Album first
Edit: Added some additional pics in the album.
Intro
This is my third pair of goodyear welted boots. My current go-to boots are Wolverine 1000 Mile Evans; these being a very casual look, I wanted a dressier boot, one that I could dress up with a suit or dress down with jeans. The chelsea boot seemed to fit the bill.
Purchasing
I bought these from Meermin’s website for $330 CAD, including shipping. As a Canadian who has been shopping around for quality footwear for a while, this is CHEAP. I’m more than happy with the price. Got dinged for $16 in taxes when it cleared customs, and UPS charged a $10 brokerage fee for collecting this. Something to keep in mind for fellow Canadians - if you need to do any returns, there’ll be some costs that you won’t get back. Still quite happy with the $356 CAD all-in; I don’t think I could have gotten anything close to this quality at local retail for that price.
Meermin also shipped the boots UPS Expedited from New Jersey, which was nice, as shipping was quite fast. They shipped about 1 business day after ordering, and arrived 3 days later.
Sizing, Fit, and Comfort
Buying footwear online without the opportunity to try on is always a bit of a gamble, and I put a lot of effort into trying to get the sizing right, since return and re-purchase costs could add up pretty quickly, on top of just being annoying. Meermin customer service emailed me some very helpful information on measuring my feet, as well as a link to their sizing tool (https://digamelon.typeform.com/to/yqolYj), which was super helpful as it gives full measurements for all the Meermin lasts in each size. I did a lot of measuring of my feet before settling on size 10UK.
Again, the sizing tool was invaluable for choosing the right size - I had seen a lot of advice to go a full size down from your US size to Meermin’s UK sizing. I wear a US 10.5D in most shoes, but I think the 9.5 UK would have been too narrow in the toe - this is a common issue for me, as my forefoot is around a D width, but my hindfoot and ankle are rather narrow. In many of the chelsea boots I’ve tried (including Red Wing Willistons), the ones long enough to accommodate my foot length are either too narrow in the toe, or too wide in the heel and around the ankle. For further sizing reference for anyone out there, I wear a US 9.5D Wolverine 1000 Mile, I own a pair of US 9.5D Thursday Presidents that are just a bit too narrow at the point of the toe for me to be truly comfortable, and when I tried on a pair of Iron Rangers at the Red Wing store, the US 9D fit me best.
Overall the fit is comfortable, but not perfect. The collar is a bit loose around my ankle at the front and back, and there's a bit of extra room around my heel, though heel slip is minimal. The fit around my forefoot and toes is just right. Snug, but not tight. Thicker socks improve the fit somewhat. I ended up buying Superfeet’s ¾ insert off Amazon, which fills in some volume in the heel and under the vamp, and makes the fit almost perfect.
Pretty satisfied with the fit overall. Finding chelsea boots of this style that were even remotely comfortable for my foot shape was a challenge, much less a goodyear welted pair. At some point I’d like to see if a cobbler could make me a thicker ¾ leather insole so that I’d no longer need the Superfeet inserts. If anyone’s ever done something like that, I’d be interested to hear about it.
Look and Style
I was debating a black chelsea vs. a dark brown and ended up going with dark brown, as I feel like it would be more versatile with my wardrobe. The look and style is exactly what I wanted - the toes are somewhat pointed, giving the boots a dressier and sleeker profile than the rounded toe on chelsea boots like Blundstones, while still providing enough room for my wide, squarish toes. The colour is pretty true to what was shown on Meermin’s website, a nice shiny uniform dark brown that can be dressed up or down. The day my boots arrived, my kids wanted to have a “fancy dinner” at home, so I wore them with my suit (which doesn’t get any wear these days due to COVID) - the boots looked sharp!
Leather and Craftsmanship
The calf leather (from Les Tanneries Du Puy in France, per Meermin) is quite soft and supple. I haven’t worn these for an extended period yet, but so far the break-in seems pretty gentle, contrary to what I’d heard about Meermin boots in general. A few mild tight spots, but overall pretty comfortable right off the bat.
The overall fit and finish is pretty good. I’ve read mixed reviews about Meermin in this area, but mine seem pretty solid. There were a few loose threads left around the edge of the elastic areas, but they weren’t attached to anything and I was able to just pick them off. Looked like stuff that just didn’t get cleaned up before they left the factory.
There is what appears to be a slight crease line running down the front center of both boots, from the top of the collar down to the toe. Just a slightly lighter thin line in the leather - looks like where the leather was folded to shape the boot. It’s very hard to see; I can only see it up close in certain light, but this might bother some people. This is my first pair of chelsea boots, so I don’t know if this is common.
Conclusion
Pretty happy with these. I’ve been looking for a good chelsea boot for a while, and this is exactly the style that I wanted. My options in Canada at this price point that aren’t cemented crap are next to non-existent, so this was a nice introduction to Meermin. If anyone knows if Meermin has a last with the same width toe as the Hiro with a narrower heel, please let me know!

when I follow muslims online 100% in all videos I see some kind of the following:
mocking, insulting, and dehumanization of muslims unjustly.
some non muslims man... sigh
they brush all muslims as liars with the taqiya word. taqiya is lying to preserve life that is common sense anyways and should be praised. IT IS NOT LYING TO SPREAD RELIGION. it is ironic they are the ones saying falsity be it intentionally or with ignorance.
Some of them go the jump of blaming all world problems into muslims and saying you guys need to take responsibility. sigh... Corvid? my fault. Drunks and family abuse? My fault? debt due to gambling and interest? my fault. rape and sexual harassment because of western culture? my left again.
​
What is worst some are straight up insulting the religion. Allah and prophet. straight up lies and slander. misquotation of quran and using forged hadith no suit their agenda. People consider Islam in reddit as the worst religion ever. why? I have yet to hear a god reason. I have seen a video were a hijabi woman hijab was grabbed forcefully by a non muslim. a lot of videos where hijabi muslims are denied entrance to establishments. Mosque shootings.
​
Even Major countries like france, china, india and allah knows their is probably more. where they prosecute muslims, rape murder, investigations ....... The list goes on and on.
​
Even in arab world when you try remind people of good and bad they mock you and stop being religious. a word called mutawah is used etc. There is no place I can go where I can run too.
​
Edit: I have been advised to go outside more lol. will do. You are right. I have been trying to respond to the bad comments I see but it is appears they don't operate on logic but pure hatred. Best to ignore them all together.
the internet makes the 1% of bigots in real life appear like 90% of people.

Hello,
Tim hopes nobody finds who he really is. But without a resource like a licensed therapist or in patient center, has no choice but to get some kind of feedback.
Tim is 31.25 years old. His parents married and divorced when he was young. his mom had custody for a while; they moved around a lot. went to 3 different high schools, and 2 different middle schools, all private. freshman year hs was spent in a different country in a boarding school, in northern france an hour away from brussels, lille. he grew up and befriended mostly white, upper class folks.
up until he came back from france, he was a clean person. he used to step on cigarettes on the floor and crack the tobacco out because he thought they were bad. when he returned to the us, he lived with his grandparents. he also played sports, basketball and football, rarely got sick, an otherwise healthy human with the clean slated potential to live to age 80. there wasn't any supervision because his gparents were old, he was very lonely, and most of his human contact was over the internet via AIM and multiplayer video games like counter strike and starcraft. he started smoking cigarettes during this time, so if anyone asks and has an issue with 420, the shit that's LEGAL and AVAILABLE are the real culprits, alcohol included.
not long after, he started smoking weed, age 15. hes been using weed since then, and it's never caused him any problems. his memory seems to still be in tact and he never get sick, hes otherwise still healthy but he want to keep it that way because he will not get any other chances after this.
he thinks this lonliness perpetuated through high school because of moving around a lot and having to ditch old friends and make new ones, but he also had a lot of other problems with himself like the way he looked and where he was from and things that he considers now to be, unimportant or, unrelated to a person's success. in other words, his brain didn't really start developing into an adult one until, about a year ago when he stopped using drugs. so his guess is that the drug use at the start of adolescence impeded his natural development. so all the above led to an interest of using drugs, he thinks stumbling on erowid.com browsing the internet probably reading up on things about weed, and then reading about the effects of all these drugs.
during high school from 16-18 he did ecstacy 3 times, mushrooms 5 times, lsd 3 times, and coke 10 times.
coke was the one that perpetuated the most. from 18-21 he did it a handful of times with a friend, maybe 3 times max, low doses as well under half gram. then when he was 21 in college, stumbled on poker, and got addicted to gambling. hes clean from gambling for 2 days. gambling produced a high greater than any of the drugs he had ever done, including high doses of cocaine, so from 21-25.50 he was completely clean from cocaine and all drugs. all he did was play poker online, losing, because in gambling the odds are against the player; how the game is designed. then from 26-30 the use went from once a month, to once a week, to 3 times a week, until January of 2020. He relapsed a handful of times throughout the year, incessantly trying to control the cravings.
cocaine and gambling cost him several jobs, his 20s, ten years of lifespan, and possibly more if he get disease later in life from it. therefore, Tim would rather not be alive, than ever go back to these behaviors. they are no different to him, brain chemistry wise in memory and the hippocampus and everything, than causing lethal harm to yourself. from his experience, relapse is what prevents a person from ever being free. hes 100% sure hell never relapse on gambling or drugs. his brain has finally understood, schematically, that the above behaviors are fake, illusory, and unnatural. our brain chemistry is the result of millions of years of evolution; Tim doesn't want to ever fuck or tamper with it ever again, and has developed a DEEP respect for himself that never existed before in his life, which is what led him to these behaviors in the first place.
If you made it this far, my question is, based on the above history of use and drugs used, will Tim have a shot at physically restoring his brain chemistry to some modicum of normalcy? Having lost 10 years of his life to fake behaviors, can he still play video games. Do video games rank with these nasty things that exist, or is it a real form of dopamine release? Video games have never caused these kinds of problems. In tim's opinion, the worse they can do is take up a person's time.
Clean from smoking (cigarettes / dry weed): 1.1 years
Clean from cocaine: 1.1 months
Clean from gambling: 48 hours
Clean from all other drugs mentioned: 11 years
He uses a vaporizer pen to heat live resin oil now in the evenings, probably safer than a beer or glass of wine, and the primary reason was able to quit smoking.
Thanks for your insight, and time.

