint right before the great recession started in 2007. During this job seeking time I was in a group interview with 20 men, most ex-military, competing for two jobs to haul junk off people's property. I also didn't even get a call back when I applied to clean restrooms at a community pool. Those were really fun times. The existential dread of seeing no future was all consuming ,the depression was real. It was a few years after this that I changed my view of the world and my approach to life, this is when I found a career. At the age of 33 I went from $32K a year to $100K. From bussing tables to travelling across the country to meet clients and coordinating expensive large projects. No expensive and lengthy school, no get rich quick, no nepotism, no new age crystal "manifesting with your mind" horseshit. How? The short version is I got up the nerve/drank enough to sing karaoke for the firs time in my life(Everlong by the Foo Fighters \m/), made a friend who offered me an entry level job in the wine industry, and after truly applying myself for about 5-6 years I went from bussing tables to closing hundreds of thousand dollar deals. This is a simplistic description of my success, my change in attitude was the key. If you want some career advice from a former scrub, ask away.
------- Current # COVID-19 in ICU: 200 (2/9) ⬆️2 from 198 (2/9) # COVID-19 on ventilator: 135 (2/9) ⬆️5 from 130 (2/9) # Staffed ICU beds inventory: 772 (2/10) # Staffed inpatient beds inventory: 5174 (2/10) ⬇️5 from 5179 (2/9) % Staffed beds occupied: 79% (2/10) ⬆️2 from 77% (2/9) # Licensed inpatient beds inventory: 4686 (2/10) % Licensed beds occupied: 87% (2/9) ⬆️1 from 86% (2/9) # Ventilators available: 547 (2/10) # Ventilators in use: 406 (2/10) # Ventilators inventory: 953 (2/10) Source (mid-Feb becomes weekly, every Thurs): https://nvha.net ------- SNHD reports 94.7% (209,090, ⬆️721 from 208,369 (2/10)) of cases have recovered. ------- SNHD weekly flu snapshot (1/24 thru 1/30): Age / Deaths / Hospitalized
0-4 0 1
5-17 0 0
18-24 0 1
25-49 0 3
50-64 0 7
65+ 2 14
Total 2 26
2019 Ref. 36 1070 Cases: 1073
<46% area ER and urgent care visits were adults (age 18-44) for flu symptoms. Influenza A is the dominant strain. ------- Total Hospitalized: 9427*, ⬆️33 from 9394 (2/10)
ICU: 3504, ⬆️34 from 3470 (2/10)
Intubated: 1780, ⬆️23 from 1757 (2/10)
Deceased while hospitalized: 2960, ⬆️32 from 2928 (2/10)
*Hospitalized excludes deaths ------- Total Deaths: 3525, ⬆️16 from 3525 (2/10) (2273 with underlying medical conditions) Not mutually exclusive conditions:
Hypertension 1451⬆️
Immunocompromised 117⬆️
Chronic Heart Disease 695⬆️
Chronic Liver Disease 75
Chronic Kidney Disease 492⬆️
Diabetes 1067⬆️
Neurologic/Neurodevelopmental 279⬆️
Chronic Lung Disease 538⬆️
Historically Healthy 222⬆️
Other 837⬆️
------- Positive Results Age Range Breakdown:
0-4 4623⬆️9 2.09%
5-17 21005⬆️47 9.52%
18-24 27975⬆️55 12.70%
25-49 101030⬆️210 45.80%
50-64 42618⬆️106 19.30%
65+ 23408⬆️80 10.60%
Unknown 51⬇️1 0.02%
MIS-C Cases 48 ------- School Cases (2/11) Total: 839; Past 2wks: 76
Staff 456; 29
Students 383; 47
Public: 463; 33
Staff 321; 20
Students 142; 13
Private: 376; 43
Staff 135; 9
Students 241; 34
------- Hospitalized Age Range Breakdown:
0-4 69 0.60%
5-17 131 1.10%
18-24 285⬆️1 2.30%
25-49 2909⬆️11 23.50%
50-64 3414⬆️16 27.60%
65+ 5577⬆️37 45.00%
Unknown 2 0.00%
------- Deaths Age Range Breakdown:
0-4 0 0.00%
5-17 4⬆️1 0.10%
18-24 6 0.20%
25-49 236⬆️2 6.60%
50-64 687⬆️9 19.20%
65+ 2644⬆️40 73.90%
Test result average turnaround time is 24- to 48-hours with UMC/SNHD sites. CVS is averaging 2 to 3+ days. ------- "Daily case counts reflect newly reported cases and may represent cases that were tested in the preceding days, which could significantly impact the count on days when a relatively large number of laboratory reports arrive in one day." SNHD confirmed they are not counting COVID-19 antibody positives into their COVID-19 positive case counts. Majority of information is pulled from Southern Nevada Health District's COVID-19 dashboard and historical reports. Our positives are under 1000/day, our recovery rate remains high (90+% range), our hospitalizations remain steady (under 500). SNHD dashboard has new "Place of Possible Exposure" tab, listing cumulative and last 30 days cases in establishments. Top 10 Places of Possible Exposure (Last 30 days)
Other (3698)
Food establishment (2213)
Work (1618)
Grocery store (1540)
Hotel/Motel (1131)
Medical Facility (1102)
Casino (837)
School (390)
Air travel (320)
General store/shop (291)
Nevada Hospital Association 2/8 report states: Hospitalizations improved over the weekend. Case counts are below last week's peak. All trajectories are in decline. Hospital capacity are within capable occupancy rates. PPE, supplies, and equipment are in good conditions. Majority of hospitalized CV19+ are in the 50+ age groups. Protect our vulnerable and continue to practice good hygiene habits, including wearing a mask to prevent asymptomatic spread as mandated by Governor Sisolak (onus is on businesses, which we want to keep open, but Metro will not enforce it; OSHA is responsible for mask enforcement by fining the business). To report a non-compliant business through the state, call (702) 486-9020. Doctors are doing convalescent plasma therapy treatments and are seeking plasma donors to help those in need. One plasma donation can help five patients. Blood donors can get the antibodies testing done for free through Vitalant. 54 therapeutics are still underway to treat COVID-19 worldwide. US FDA emergency use authorized treatments are: Remdesivir, Dexamethaaone, Regeneron's antibody cocktail (REGEN-COV2), and Eli Lilly's antibody treatment: baricitinib - a combination of Veklury and the JAK inhibitor Olumiant. Nevada is approved for the 24-hour test procedure. FDA approved a 30-minute and a 5-minute testing procedures. UNLV provides the main walk-in COVID-19 testing services. The first at-home testing kit was FDA approved on 5/15/2020. If you live within a 1-mile range of the Wal-Mart on Craig Rd, you qualify for a drone-delivered test kit to your front or back door. This is while supplies last, if anyone has info that they stopped providing this, let me know. Some testing sites require an appointment; some may need to be scheduled by your primary care physician or another authorized provider. City Serve coordinates testing sites throughout the valley. Testing is only on Saturdays. Schedule a no-cost test here: https://cityservelv.org/ UMC, E7 Health and local laboratories are able to conduct FDA approved antibodies testing. Cost is normally $149+, but your insurance may reimburse you for the test. Check your coverage first. Vitalant/Universal Blood Services will do a free antibody test for any eligible donors. UMC is able to process 4,000 tests per day. It is encouraged for anyone to be tested. Symptoms are no longer required. Appointment is preferred, walk-up testing is available. UMC's testing sites are inside Stan Fulton Building and Cashman Field Center. They can do 1,200 tests per day, Tues-Sat 8am to 4pm. No symptoms, insurance, or citizenship required for testing; starting 1/11 requesting insurance coverage. Schedule an appointment online through UMC's website (www.umcsn.com). Sites are walk-in, appointment or walk-up. Both sites now use the self-nasal swab test kits. Families can be tested as one household together. UMC's COVID-19 test guidelines:
After positive test, no follow-up test is needed after 7-day isolation period asymptomatic; or 10-day with symptoms and no fever after 24 hours.
If employer requires a negative test in order for employee to return to work, then employer provides the test
Guidelines are to save test kits for those exhibiting symptoms. See all testing locations on the SNHD website. All CVS pharmacy drive-thru locations can also testing, no cost should be associated. Validate with your insurance. If no insurance, there should be no charge. Requires an appointment. FDA officially grants emergency-use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (12/11/2020). Distribution of vaccine began (12/14/2020). The first vaccine was tested 3/16/2020. More than 160 vaccine prototypes are being tested. Clinical trials of the vaccine were administered. Phase 1 & 2 of trial vaccines completed with positive antibody results. Phase 3 clinical trials started with 30k volunteers; test size of 3k vaccine trials in the UK have completed. Africa started their vaccine trials on 06/24/2020. Of the 100+ vaccines submitted, 22 have made the cut to go through testing and final FDA approval phases (5/15/2020 briefing). The front runner vaccine conducted human trails (Phase 3 aka final stage). AstraZeneca has prepared to produce 2 billion doses. Pfizer claims their vaccine is more than 95% effective. Moderna vaccine claims about 94.5% effective. Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is 70% to 90% effective based on dosage program (single dose versus duo dose). US government has been working with four vaccine manufacturers who have completed final phases of vaccine trials, all prepared for massive vaccine output. Vaccine distribution has been revised two "lanes" for vaccination: Healthcare front line/essential workers and general population, with emphasis on health conditions. NV CV19 vaccine playbook v3.pdf To sign up for vaccine notification when you're eligible: NV CV19 Vaccine Interest Form. More info on where to get the vaccine. Total doses administered: 379,077 (2/11)
1st dose stage: 299,502
2nd dose stage: 77,555
Total doses received to distribute: 533,800 Source Cashman Center and Las Vegas Convention Center are prepared to become vaccine mega centers, to distribute 40k to 45k shots per week (about 4k per day per site). Regional vaccine pop-up sites will be throughout the valley to provide access to those wanting the vaccine. Visit SNHD site for eligibility and to book your appointment online. Seniors who need assistance scheduling for their COVID-19 vaccine, call 1-800-401-0946, 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week. Las Vegas Convention Center will be the main 2nd dose distribution center starting Tues., Feb. 2nd. Open Tues-Sat, Central Hall, for both Moderna & Pfizer. If you didn't receive a notification to get your 2nd dose, call (702) 759-0850 to make your 2nd dose appointment. UMC's vaccine mega center will be at Encore, near the parking lot of their convention center area. They are prepared to distribute hundred per day according to the state guidelines. Appointment is required. North Las Vegas residents 70 and older can visit VaxNLV.com to fill out a simple intake form to enroll for vaccinations. Enrollment for these seniors will be open until Friday evening. Immediately after, the City will begin pre-enrollment for the general public. Seniors ages 70 or older who would like a vaccine may also call (702) 342-8417 for additional assistance, though wait times may be significantly longer than using the online, mobile-friendly platform. Remain mindful to give our medical community the ability to focus on those in need of their expertise to survive and combat the virus. For Nevada COVID-19 metrics, with historical spreadsheet and graph data, visit: The Nevada Independent Coronavirus Tracking or check out the link in our side bar.
I am 36 years old, make $66,900, live in Portland OR and work as a Data Coordinator.
Section Zero: Background Hello all, happy hoildays! I stumbled upon this subreddit not long ago and have enjoyed the commentary and experiences everyone's shared. Wanted to add another perspective from a mid-30s first-gen American. I've had some missteps regarding careers and finances, but I feel like I'm in a slightly better place now. I tried YNAB in the past but I wasn't consistent enough with it. These days I use Mint to monitor my finances and have a "Finance Friday" each month to review all my accounts and spending. I currently live with my partner TJ and his dog RR. We do not combine finances, but he has been unemployed since March. I have helped him with some bills and basic necessities here and there until he finds his next job or career. My current financial goals are to just maintain a status quo and not get any debt until pandemic times are over. Then I will focus on a house remodeling fund and savings for taking care of my parents. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances? My parents taught us about money from a frugal perspective. They are immigrants who worked in food service/factories. There was always this “save save save” mentality. Even when they started their own small business, we saved like there was no tomorrow. In high school, my calculus teacher bought us all “The Millionaire Next Door” book and had us read it as an assignment - that was my first structured introduction to finances. Did you worry about money growing up? No, there was always food on the table and a roof over our heads. I knew that our extended family would support us if needed. Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? Yes. My dad didn’t finish the high school-equivalent in their country, while my mom did finish high school, but no college. My older and younger siblings took a different path in life after high school. I am the first and only in my family to graduate from college. My parents covered all tuition for my two bachelor degrees with the agreement that I support them fully during their retirement and send them gifts/extra money whenever I can. I feel very lucky and privileged that they were able to provide that education for me. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? 24 when I went on a work holiday abroad. My family was always available to help when needed, but the experience abroad helped me stand on my own feet. As an adult, I also inherited that “save” mentality and put a lot of my earnings towards savings. I didn’t date until my 30s, lived frugally, didn’t go out to eat/hangout with people, shopped thrift stores, and had very few hobbies. I am starting to “live a little” now though. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? Aside from the tuition, my parents have helped with a down payment for my first house and living costs during periods of unemployment. Section One: Assets and Debt Retirement Balance If the place I was working at offered a 401k, I would always contribute up to the company match. I started my IRA in my mid-20s and would try to contribute the yearly max. I've stopped that the past 2-3 years though. My Other Brokerage is some play money, but I got tired of staring it and switched to index funds. I haven't contributed anything to it in a few years.
401k: $34,127 (5% company match on contributions)
Brokerage: $22,421 ESPP
Roth IRA: $40,615 VTIVX
Rollover IRA: $15,760 VTTHX
Other Brokerage: $7,235 VTI
Coinbase: $1,286 ETH (mostly just playing around with it)
Equity if you're a homeowner Purchased my first home for $382,000 with 20% down, right before lockdown earlier this year. Perfect timing, right?? I plan to live here until my retirement. My parents contributed $15k while I used most of my savings for the rest.
Current Equity: $80,371
Savings account balance: $3,073 Checking account balance: $7,800 Credit card debt: I charge everything on my credit card for the points, then pay it off each month using my checking account balance. Student loan debt: Traditionally no student loan debt as mentioned in Section Zero. Section Two: Income Income Progression (listed as gross income with cost of living area): High School
$11/hourMCOL - Helped with small family business.
College and first “career” job
$12-19/hour MCOL - I did events/banquet serving after classes and had an internship doing software administration.
$22/hour MCOL - Junior web developer. I realized after a year that programming was not my calling.
Mental health break
$12/hour LCOL - Work holiday abroad. I got a steady banquet server job for that whole time. It was enough to live minimally in a hostel, do weekend trips, WOOF and figure my life out.
College (again) and second “career” job
$12-15/hour LCOL - Decided to go back to school for a different bachelor's degree. While pursuing that degree, I worked at hotels and events as a banquet server again. I also did “search engine evaluation” whenever there were tasks available.
$36,000/year salary LCOL - Software administrator at a casino after graduation.
$39,000/year salary LCOL - Systemsanalyst at same casino. I left after 2 years, feeling disillusioned with the casino industry. I moved back home with my parents until I could get back on my feet again.
Third “career” jobs
$20/hour HCOL - Entry level advertising role. I was applying to all types of office jobs and that was my only bite.
$45/hour MCOL - Cold-called from a global company who needed someone with my software administrator experience from the casino job. It was an 8 month contract. Although I was starting to love my advertising job, the increase in pay was no question.
$65,000/year salary MCOL - After the contract ended and a few months of unemployment, I landed my current job at the same company. It is an “early career” role according to their job levels.
$66,900/year salary MCOL - Cost of living and merit increases after 2 years on the job. Pre-COVID we got a $5000 bonus each year. They have now stopped bonuses as well as all COL and merit increases.
Main Job Monthly Take Home: Monthly Net (paid bi-weekly): $2,758 Deductions:
Side Gig Monthly Take Home: No side gigs at the moment, but I am thinking of signing up on Upwork.com and doing Excel/data entry projects to help pay the mortgage. Other Income: TJ’s friend will be staying with us for a month in January, who will pay rent of $800 including utilities. Depending on how that goes, we may take on a roommate in the spare bedroom long-term. Section Three: Expenses Mortgage - when I bought the house, the plan was that I would charge TJ a portion of the mortgage costs as “rent”, but since his unemployment I am now covering it all myself. Regular Monthly Payment: $1677.57
Principal: $501.31
Interest: $849.74
Taxes & Home Insurance: $326.52
HOA: $30/year Retirement contribution: Nothing additional than what's been mentioned. Savings contribution: I used to do $50-100/month, but since COVID I’ve stopped contributing to my savings account. Investment contribution: None at this time. Debt payments: $100/month towards TJ's credit card balance of $2,307. Donations: $10-20/month, usually towards Omaze or Planned Parenthood. Utilities:
Electric: $45-65/month
Water: $60-90/month
Sewer: $30/month
Garbage: $26/month
Natural Gas: $30-80/month
Xfinity internet: $60/month
Cellphone: On my parents plan. Subscriptions:
LinkedIn: $29.99/month for TJ’s job search - he’s found it very useful.
Amazon/Netflix/Hulu: We piggyback off family and friends’ accounts.
Nintendo Switch Online: 19.99/year
Costco: $60/year
Gym membership: Pre-COVID I did Orangetheory for a year. I started to pick up free exercise equipment from Craigslist this year, so we have a small garage gym now and utilize YouTube exercise videos instead. Pet expenses: $10/month. TJ has stockpiled some Costco canned dog food before unemployment, but once that runs out I will likely cover the costs. We also started to make homemade dog food to help supplement. Car insurance: $460 every 6 months. Car is paid off. Regular therapy: I will start in the new year. Not sure what the costs are yet, but I will use my HSA to pay. Vitamins/Medications: $20/month Groceries & household items: $75/month Miscellaneous (eating out, house purchases, gifts, etc): $100/month Section Four: Money Diary Monday 6:30am Neighbor starts up their truck. We joke that it's our natural alarm clock. They idle for about 15 minutes before heading off. I go back to bed. 9am My real alarm goes off. I put the electric kettle on for some morning tea. While it's boiling, I do my morning routine: drink glass of water, take synthroid, use bathroom, brush teeth, quick shower. I then make tea - Jasmine Pearl English Breakfast with dark forest mix. I started ordering loose leaf tea in large amounts back in March instead of small bags or single serving packets. Seems more economical since I drink it daily. I let the dog out into the backyard so he can do his morning routine. 9:30am I go through my daily tasks for work. They entail checking processes and reports to make sure they ran successfully overnight. I then answer some emails and catch-up on Slack channels. 12pm Lunch is leftover roast chicken and quinoa from Saturday. I heat it up in the instant pot. Love that thing! Almost every meal of ours involves the instant pot. We hardly use the stovetop. We then walk the dog to the business park across from our neighborhood. There's a very short trail that runs along a drainage creek by the business park. It's quite muddy, but has a nice woodsy feeling. Over the summer, we saw sumac trees there as well. Free sumac spice! 1:30pm Department meeting on Zoom. Our director announces his resignation on the call. Everyone is shocked! Layoffs were announced for next year but this was not a part of it. I think it's a good move for him and he doesn't have to have this worry of layoffs over his head. 3pm I meet with an engineer from another team and talk about a data source they are in charge of. He helps me out in understanding it and we identify most of the fields that I need for a project I’m starting. 5:30pm I check in with my partner. He's been watching LinkedIn tutorials on internal recruiting, job coaching and general computeoffice skills. It's a career change that he wants to make - something where he can talk to and help people. He doesn't have a bachelor's, only an associates, and hopes these tutorials will get him a leg up in the job search. I sent him some entry level HR admin roles the other day and remind him to apply. I then heat up leftovers: homemade chana masala and rice. I add some butter and coconut milk to thin it out, so there's enough for both of us. 10:30pm I take some magnesium, vitamin D and Airborne. I say goodnight to the dog who sleeps in the office. Then I say goodnight to TJ. He sleeps in the spare bedroom on weeknights due to his snoring keeping me up. I'm a light sleeper while he is a pretty deep sleeper. Daily total: $0 Tuesday 9am I check Reddit Secret Santa. My match seems like a really good person. Not sure what to get, but most likely will purchase something off their wishlist. I wish I was more creative with my gift giving. 11am Meeting with business stakeholder. She submitted a few changes to an existing data process about a month ago. I make the change while on the call and have her test. Success! Marking it off the todo list. I love when we can finish things directly on a call. 12:30pm I come out of my office to make lunch. I notice my partner is not home. I check my messages and see that he's stepped out to pick up a few things. I ask for celery, carrots, and kombucha. $17. I make a quick charcuterie board for lunch: Costco salami, cheese, homemade hummus and Triscuits. It's a simple, fast meal that’s always in our rotation. 2pm My partner is back and we take the dog out for a walk and quick round of disc golf at a nearby park. We mask up and play only a few holes. Disc golf is a pretty frugal activity, you only need 2-3 discs to get started. TJ remarks that my throws are getting better, but then again they weren't great to start with. We talk about Christmas/Birthday gifts on the way back home since he was born on New Years Day. He mentioned snowshoeing but asked to not spend that much. I'll do some research! 5pm I think about personal career projects. Should I put up a portfolio of projects somewhere? I decide to try and pull some Yelp data. There’s not a lot of data points that I was interested in. Regardless, I tinker with it for an hour. TJ asks if I'm hungry. I said not so much, but felt thirsty. Maybe some ginger soup tonight? 7:30pm Dinner is served - ginger carrot soup made in the instant pot. We eat some rice crackers with it. Lately I feel like we've been eating more vegetarian dinners. It definitely helps stretch our food budget. We end the evening by finishing Fargo season 3 on Hulu. Daily total: $17 Wednesday 1:30am I'm woken up by the dog. He's been sneezing a lot and wheezes at random intervals. TJ doesn't have the money for a vet visit but I've offered to pay as long as he calls to make the appointment. I give the dog some coconut oil, rub his belly until he seems better and go back to bed. 7am Garbage day. We usually put it out the night before but I forgot. I get up to go, but TJ handles it. I think, at least. I'm too sleepy to pay attention and go back to bed. 9am I wake up and rinse some dishes that have piled up and put them into the dishwasher. We both grew up in households that had a home dishwasher, but forbade from using it. It was drilled into us that hand washing saves more water, unless you had a restaurant/industrial dishwasher. I think with modern home dishwashers, that's changed, so I wanted to try it out with our dishwasher and monitor the water bill. Don't have any dishwashing pods or powder, so I put some OxiClean in it. 12:30pm I overhear TJ on a call with a recruiting agency. It seems to be going well, lots of laughing. I heat up some taco lasagna that I freezer meal-prepped last month. 2pm Collaborate on a project at work with an engineer. My manager put me on this project since I was asking for an assignment on a more technical team. I'm learning tidbits here and there, but I don't feel like it's structured enough. 5pm I do an Orangetheory-At-Home workout and try to break a sweat. It's not the same as going to their studio. 6pm Charcuterie for dinner. Our fridge is full of store-bought and homemade pickles that go super well on a charcuterie board. Daily total: $0 Thursday 7am I wake up tired. The house has been feeling more cold, which woke me up a few times. We keep the temp at 72F during the day, at night around 68F since we thought the bedrooms keep the heat in pretty well. My mistake! 9am I do my usual morning routine and login to work. My team mostly spends the morning sending each other emojis. 11:30am Lunch today is mini quiche, frozen chicken and veggie entree, and hot dogs. Not the most cohesive meal, but it fills the belly. 12:30pm TJ heads out to his mailbox that's 30 minutes away. He is still waiting on his tax return and a 401k withdrawal. His taxes had to be filed by mail for some reason, then the IRS office shut down due to COVID. So he wanted to see if it arrived yet at the mailbox. He also takes the dog to the vet's urgent care on his way. They didn't have any regular openings available until the end of the year, and the dog seemed to be getting worse. I give TJ $40 to mail a gift package to a friend in France and also reiterate that I'll cover the vet bill when he gets it. 4:30pm I pay some bills, my favorite activity (not)! Sewer bill: $59.44 (billed every 2 months). Geico bill: $459.60 billed every 6 months. Then I follow up with my mortgage officer over email. I had sent her some documents for a refinance quote last week, but haven't heard back. Rates keep dropping, so I'm told, but what does that really mean? I do some research on realestate. 