There was so much fiery drama and controversy during the Jay Wilson D3 era, you can't help but think Blizzard looked in that rear-view mirror and said "Good lord did all that really happen? Let's see if we can avoid having our director get death threats this time".
And sure enough, there really was some crazy stuff that went on. Like that Brevik-Wilson fiasco that came out of nowhere. With many games you would have the previous version's team hyping up and promoting the next version but with D2 and D3 you had Wilson saying "F..k that loser" to Brevik and Brevik basically calling D3's team a bunch of scrubs that don't understand ARPGs or loot systems. Brevik needed to hype his new Marvel game and Jay kind of took the bait and didn't handle it well. In particular, saying F that loser alienated much of the community on a personal level. It would have been better if he just argued Brevik's comments on their merit. Wilson even got death threats from some in the community later on.
And then you had all the controversy around RMAH, people using RMAH more frequently than actually playing the game. Some making $1000's flipping items on RMAH. The massive 2013 gold exploit tanking the economy at some point, 2 BEEZ 2 BEEZ, multiple lawsuits, and South Korea initially banning D3 if it included RMAH because of their gambling laws on real money transactions, etc.
And the deal with online-only - they really needed to set expectations and make sure everyone understood that offline just wasn't happening. A lawsuit based in France was brought against Blizzard because of online-only and it quickly became clear they needed giant red letters ONLINE-ONLY for packaging. You had so many D2 players used to both offline and online and suddenly boom you're online-only. Not to mention the launch issues with the servers being completely overwhelmed and players being unable to even play. Online is needed - it's needed for competitive ladders, putting the kibosh on modding, piracy, etc. But going cold turkey at launch with no offline was bound for trouble. The console version finally provided both offline and modding but this was years down the road and consoles aren't PCs.
And then there was the promise of meaninhful PvP and not delivering, the very early need for loot 2.0 because itemization wasn't what was expected and people were pissed, Bashiok's bizarre initial denial that Kripp had the world-first HC clear, so many things just seemed to give the middle-finger to the community.
And you can go on and on with other issues but the point is that Blizzard clearly doesn't want a repeat of all that D3 drama and the new D4 team is making a huge effort of collaborating with the community, respecting feedback, being transparent, and setting expectations. Subjective, but D4 should turn out just fine.

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/hour MCOL - 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 - Systems analyst 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:

• Taxes: $1214
• (Pre-Tax) Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision, Life) + HSA: $822
• (5% Pre-Tax) 401k: $256
• (10% Post-Tax) ESPP: $514

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.

Luckbox CEO Says Move is "Significant Boost" for the Betting Sector
Real Luck Group Ltd. (TSXV: LUCK) (the "Company") and its subsidiary companies doing business as "Luckbox" (the "Group"), a provider of legal, real money esports betting, has welcomed the news that gambling apps will be available for download in the Google Play Store in 15 countries.
Google's updated policy, which can be found at https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developeanswe10318510, states that starting March 1, 2021, gambling apps will be available for download on Android devices in the U.S., Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Spain, and Sweden. This expands the geographical reach of Google Play Store gambling apps beyond Brazil, France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, countries where in-app gambling is already available through the Google Play Store.
Quentin Martin, Real Luck Group Ltd. CEO, said: "Google's addition of 15 nations (for a total of 19) that can now download gambling apps is a significant boost for the igaming sector. As an operator offering wagering on esports and sports via our Luckbox platform, this is a positive catalyst for the mobile betting sector, as it facilitates further player uptake in a responsible manner and signals the widening global acceptance of gaming."
According to the European Gaming & Betting Association, mobile betting was expected to account for 45.6% of online gambling revenue in 2020 and to reach 50.8% by 2022, surpassing the use of desktop for the first time. This trend is expected to continue, with mobile betting projected to reach a 58.2% share in 2025. Luckbox is a bespoke platform built to be mobile friendly with about 50% of our traffic coming via mobile users. The addition of a mobile app allows operators an improved connection with customers, such as real-time notifications, deeper integration with devices and additional security features.
Disclaimer: this is not investment advice, please do your own research!

It is important to learn where 먹튀검증is in a very commercial world today. This is not an easy discussion and will require us to spend time and effort if we want to seek enlightenment on this problem. But this knowledge is relevant for beginners, players, and casinos themselves. For example, this information can give you gambling perceptions, not only in the country but throughout the world. Statistics can give you information about the kind of addiction owned by the casino and the overall gambling behavior of the population. If you are an online gambler who is interested, you must make you updated to the latest news.
See a general description of online gambling realms
At this time, gamblers throughout the world are confused by the approval of the enforcement of the enforcement of the Internet gambling (Uigea), which forbid Americans from gambling games online and which seems to be the most urgent problem regarding public public. However, bills only target American citizens and US gambling and casino markets. But the implications of this law spread globally. One important effect is Strasehy higher in money transfer procedures and banking options on the gambling site. It began in 2007 even though in a way that was unclear and confusing. The result is the closure of online gambling sites as a result of a reduction in shares caused by the market which is reduced when the US forbids its people to join online gambling. Gambling sites outside the United States also prohibit the registration of US players. Indeed, the Uigea effect travels beyond America's boundaries, affecting the gambling industry throughout the world, damaging more casino sites than they should.
Gambling on the internet
So, you might want to check how prosperous games in other countries continue the gambling tradition. The American gambler is not completely prohibited from joining the gambling site and it must be clear. Some countries still allow people to gamble despite the presence of Uigea, which is not fully implemented throughout the country. More countries around the world promote casinos to compensate the terrible decline in the US casino market. These countries include Barbuda and Antigua in the Caribbean, where online gambling has long been successful and developed. Caribbean has some of the best licensed online casinos that booms because of low taxes and fast transactions. Of course, regardless of this Caribbean country, there are more countries that allow online gambling and online casinos to operate, such as France, Australia, South Korea and Germany. These countries have long seen economic benefits supporting this kind of market.
Gambling Future
The stability of land-based casinos is the subject of a sustainable debate. There is a lot of discussion about real economic benefits to promote casinos and let them develop on the commercial arena. There are also arguments about the pros and cons have them around and whether the benefits are greater than losses or vice versa. Even so, experts believe that online gambling and Roulette will definitely be for a while and that this industry remains prosperous, whatever happens.

Hi
A gambling addict here, suffering from gambling (land based and online) for nearly 30 years.
Being here in Canada, I can self excluded myself from land based casinos as they are administered by provincial boards and I will be excluded from their supervised online gambling platform as well.
The challenge to me is the online casinos from overseas. There are too many of them and they keep creating new brands so excluding myself doesn’t help much as I can easily open new account at another casinos.
I understand some countries don’t allow online gambling (except for the platform operated by country/state commissions). I assume if the patrons exclude themselves from these country/state run casinos when the foreign administered casinos are prohibited, it could really build stronger barrier for gambling addicts to avoid wasting money in gambling.
Is it possible to make petition to our parliament and ask for such arrangement? Any comments on this idea? Anyone interested in working on this together?
Thanks for reading! Stay safe!
Below is a list of restricted countries listed by one online gambling facility on their website:
Restricted Countries * Afghanistan * Antigua and Barbuda * Asia * Australia [8] * Belgium * Bouvet Island * British Virgin Islands * Bulgaria * Colombia * Cuba * Czech Republic * Estonia * Ethiopia * France * Germany [16] * Gibraltar * Greenland * Guadeloupe * Heard Island and McDonald Islands * Hong Kong * Hungary * Indonesia * Iran * Iraq * Israel * Italy * Latvia * Libya * Metropolitan France * Palestinian Territories * Poland * Portugal * Puerto Rico * Singapore * Slovakia * Slovenia * South Africa * South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands * South Sudan * Spain * Sudan * Sweden * Switzerland * Syria * Turkey * United States [55]