5pm TJ messages me and says he'll be back for dinner. I ask him to pick up some Popeyes via drive thru since we both don't feel like cooking today. Popeyes is currently our fancy “going out to eat” food. $24.17 for a 4pc dinner meal and a 2pc dinner meal. Daily total: $583.21 Friday 8:30am Busy morning at work. My phone is buzzing with emails and Slack messages. I try to answer them while I make tea. 10am Zoom Department happy hour. We reminisce about our director and then play those Jackbox party games. Some of them are hard! 11am TJ asks if he can make me anything for lunch. He suggests savory oatmeal, quick and easy. I tell him that I really appreciate him making meals/doing chores/etc without me prompting. We've been having conversations about "house project management" and mental load because I did most of the chores or I had to continually remind/tell him to do it. I'm really happy to see us progress on this front. I decide to work through my lunch break so I can end the day early. I don't often do that, but I'm ready to get the weekend started. 2pm I check on TJ in the spare bedroom and ask if the dog has been fed yet, since he was nipping at my feet. I notice something off about TJ and ask how he is doing. TJ is depressed about his personal life, career, finances. He doesn't know what to do, spends half the day meditating and reflecting on past trauma. I've been prodding him to get a therapist but he is confused about his insurance. He makes an appointment with a primary care doctor first. I feed the dog some homemade dog-friendly beef stew. 4pm My mom swings by the house (but doesn't enter). She currently works at a school who distributes free USDA food boxes since March. There's often many boxes leftover that would go to waste, so she will grab a box for us. Onions, potatoes, beets, turnips, eggs, cheese, butter, frozen veggies and frozen chicken. She also brought her vintage pasta maker. I asked last week if she ever used it these days and her reply was “no, feel free to have it”. I love pasta and noodles and figure it would be great to make it ourselves as a frugal hobby. 8pm We catch up on Mandalorian and watch silly Youtube videos before heading off to bed. Daily total: $0 Saturday 9am I open up my web browser and look at Craigslist and NextDoor for free stuff. I've been scouring for free landscape rocks, pegboards, and wood for house projects. I had this grand ambition to redesign our backyard. It faces our neighbor and currently the fence is pretty low. They can see into our kitchen and bedroom and we can see them. But y'know, COVID and going from dual income house to single income means it all has to be put on hold. So I've been looking for free items in the meantime. Over the past months, I've gotten planter pots, plant cuttings, a raised bed, stepping stones, all from free listings. I don't see anything worthwhile so I go and make some tea. 11am I look at Amazon and make some purchases for Reddit Secret Santa. A foodie kit, DVD of their favorite movie, and some cute pens for their writing hobby. $54. I hope they like it! 12pm TJ heats up leftover stir-fry for lunch for us. I put on some Binging with Babish and we watch how to make pasta. We have a plan - TJ makes the pasta, I make the sauce. Perfect date night activity at home. We watch some more videos on pasta and noodles to educate ourselves. 4pm I start prepping veggies. Big batch of onions, canned tomatoes, ground beef and butter in the instant pot. Meanwhile, TJ works on the pasta by following Babish's instructions. 7pm We gorge on fresh made pasta and bolognese sauce. It's so good! We end up watching Fargo. 11pm Usually I'll be in bed by now, but it's a Saturday and not tired yet (probably because of all that pasta). We play some Kirby's Dream Course on the Switch. Daily total: $54 Sunday 10am Quick walk around the neighborhood with the dog. He's on a new routine now with the medicine he's taking. It seems to be helping his breathing issues. 11am The pasta maker and flour is still out since we didn't clean up yesterday. There's some old pie crust in the fridge so I roll it out with the pasta machine for mini quiches. (Sally's Baking Addiction blog is my go-to place for her all-butter crust and quiche recipes btw). TJ helps by mixing up the eggs. 3pm I play some Genshin Impact (GI) on my phone while TJ plays Starcraft in the office. I don't usually play gacha games, but the Zelda BotW-style of GI appealed to me. A gacha game is a game with randomized characteitem boxes that you use real-money to purchase a “pull” or to spin the wheel. I know the gacha parts of the game can be a real money sink if you get addicted to them, it’s almost like gambling. My main team is Fischl, Bennett, Barbara and Noelle. I level up to AR 22 and look up free-to-play tutorials for the game. 6pm There's some leftover pasta from yesterday, enough for both of us. I throw in some roasted beets to round out the meal. We watch more Fargo while eating. Almost done with Season 3! 10pm I find a tour operator who offers a small, socially-distant snowshoeing tour up on the mountain. I reserve for two people - this will be TJ's Christmas/birthday gift. $75. Off to bed for another workday. Daily total: $75 Weekly Total: $689.79
Food + Drink: $41.17
Fun / Entertainment: $75
Home + Health: $59.44
Clothes + Beauty: $0
Transport: $459.60
Other: $54.00
Section Five: Reflections Aside from the car insurance bill, this was a typical week for me, COVID or not. We make the majority of our meals at home and usually splurge on drive-thru/delivery once every other week. I may have overspent on the Secret Santa gift, but I don't often give gifts out to friends. It's not something our family does either. For TJ’s Christmas/birthday gift, we usually talk upfront about costs. I’ve gifted him fancy restaurant experiences the past 2 years, since we can share that experience, but obviously can’t do that now. Snowshoeing is a nice change of pace. The conversations with TJ this week have given me thought on how to approach him differently about finances and working together in a relationship. I’m still unsure about the future financially, particularly as my parents near retirement age and that TJ has pulled out his 401k to pay his debts. I don't know if I can support both my parents and TJ together, so I am finding ways to upskill and/or side hustles without becoming a workaholic or bogged down by stress. Writing this money diary was also the first time where I really paid attention to my past income and current income. I might be contributing too much into ESPP that could go towards the 401k or mortgage instead? I also seem to have been underpaid for what I did in past jobs, even in a LCOL area.
There Are Things That Belong In The Dark. Humans Are Not One Of Them...
Word count is 4,700 Would like to be credited as “mrmills45” if featured This is a direct sequel to the story I wrote titled “There’s A Reason We Fear The Dark, Listen To Your Instincts...” I hope you guys all enjoy! “Our ancestors were right to be scared of the dark. Lock your doors, turn on your lights. Because i-.” That was it. Those were my cousin Carl’s last words. As much as everything in my mind and body told me not to. I uploaded the document. He wanted his story to get out there and I wanted to respect his final wishes. That was the least I could do. Most people may call me a moron but I believed his story. Every single word, Carl had always been a mentally stable person throughout his life, he drank here and there but only in moderation. There was no reason to doubt he was telling the truth. Even though it made my stomach churn. When I had gotten to Carl’s house, his chair still had a dent in it from sitting down for an extended period of time. His laptop was open but went into sleep mode. I tried to go through his tv’s history and records to find the video he was talking about. But the thing had been completely fried. Not even sure how. He never mentioned that happening in the document. My mind was racing while trying to think of solutions, I wanted to find Carl. I held out false hope he might still be alive. But what could I possibly do? I wasn’t equipped to deal with this supernatural stuff, for god’s sake I’m a grocery store stocker. The most insane thing I ever see is people not being able to do simple math to calculate their change. But all that meant I needed to find someone who knows what they’re doing. Someone with the skills, tools and knowledge to help find where my cousin is. If he’s still alive anyway. One Friday after I had finished work, I came home and immediately ransacked every little crevice and corner of the internet to find a paranormal investigator. It should’ve seemed easy I know, but half the time it was just frauds or scammers looking to make a quick buck. My entire first night consisted of downing energy drinks and caffeine to keep myself awake while I surfed the web. That is until I came across Ethan Veldor. I read through as much I could about the guy, his arsenal, particular areas of expertise and past experience. From what I gathered, he seemed to be very well educated and proficient with handling demonic and otherworldly forces. Things such as evil spirits, demons and vengeful ghosts who had decided to overstay their welcome on earth. I wanted to be as thorough as possible to make sure I was getting my money’s worth. But I put my money where my mouth was and decided to give the guy a call. “Hello? Is this Mr. Veldor?” I asked. “Hey.” He replied, his voice raspy as if he had just woken up. “I’m guessing you’re calling for business purposes?” “Yeah. I need help with a problem. One that I know you can handle.” “Alright.” He paused for a moment. “What little issue have you got on your hands?” The emotion in his voice was non existent. “It’s a little hard to explain, is there a way I could send you something? It’s a document. It should give you the info that you need.” “Okie dokie, but before we get started, I need half of the payment now. And the other half after the problem is taken care of. That’s just my policy.” I became slightly frustrated with his dull responses. To me it felt like he really didn’t care too much about the actual problem at all. I couldn’t blame him though, his job had to have been undeniably exhausting and mentally damaging. “Yeah I guess I can do that, do you have an email or something I can send this document to?” I continued. The rest of the call went as expected, he read off his email address and I proceeded to send over Carl’s document. He told me he would get back to me in two days or less and to sit tight until then. Like that was gonna be easy. Going to work the following day was aggravating to say the least. Not only was I dealing with my uptight supervisor and arrogant customers per usual. But I was on edge about Ethan getting back to me which only amplified the irritation I usually experienced. I tried to keep my head up to the best of my ability. “Hey Ryan, do you mind going into the back? We just got a shipment from the warehouse and the candy aisle needs to be restocked.” My supervisor asked. Staring down at his clipboard which was clearly only meant for show. “Uhh yeah sure, just one second.” I replied as I finished stocking the current shelf I was working on. “Also.” He turned and stopped just before walking away. “I need you to stay late tonight. It’s getting close to halloween and we’ve been really busy the past week.” If there were a way to describe how much I was internally sighing and complaining, I would’ve gone on and on. But I just kept my mouth shut for obvious reasons and made my way to the back of the store. My supervisor wasn’t lying, I could see tons of people doing last minute shopping for halloween candy. Some of them being small children who didn’t wanna wait to trick or treat. I opened the doors to the back and was immediately hit with a blast of cold air, it was always kept at a lower temperature to preserve the quality of things like ice cream and milk. A moderate amount of flickering accompanied me as I looked around. We had needed to get some of the ceiling lights in the back replaced for some time now, they were constantly flickering on and off for the past few weeks at this point. I slowly walked towards the south end of the back between the tall shelves. I could see an alarming amount of rust beginning to form on the metal supports. On my way to the end I saw a sight that froze me right in my place. I tensed up, having absolutely no idea what to do at the unsettling image in front of me. Less than ten feet in front of me stood a man, that’s what it looked like anyway. He was a disturbing pitch black and shadowy in his appearance, I couldn’t make out any facial features save for a pair of glowing crimson dots where his eyes should have been. But his shape and general build was similar to someone I had seen before. I just couldn’t put my finger on it. The figure stood in the dark corners of the back where the ceiling lights flickered the most. Blending into the poorly lit area. “You dare hunt us?” It spoke with such force I thought the room might’ve shook. The thing even sounded far more demonic than it looked, his voice reverberated and echoed as if he had a microphone resting in his esophagus. Adrenaline flowed through my veins but yet I stayed still, I was too stiff to move a muscle or make a sound. My mind was completely blank. “Your efforts are in vain.” The shadowy figure began to cackle in an unsettling taunt towards me. Despite there being no movement of its mouth. Or any of its body for that matter. “W- what are you? What do you want?” I managed to get out. Failing miserably to mask the tension in my voice. The lights began to flicker even more intensely, the room was slowly fading into darkness as I stood there in unexplainable panic. I tried to pull my phone out to record the insane events, as soon as the screen lit up. The numbers on the digital clock of my phone were constantly scrambling and changing. It looked like the slot machine of a casino. I wasn’t even able to put in my passcode. “You can run and hide. We will always find you. Always.” The figure continued on. “This is not your hour Ryan.” I turned to run out of the back, I shoved my phone back in my pocket and practically launched myself through the doors to return to the main space of the store. Desperate to get away from that thing. I looked back through the circular window of the doors once I was on the other side. The red eyed shadow man had disappeared and the lights were no longer flickering. They were working just fine. “Figures.” I huffed. “Are you okay?” Came a female voice to my left I turned to see my co-worker Sherry looking at me with great concern. I was in a hunched over position with my eyes as wide as possible. Her reaction to my seemingly odd behavior was justified. There was multiple seconds of awkward silence between the two of us as I decided how to respond. “Yeah just almost tripped over.” I lied. Not wanting to drag Sherry down into my web of confusing nonsense. “Uhh okay. Right.” She responded with a dry expression. “Well I was coming back here to grab some more stuff to restock the home care aisle. Didn’t mean to spook you or anything.” “You didn’t, it’s okay.” I replied. Straightening my posture. I won’t lie to you all, I had always found Sherry rather attractive, she dyed her hair a beautiful light red. Her skin was as flawless as polished marble, her eyes sparkled like emeralds and she always had been fun to work with. By far my favorite co-worker out of anyone. Sherry had always been much more down to earth than her appearance would lead you to believe. I had been putting off pursuing any sort of romantic relationship with her. I wasn’t usually a fan of getting together with people I worked with. But lately she has begun to change my mind. Fear of rejection had gotten in my way of ever officially doing anything other than casual flirtation. “Well i’m glad.” Sherry chuckled. “We’ve got our lunch soon, so if you wanna come meet me in the break room that would be great.” She punctuated her sentence by flashing me a friendly smile. Before I could respond to her proposal, I felt my phone begin to vibrate aggressively in my front pocket. I took it out with a huff of hesitation. It seemed to be strangely working once again. Full display on the screen was the phone number of Ethan Veldor. The paranormal investigator. “Yeah definitely, I gotta take this real quick, I'm sorry.” I said as I held up a finger and slowly turned the corner. Taking multiple glances around to make sure I was alone with no one around. “Hello?” I picked up. “Greetings Ryan.” Ethan responded, his usual monotony being present again. “Greetings? Who says greetings over the phone? You know what nevermind. Did you find anything?” “I need you to meet with me tomorrow.” He responded without answering the question. “I’ll send you the address.” “Woah woah hold on, did you find anything?” I persisted. Ethan hung up. Refusing to answer my question. I hit my fist against the wall in anger before realizing he probably had info if he wanted to meet up in the first place. A customer had walked by at that moment and shot me a look of disappointment. As if they were my boss. The rest of work that day went by as slow as possible after that call. But the highlight was having lunch with Sherry in the breakroom. It helped to lighten my spirits. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t get the incident of what happened in the back room off my mind. “You been okay?” She asked before taking a bite of her vegan burger. “First you were scared like crazy, now you’re all spaced out.” “It’s just been a really stressful week. Carl is still missing.” I moaned, slouching back in my chair. “I saw that in the news.” Sherry glanced at me sympathetically. “I’m really sorry. If you need a friend to talk to I’m here.” There was a pause before I spoke. I fixed my posture and sat up straight in my chair. Making sure to look Sherry directly in the eyes. “I appreciate it. Listen there’s something I’ve been meaning to te-.” I was quickly cut off by our supervisor storming in. A neglectful expression on his face. He was in his usual authoritarian delusion. Always walking around like a tough guy despite being the shortest person in the entire staff. “Sorry to interrupt but break’s over guys. Time to get back to work.” Yeah “Sorry” I thought. Cause everyone believes that when you use it as an excuse for the millionth time. When work had finally finished up and I went home. I stayed up all night mindlessly scrolling through Netflix as I desperately tried to get some sleep. I felt the fatigue behind my eyeballs yet they refused to close and let me drift off into unconsciousness. I did end up falling asleep that night but for less than two hours, it was a struggle just to climb out of the bed that morning and get ready to go meet up with Ethan. But the morning light shining through my windows helped give me the last bit of motivation I needed. One thing that always puzzled me about Carl was why he enjoyed the night so much. His late night walks were a far cry from what I would’ve done. He always seemed so excited to do it. I never understood why. The location Ethan had given me to meet him at was surprisingly a library of all places. Call me naive but it seemed a little too normal for someone like him and his so far cryptic tendencies. Speaking of which, it was a pain to find him in there. I scanned up and down the interior several times with no luck. In my mind he should’ve stood out. Guess not. “Where the hell are you?” I whispered out loud to myself. Darting my head all around like a crazed pigeon. I was caught off guard when my phone began vibrating from me receiving two text messages. I retrieved it out of my pocket and took a glance to find both of them were from Ethan. “Behind you.” The first one read. “You need glasses or something?” I did a one eighty. There Ethan sat between two of the non fiction bookshelves with his face buried in a novel about the history of supernatural sightings and folklore. I casually went up to him, putting up a front of false courtesy. “You’re Ethan Veldor?” I asked. “It’s good to finally see you up close.” “Sure.” Came his dry response. “Sit down, got something to tell you.” I hesitantly sat in the bean bag directly parallel, a look of eager anticipation all over me. “What is it? I’ve been waiting all night for this.” I interrogated. “These Nocturnals, they’re nothing like I've ever encountered. It’s been a pain in my behind to learn anything about them. I’ve only been able to gather less than half a page’s worth of info.” The rasp of his voice boomed across the library for a man speaking so quietly. “Aren’t they just like ghosts?” Ethan snickered, the closest sound to a full on laugh I ever heard him produce. “No, not even close. I even tried getting ectoplasm from them. Nothing. The typical baits, traps and everything are useless. They don’t bite.” “In Carl’s document he said something about them needing to be in some sort of darkness.” “Well that’s true, but one of the few things I did find out is that when they have their sights set on someone. The darkness becomes less and less of a prerequisite for them. And right now, they’ve got their eye on you.” I gripped the arms of my chair as he said it. I couldn’t help but feel as if all the fluids in my body seized flowing. “One of them… I saw one of them at work yesterday.” “I could tell by how shook up on the phone you sounded.” “How do we kill them?” “Kill them?” Ethan scoffed. “You don’t. You can’t, we just need to find a way to- wait a minute.” He paused, standing up from his chair and beginning to scan the area of the room behind me with a moderately paranoid expression. “What? What are you looking for?” “The light in the back left, it’s flickering.” He huffed while reaching into his jacket for something. It wasn’t until now I noticed a sizable imprint in his jacket. I stood up and placed myself in front of him. Attempting to defuse his angst and not draw attention in our direction. “Would you chill out?” I whispered. “People are gonna think you’re nuts.” “No they aren’t, have a look for yourself.” I hesitantly turned my head. The library was just the same as it had been minutes prior. But every single person was frozen with the exception of Ethan and I. It was like they all had been stopped in time, none of them even blinked. They were complete statues. “Don’t. Move.” Ethan demanded, reaching into his jacket and pulling out an almost alien looking weapon. I had rationalized it as being just a heavily modified shotgun with red rings around the barrel and some sort of cylinder containing a strange purple liquid hanging from the bottom. The light in the back Ethan had talked about flickering was beginning to spread to the rest of them. They all hummed and buzzed violently as they flashed in and out simultaneously. Now the whole interior was starting to become an epileptic person’s worst nightmare. The flickering of the lights made me come to a horrifying realization. I could feel my stomach churning. “Are they here?” I asked as I darted my eyes frantically around the room. Holding out hope the now frozen people would start moving once again. “What do you think?” Ethan replied rhetorically without even looking back. “Just try not to crap yourself. Last thing you wanna do is let them know you’re scared.” “Yeah because I’m sure they don’t know that already.” I clapped back. “Aren’t you supposed to be the professional here?” The lights now all flickered at the same time, the book shelves began to shake as the floor now rattled. Books fell off the shelves and the chairs were tipped over, I could feel the air become icy cold as the eerie hum of the ceiling lights only became louder. “You need to get out of here.” Ethan demanded, putting a hand on my shoulder and trying to force me out of my spot. “How! We’re trapped! My best chance is here with you!” “I said go!” Ethan snarled. The lights flickering came to a climax when it became too intense and they exploded. Shards of glass and plastic fell to the carpeted floor while the darkness flooded the room as a result. The light coming from the windows was covered with a sheet of powerful darkness. The opposite half of the room was completely drenched in a pitch black abyss, even Ethan seemed to not know what was going on. I was terrified, I could feel my hands shaking intensely. In the dark half of the room, eight different pairs of red glowing dots stared fixed on us. I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. Not even for a second. They didn’t move, make a sound or speak. They simply continued to glare hungrily at us. I looked down at the floor and nearly screamed as I saw the darkness itself moving. It freaking moved. Slithering across the floor as if it were given a body. I attempted to speak and scream but no noise came out, my throat was closed up from the undeniable panic I was feeling. I thought I was gonna die there and then. “Stay back!” Ethan commanded as the darkness continued moving its way toward him while he tried to fire his weapon. Only for nothing to happen. He tried a couple more times to be faced with the same result. I had felt stupid for relying on him in the first place up to this point. “Wh- what the hell?” He cursed. Haunting laughter came from the darkness. It was a combination of multiple bone chilling cackles. They were sinisterly taunting, Some laughs being children, some being men and some were women. The red dots slowly hovered forward through the dark, getting increasingly closer to Ethan and I as the pitch black, almost liquid like darkness swallowed up the rest of the room. It was closing in on the both of us. All we could do was watch and listen. Ethan attempted to fire the weapon one last time and just like the previous efforts nothing ended up happening. The only difference was that I was seeing a look of panic beginning to spread across his face. It only made my blood freeze even colder. Everything I knew about him so far told me that he wouldn’t be afraid of anything. “I thought you could handle this!” I shoved him. Anger now coinciding with my terror. The void of darkness was now beginning to touch my feet, the volume of the horrific laughter increased as the glowing red eyes were now less than ten feet away. It felt like this would be the end, I wanted to simply drop to my knees and give up as a horrible death slowly advanced towards us. I felt helpless in a way I couldn’t put into words. Ethan was the first to go, the darkness pooled around his feet, he looked at me with nothing but despair and desperation in his eyes as he was suddenly snatched right in front of me. He didn’t have time to scream. Not at first at least. Once he had been consumed and pulled out of sight by the darkness, his screams were ear shattering, I couldn’t hear any sounds of him being maimed or harmed. But it was hard to distinguish the shrieks as being a result of paralyzing terror or pure agony. I chose the former. Two pairs of the red eyes now stepped in place of where he once stood. His blood curdling screams were suddenly and violently cut off after continuing for over twenty seconds. All I could think about was the potential horrific things they had done to him. Along with the fact that I would very soon be next. The darkness had now reached me, it began to surround me, consume me and I was left with nowhere to go. I was sure that this would be my daunting demise. Getting taken by these red eyed shadow beings. The same as my cousin once had. I was fully surrounded by the darkness and I felt something grab me. It was hard to describe, but whatever snatched me up felt like it was all around me. Everywhere at once. The grip of it was cold. Similar to that of stepping outside nude during a blizzard. I began to scream as I could feel the chilling sensation run its way through the inside of my body. Nothing but skin numbing cold was all I could sense. I continued my shrieks as it kept spreading, the process was slow, agonizing in a manner no torture could ever compare to. I was miraculously lucky I was even able to open my eyes for a split second. All around me I saw the Nocturnals, their figures were still pitch black and details completely obscured. But their eyes were now white instead of red, and it hurt me to look at them. I covered my eyes as I continued bellowing my lungs out of my chest. “Assimilation.” The voices of The Nocturnals chanted as they all surrounded me. Over and over again as the feeling of that same overwhelming chill spreading through my veins finally came to a merciful end. It was only seconds after when I had passed out. When I awoke, I took a deep breath. I was in my room, the lights were off and everything was eerily silent. Morning light was leaking through my curtains but they were shut. The main thing racing through my mind was how I even woke up in the first place and how long I was out. Why was I even still alive? I should’ve been freaking out much more than I was. That’s what I thought anyway. I exited my bedroom and marched down to my bathroom, the light was already on which irritated the morning grog in my eyes. I quickly switched the light off, only letting a small amount of it seep in through the window. I looked in the mirror to see that I was completely unscathed, save for my crimson bloodshot eyes and a few bruises on my forearms. I had wondered if the same had happened to Ethan. I pulled out my phone and attempted to call him. Only for it to go to voicemail several times. That was when I was gonna try to call the police and file a missing person’s report. Right before noticing the time and immediately spiraling into a shallow pool of stress. It was only miniscule compared to what I felt when this situation usually occurred. “Crap.” I said. “Gotta go to work.” When I spoke, my voice was… enhanced. Amplified, whatever you would call it. I said a couple more words and phrases just to make sure what I was hearing was real. Every little noise or verbal outburst I created had echoed throughout the walls of my house. I did everything in my power to chalk it up to my mind and senses being distorted from what had taken place. It was still fresh in my mind. Yet even though I couldn’t stop replaying it in my head, I didn’t feel as strongly as I should have. As mentioned before. I grabbed my shoes and got in my car before hesitantly driving to work, stepping outside was harsh. It didn’t burn exactly. But it caused me moderate internal irritation. I felt out of place from the moment I woke up. Seeing Sherry at work that day didn’t change a thing, I didn’t care much for her presence. Every word that came out her mouth went over my head. I paid her next to no attention. That is, until she uttered the words. “Ryan, why are your eyes so red?” In my mind I thought her question was trivial and maddening. I turned and simply looked at her without saying a single word. I just stared into her eyes as I reached over one of the shelves. “Hello?” She persisted. “Ryan are you okay?” Once again I ignored her. I went about the rest of my shift, half assing nearly everything I did. I couldn’t wait to get home, turn off the lights and relax. The store wasn’t even busy by an average day’s standards. Nonetheless I was beyond exhausted. Arriving home that evening, strange feelings and emotions rose inside me as night time approached. The light was seriously starting to hurt my eyes. I really needed to dim it. I’m going to finish writing this now, the light from the screen of my laptop is slowly becoming a burning sensation and I can’t take it anymore. I don’t want to look at this screen for a second longer. But tonight I'm gonna go pay Sherry a visit. These voices… They’ve been encouraging me to do so. One of them even sounded like Carl. Just like him. But distorted like me. I kinda like it that way now. It’s soothing. The dark isn’t so bad you know. Maybe everyone should take the time to shut their lamps off and find the peace that doesn’t exist with the light. The light is overrated.