PROLOGUE(TLDR): I’m one of the many PCT 2020 NOGOs. My naivety and hubris made me embark on a beautiful but testing journey that took me 816km(507mi) from the sandy shores of the Atlantic Ocean through the heart of the Pyrenees crossing France, Spain and Andorra to finally arrive at the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The hardest 23 days I’ve ever done didn’t so much test my body but shake my mind. After the report follows an extensive gear section including a cottage gear jacket which is the first of its kind. But first some facts and stats to put it all in perspective.
What: The Haute Route Pyrenees (Pocket Guide Version)
When: 1st - 24th of September 2020
Total Time: 22 days and 22 hours (includes one zero)
Distance: total: 816km(507mi) / daily average: 35,6km(22,2mi) / daily max: 45,78km(28,45mi)
Vertical Gain: total: 49336m(161864ft) / daily average: 2153m(7063ft) / daily max: 2880m(9449ft)
Route: Map with waypoints of the HRP
Photos: 77 Pictures
Gear: Spoiler: 10.75lbs including a mirrorless zoom lens camera setup
Instagram: I’m posting photos with additional info on how climate change is affecting the Pyrenees. Surprise…it's quite severe. Follow along to find out more.
Strava: My daily itinerary including some clutch camp spots
Conditions: Daily highs at the start were around 23°C(73,5°F). Daily lows towards the end were around 6°C(43°F). Coldest nights were around 2°C(35,5°F). Very mild overall. Mostly sunny. Some days completely foggy, especially at altitude. A few outliers that brought in heavy winds coupled with rain. It hailed for a few minutes once. Luckily missed all the snow which started falling a couple days after I passed certain sections at the end of my trip.
Additional information: The HRP is an unofficial route which crosses the Pyrenees and can be hiked either West- or Eastbound. The trailheads are Hendaye, France (Atlantic Ocean) and Banyuls, France (Mediterranean Sea). The HRP has some sections in common with the GR10, GR11 and GR12. There is a Cicerone guide available. I chose to follow the Pocket Guide route by Paul „Whiteburn“ Atkinson. His guide keeps higher and crosses more Cols (passes). For every difficult section and Col Paul usually has an alternate which is easier and passes through more valleys for additional resupplies that should be considered in bad weather. At this point I have to thank Paul, who put an incredible amount of time and knowledge into his guide and provides it to us completely free of charge. Thanks Paul! If you are ever in Hamburg I’ll buy you a beer. I chose to do the whole route without any alternates and stay high. On his website you can find GPX files for all sections and PDFs for both directions with detailed route descriptions and resupply options.
For navigation I only used GAIA Premium with all French and Spanish IGN maps downloaded. This would eventually bite me in the ass. But more on that in Chapter 3 of my report.
The trip report will not be structured by days but by sections between resupplies.
Feel free to skip any part. I know this trip report is way too long and I guess it’s more for me to remember. But maybe you’ll find my journey interesting enough or use it as a reference for your own future Pyrenees hike.
If you have any comments or questions, ask away.
TRIP REPORT
Chapter 0: Hamburg - Hendaye
Wait, doesn’t the HRP start in Hendaye? Yeah well, bear with me for a minute. The adventure started before I even arrived at the trailhead. I wanted to reduce my carbon footprint a bit and chose to take the train down to Hendaye from Hamburg, Germany. The whole journey should have taken 14,5 hours instead of 5 hours by plane and a quick bus ride. Well, the German and French train companies had other plans and decided it would take me 30,5 hours instead.
I had been waiting inside my train in Hamburg for 30 minutes before the conductor announced that the train had some defect and would not be taking me down to Paris. Good start… I quickly rebooked my journey to Paris but had to rebook my train from Paris to Hendaye directly in Paris.
F*ck it. Let’s give it a shot. Little did I know that the train down to Hendaye had already been cancelled by the French.
The next train thankfully took me to Paris. While trying to find the metro station some guy on his bike abruptly stopped and started talking to me in french and pointing at my back. Once it was clear that I was oblivious to what he was saying he thankfully switched to English. He asked me if I was an ultralight backpacker and showed me his X-Pac pack on his back that a friend of his had made. I was carrying an X-Pac pack I made as well. So we got to talking and I told him that I was going to be stranded in Paris for the night and didn’t have a place to stay yet. He generously offered for me to stay with him and his mom who he was visiting. We exchanged numbers and decided to meet up later as I had to rebook my ticket for the next morning.
The three of us spent a lovely evening having dinner and talking about all things life. Thanks Ulysse for approaching a stranger on the street. I appreciate your friendship very much and I hope we get to hike together soon! Hiking and ultralight has yet again proven how well it connects people.
The rest of the “approach“ went smoothly and I arrived the next day at 12:30pm in Hendaye.
​
Chapter 1: Hendaye - Lescun - Day 1-5
Before starting I obviously had to take a dip in the Atlantic Ocean. The water was lukewarm. Would the water be as pleasant on the Mediterranean Sea three weeks later? I wasn’t sure if I’d find out… After being quite excited for the trip something shifted two days prior to leaving Hamburg. A tight feeling in my chest settled in. I lost all excitement. I didn’t want to go anymore. This feeling would not go away for the first couple of days out on trail. I never had that problem before on any of my other multi-week trips…
My pack was way too heavy. Last year my kit was hovering around the 7lbs mark but after adding a few luxuries and finally settling on a proper camera it was more around 10lbs. Doesn’t make a big difference to me. But I really screwed myself on the food I took for the first few days. Unfortunately, I’m really lazy when it comes to planning my food for trips so I went no-cook. I went to the grocery store an hour before it closed the night before leaving for Hendaye. I just grabbed some stuff I thought I’d like not looking at the g/Kcal food lists I actually had from past trips. I grabbed two heavy-ass glass jars containing PB and Hummus. What was I thinking!?! Glass jars…
I thought the food I bought would last me 3 days… It lasted 6.
Okay, let’s start walking!
Starting at 2pm, I left Hendaye behind me pretty quickly. The vert didn’t wait to introduce itself. Right away you do some steep ascents on forest roads and then out of nowhere you are bushwhacking through some thick brush. The vegetation is very lush and green in the Basque Country. Water was scarce though and my 2 litre capacity was depleting rather quickly in the heat. The first time I managed to find water was around 7pm from a kettle pond. I threw in two of my Micropur tablets and continued the ascent up to Larrun. For the first time I was close to 1.000m(3.300ft) above sea level. After the descent south of Larrun I found a nice meadow. I imposed one restriction on myself for this hike. No night hiking like I usually ended up doing. I just didn’t want to miss anything.
The night was mild and clear. I decided to cowboy camp. A decision I regretted due to all the horses with bells around their necks grazing around me. Whenever I heard a bell come closer I’d jump up and look around me. I was scared shitless of being trampled to death. That would not be the only night I was accompanied by that fear but the last I cowboy camped…
The next two days were more of the same, occasionally passing through a little village of ancient stone-walled houses. I met a dutch hiker, Gun, who was carrying a ÜLA Catalyst. He was a bit skeptical regarding the ultralight approach. I shared my troubles getting into the hike and not being in the right mindset. He knew the feeling and said I should give it a couple more days and hopefully find my groove. I was skeptical but what was the alternative? The logistics of getting back home were more complicated than continuing on. But I think the main reason I went on at that stage was because I had shared my plans of hiking the HRP with so many friends and family… I couldn’t admit defeat, especially since I was in good shape, doing 40km(25mi)+ days right from the get-go.
Lost in conversation, we made some navigational errors but eventually arrived at a decent flat spot to pitch our mids (he was carrying a Duomid). I was happy for the company and I think the main reason I had trouble getting into the hike was the thought of being out there for three weeks… alone. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done more hikes solo than with friends but at that point in time I wanted to share the beautiful, fun and hard times with somebody, and I knew the hike I had planned would have a minimum of that. That night was only one of two in which I camped with someone else…
The next morning Gun and I said our farewells and I grinded on. Yes, it was a grind these first couple of days.
I passed more bells than I cared to hear. I kept thinking this must be the soundtrack of the Basque Country. Ha, how wrong I was. It was the soundtrack of the Pyrenees! I’m not sure if I saw more shepherds or hikers during my trip.
Despite my mental state during the day I was a very happy camper when I decided on my camp spot for the night. Five stars! I sat there, watching the sunset, overlooking the peaks of the Basque Country… smiling. Is this what I needed to turn it all around?
I was actually kind of looking forward to Day 4. Lots of vert and climbing my first minor peak at 2000m(6560ft) above sea level. But Pic d’Orhy would not come easy. First I had to tackle a pretty steep climb and scramble up some ridges. I was exhausted and during a tough scramble looking down a cliff I encountered a german couple who were day hiking and had just come from Pic d’Orhy. It was quite funny how I just started blabbing on without pause as soon as I had people to talk to. They were lovely and after sharing my hiking plans they gave me all the food they had left. I appreciated the fresh apple the most. Thanks Kati and Michi!
Day 5 was the day everything finally came together and I started to feel the trail. After descending down to Refugio Belagua I had a quick Tortilla (the first thing I bought after starting in Hendaye).
The following section will always stay with me. The sun was breaking through the leaves of a magical forest that opened up to a pine tree splattered granite landscape. It was one of the most beautiful sights I got to experience up to this point in my life. My enormous grin just wouldn’t leave my face. No chance. Arriving on the top of Col d’Anaye and looking over my shoulder I knew I didn’t want to be anywhere else in that moment. Crazy how nature’s beauty can totally change your perspective.
On the descent to Lescun I used my 6th and final Micropur tablet of the trip. It seems my confidence went up in every department in these hike defining hours.
After a quick road walk I arrived in Lescun.
​
Chapter 2: Lescun - Gavernie - Day 5-9