This happened way back in the dark ages, 1986. I was 21 at the time and working for a gas station that was associated with a certain grocery store chain in Washington state. It was owned by a company not affiliated with said chain, but had locations at nearly every one. As this was long before the days of debit cards, this was a cash only gas station. We didn’t even take credit cards. Customers would pull up, pump their gas and then come to my window to pay. We also sold cigarettes. No drinks, no snacks...customers couldn’t even get into my booth. I had been working there about a year when the company announced it was closing the location. My manager and I were offered positions at another location upstate and we both accepted. We moved our respective families and started our new jobs. As new hires (ugh). This station was incredible busy. We did more business in 8 hrs than my old location would do in a week. This location also had a different set up: here you would pull into the station from a single entrance, pump your gas, and then drive forward to a single exit where the “Pay Here” booth was located. There were always 2 cashiers on duty. Each cashier had a cash drawer. One thing I should note, there were also no computers. So closing the drawer down between shifts was timing consuming and tedious. We had to manually count the cigarettes remaining, and count the cash drawers. We would fill out an end of shift report listing the starting balances and the ending balances. We also had to list the gallons sold from each pump. At the end of the shift the total of gallons sold and the total cigarettes sold should equal the cash balance. It is important to note here that not once in the year I had worked for the previous location had I been off by more than 10 cents. The following morning after my first shift I was informed by the manager that I was short $50. Impossible I said, I balanced out yesterday. He said that I must have stolen that money after I had completed the paperwork. I just looked at him and said, no I didn’t. He gave me a verbal warning and said if it happened again I would be fired and the stolen money would be deducted from my paycheck this week. In the 5 days that followed I realized quickly the manager was up to something. My old manager who was just another worker now, was also accused of stealing. As was one other new employee. I can’t vouch for the other employee but I’m pretty sure she did nothing wrong. The employees that had been there awhile were never accused of anything. I did some checking and found out this manager was relatively new (had only been there about 6 months) and the other cashiers had been here before him. Only new cashiers were being accused of stealing. And that location had been having “stealing problems” for about 6 months and the turnover was high with the new employees. I came to work at 6am on a Monday only to be told I was being fired. For cause. The manager accused me of taking $500 out of my drawer the previous Friday. He said he only discovered it this morning (even though he had worked Sat and Sun). I said ok and left. I was pretty angry and instead of going home, I parked in the grocery store parking lot and proceed to settle in to watch the gas station. I knew that at 9am sharp, he would take the cash in the safe and make the weekend deposit. At 9am he left the gas station and headed to the bank. But instead of walking into the bank, he walked into the Indian “casino” next door. It’s not really a casino like we think of today, but more of a betting parlor for the races. It did have slot machines, but no card tables. I think “Well, this is interesting”. He comes out of the casino at exactly 10 am, walks next door to the bank, does his business and then heads back to the gas station. I head home with a plan. Every morning I follow him from the gas station to the casino. I take a picture of him leaving, and one of him arriving at the bank and walking into the casino. I take pictures of him coming out and then heading to the bank. I do this for 5 days straight. He even went on Saturday. On day 3 my old manager was fired for “stealing” $150. I get the film developed (no digital camera in the dark ages) note the times and dates on the back of each one. Then I call the main office of the gas company. It’s after 5 but I’m hoping someone is there. And there is. I speak to a woman and explain my situation and she says she knows exactly who I should speak to and transfers me. By some grace of God, she has transferred me to none other than the President/CEO of the company! I tell him my story and tell him I did NOT steal from his company and could prove who actually did. He took down my information and said he would be in touch. I’m thinking to myself “yeah right”. The next morning I went to the station to perform my usual observation of the manager. At 9am he leaves for the “bank”. At 10 am he comes out. At that moment 2 stern looking gentlemen approach him. One pulls out his wallet and shows him something. The other one is talking. The manager goes pale and takes a step back. Next thing I know he is being escorted to a car I hadn’t noticed and they drive off. I lose them at a traffic signal so I head back to the station . They all show back up about 5 min later, and a few minutes after that a police cruiser pulls in. The officer talks to the stern gentleman and proceeds to place the manager in handcuffs. The other man says nothing but is glaring daggers at the manager. The President called me later that after noon and informed me that the manager had been arrested for embezzlement (turns out that in 6 months he had managed to steal about $5k). He would take the store cash into the casino and gamble with it; if he won, he would make the normal bank deposit. If he lost, he would make the deposit and note in his records that we had been short the previous day. The CEO had already been focusing on that location because of the stealing and high turnover rate, but my information helped them figure out what exactly had been going on. I was thanked and sent a substantial check as a reward. My old manager was offered the manager’s job and I was offered my old job back. I declined as I had already found another job that I liked more and paid better. The gambling manager was sentenced to 1 year in jail and ordered to attend counseling for his gambling addiction. His wife divorced him and took their 3 children to California. His house was foreclosed on and he ended up in a homeless shelter. Don’t accuse me of stealing. I will get revenge.
I worked there part-time for a little over two years. During that time I've had to deal with my fair share of bullshit. However, none of it was as bad as what happened on my final shift. For the first year of my job, I had worked the day shift. That changed when my boss asked me if I wanted to try working at night. Since I was low on funds and admittedly curious about what it was like, I agreed. For the most part, it was a pain in the ass. I'd have to work off the clock because there wasn't enough time to do everything. The only silver lining is that I got to take home the food that was going to be tossed. Plus I didn't have to deal with customers aside from the occasional one who would show up right before closing. I will say it was an environment that could be pretty chill sometimes. When I got into a rhythm of finishing my tasks it could be quite cathartic on occasion. Although, the fact I was only getting paid minimum wage took away from that aspect. Not to mention, that eerie feeling that only comes with night shifts. If you've worked a night shift at any fast food place or convenient store you probably know what I mean. Sure, you can get the same feeling from the night shifts of bigger places but fast food night shifts are different. For one, there are fewer people which means being more vulnerable. The other reason is that should you get in danger there aren't as many hiding spots as say a grocery store. Anyway, I'll stop with this long-ass intro and get to what happened on my last shift. It was me and an assistant manager who I got along well with. His name was Ray. He was on drive-thru while I worked the backline. I was busy cleaning while he counted money. As I was wiping everything down he called my attention. “Alvin, since we’re only like ten minutes from closing, you can go ahead and start breaking everything down. You don’t need to worry about customers. They usually never show up at this…” The sound of a bell, indicating a customer in the drive-thru sounded from the speaker. Ray rolled his eyes and threw his head back. Then put on the headset and hit the button so he could talk to the customer. “Hello. Welcome to Arby’s. I hope you are having a pleasant evening. How may we help you?” We waited for the customer’s response over the speaker. They didn’t say anything. The next thing we knew, we heard a car speeding through the parking lot. It was too dark for us to fully make out their vehicle. Nick turned back to me and shrugged. He told me to proceed with breaking down the backline. I was going to when the bell sound was heard again. Ray answered it, repeating the phrase he had previously. The same thing as before happened. Only this time we were able to catch a better glimpse of the vehicle which seemed to be red. The third time this happened, Ray was once again professional, albeit with a hint of restrained annoyance in his voice. When it happened for the fourth time said restraint understandably left his voice entirely. He damn near broke the button when he pressed it. Instead of putting the headset on, he helped the microphone part of it to his mouth. Then yelled what he said next into it, loud enough to wake the dead. “Hello. Can we help you?” When the customer drove off again the couple moments of silence that followed were awkward, to say the least. He stood by the window, taking deep breaths in order to relax. “Uh...Should I continue breaking down the line?” I asked. Ray glanced at the clock. It showed we only had a few minutes until closing. “Take out the trash for now. If any orders come in I’ll handle them but I swear if that asshole shows up again I’m ignoring them.” Once all the trash within the building was bagged I put it into the large trash bins and wheeled them out the back door. I made sure to put down the stopper so it wouldn’t close on its own. You’d think after a year on the night shift I’d no longer get that sense of danger that comes from taking out the trash alone. That was not the case. In fact, that feeling was stronger than it had been. I’m not psychic or anything like that but I couldn’t shake off this weird sensation in my gut. Maybe it was because of what happened with that customer. In the back of my mind, I might’ve been considering the possibility that they weren’t mentally stable and could potentially harm us. Despite this, I took the trash to the dumpster. The door leading to it let out a loud creak as I pulled it open. As I was getting ready to wheel the trash bins back inside I saw the car. It was by itself under a streetlight. I thought if the driver was trying to be inconspicuous they weren’t doing a very good job. There was something off about the driver that I couldn’t quite place my finger on from that distance. When the door opened I realized why I got that feeling. My throat went dry as the for lack of a better word, driver came out of the car. What I noticed first about it was its size. It was a wonder this thing could fit in the car because it had to be at least eight feet tall when standing up. The reason I say when standing is due to the fact it preferred crawling. It crawled on eight arms. Each of them possessed claws that clicked on the parking lot. Just a glance told me they could literally tear someone to shreds with little effort. Its sickly grey skin stretched over its boney yet somehow massive frame. It focused its sunken in yellow eyes on me, letting out a low moan that sounded akin to a whale noise. My eyes briefly shifted to the back entrance before I made a dash for it while pushing one of the trash bins. The way its claws scraped against the parking lot as it was dashing towards me grated on my ears. For its size, it was unusually fast. The reason I pushed the trash bin instead of leaving was so I had something to try and stall it with. When that thing was close enough to me I made use of it. I pushed the trash bin towards the creature with so much force it started tipping as it rolled. Caught off guard by this, the monster didn’t have time to move away. The trash bin went over it. I could hear noises conveying frustration as it was trying to get it off. Sprinting towards the exit, I shouted for Ray. “Alvin is something…?” His voice trailed off and his eyes widened when he noticed it. “What in the hell is that?” “Close the door. Close the fucking door,” I said, once I had run back inside, having bumped into him in the process. The creature had torn through the trash bins. Then after shaking off the pieces stuck to its claws started running towards the back entrance. Ray cursed loudly, undid the stopper with his foot, and slammed the door shut as it was leaping at us. A loud thud echoed from the door as it was slammed into The monster attempted ramming into it repeatedly until it gave up and skittered away. “Okay that was unusual,” Ray said. From his tone of voice, I could tell he hadn’t fully processed what he had just seen. I hadn’t either, nor did I want to. I would’ve been content to brush this off had a realization not hit me. “Oh shit. The lobby,” I said. No sooner then I had spoken those words did we hear pounding on one of the windows. Knowing we only had seconds until it was inside, we thought fast and chose a spot to hide. We picked the walk-in fridge. We put the holding oven in front of it to hide it from view. We would have run out the back door and to Ray’s car if it weren’t for the fact it was parked too far away. Not only that, to reach it we’d have to pass the door. Had we tried to the creature no doubt would’ve spotted our escape and chased after us. With