Lescun is a cute little village with a small super market that has a pretty limited selection. I quickly stocked up for the next stretch to Gavernie and got in another one and a half hours of hiking. I was never really sure where I would camp the following night. My itinerary usually evolved during the day depending on the terrain and the miles I managed. I got to a Cabane (unstaffed shelter) which was being used by a shepherdess I scared to death when I looked inside. I apologized and asked her if she’d mind me camping on the meadow next to the Cabane. She didn’t and I was glad when another shepherd arrived a few minutes later to hopefully rid her of any fear that was left about some weirdo arriving unusually late to camp right next to her.
I left early in the morning and embarked on a day that was dominated by clouds and fog. I managed to get above the fog for ten minutes which opened up the view to mountain peaks piercing through a plush white blanket of clouds. It didn’t feel like something real at all.
At Ibon de Estanés I passed a fellow ultralighter with a simple hola. I think he was wearing a KS Liteskin pack. Still kicking myself for not introducing myself.
Down in Candanchu I had my first proper town food. A very average Pizza. I’m only mentioning Candanchu as it’s one of the many deserted ski resort villages which look extremely off-putting and depressing during the summer. Funny to think that these sterile artificial places only come to life a couple of months a year. And seeing how climate change doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, will surely suffer in the years to come and maybe turn into permanent ghost towns.
While eating I requested the weather forecast from my dad, a hobby meteorologist. Since he was tracking me online through my Spot he always provided me with very accurate predictions for the next few days. I was always in the know and trusted his expertise. Who needs an InReach if you have your own personal weatherman?
After some road walking I once more climbed into the familiar fog. Due to the lack of views I started to jog down the occasional descents. No point to linger. Trying to fall asleep I just thought to myself how many beautiful landscapes I probably missed due to the fog. But you win some you lose some.
I was completing one week on trail the following day.
I’ve been cruising up to this point and getting a bit cocky. I was already calculating that if I keep up my current pace I will probably finish in 18 days instead of my roughly projected 21 days.
Little did I know that the “real“ Pyrenees were just about to start.
And I was definitely not prepared for what the HRP had in store for me that day.
Heading up to Col d’Arrious I had one of a few conversations with a shepherd. They are quite interesting people and come from all walks of life. Arriving on top of the pass the wind hit me hard. I quickly put on my wind shirt and headed down to Refuge d’Arrémoulit where I had a serrano sandwich with an omelette. While I was enjoying the view of the neighbouring lake a Bonelli eagle passed 15m(50ft) over my head. A rare sight. Could life get much better? I’m not sure, but it could definitely get much worse...
After my break I started to gain elevation again and headed over Col du Palas only to be greeted by a huge boulder field. Keep in mind, there is no trail at all at this point. Occasionally there were a few Cairns scattered around which didn’t really help to define a clear path. After scrambling down for a bit I had to head up those boulders to Port du Lavedan. This is where I made my first major mistake of the trip. I was kind of eyeballing the direction and not really checking GAIA. Well, due to my navigational error I missed the pass by a good 10m(33ft) and climbed up a small ridge I thought was the pass. Once on top I looked over to the other side I had to descend.
“WHAT THE F*CK!?! What the hell is this Whiteburn guy thinking to send people over this crap without advising them to bring some climbing equipment. No, don’t blame him, what where YOU thinking following some made up route from a guy on the internet. JESUS CHRIST. This is f * cked!“
I looked back - yeah no chance I was going back down the way I came. Not much better than what lay before me. Whiteburn mentioned that this section had three major Cols increasing in technical difficulty. This wasn’t one of the three but I thought it was the first and the thought scared me shitless. How was I going to survive the other two IF I made it down this one alive!?! Adrenaline rushed through my body. Focused like I’ve never been before I slowly moved my hands towards some slightly protruding rock to find any grip. Then looking for a decent foot hold. It took me a good five minutes of intense sweat to go down the worst part. I wasn’t going to do something like that again anytime soon, I thought to myself.
Well, I totally would. Kids, triple check your navigation before deciding to climb some stupidly steep ridge.
Not long after the worst part I saw the pass I was supposed to take a couple meters to my right. I was alleviated and angry for making a mistake that could have ended quite badly.
Those five minutes had depleted my energy to zero. I was shaking. That day I had my second shortest hiking day of the whole trip.
After a good nights sleep I was ready to tackle the three technical Cols of that section: Col de Cambales, Col d’Arratille and Hourquette d’Oussoue.
The experience from the day prior boosted my confidence substantially which made those cols a breeze to do and made me enjoy the wide mountain landscapes a lot more. I took my usual hour brake in the early afternoon and washed my shirt and socks. After the last col I tried to get as close to Gavernie, my next resupply. I ended up staying in my first Cabane of the trip which was just a simple rectangle stone hut. Nothing inside. I wanted to get up as early as possible and break down camp quickly so I could arrive early in Gavernie and not lose too much time in town. I managed to arrive around 10am the next day.
​
Chapter 3: Gavernie - Bernasque - Day 9-12
Gavernie is a little mountain town that is the hub for a lot of hiking loops in the area. It has a small outdoor shop you could definitely get a pack or shoes if you have trouble with your equipment.
I headed straight to a restaurant. I needed to charge my power bank to 100% and that would probably take 3 hours. With a quick 30min charge during my pizza break in Candanchu it had survived 8 days without charging.
I got to talking with two hikers that were sitting at the table next to me. They had started the Cicerone version of the HRP 33 days prior from the Mediterranean Sea. From what I could gather the Cicerone version is more in line with the alternates Whiteburn suggests for the Pocket Guide version.
After writing some post cards and stocking up on food at the small super market I had a big steak with fries and a fried egg.
I left Gavernie at 2pm with renewed energy. After the steep descent down Hourquette d’Alans the valley is accompanied by a nice stream that leads into the Lac de Gloriettes dam. Many of the turquoise lakes in the Pyrenees are actually reservoirs or hydroelectric power generators. It takes a bit away from the magic sometimes.
Right around Gloriettes a drizzle started to build. The fog from the days prior was back. And you know when you miss that moment when you should have put on your rain jacket but instead hope that it stops to rain? Yeah, that was me.
Completely soaked I looked at my map to make out potential campsites for the night. I made out a Cabane I should reach right around sunset.
Too bad it was being renovated and bolted shut. Luckily I saw Cabane des Aires a half hour up ahead on my route. I picked up the pace and moved on. I would regret my decision on many levels in the hours to come. I should’ve just set up my tent…
I was hiking a bit above 2000m(6550ft) and the fog was getting thicker to the point that I could only see what was 5m(17ft) around me. Combine that with mostly grassy trails and you have a navigational nightmare on your hands. I was looking at GAIA non-stop and still getting off-course. It was getting pretty cold. I managed to arrive just in time before it got dark.
Exhausted I put on my headlamp to check out the little stone hut. Something moved in my peripheral vision. I moved my head back to where I thought I saw something.
“OH COME ON! REALLY!?“
A freaking mouse. I really didn’t want to deal with these little pests right now. I shooed the thing outside. As the huts’ steel door wouldn’t close I built a barrier out of wood pallets and a nose from a snowboard (how the hell did that get there?). The sleeping area was in the back of the room and thankfully half a meter elevated from the floor. I set up for the night, put my food right next to me and left the rest of my gear on the table. After climbing into my quilt I scanned the hut for unwanted critters again. F*CK! The mouse had brought a friend along… I conceded right then and there. There was no way I was keeping them outside and the night was about to get worse.
When I went to charge my phone nothing happened. I unplugged and plugged my phone back into the power bank a couple of times. Nothing. I was using a micro USB cable with a Lightning adapter. After testing the cable on my headlamp the culprit was obvious. I never trusted 3rd party accessories for the iPhone before. Why did I take this little piece of shit anyway?
My phone was at 7% battery and I had no way to charge it. How was I going to navigate out of this thick fog? I only had one choice: wake up early and head back down the mountain to an Auberge 6km(3,7mi) away and hope that someone was willing to sell me their cable. For that to happen I needed a phone for navigation or clear skies. I knew the general direction but there were so many turns and lakes separating me from my destination that I would likely get lost pretty quickly, especially without any visual orientation. I guess physical maps weren’t such a bad idea right now.
The night was obviously terrible. I was on edge hoping for my phone to survive until the next morning and the two mice were having a serious domestic fight all night long. I kept following them around the hut with my headlamp. I spent most of my headlamp battery during the trip looking for mice. Thankfully they stayed away from my food.
After barely sleeping I woke up the next morning to unchanged weather conditions. F*ck. Too afraid to check my battery during the night I unlocked my phone. 4%. Yes! I can make that work. I just need 40 minutes to get to the road that will take me to the Auberge. I packed up as quickly as I could and headed out praying for no further navigational f *ck ups on my end and more importantly a kind soul willing to part with their charging cable.
I lost the trail a couple of times but eventually managed to get to the road with 1% left.
Arriving at the parking lot of the Auberge I saw a young couple getting ready to head out for a day hike. I told them of my dilemma and hiking plans. I probably looked quite pathetic. But thankfully they had a spare cable. They weren’t willing to take my money though. Damn was I relieved. I hiked up the way I came and I started blabbing the same way I always did on this trip as soon as I had company.
This iPhone adapter debacle could have cost me a day or two. It scared me enough that I will probably always take separate brand name cables for the rest of my life.
Even though the new cable had given me some much needed mental energy the next climb up Col de la Sede took the energy right out of my legs. This was probably the most exhausting climb of the whole trip for me. No trail, just 60-70% degree slopes of grass for 400m of elevation gain.