its speed, catching up to us wouldn’t have been a problem for it so all we could do was hide out in the walk-in fridge. We sat on some boxes, making sure to keep our noise level to a minimum. “So what do you think that thing is?” I asked. “An alien? Demon? Escaped government lab experiment?” “Fuck if I know. All I know is I want it as far away from us as possible.” We could hear it making a mess while searching for us. “Goddammit. There goes all the cleaning we did already,” Ray said. With how frantically it was searching, we knew it would only be a matter of time before it found us. The only thing we had to defend ourselves with was a knife that could barely cut lettuce. Needless to say, our situation looked pretty bleak. Neither of us wanted to entertain the idea we might get killed. To get my mind off this, I started pondering possible reasons the monster was after us. “Maybe it is a demon of some kind after all,” I said. “What makes you think that?” “Well, I know this goes without saying that this is weird but isn’t it odd that it came to our restaurant specifically? There are plenty of other places on the way here that are still open so why did it choose here?” Ray seemed to be considering my words. “Maybe it’s because we have the meats,” he said. Despite our predicament, we shared a small laugh at that. This seized when an enraged scream reached the walk-in fridge and caused a tense moment of silence to fall over us. “So uh, is there anything else that would indicate that this thing is a demon or whatever?” Ray asked after a long while. I thought for a moment. “Now that you mention it, what happened at the drive-thru might be another sign it was.” “How do you figure?” “Have you ever heard any rituals?” “Yeah, mostly in movies.” “And do you know how they have weird steps you have to follow?” “What are you getting at?” “It got me thinking, what if it driving around the restaurant was a ritual or at least part of one? I know it’s a shot in the dark. I’ve never heard of a ritual that requires someone to drive around a building but it would explain why it did all that earlier. Not mention rituals have a certain phrase or word that’s said like say...Hello/” Ray facepalmed when he realized what I was getting. “So you’re saying I may have caused...Wait. If it was already multi-legged and shit why did it even bother with the drive-thru. Couldn’t it have just smashed through the window and came in right away?” “That is true. Honestly, I’m not sure why it didn’t do that, to begin with. Oh well. The answer to that is something we can worry about if we survive this.” “Yeah, I’m feeling super optimistic about our chances. Do you want to try your phone again?” “What’s the point? We saw it doesn’t get any service in here. Speaking of which, why don’t you try your phone?” “I left it in the lobby.” I stopped myself from throwing my head back against the door in frustration. “Okay, so much for being able to call,” I said. “Maybe not. Why don’t you try walking around? You might get a signal that way.” Even though I had my doubts that this would work, I figured trying it was better than sitting around. By some miracle, I was able to get a signal while holding my phone up to the top content left of the door. “Holy shit. I got it. Who do you think I should call?” “The police might take too long. Wait, I got it. Call my phone.” “Why?” “The ring tone might distract it long enough for us to escape out the back door.” I could hear the monster steadily getting closer to the door. Knowing this and that I could lose the signal at any moment, I went along with Ray’s plan. It roared upon hearing his ringtone. Then from what we could hear, dashed towards his phone. “Go,” Ray said after pushing the walk-in fridge’s door open. We got so close. We were almost able to escape. Unfortunately, things didn’t exactly turn out how we wanted them to. We managed to hit into Ray’s car and even start driving off before the monster noticed we were leaving. Unbeknownst to us, however, it was smarter than we thought. “Holy fucking shit,” I laughed. “I’m surprised we managed to make it out of there.” The exit to the store was down a long hill that Ray drove along. After exiting the store he was driving along the road which the store was above. He would have of course turned left had there not been a buffer between the lanes. “Yeah, tomorrow I’m quitting. I’ll only go back to get my phone and then I’m never going…” The creature landed on Ray’s car, making the windows shatter and the windshield crack. We screamed and Ray jerked the wheel to shake it off. It leaped off his car. Only when it did could we see that we were headed straight for a tree. He crashed into it, causing the airbags to deploy and both of us to pass out. “Oh fuck my head,” I groggily said upon waking later. My blurry vision came into focus. When it did I saw that I was back in Arby’s. If that wasn’t bad enough my arms were chained to the prep table. “Fuck,” I yelled and heard groaning beside me. I turned to see Ray was coming to. “Alvin, is that you? Where are we?” He shook his head and took a look around. “God damn it. Where’d it even get chains? Our store doesn’t have any.” He yanked on his restraints in a futile attempt to free himself. “That’s simple,” We heard a metallic and raspy voice say. “I brought them.” My breath caught in my throat as the creature came into the kitchen. Its eyes were full of anger and also intense focus. Its breath had a strong copper smell to it. “Wait...You can talk?” I hesitantly asked. "No, what you’re hearing right now is an auditory hallucination. Yes, I can talk. I must admit you were almost able to escape. Almost.” “What do you want?” Ray asked, trying and failing to keep the fear out of his voice. The claws of its hand clicked against the floor as it scampered over to him. He shuddered as it caressed his face with one of its claws. I was on edge, knowing it could kill both of us at any moment. My heart nearly stopped when it made a move to stab Ray in the heart only to stop its hand inches from his chest. “It’s not what I want. It’s who I want,” It said. “Where is Dennis?” “Dennis?” I said in confusion. He was our general manager. What this thing wanted with him was beyond me. “Why do you want to know that?” Ray inquired. “That is not your concern. I know he was supposed to be here now so I will ask again?” Where is he?” It hissed out that last question, revealing its scarlet-colored sharp teeth. “Didn’t he have an appointment?” I asked Ray. “Yeah,” He replied. “That means he’s probably at home right now.” The creature let out a sigh of annoyance. “Of course he did. I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere.” It flashed us a smile and went into the lobby. I turned to Ray. “Are we still clocked in?” I asked. “Uh. I’m not sure.” The monster came back into the kitchen, holding Ray’s phone. “What are you going to do with that?” He asked. “That should be obvious. I want you to call Dennis and tell him to come here.” “What makes you think he will?” “He’ll have to since the fryer is broken.” “But it’s not…” In one swift motion, it used its claws to slice into the fryer, severing the wires inside and leaving deep claw marks in it. We were too stunned to say anything. “And remember I can easily do that to both of you so I suggest you don’t keep me waiting.” “Okay fine,” Ray agreed. “Good to hear. Since your phone requires a thumbprint to unlock, I’ll remove your chains. Just remember if you try and escape I’ll shred you to bits and put them in between some onion rolls with bbq sauce.” Ray’s hands shook as he dialed Dennis’s number. The monster waited patiently as he did so. Ray’s phone rang for a while, making me worry that Dennis wouldn’t pick up. Thankfully on the eighth ring, he did. “Ray, why the hell are you calling me at this hour?” He asked, clearly having been woken from sleep based on how he sounded. “Sorry, Dennis, there’s been a bit of an emergency.” “Really? What is it?” Dennis sounded a little more awake by then. “A bear got into the store and wrecked the fryer.” “Ray, you do realize I can have you fired for trying to pull such an asinine prank on me, right?” “I’m not joking. I can send you a picture of it.” When Dennis saw the picture that Ray sent him, he went ballistic. “God fucking damn it,” he yelled. “How did a bear even get in the store in the first place?” “It came in through the backdoor while Alvin was taking out the trash. It made a pretty big mess in here. Neither of us were hurt, thankfully. Anyway, what do you want to do about it? If we call for repairs it might not be fixed before we open.” Dennis sighed. “How was a bear, able to do that much damage to it? Is that even possible? It doesn’t matter. I’ll be down in a little while.” Ray’s phone beeped, indicating the call had ended. “There I called him. Can you let us go now?” He asked. “Not yet. There’s something I need to get done before he gets here. You two will help me get it done faster.” “Why should we do that?” I asked, raising my voice to which he gave me a “Really?” look and held up one of his claws. “Oh yeah.” I can’t really tell you much about what he made us do since I was really tired at that point. Adrenaline only lasts for so long and when it wears off after a shift that technically lasted over ten hours your eyelids feel heavier than a sack of bricks. What I will say is that it involved us writing some runic symbols with multi-colored chalk. These symbols started from the drive-through and stretched around the store to the parking lot’s exit. After this was done, we waited for Dennis in the store. “Remember what I’ll do if either of you tries any funny business,” The creature said as we heard Dennis’s car pulling into the parking lot. He hid in the kitchen, leaving us to do the talking. “Okay. We’re just leading our boss to his death,” I thought. “No pressure. None at all. Oh god. There’s no way I’m sleeping tonight.” “God fucking dammit,” Dennis yelled from outside with a toolbox in his hand. “Yeah, the bear really did a number on the place,” Ray said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Why didn’t you tell me it broke the window?” “I said it made a big mess didn’t I?” There were a few awkward moments of silence before Dennis replied. “Whatever,” he said, walking past us. “I’ll see if I can fix the fryer. If not we’ll have to stay closed tomorrow.” The tension was high as he pushed open the door to the kitchen, muttering some curses when he saw the mess in it. I was expecting the monster to pounce on him right away. Instead, he was able to make his way to the fryer with no trouble aside from having to navigate all the clutter. I was confused at this and exchanged a glance with Ray. His expression was similar to mine and he shrugged in response. “I think if I can solder these wires back together, it should get the fryer working again in time for us top open. It won’t look pretty, though.” It was when Dennis was crouching down to get a better view of the fryer’s insides did it come out of hiding. As it turned out it was hiding in the break room. How it was able to fit in there given its size baffled me. The reason we didn’t know where it had been was due to the boxes we had left on the prep table. It was only when it was standing up could we see its head over the boxes. I wanted to yell for Dennis to run. I really did. Then I remembered what the monster said it’d do to us if we tried anything. Plus, the fact despite having worked there for two years, covering shifts, coming in on days off, and staying well past when I was scheduled to clock out, I was still making under eight dollars an hour. With that in mind, I didn’t really view Dennis as life risk worthy. “Dennis,” it said. He turned around. When he did I almost thought he was going to have a heart attack. He was acting as if he had a scream that wouldn’t come out. On instinct, he began swinging one of his tools in an attempt to defend himself. It grabbed the tool out of hand and crushed it using it with little effort. “It’s been a long time since we last met,” It said. Its face was only inches from his. “You two know each other?” I said, wondering how Dennis could possibly know something so disturbing in appearance. He somehow found his voice again. “I- I don’t know this thing. Why would I?” “Because you made me like this. Do you remember what happened in Vegas?” Dennis’s eyes lit up with recognition. “No...Freddy?” “That’s right.” “Does anybody want to fill us in here?” Ray asked. It answered, not taking its eyes off Dennis. “Back in the 90s he and I worked at the location in Las Vegas. What he proposed was us hitting casinos and betting the money we had saved up. We pooled it together.” “Did you guys lose all the money?” I asked it. “No. In fact, we won a lot. It all went great until he stole the earnings and left.” It pointed a finger at Dennis, poking his chest. “Wait,” I said. “Does that mean you were human before?” “It does. After telling my wife what happened, she left with the kids. I spent the next ten years in shelters or on the streets. One night when I was sleeping in a park I woke up to him shaking me.” “Who?” “I’m not sure exactly what he was. All I knew for sure was that he wasn’t human.” “How could you tell?” “His eyes were like a snake’s. He said one thing to me. That was all it took for me to follow him. He asked if I wanted revenge. Memorizing the ritual that turned me into this wasn’t the hard part. The hard part was tracking Dennis down and waiting for the right moment to perform it.” “Look. Freedy, I’m sorry,” Dennis protested. He tried, moving towards the door. Freddy grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the floor. “Sorry would have been not running off with the money. Sorry would have been returning the money after realizing the error of your ways. Apologizing over twenty years later only when your life's on the line is a desperate ploy to save yourself from what you deserve. To be honest, I wasn’t surprised to find you working for this company again. I guess your addiction cost you most of the earnings. Isn’t that right?” Freddy dropped him to