Looking back, this was probably the hardest day physically for me. On top of the pass I had to cross some steep scree that made me slide down with every step and sharp rock just waiting to cut up my ankles. After that it got a bit less technical for a few kilometers, but the ascents didn’t stop.
At Lacs de Barroude I had a decision to make. Take the alternate down to Parzán for some easy hiking on the GR11 or head east another 10km (6.2mi) with 900m(3000ft)/-1050m(-3450ft) of vert for some technical ridge walking. I was completely depleted and it was already 4pm. At the same time I wanted to complete the prettiest and hardest route possible. Three snickers later I started climbing up the ridge anyway. Sometimes I’m just too stubborn for my own good. For the first time that day I wasn’t walking in complete fog. The clouds still gave me pause. I didn’t want to be caught in a lightning storm as there was no easy or quick way off the ridge. Half way through I started hearing thunder. I couldn’t place it though and didn’t see any lightning. I picked up my pace as much as you can while scrambling up and down a ridge I guess. For the night I was betting on a green spot on my map that looked rather flat looking at the elevation lines. I just had to get there. The ridge walking got more technical as I progressed, but the clouds stayed tame. I moved north off the ridge and got to my planned camping spot.
My bet had paid off. Five stars! My favourite camp spot of the trail overlooking the heart of the Pyrenees. It was the first and only night that was completely silent as well. No bells, no mice, no nothing. I slept like a baby.
But not even good sleep could restore my energy after Day 10’s events and very steep and technical off-trail hiking. And Day 11 had more of that in store for me.
Climbing up Port d’Ourdissétou on one of the rare maintained trails of the day I noticed that I couldn’t keep this up for much longer. I needed a proper break. I decided to take a zero at my next resupply in Bernasque. That was still one and a half days away though. Luckily the second half of the day was a bit easier until a late climb up Port d’Aygues Tortes and the descent down to Cabane Prat Caseneuve. After my last, rather unpleasant, Cabane experience I actually wanted to avoid all further ones. But Prat Caseneuve was a very nice one with a second storey and proper mattresses. My fear of bedbugs made me sleep on the floor, to the great bewilderment of the Frenchman I was sharing the Cabane with. I was realizing that the Gavernie-Bernasque section was probably the hardest of the whole HRP.
The next morning we got up at 6am and I headed out at first light. Sleeping inside to get up early was the right choice as I had a very hard day ahead of me. I was going to tackle two of the highest and most technical cols of the HRP: Col des Gourgs Blancs and Col Inférieur de Litérole. Both just under 3000m(9850ft). I had heard horror stories about Litérole from other hikers on trail and in online forums. Especially descending the east side, which I was going to do. I didn’t buy it though. The crap I had already done to this point was hard to top, in my opinion.
It was a very pretty day and after passing another storage reservoir I headed up Col des Gourgs Blancs. Navigating through huge boulders, following scattered cairns and scrambling up scree had become second nature. I was cruising through one of the hardest hiking the Pyrenees has to offer. Heading down I could see Lac du Portillon, another reservoir. I took a 45 minute lunch break at Refúge du Portillon and talked with some locals about barefoot ultramarathon training and dream races. The sun was warming up my cheeks. On to Col Inférieur de Litérole!
The climb up was steep and I made one bad choice in circumventing the snowfields by climbing further up some steep scree. Every step I took I triggered a rock slip. I tried heading down as quickly as possible. That was not fun at all. I continued on the edge of the snowfield. The last climb up Litérole was easy enough. Looking down the other side though I understood what everyone had been talking about. Daaaamn that was steep. It didn’t manage to faze me anymore though. The HRP had made me quite confident. I found my way down with a quick glissade into a scree field. What followed was the longest boulder hopping adventure of my life. Pure fun. I headed down the Remuñe valley. That’s where I took my favorite picture of the whole trail. After a long descent I hit the road that would take me to Bernasque. I asked two Spaniards from Barcelona for a ride. With our masks on and disinfected hands we headed down into the valley.
​
Interlude: Zero in Bernasque - Day 13
Bernasque is a picturesque village in the heart of the Spanish Pyrenees. Its village centre consists of beautiful stone buildings and a wide selection of hotels and restaurants. Two outdoor shops which offer everything you’d desire makes Bernasque a fully featured mountain hub for tourists.
After saying goodbye to my ride I headed to a one star hotel. Mid September is the end of the summer season for most Pyrenees tourism. That was my hotels last day and so they organized another hotel a few minutes away for my second night. I had to buy groceries for the next stretch to Arinsal as my zero was going to be on a Sunday and I wanted to head out early on Monday.
I checked the news for the first time on my trip. Crazy how things can change in such a short time. When I went down to Hendaye the Covid numbers had been consistently low for a few months now. But France and Spain’s numbers were exploding again. Over 10k new infections a day in France alone. I found the French and Spanish much more responsible than the Germans though. Everyone was wearing a mask in public. In Germany people were demonstrating in masses against the Covid measures of the government. Without masks and social distancing…
I had a big dinner and went to sleep. I was looking forward to my zero. No hiking would surely do me good. A day before arriving in Bernasque I started having a bit of pain in my right outer knee as I was going down technical terrain for a prolonged period of time. It was knee pain I hadn’t experienced before, so I had trouble placing the cause. I used the day to stretch myself a bit more and applying KT tape. During the first half of my trip I consistently rolled out my feet and did the Viranasa pose which I think was a big factor for staying mostly pain free.
Besides my knee flaring up I had to take care of my trail runners (Topo Ultraventure). After 200km(125mi) I first looked at my sole and saw that the Vibram lug on the right heel had unglued half way. Now, after 400km(350mi), the lug was only hanging by a rubber thread and the left heel lug was half way unglued as well. At a souvenir shop I found shoe glue and glued the two lugs back onto the sole. The tread in general was already very smooth and two holes were opening up where my big toes meet the balls of my feet. In hindsight I should have just chosen a new pair of trail runners from the huge selection on offer at the two outdoor stores.
The rest of the day consisted of eating, laying in the sun, eating, sleeping, eating, you get the idea…
The last bus of the season headed up the mountain that Sunday. As I wanted to leave at 6:30am the next morning and didn’t want to wait around for a hitch I had to book a 25€ shuttle back to trail.
Chapter 4: Bernasque - Arinsal - Day 14-17
The next morning I arrived back on trail a bit before 7am. Civil sunrise had not arrived yet. I guessed I would have to do a few minutes of night hiking after all. 6km(3.7mi) in, I arrived at the half way point of the HRP.
The day went by smoothly heading over one of the highest cols of the route, Col de Mulleres. The rest of the day had a lot of vert and turquoise lakes in store. Around 4pm though I started to feel my right knee again. The light pain soon turned into severe one. F*CK… I was happy to be hiking again, grooving through the trail, enjoying the views and now this?!
I wasn’t surprised though. Of course there was some issue to rise up when I was doing anything between 4000-6000m(13123-19685ft) of accumulated vert every day.
The pain didn’t subside. Maybe I had applied the KT tape with too much stretch? I removed it. It got minimally better. Could just as well been placebo.
I went up my last climb of the day, very nervous that my knee would end my hike. Half way up I met a German hiker named Andreas. A fit and experienced hiker. He had started the HRP (Cicerone Version) but after a few days switched to the GR11 as he started to feel uncomfortable with the terrain and passes that he had to hike through. I understood him completely. We exchanged a bit of food and camped together. That was the second and last time I would camp with another person. Before sleep I devoted a bit more time than usual to stretching.
The pain was gone in the morning. But all the little niggles I had had on this trip had gone away after a good night’s sleep. I didn’t trust my pain free knee yet.
After half an hour the pain came back in full force.
Panic hit me full force. The pain and my fear of not being able to go on consumed me. And I had no idea what the hell was wrong with my knee.
Going down into Salardu, I called my dad. I vented my frustrations and asked him to look up my symptoms for me as I wasn’t getting an internet connection. He started reading out a diagnosis of what seemed to be the cause of my pain. IT Band issues. I had only heard about it. Alright dad, how do I fix it? I can’t quit now. No way.
He tried to explain to me some google images and a youtube video he was watching. I guess I was being crewed over the phone. After cheering me up a bit I got my usual weather fix. Thanks dad!
In Salardu I sat down in the shade and started to brutally roll out my outer thigh with my trekking pole. I kept that up for five minutes. Afterwards I got up and carefully took some steps.
Magic! The pain had subsided significantly. Okay, let’s see how long this lasts.
I picked up my pace again and did 1000m(3280ft) of vert in a span of two hours over 10km(6,2mi). My knee was doing fine. Not good, but fine. I set up camp beside a lake just before sunset. Not a minute later it started to rain. The first drops hitting my tent in the Pyrenees. After 15 days.
With my new phone-taught skills I kept my knee pain in check so it wasn’t bothering me any longer. Occasionally I had to stop on a long downhill section and do some extra work with my trekking pole though. Day 16 I passed my biggest waterfall on the trail. Quite the sight.
I’m still annoyed with myself for passing on a camp spot that day which would have been in the Top 3. I took a gamble thinking the next lake would have an even better spot. It didn’t. Still beautiful though.
Checking GAIA before sleep, I knew I had to do some negative vert in the morning. Not something I ever look forward to. Especially not with my knee issues in the mix.
I only had one objective for Day 17. Get to Arinsal in time to resupply and call my grandmother in brazil for her birthday.
The day was marked by a lot of vert and constantly thinking about food. Hiker hunger had set in after a week on trail and daydreaming about grocery shopping had become my main pastime.
Around 5pm and some decent views later I got to Arinsal in Andorra.
​
continued in comments

It’s the beginning of the year; that period, we reflect on our strategies and realign our portfolios to suit our current outlook. Though past performance is usually used as a basis to forecast future performance, it would be foolhardy to expect a repeat of last year’s performance this year. So how do we position ourselves for the coming fiscal year and ensure that we finish strongly with gains in our portfolios? Especially as the year has started with a massive sell-off.
Starting on a wrong foot?
On Monday, January 4, the US stock market posted its worse year-opening trading sessions in the last five years. The equities market has not had a losing January since 2016. It was a day that saw 40% of December’s gains being trimmed off, making it the third-worst year-opening session in history. Certainly, this performance did not echo Wall Street banks' permutations such as JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs that had earlier forecast a record-breaking 2021 for the S&P 500.
However, a cursory look at the market would imply that this should be expected. Investors should brace for a 10% to 15% correction between January and February. Strong rallies would follow this are in March/April, July, and October. Though it would be criminal to expect the yearly gains of 2020 to reoccur this year, expect a lot of fretting from investors who would want to see a replay of last year’s scenery.
Rotation into value would taper down later in the year.
Value/cyclical would see lots of action as we begin a slow, crushing return to normalcy. Small and mid-capped stocks to outpace big capped stocks. Tech stocks have had their run, and there is the widespread belief that they would be reined-in.
However, when the reopening frenzy dies down, and people begin to look closely at the books, cyclical stocks' current valuation would raise questions. For example, airlines have been carrying huge debt before the pandemic occurred. The reopening only implies an increase in revenue, but not profits.
Pandemic winners may be crushed.
Some pandemic stocks would be crushed. Think Peloton, Doordash? The lockdown afforded companies such as this the opportunity to boost sales and revenue. Shares of Zoom and Netflix increased astronomically, as people adjusted to staying and working from home. However, with the vaccine now out and the slow and gradual return to normalcy kicking off, many of these companies would not be able to replicate their impressive financial performance.
While it is acknowledged that their products would still be very much in demand, pent up consumer demand would be directed to other sectors that were affected by the pandemic. As such, it is expected that there would be an increase in shopping, vacationing, going to cinemas(outdoor events), than people demanding for Zoom, eating in, peloton bikes, or streaming movies.
For some of these pandemic winners, their industries are already getting saturated. For example, Netflix is facing intense competition from a motley of contenders, which includes Disney, NBC, and Warner Bros. Tesla is also facing competition from both traditional automakers and new EV start-ups.
Sectors to look at
Sectors to look at are 5g, AI, and renewable energy. Semiconductors and fintech would definitely see bullish actions, though without the same momentum as last year. As we increasingly adopt digitization, and the ambit of the Internet of Things continues to expand, the demand for semiconductors would increase.
Fintechs like semiconductors play both ways. They are suitable for the pandemic and are poised to gain from the reopening. Pent up consumer demand increased savings, and the reopening of the economy would make people swiping their cards again. The contactless shopping experience, which spiked last year due to the pandemic, is expected to persist as more people would want to be healthy and safety-conscious despite the presence of a vaccine.
Renewable energy stocks are supposed to have an impressive 2021 for a couple of reasons. The increasing adoption of renewable energy alternatives and the gradual transition from fossil fuels would see more resources allocated to the sector.
Already countries such as China, Germany, France, the UK, and India have set timelines for the phasing out of cars operating on internal combustible engines. The incoming Biden administration has repeatedly voiced support for renewable energy and went as far as outlining a $2trn plan to boost the sector. However, the possibility of a gridlocked Congress may not bring this to fruition, but this does not dampen the growth in the industry.
This is not a total write-off of oil stocks. As the economy reopens and people begin to travel and commute, the demand for oil would rise. This implies more drillers would be operating to shore up supply. This trend would see itself through the year. But if you are thinking three years and above, renewables are the way to go.
Online gambling stocks such as DKNG and PENN are also good bets. States desperate to increase their revenue sources, battered and stretched by the pandemic, are turning to gambling as a potential revenue source. This has led to an increase in the number of states that have legalized gambling. As the legalization of gambling increases, the customer base and coverage of these companies would also increase. This implies more bettors would be registered on their platforms.
Due Diligence advised.
As usual, we advise that you carry out due diligence and do not take our advice hook, line, and sinker. The best we can do is forecast, but Mr. Market has a mind of his own, as we all know too well. Have a profitable 2021.
Thanks for reading!
Checkout Afroxyz's page for more.