the floor and grabbed him by his legs. “Alvin, Ray, help me,” Dennis pleaded “I know you need us to,” Ray replied. “Thing is, we like you know, living and Freddy here said he’d kill us if we tried anything.” Although my opinion of Dennis was really low at that point, I also didn’t want him to get killed. With that being said, though there wasn’t really anything we could do to help him. I mean maybe we could have used the knives. However, that would be like arming ourselves with a stick while fighting a grizzly bear. We could only watch in terror at what happened next. Dennis began protesting that we’d be fired if we didn’t as Freddy was dragging him out the back door. Dennis’s nails scraped against the floor as he tried resisting. He grabbed the door frame and promised us two dollar raises if we helped him. Shortly later after being yanked away from the door, Dennis was put into Freddy’s car. We followed, wondering what exactly was going to happen. “Thanks for the help, you two,” Freddy grinned to which we could only nod in response, too frightened by his smile to say anything. His gnarled and sharpened teeth unnerved the hell out of me. What unnerved me, even more, was how he fit back into his car. He started to scrunch himself up. The sound of his bones snapping and popping as they rearranged themselves was clearly audible as he did this enough for him to fit into the driver's side of his car. I suspect this is how he was able to hide in the break room without anyone noticing. He cranked up his car and proceeded to drive to the exit starting from the drive-through. The runic symbols his car approached lit up with flame right before he drove over them. Each one was a different colored flame. We watched all of this in amazement. All the while we could see Dennis with tears streaming down his face as he banged on the back windshield as he was screaming our help. The last we saw of him and Freddy was when the car was driving over the last symbol. Its flame was an angry red. Right as Freddy was driving over it something appeared above his car. I can only describe his thing as kite-like. Its body only vaguely resembled a diamond shape and its head was similarly shaped. It regarded us briefly with its bright eyes. Honestly, the thing hurt to look at. It was as if we were seeing a living magic eye picture. I’m thinking it was probably a demon or something. Either way, I hope I’m never on the receiving end to whatever it did to Dennis. Its body stretched, enveloping Freddy’s car and it vanished, causing the runes’ flames to go out simultaneously as a result. “Man, I’d hate to be wherever he is now,” Ray said after some moments of awkward silence. “Yeah,” I agreed. Not having fully processed what I had seen not even a minute ago. “By the way, does this make us accessories to murder?” Ray thought for a moment. “Technically I think?” It won’t come as a surprise to learn that we quit that night. Naturally, we had to come up with an explanation for Dennis seemingly vanishing off the face of the Earth. Thankfully, our bear explanation served well. Although it was unusual behavior for one, the police couldn’t dismiss the claw marks in the fryer or the ones on the floor which meant we avoided any legal trouble. Nobody could really blame us for wanting to quit right away which saved us the trouble having to clean up everything so that’s another silver lining in addition to not getting charged with anything I guess. I talked with Ray sometimes about what happened after we quit. We came to the conclusion that for our safety and sanity the answers as to what happened to Dennis and what that thing was were best left unfound. Sometimes my mind wanders to the kite thing. I say demon. That’s only a guess, though. What I do know is that I will never work at an Arby’s again. However, I will still eat there when I can because I think their food is pretty good. Solid fries and tenders.
Fans of Resident Evil were more than happy to see Capcom come out with another zombie title that replaces tight hallways and puzzles with open-world exploration and a level-up system. The creation of Dead Rising, back in 2006, was a breath of fresh air that was surprisingly supposed to be a sequel to Shadow of Rome, which is a random gladiator game that pretty much nobody played but was something far ahead of its time. Fast forward about 10 years and 3 games later, and Dead Rising is as dead as the zombies that plague its mall, casinos, city, and mall again. Granted, the games changed from a Japanese studio to a Canadian studio after the first one was a smash hit and it was very visible that the second game was already of a different quality. However, once it hit 3, there was such a huge difference in the way the game functioned and played out, people outright refused to bother playing it(it didn’t help that it was an Xbox exclusive until the poorly optimized PC port came out). When it comes down to the first installment being a goofy game that lets you dress as a little school girl and ride a tricycle while zombies are swatting at wasps and yellow raincoat cult members are blowing themselves up, it’s hard to imagine people complaining that the third and fourth game got too silly for their own good. What a lot of people don’t realize is how that is a legitimate concern from gamers, due to the situation that is what I like to call “invisible nuance”. This invisible nuance is where people are unable to understand how the games differ from 1 and 2 over to 3 and 4, and this is because 1 and 2 are satire, while 3 and 4 are parody. In fact, 4 is a parody of the entire series, making it a parody of a parody. With that slight nuance, the Canadian designers not only ruined the story for everyone, but they ruined any chance of a fifth game until Capcom gets so desperate they might as well summon up their own zombie horde to sit down and buy their games. I understand that not many people understand the difference between parody and satire, and I am certain the developers didn’t either when they adopted the IP from the Japanese studio. This is why I believe that the second game was accidentally good, even though they still fumbled on things like making Chuck a really iffy kind of melee fighter at full level and how the game was starting to become a little bit too cartoony for its own good. To put it simply, satire is when a work of art is making fun a genre or work by being part of it. Parody is when a work of art is taking a genre or another work of art and is using it to make jokes that are unrelated to what it’s basing itself on. Satire uses humor to show flaws in human behavior or culture, while parody uses an established work of art to make a joke. It’s very difficult to understand the difference, I know, but I think I’m able to make it simple to understand with a few examples. My favorite example is the difference between Scream and Scary Movie. Scream is satire, Scary Movie is a parody. Scream has a plot revolving around the tropes of slasher films, Scary Movie has a chick belittle her killer after she’s decapitated. Scream has the group follow clues from slasher movies to avoid being killed, Scary Movie has a dude cum so hard the girl on top of him is stuck to the ceiling. If that doesn’t make the difference clear to you, then, I’m sorry, I fear you have the case of the brain worms. The plot of Dead Rising is a satire of Resident Evil, mixed with a take on American consumerism. The entire reason the zombie outbreaks occur in the mall is because a terrorist group wanted to bring the problem a corporation invoked on their Latino town of Santa Cabeza, all because the company wanted to make more cows in order to feed Americans. It’s not that Americans are staring, but rather they are demanding, and the best place to see American demand back in 2006 was in a shopping mall on Black Friday. Shaun of the Dead did a similar satire moment where they showed shoppers at a store walking like zombies because that’s pretty much how they look, just switch the words “brains” with “bargains”. Surprisingly, the first game doesn’t have money as an issue, although it was great when the second game implemented it for its theme of corporate anti-culture and big pharma. So far, we have two games that follow their themes very well and are applying them as a satire. The mall setting is a satire set up for consumerism, while the casino and wrestling ring strip in the second game is a satire set up for anti-culture turning people into greedy slobs that just want to watch blood matches and gamble. Even the main characters of Frank and Chuck work well as themes, with Frank being a journalist(he’s covered wars, you know) and Chuck being a motocross champion turned gladiator. Both of these cause their outbreaks for different reasons and both of these have a beautiful grip on what makes the psychopaths “psychopaths”. Psychopaths are the result of someone going crazy due to the outbreak and because the designers needed a reason to have boss battles across the game’s 3-day span. Just having them there was satire since it’s kind of rare to see people going crazy in zombie movies (back then) and it was interesting to see how humans would turn on humans by having PTSD and a history of being oppressed or already psychotic. The idea of Frank covering wars and then coming home to deal with people having PTSD is a great theme, due to how war has to be glorified in the American news to keep the war effort going, and then the soldiers come home and reveal how terrible it actually was. The first game even has a moment where a psychopath named Cliff goes crazy in a home repair store and after you defeat him, he gives a dramatic monologue about how he snapped the second he saw his granddaughter get eaten by zombies. It’s a heart-wrenching moment that is perfectly finished by Frank closing Cliff’s eyes with a hand and letting out a defeated sigh. Much like how it is in war, not every battle won is a victory. Then there are Psychopaths like Adam the clown who are memorable for the wonderful performance by the voice actor and how intense the battle is. But no matter what Psychopath we deal with, they all follow a theme and an archetype. Adam is the Caino archetype clown, one who is miserable but desires others to laugh and enjoy themselves. This gets twisted into him tying people onto a thrill ride and juggling chainsaws for the sake of “amusement”. The grocery clerk, Steven Chapman, is the archetype of the perfect retail employee. His archetype is twisted into someone who shrieks at the top of his lungs for people to get out of his store and he sets up a shopping cart with pitchforks and blades on it. There’s even a cult leader in a movie theater to make reference to the “cult of personality” where people go to watch and indulge in pointless films to simply argue and create teams against each other about “what media is better than another” with none of them realizing that they are just blindly following propaganda that makes them feel good or powerful. There’s a reason for these psychopaths to be there. They follow themes, they are archetypes, their actions relate to their themes, and even their settings fit their themes to create this deep experience that sticks with you, all while poking fun at the subject of consumerism. That is why people enjoy satire. The events are making fun of the major themes and subjects, all while being a part of those themes and subjects. The survivors are the same way, where you’re trying to save their lives and yet some of them worry more about food, when they are already fat, or they are found doing something they enjoyed in their normal life as if the zombie apocalypse is the perfect excuse to rush to escapism. In the second game, they do the same thing with corporations and big pharma, and they use satire in a similar way but didn’t really tie their themes to either one. Instead, they tied their themes to job titles and employment. Ted Smith, the tiger tamer who looks like if Bobby Hill had a baby with a potato and fed it paint chips, becomes a Psychopath to treat the tiger he grew attached to. Antoine Thomas, the chef that is a bitch to kill, goes crazy trying to create the perfect dish with human flesh. Or is it zombie flesh? Either way, once you meet the mailman with a shotgun who goes postal(yes, I went there, because the game went there), it’s easy to see that they are simply going crazy the same way the grocery clerk of the previous game went crazy. They had a job, they became that job, and they will die as that job. It’s kind of a way to talk about corporatism, but it’s also kind of not. This is why I think DR2 was starting to get messy with its themes and satire, because even though they were using satire to make fun of people who take their jobs too seriously, it’s not really part of the main theme, so it’s understandable why the Psychopaths are not as memorable. Strangely enough, the ones that are memorable are the ones who do fit the corporation theme, like the CURE terrorist who fights you with broken glass, and TK who serves as the main antagonist. Zombrex, the entire reason the game happens, due to big pharma needing zombies to create queens, which allows them to make more zombrex, is the biggest aid in the main theme. Even if you kill TK, the outbreaks will continue, because they would need more zombrex, which requires more zombies, which then makes more people need more zombrex. I swear that theme was far too genius for its own good. Sadly, the only part of the gameplay that relates to it is going over to a pawn shop that is owned by a faceless entity to buy weapons and zombrex, and that’s about it. I guess you can count the “spend money to make money” mentality with gambling because the entire business practice is a gamble, but I’m not really sure if that’s intentional or if I’m just fishing for anything relevant. To wrap up the satire segment, it’s kind of clear that the main idea behind the first 2 games, when it came to satire, was how the themes matched the events and the actions, as well as the humor. Anything goofy going on gameplay-wise is not part