PSG 2
So, we’re back! The January transfer window is about to open. Unfortunately, Herrera turned down Athletico Bilbao’s contract offer. Looks like he’s destined to be a left back.
Part 1, in case you missed it.
Following a suggestion from u/reversechinlock I’ll be breaking up the wall of text with some image links and some sub headings. However, I didn’t read that until near the end of January, so… not a lot of in game shots at the start of this.
The “World Team of the Year” is announced. Neymar and Marquinhos are in, with Mbappe on the bench. I only assume that Wilshere’s name was misspelled as “Coutinho” on the ballot papers.
Keylor Navas wins “North American Goalkeeper of the Year”. It’s not like he has any competition. Zac Efron comes 2nd and Kasey Keller is 3rd despite having retired in 2011.
Neymar wins the “Foreign Player of the Year” award in Ligue 1. They don’t announce 2nd and 3rd, so I’ll just assume that Tavernier was the runner up.
It’s January! Pickford, Holding and Stones all stroll into the club. Sorry Marquinhos. You may have just been named in the World Team of the Year, but Rob Holdinho is taking your place.
PSG have the 1, 2, 3 for December Player of the Month. Mbappe wins, Tavernier is 2nd and Wilshere is 3rd. DO YOU SEE THIS SOUTHGATE? PICK MY BOYS.
Mbappe dedicates his award to me. Aww, sweet. I’m still going to end up selling him. This is like getting attached to a puppy who you are sitting for a friend. Stop making me like you. It’s going to make it harder to give you away.
I offer Marquinhos and Thiago Silva to clubs to try and raise some funds. They are both very unhappy about this. I get Silva to speak to Marquinhos and Marquinhos to speak to Silva and they both calm down. I can’t believe that worked.
The £90m I have spent on John Stones is a record transfer fee for an English player. It smashed the previous record of £80m for Harry Maguire. I still can’t believe that Slabhead cost that much.
Idrissa Gueye moves to Juventus for £19.5m. The Juventus fans aren’t happy, since he isn’t a big name. They would have preferred Wilshere.
Scott Dann and Leighton Baines agree to join me for free at the end of their contracts. However, since I can pay a small fee to bring them in immediately I do just that. I want a fully English bench as soon as possible.
Maxim Choupo-Moting moves to Lokomotiv Moscow for £1.5m. This is the first time in his whole career that he has cost a transfer fee. Every other move has been a free.
Next game is Riems in the Coupe de la Ligue. I am on a run of 8 games without conceding a goal. If I keep a clean sheet here I will break the record for consecutive clean sheets. Perfect game to debut a new keeper and 2 new CBs.
Henderson has been named my new Captain. I know he is the right man to lead us to our 9th clean sheet in a row. And he does! Riems are smashed 4-0 with goals from Hendo himself, Neymar, and 2 for MOTM Mason Greenwood. Wilshere picked up another assist. DID YOU HEAR THAT YOU WAISTCOAT WANKER?
Due to concerns over the wage budget the board have decreased the amount of transfer revenue retained to 25%!!! WHAT THE HELL?
Rennes are beaten 2-0 in the Coupe de la Ligue quarter final. Man of the Match Jack Wilshere sets up Tavernier before scoring one himself. WHAT MORE CAN THEY DO GARETH? Also, Pickford saved a penalty after debutant Leighton Baines’ lack of pace led to him hauling down the attacker. That’s another clean sheet and a cup semi final to look forward to!
Gareth Southgate was spotted in the stands for the quarter final. He was watching pretty much my entire squad. Ah, fuck it. May as well…
Side quest unlocked: Get Rob Holding his first ever England cap.
I sell Kimpembe to Man U for £30m. The board put £7.5m of that back into the transfer funds. I can’t help but feel ripped off. At least he’s off the wage bill.
Marseille are brushed aside 2-0 at home with goals from Maddison and Neymar. That’s another clean sheet. Pickford, Holding & Stones are yet to concede a goal for PSG. Thiago who?
Oh, that’s also 20 unbeaten in the league. To be honest if I don’t manage to go the whole season unbeaten I will be very surprised. There is no competition. The UCL is where I’ll be tested.
Herrera has picked up an injury in training. I guess double intensity left back training disagrees with him.
The media have finally realised that I’m only signing Englishmen.
I ask the board to build us a stadium. They say no. I ask them to buy our current stadium, since we don’t own it and are renting. They agree to this after saying, and I quote: “We’re looking to make the club the most reputable in Qatar”. What? The owners may be from Qatar but I’m pretty sure that PSG are still based in Paris, France (not Texas).
Next up is Havre in the 10th round of the French Cup. The Dominos League 2 side manage to do what no team has managed since mid November when they score against me. Fortunately Tavernier (pen), Rob Holding and Jack Wilshere each score to give us a 3-1 win. Wilshere is once again named the MOTM. Bellingham breaks another record, this time for being the youngest ever player in the French Cup.
We beat Marseille in the Coupe de la Ligue semi final 2-0 with goals from Mbappe and Greenwood. Pickford wins the MOTM award after making 9 saves. Shitbag Kehrer has a bad game, getting booked and doing a terrible job of defending as Greenwood just walks away from him to find space before scoring the 2nd.
Following on from a suggestion from u/OverrunInMidfield I try to sign Lee Cattermole. VVV accept the bid, but Cattermole doesn’t want to negotiate a contract!!!
Montpellier put up a brave fight, but eventually lose 1-0. The keeper puts in an inspired performance, but is unable to prevent Daniel Sturridge from finally scoring his first goal for the team in his 13th appearance.
I offer Spurs Neymar in exchange for Harry Kane. They refuse. So Instead I agree to sign Herbie Kane from Liverpool on a free at the end of the season. I’ll just tell everyone he’s Harry.
Following another suggestion, I sign Antonio from West Ham. Looks like Mbappe will be spending some time getting used to the bench.
The transfer window is about to close. Time for some panic buying!
Thomas Munier pulls his knee ligaments in training. I think he’s just trying to make sure I can’t sell him before the window shuts. Nope. He limps his arse across the Channel as Watford sign him for £7.75m.
I agree to sign Ashley Young on a free at the end of the season. I pay 500k to make the transfer immediate. He is comfortable playing on either side at fullback. Hopefully no birds shit in his mouth.
I already have Ben Alnwick, but thanks to u/teasdale94 I am made aware that he has a little brother! I immediately sign Jak Alnwick from Rangers for 45k. He’s 7 years younger than big bro Ben. Maybe I’ll make them fight over who gets to sit on the bench behind Pickford. Keylor Navas and Johnny Rico weep quietly in the background.
I loan Ander Herrera to Wolves. They pay half his wages, and have the option to sign him for £6.25m at the end of the deal. The board had to be convinced to allow that, since for some unknown reason they think he’s worth more. Still, at least now he can play as a makeshift left back!
The day has finally arrived! Just hours before the transfer window shuts, I am able to name an entirely English starting XI for the first time. Ashley Young can’t be named in the squad since he played for Inter earlier in the day before making the move. By the start of next season I will have the bench sorted too. As for now Neymar, Mbappe and Marquinhos are lucky to sit on the bench (made out of English Oak).
Saint-Etienne are completely destroyed 3-0. It takes Antonio just 9 minutes into his debut to score. MOTM James Tavernier bags the other goals, 1 penalty and 1 a back post volley from a deep freekick. Wilshere is subbed off with a knock, but luckily it’s just a bruised shin and he will be fine.
Hold the fucking phone. The current top scorer in the league is no longer a PSG player. Dembele at Lyon has picked up 12 goals. Just behind him are Neymar and Tavernier on 11 each. I’d love for right back Tavernier to win Le Golden Flip-Flop, or whatever they call it in France.