of the “world” that the story is setting up. You don’t craft weapons during a cutscene and it’s not like the game forces you to dress up like Megaman for a mission. Granted, there is the ability to be kidnapped by cultists in the first game and you wake up in a box in your underwear, but that’s still part of the gameplay, where it belongs. Now… let’s talk about parody, and boy is this going to be a rant. The third game is where everything goes downhill, story-wise. The idea of big pharma is gone, the idea of American consumerism is there accidentally, and the designers wanted to put a big emphasis on how combo weapons exist. You play as Nick Ramos, who is a mechanic and… that’s his entire character. While Frank was a big mouth pacifist who seeks the truth and Chuck was a hard-ass who wants safety for future generations, Nick is a clean slate who likes to scramble on the floor and awkwardly ask people why they’re killing people. Nick is no longer a character, but rather, a walking joke. He’s nothing more than the voice of the director telling the audience what they should be thinking in order for their awkward scenes to work. His over the top expressions, as if he’s auditioning to play the dad from Son of the Mask, are what the director wants the player to do when a fat lady stabs a man with an oversized fork or when a MILF cop puts his hand on her fake tit. The idea isn’t that he’s a satire of the typical zombie hero, but rather a slapstick parody of what the player does during gameplay. It’s hard to imagine Nick being shocked at a few dead bodies, then quickly fly into action with a boxing glove that has an acetylene tank taped onto it. The amount of difference between cutscenes and gameplay is so extreme, we’re more inclined to skip Psychopath introductions because Nick doesn’t act like the character we’ve been playing as, but rather acts like a helpless survivor that wandered away from the safe house. And before I go off on how the Psychopaths are like in the third game, I have to say that the idea of using the seven deadly sins was an okay idea. It’s not bad. I like themes that represent something. But what the hell does the seven deadly sins have to do with the theme of the story? I have to get into the main theme before I talk about the Psychopaths. While DR1 was about consumerism, and DR2 was about corporatism, DR3 flew way off-topic and decided to make a game about zombies discuss privacy and citizen rights. Yeah… I’m not a genius when it comes down to zombie tropes, but what exactly does a Hispanic dude helping out a group who call themselves The Illegals have to do with the plot of a zombie outbreak? If anything, the plot is saying “these illegals are a risk because there are people who create outbreaks if they are not tracked” and then the gameplay says “you must save these people who risk more outbreaks because they want to do things their own way” with then the plot later going “hey, remember those illegals, you have to help them because this one chick is an illegal and she’s important for no real reason.” Seriously, Annie, the major subplot out of like 5 different unrelated subplots, is Nick’s main objective in the beginning for no real reason. It’s never shown that they are dating, it’s never said she’s important to him, and it’s never said what Nick’s reason is other than “I have to find her”. This can only be concluded as a parody of how games give you missions for no reason. “Bring me 10 goat foreskins”. Why? I don’t know, but I’ll reward you with exp and gold. These main characters have nothing to them except for Gary, who is a mobster who used to be a wrestler, which touches a fall from grace personality that makes him cocky in his ability but humble in his situation. Everyone else is no longer an archetype or even remotely relatable to a character we can point to any zombie media. Annie is a babydoll goth only by appearance, Rhonda is a pinup punk, Red is a beatnik. These aren’t personalities, they are costumes that follow a stereotype, and they didn’t even bother to include the stereotype. Instead, we get these empty husks that are ready to tell jokes instead of supporting the reason why they are there, to begin with. Okay, I’ve delayed it long enough… It's time to talk about the Psychopaths. We get seven major Psychopaths that fill out the seven sins: Lust is an S&M performer who you find in a porn shop, gluttony is a fat lady on a scooter you find in a buffet, greed is a surgeon who is collecting organs, sloth is a champagne socialist you find in his mansion, wrath is a zen monk in his garden, envy is a nerd on a yacht who tries to be like Nick, and pride is a female bodybuilder you find in a gym. At first, from that alone, you can go “oh, that sounds good. The themes are in order, they don’t have much wrong with them, and they don’t conflict with their symbolism.” That is because, on paper, they are almost flawless. But once executed and given dialogue, they are no longer satire. They become parodies of sins. The only ones that stay in their lane are the surgeon and the S&M gimp, and that’s because their personalities and roles are easy to make rather threatening and psychopathic. The rest of them become these over the top cartoon representations that fart a lot and make jokes like they’re Jim Carrey during the dream scene in Dumb and Dumber. I swear, I’m not joking, two of them, sloth and gluttony, shit themselves when they die. Wrath, an old monk who’s gone mad and says “pretentious big brain Buddhist riddles” has his last word be “Seriously?!” after reminiscing about having a family. There’s nothing really about them that makes them sinners, other than how they set up jokes. Pride gets called “sir” by Nick, and it’s funny because she’s just a really buff chick with short hair, and Nick is supposed to be the player and Nick is a misgendering idiot. The rest of the Psychopaths, who are part of the main story, have very little to do with anything. To put it plainly, the theme we’ve established with the concept of illegals and citizen rights and privacy, the only thing the main story Psychopaths relate to is that some of them are police officers and military officials. This is just a parody of the previous games, where they had two DHS agents try to find out what’s going on with you, and now the government is your biggest enemy because there is The Illegals organization and they are important and stuff. I don’t think I have to get into the subject of the illegal crisis the US has had since before Dead Rising was a thing, but, just so we’re clear, the bitten illegals are a parody of the immigration illegals. They create an organization, they claim they just want to be safe and do things on their own, they want to stay off the grid, and then they have people like Red who go out of their way to destroy government property and we have people like Annie who has a father (Chuck Greene) who’s in charge of a mafia. I don’t know about you, but this sounds like a Spanish soap opera more than it sounds like a zombie game. Nothing about them is saying why they are illegal, or what the illegal status means to an outsider, or what the illegal status means to an insider. They say they are free and then they are held up in a shelter surrounded by zombies and they need Nick to save them. Speaking of Nick, let’s talk about his tattoo. Later on in the game, it’s revealed that Nick is part of an experiment where they had a bunch of children, who are immune to the virus but also carry it, go out into different places. The reason is kind of so that they can infect places, which is seen in an awful cutscene that is literally a museum of exposition, and it’s hinted that Nick or his friend Diego might have been the reason people were infected in their area, but it’s never really said. Instead, they drop that plot point and talk about how Nick is the cure. So, the entire time we’re playing as Nick, we are shown that he’s useless in human interactions and is a weakling, but then now he’s the cure and the savior of the human race, as long as he can be taken away and studied. This is a parody of exactly what Frank West’s character went through in the first game, which was a hero’s journey. You see, a hero’s journey, when applied with the Jungian form that Frank West had, is done right, you get a story that flows well and makes sense. Frank had the call of adventure towards the mall, he’s helped by the DHS agents, he gets mentors and helpers along the way, then he’s thrown into the abyss of the conspiracy, he changes from a journalist to a warrior of truth, he finds out he’s bitten and will soon turn, then he is granted the reward of finding a temporary cure with Isabella’s help. Near the end, he also encounters his shadow, who is a military commander. Frank is out to reveal the truth, while the military commander is out to conceal the truth. The battle challenges Frank’s beliefs of whether or not hiding such a big scoop is the right thing to do. Nick’s journey is a parody of this, minus the shadow. He starts off as useless, never really works for anything to happen, the entire story exists without him needing to be there, then near the end, they say “by the way, you’re important”, all for the story to say Nick is still not really that important and reveal that Isabella caused the outbreak so that Nick can reveal himself as someone who’s immune. This isn’t a hero’s journey. It’s not even a journey. It’s a series of unfortunate events that reward Nick for absolutely no reason. He has to survive because he’s special, but he didn’t do anything to be special, other than magically be good at combining things, which… is something everyone else can do in this world. The best way I can say his character fits the theme is by saying “the cure to a bad situation is to have someone who can fix stuff”. Doesn’t that sound absolutely engaging? Now, what about the fourth game? Is there anything else I really have to add to hammer in the idea that these two failures were accidental parodies? I guess I can say that the fourth game goes over consumerism, again, but leaves it at “hey, Christmas is a thing, right?” Nothing in the story really deals with the theme of consumerism because that game has the theme of freaking transhumanism. The main villain is a dude who’s a conscious zombie with robot armor and Frank West turns into a zombie, only to be turned back into a human. Frank turns into a rotting corpse… then he turns back into a fully functional human. Trust me, that’s a parody. That’s just a joke with nothing funny attached to it, much like most of Frank’s dialogue in the fourth game. All he does is wisecracks and Uncharted-esque zingers. His personality is to wait for someone to give him material to make fun of and to have pointless arguments with Asian women. Even when I say the theme is about transhumanism, it really does just end at that. There are no more Psychopaths, they replaced them with maniacs. The maniacs are a parody of Psychopaths. Characters like the Sadistic Claus and Captain Black Fridaybeard have nothing to do with the theme and they have nothing to do with reality. They are just there, wielding electric axes and ice swords because that’s how the designers wanted to reward the player for defeating an opponent that is easier than finding something to be disappointed within the game. Archetypes are more than just catchphrases, vernacular, and stereotypes. They have an actual purpose and theme that is carried out by their actions and desires because the most important part of an archetype is their specific desire. When all the maniac simply desires is “kill everything” then they’re no different from a wandering zombie. They are reduced to a parody of what the psychopaths were. The story was reduced to a parody of the first game, with the theme even being parodied as “with consumerism, we can achieve transhumanism” as part of the plot. It’s basically saying, “you eat a lot and we end up with robo-zombies that talk.” Frank himself was reduced to a parody of Frank, with his charismatic journalistic archetype being replaced by Carrot Top and his bag o’ funny props. At no point am I saying that parody is bad. To be honest, I love parody movies like Scary Movie, especially Scary Movie 2. However, when we want to make a game fun, and when it’s a game like Dead Rising, the jokes of said parody should make us actually laugh. It should try to make us amused, and that’s hard to do with a setting that’s also trying to take itself seriously at times. It’s like trying to enjoy a parody episode of Simpson’s Treehouse of Horrors and the entire time they play it off like it’s supposed to be serious. That serious tone is great for satire, but it’s just too out of place for parody. Parody can exist within satire, but satire cannot exist within a parody. Satire relies on the themes of the subject to make the humor have its punch, while parody is simply a joke that uses a theme and subject as a platform to talk about something unrelated. I believe the designers who messed up on that little bit of nuance had the right intentions but didn’t have the right direction. If anything, nobody told them the first game was satire and the second game was kind of trying to copy the first game in approach and they lucked out by great observation. But the second they decided to try something else, they had no idea what the original plan was and went off into their presumed direction, parody. It’s amazing how such a small mistake can cause such big problems, but let that be a lesson to you. The slightest misunderstanding you have of the art you try to mimic can cause the biggest differences in how people compare yours with the original source. There are things that stick with people and there are things that fall flat. The more you understand the established concepts that people enjoy, the better you’ll be able to please your audience and returning fans. If you don’t understand how the art was well received, and you go by “top trends of the previous year”, you’re going to make another Dead Rising 4.
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