• January Transfer Window Round Up

IN

• John Stones - £90m (£33m & £57m over 3 years)
• Jordan Pickford - £22m
• Rob Holding - £21.5m
• Scott Dann - £800k
• Leighton Baines - £425k
• Michael Antonio - £10.25m
• Ashley Young - £500k
• Baby Bro Alnwick - £45k

OUT

• Idrissa Gueye - £19.5m to Juventus
• Maxim Choupo-Moting - £1.5m to Lokomotiv Moscow
• Kimpembe - £30m to Man U
• Thomas Munier - £7.75m to Watford
• Ander Herrera – Loaned to Wolves, option to buy for £6.25m
• Jude Bellingham – Loaned to Strasbourg to get some regular football

Literally the moment that the transfer window slams shut, my board announce another one year sponsorship deal. This one is also with a European Telecommunications Company and is worth £106m. The company may as well be called Financial Fair Pay-to-win.
The fixtures are piling up. After playing on the Friday night, my next game is in the cup on Monday, before another league game on Wednesday and again on Sunday. The French FA fine teams for not playing enough first teamers in the cup, yet expect them to play 2 games in 3 days. It’s kinda bollocks. Good thing I have Jak Alnwick and Ashley Young to give debuts to in the cup.
I end up rotating the entire starting XI, meaning that on top of debuts for Young and Young Alnwick, I also give a debut to Scott Dann. We win 2-0, with goals for Neymar and another for Daniel Sturridge. Jak Alnwick manages to make 7 saves on his way to a well earned clean sheet.
Toulouse are the next team brushed aside 2-0 following a brace from Mason Greenwood. I rest Tavernier because he was 1 yellow away from a suspension and the next game is 2nd in the table Lyon.
The media make a big deal as to how we are 23 games unbeaten in the league, as if that’s actually a big deal. We are walking the league with my English heroes. The real challenge will be in the Champions League. There we may face some competition.
2nd place Lyon up next. Kehreh is determined to get one over me. He’s a pretty awful defender, considering we managed 33 shots over the course of the game. 3-0 win, with two goals from Mbappe and one for Neymar, assists for Antonio and Greenwood (2). Unfortunately Mbappe pulls his hamstring before he can bag his hat trick.
Lyon again up next. This time in the French Cup quarter final. I have currently gone 37 games in all competitions without defeat. This is the current record. All I have to do is avoid defeat against Lyon and I set a new record. And that we do! Battering Lyon 4-0, with an early goal from Henderson, followed by late goals from substitutes Veratti (2) and Sturridge.
We warm up for Ajax by beating Metz 2-0 at home. Goals from Mason Greenwood and James Tavernier (another penalty) round off a dominating performance. That’s 12 league goals for the season, 2 short of the top spot which is currently Nice’s Kasper Dolberg. On the downside, Henderson picks up a groin strain. Bollocks.
I give Henderson injections so he can play vs Ajax. We scrape through 3-2 away, with 2 goals from Mason Greenwood and one from an unfit Mbappe. The second leg is going to be interesting.
Andy Carroll still won’t negotiate with me. What the hell?! His contract is up in the summer and I want to sign the “rangy” striker. Maybe if I scout him he will feel more loved and will make the swap? Possibly he is concerned he will have to learn French? Little does he know there is more chance of me making the fans learn English.
MOTM Ben Chilwell and Michael Antonio each grab a goal as we walk through Angers 2-0. Wilshere picks up another assist. I give Silva & Marquinhos 45 mins to avoid them killing me in my sleep. Neymar sits on the bench for the full 90 as I chose to bring on Antonio ahead of him to play out of position.
Angel Gomes signed a new contract with Man U. This ruins my plans to sign him on a free at the end of the season. Instead I am re-training Ashley Young to play as a left winger. That was his old position before becoming a full back, so hopefully he won’t take too long.
England’s next 2 fixtures are near the end of next month. Both are friendlies, meaning that I will be able to pull players from the squad. This could be Wilshere’s best chance! And Holding… and Tavernier. YOU HEAR ME SOUTHGATE? PICK MY BOYS OR YOU DON’T GET HENDERSON!
I bring in Newcastle United icon Steve Harper as a goalkeeping coach. I had to pay Newcastle £500k compensation for him! I also add Peter Crouch as a coach to give him his first ever job in coaching. Some will say it’s a risk bringing in an untested coach, but look at his coaching stats!. With a Geordie Legend and a well known giant former striker in my coaching staff, maybe now Andy Carroll will join?
We absolutely destroy Amiens 6-1. Michael Antonio gets 1 whilst Mason Greenwood bags 5!!! His 3rd was a penalty which Tavernier let him take to get Mason his hat trick.
Those 5 goals added to the 3 he already had in February are enough to get Greenwood the Player of the Month award in the league. He is the 3rd PSG player to win it after Neymar and Mbappe, but he is the first Englishman!
Monaco are demolished 5-0 in the semi-final of the French Cup. Greenwood is injured during the game, and super sub Mbappe scores twice. Neymar, Tavernier (penalty) and Maddison are the other scorers. Greenwood’s injury is torn wrist ligaments, so he’s out for 4-5 weeks. Gutting.
This journalist looks like they’ve just come straight from the gym.
How the fuck did I just draw 0-0 with Nantes?! Absolute shite. Without Greenwood I gave Mbappe a start up front and he couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo. We defend well but going forward were about as impotent as Pele.
Immediately following that 0-0 the board set the budgets for the next season. I’m not saying that they panicked at the first time we have failed to score, but this is the budget I have to work with. I immediately start bidding on players.
Jadon Sancho is joining in the summer for £97m. Raheem Sterling is joining for £165m. I am finally going to get my team playing God’s own formation: 4-4-fucking-2.
We edge past Ajax 1-0 with a late Icardi goal, meaning we won 4-2 on aggregate. Another sub-par performance from the team. I yell at them all in the dressing room after the game. And it has the desired effect, as a couple of days later we hammer Lille 4-0, with a Mbappe hat trick and 1 goal for Captain Hendo.
I send Neymar and Henderson on holiday for a week since they both need a rest. I hope they go somewhere together. Maybe a nice caravan on the Isle of Wight? I also send Marquinhos on holiday for 4 weeks, since he is starting to get bed sores from sitting on the bench.
GOD DAMN YOU SOUTHGATE. Once again, Wilshere is left out of the squad. So I follow through with my plan. Henderson, Pickford, Chilwell, Stones and Maddison are all pulled from the squad. Screw you Gareth.
Daniel Sturridge has been suspended for the past 3 matches and I don’t know why. I know he was supposed to have a global ban for gambling irregularities, but for whatever reason that didn’t happen and he was able to play for me. Now he is banned though. It says “banned for the next match” and it says that after every game. He has no suspensions listed anywhere. I’ll assume it’s a bug and this is his gambling ban.
The Champions League Quarter Final draw sets up 2 all English encounters. Chelsea will face Tottenham whilst Man City will face PSG. Elsewhere Barcelona face Juventus and Liverpool face RB Leipzig. In the Seme Finals the winner of PSG/Man City will face the winner of Barcelona/Juventus, whilst there is a possibility of an all English semi final, since the winners of Chelsea/Spurs face Liverpool/RB Leipzig.
Brest (snigger) are brushed aside 3-1 with goals from Antonio, Tavernier and Icardi. Maddison picks up a couple of assists. Opposition striker Irvin Cardona picks up the MOTM award for trying his best.
Whoa. Ok. That victory won us the title. It’s March 20th, and 2nd place still have 9 games left to play. Damn, PSG are too easy. It’s the first time I ever tried managing them. This is way easier than that Blackpool save I tried.
Mourinho wants to sign Tavernier. He can fuck right off.
Tammy Abraham agrees to sign for me in the summer for the completely reasonable transfer fee of £60m & Marquinhos. There’s my big man up top. I can partner him with Greenwood and play a classic 4-4-2. This is it lads. We are gonna storm the world.
I start training James Maddison as a CM, since I’m no longer going to be playing an AM as of the start of next season. I also recall Marquinhos from his holiday to start training as a striker, to try and ruin him before he leaves.
I just realised that due to the week’s holiday for Henderson and Neymar, James Tavernier lifted the League trophy when we won it at our last game. Not bad for a goal scoring right back who GARETH SOUTHGATE REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE.
I see that Brighton are slightly interested in signing my CB Abdou Diallo. I immediately offer a straight swap for Dan Burn, because if there’s one thing this team needs it’s a 6’6 left back. The deal is quickly sorted and will go through in the Summer window.
I sign Sammy Lee as my new assistant manager. It costs me £750k to terminate my current guy. Worth every penny.
We kick off the Final of the Coupe de la Ligue BKT with a full English starting XI, and a mostly English bench (just Neymar & Mbappe). Captain Henderson leads the troops to a 3-0 victory, with goals from Greenwood, Neymar & Mbappe. A good way to warm up for Tuesday’s UCL Quarter Final against Man City.
The cup final was my 48th game unbeaten in all competitions this season. I’ve got to make it past Man City and then Dijon to get to the half century.
We draw the first leg 1-1 at home. MOTM John Stones bags his first goal for PSG against his former side! Neither team escapes unscathed though, as Neymar picks up a back muscle injury whilst Aguero injures his hip. Both will miss the 2nd leg.
Southgate was spotted once again at one of my games, watching Tavernier, Holding, Wilshere… and the other players who he will actually pick.
We beat Dijon 3-1 to stretch the unbeaten run to 50 games across all competitions. Goals from Maddison, Mbappe and John Stones (again?!) are enough to bag us the 3 points. Mouninho is once again spotted watching James Tavernier. He claims he isn’t there to watch Tavernier. He’s such a voyeur.
Holy crap. What a second leg! Greenwood put us ahead before Sterling equalised. Maddison picked up a knee injury, forcing me to move Wilshere further forward and putting Verratti on in Maddison’s place. Fernandinho missed a penalty, meaning we went to extra time. Mbappe put us ahead, Foden equalised before Mbappe grabbed the winner in the dying embers of extra time.
Maddison has sprained his knee ligaments. That’s probably his season over. Damn.
I put Mbappe and Neymar on the transfer list. They are not happy. I don’t care.
Ashley Young and Scott Dann are unhappy with my treatment of Neymar. They have been teammates for less than 3 months! Shut up bitching and win me some games! We have a team meeting where I tell them to shut up. We then have another team meeting, this time about Mbappe. FFS lads. It’s almost like you don’t want a hostile take over of Paris by the English.
Nimes are smashed 4-0 with goals from Tavernier (pen), Henderson and a couple for Greenwood. Looks like we will be getting 100 points for the season. We are already on 90 and have 6 games left to play.
I offer Tottenham Neymar, Mbappe, Silva & £1 for Harry Kane… AND THEY TURN IT DOWN. ARE THEY INSANE?!?!?!
MOTM Tavernier scores another penalty whilst Antonio gets the second as Nice are easily beaten 2-0. Nice managed 1 shot all game.
Neymar agrees terms with Chelsea on a £70m move. I will continue paying £245k of his weekly wages. I can’t help but feel violated, but entirely of my own doing. I immediately start training him as a CB, double intensity.
MOTM Mason Greenwood nets a hat trick and Mbappe adds the 4th as Toulouse are absolutely wrecked 4-0 in the French Cup Final.
Next up are Juventus at home in the UCL Semi-Final 1st leg. It’s a pretty even match, but Rob Holding manages to mark Ronaldo out of the game whilst Greenwood grabbed the only goal as we win 1-0.
I play Marquinhos for 90 mins as a striker against Monaco, to further his development as a striker before he moves to Chelsea. He pulls his groin but I keep him on. We win 2-0 with goals from Henderson and a penalty from Neymar. Tavernier was suspended for this game, hence why he didn’t get the chance to score from the spot.
The Champions League Semi Final 2nd leg away to Juventus is batshit crazy. We win 5-4 (6-4 on agg) after going behind in the 1st minute. Goals from Greenwood, Neymar, Angel Gomes and 2 from Mbappe.
The Champions League Final is set to be an all English affair, as Liverpool take on my PSG side in Istanbul. Let’s hope Liverpool don’t have a repeat of 2005.
We beat Bordeaux 2-0, Reims 2-0 and Rennes 2-1 with goals from Greenwood (2), Tavernier (1 open play, 1 penalty), Marquinhos (playing as a striker) & Angel Gomes. We finish the domestic season off with a 0-0 draw against Strasbourg, with on loan Jude Bellingham getting himself sent off!
This means we finish the season unbeaten, with 106 points from a possible 114, scoring 92 goals whilst only conceding 14.
ROB HOLDING GETS CALLED UP TO THE ENGLAND SQUAD AHEAD OF EURO 2020!!! He’s 1 step closer to getting his first ever cap. Mason Greenwood was called up to the preliminary squad, but was dropped by the Waistcoat Wanker for the final squad. I guess his 33 goals across all competitions this season aren’t good enough. It’s a hideously unbalanced England squad, with 3 keepers (literally a rule), 10 defenders (7 CBs, 2 LBs, 1RB), 9 midfielders and just the 1 striker. I guess Alli or Rashford could play up front if Kane gets injured, but not calling up Greenwood is ridiculous. And no Tavernier, despite only having 1RB in the squad. Stupid Southgate.
All that’s left now is the Champions League Final. Mbappe shows how exited he is to play in the biggest game in in club football by pulling his ankle ligaments in the week beforehand, putting him out of the final. Angel Gomes then pulls his groin, meaning that Mbappe’s replacement is also fucked. I’m starting to regret convincing the board to build our new training centre on that ancient Indian burial ground.
Despite the makeshift right hand side (Marquinhos at RB, Tavernier as a right winger) we manage to beat the reigning European Champions 3-2 in Istanbul! 2 goals and an assist from man of the match Mason Greenwood are enough to tell Southgate to go fuck himself. This also means that Greenwood is the top scorer in the UCL this season with 12. But I guess that’s not good enough for Gareth. Icardi gets the other goal. Salah got Liverpool’s 2.
So that’s the Quintuple. Next season I can try for 6, with the Club World Championships added to the mix.
The fan’s player of the season is James Tavernier!
I think that’s a wrap for part 2.
Next up: Part 3 – 4-4-Fcuking-2