slightly left of center

For some reason thessaliad wasn't getting texts yesterday, so connecting about a ride to work wasn't happening. I reluctantly set up LIFT for both ways, except the scheduler said the only option for a 9:00am arrival was 6:50-7:20 !!! and the evening was 4:20-4:50 (I get off work at 3:30). I wasn't best thrilled. Happily she checked in with me in the evening and I could cancel the morning trip, so I got to work at 8:00 as per usual - I asked her about clients in the afternoon, and she was conveniently free and agreed to give me a ride home as well. I totally owe her big for saving me time and discomfort! She got there a bit early, so I snuck out ~15 minutes early. No one will notice or care, and now I'm off for a week for Spring Break! I had thought about working a couple of short days but Em4 never got back to me, so I'll use up my scant vacation hours and will just have a short check.

The Berlin Cathedral Is Reopening Its Massive Crypt—Home to the Bones of One of Europe’s Most Powerful Dynasties
The crypt, which has been closed for renovations for the past six years, houses coffins containing members of the House of Hohenzollern
All of the people buried in the crypt—through the most recent burial, in the early 20th century—were connected by blood or marriage to the House of Hohenzollern, which collapsed at the end of World War I. According to the cathedral, the tomb “documents 500 years of Brandenburg-Prussian burial culture.”

It was a real shock to learn this - Xander was always a fave character. Nicholas Brendon, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" actor, dies at 54 - Actor Nicholas Brendon, best known for his role as Xander Harris in the popular television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," has died, according to his family. He was 54.

That word doesn't mean what you think it does, episode # 724
“He can barley keep his eyes open" - This seems to be a fairly common error anymore, given the number of times I keep seeing it. Not sure if it's a massively common typo, or if folks actually don't know the how to spell barely.

Happy Happy Cat Cat!

This is a nice overview of how junior hockey works: The Portland Winterhawks Rely on Players Who Still Have High School Homework
For many, developmental teams like the Winterhawks are their best shot at someday playing in Madison Square Garden or Vancouver, B.C.’s Rogers Arena.
Maddie Snyder is a senior at Catlin Gabel High School who covers youth sports in the Portland area from a student perspective. This story is part of a WW initiative to develop young voices in journalism.
The crowd at Veterans Memorial Coliseum roared as the Portland Winterhawks extended their lead to 3–2 over the Seattle Thunderbirds last month. Seemingly everyone was on their feet, heckling the referees or chanting, “Go ’Hawks!”

It’s an atmosphere familiar to professional hockey, but the Portland Winterhawks aren’t a National Hockey League team. Many of the players on the ice aren’t seasoned skaters but teenagers with a math test to study for after the game ends.

Question of the Day
It’s National California Strawberry Day. What is your favourite way to eat strawberries?
if they're out of the garden, just plain - or sliced with a tiny bit of sugar. let that sit a bit to juice up, and then have with scones/shortcake is so damn nummy!

The Heated Rivalry cast answers Who would survive the longest on a reality show? and the survey says .... there's a real consensus on this

Shipwreck Timbers Appeared on a Beach After a Storm. They Had Been Buried Beneath the Sand Since the 17th Century
Experts think the newly unearthed timbers may have come from the “Fame,” an armed Dutch merchant vessel that sank off the Dorset coast in 1631
In recent weeks, researchers and volunteers have been carefully excavating and disassembling the remains, which they plan to take to a conservation lab for treatment. They hope the newly unearthed section will provide additional insights into how and why the ship wrecked, as well as the salvage practices of the 17th century.

Most of y'all are probably fully aware of omegaverse, but I liked this thorough & well-thought out explanation: A Reader’s Guide to the Omegaverse - Recently in the podcast Discord community, Jfhobbit was giving a thorough and very thoughtful explanation of Omegaverse and its variations, and I asked her to expand on those thoughts for anyone who has heard of but isn’t super well-versed in Omegaverse fiction, its tropes, and its history. Plus, she offers recommendations of some of her faves.

WeRateDogs presents more wonderful canines in this week's Top Ten. I especially appreciated Hank - the world needs more tradesmen!

Wrong sport, dudes! Boston Red Sox are hosting a Heated Rivalry night - I guess Rachel Reid will be there? Wonder what else they've got planned to celebrate Shane & Ilya?

Heated Rivalry fic recs:
through whatever you lose by aloneintherain
Summary: Shane’s eyes snap open. Wait a second.

“Ilya,” Shane says, propping himself up on his elbows. “Ilya, wake up.”

Ilya makes a pained noise, eyes still shut. “I shut curtains already.”

“It’s not that. Ilya, hey. Don’t go back to sleep.” Ilya tries to bury back into Shane’s chest, but adrenaline knifes through Shane’s hangover long enough for him to peel Ilya off and roll him into his back. Ilya blinks blearily up at him, starfished in the sheets. Beautiful and naked and missing his mother’s cross.

OR: When Ilya’s cross goes missing after the Centaurs celebrate their first Stanley Cup win, Shane is determined to get it back. And so are the Centaurs. And the rest of Ottawa.

Ilya gets proof of just how much he means - to the team, and to the whole community. (there's a happy ending when the cross is found)


Boston Lily? by wallflowerchronicles
Summary: Hayden knew that Shane kept secrets from him. Shane had always been very private about his sex life, for example. He’d turned down so many dates with Jackie’s friends over the years that Jackie had asked if Hayden thought Shane might be gay. But then Shane had very publicly dated Rose Landry last fall, so he couldn’t be gay, right? There was also the mystery woman that Shane was always hooking up with whenever they played in Boston. The woman he refused to tell Hayden literally anything about, even though he’d been seeing her for years. In Boston.

Boston.

The elevator chimed. The doors opened. Out stepped Ilya motherfucking Rozanov.

OR

After Shane’s concussion, Ilya wants to make sure that he can visit him in the hospital without an audience. Hayden Pike is unhelpful in this endeavor. Jackie Pike saves the day.

Jackie really is a force for sanity - it's a good thing she stepped in


Boston Tea Party by TiredAndBoredNerd
Summary: Are you supposed to find your closest friends in a group of people who don’t even know who you are? Are you supposed to make fun of your not boyfriend/arch rival to a bunch of strangers? Are you supposed to makeout with said arch rival after a hockey game in front of everybody? No. Is Ilya going to do it anyway? Obviously.

OR

Ilya Rozanov gets added to the Montreal WAG group chat.

another fun entry for the trope where slight twists on canon events lead to their coming out earlier. plenty of fun banter in the tweets


20 Questions & Mutual Destruction in Elevator 2T by fringe_problems
Summary: Ilya takes out his phone and swipes to Jane and types quickly, eyes on Hunter: I am trapped in elevator. With Scott Hunter. I am coming soon as I can.

While Ilya is typing, Hunter has been staring at his phone as his eyebrows slowly move closer and closer together. Ilya is tempted to make a joke about Hunter getting wrinkles.

“Does your phone work?” Hunter says, looking up from his own phone. For a brief, panicked moment, Ilya is worried, but then, the three dots of Shane typing, and then Shane has responded: Are you joking??

Ilya types back quickly: No. Elevator stopped. They say 20 minutes.

Shane responds immediately: Please don’t kill Scott Hunter

--

Ilya Rozanov and Scott Hunter get stuck in an elevator during the Tampa Bay All-Stars.

just killing time with someone you don't necessarily get along with


Ilya Rozanov’s Accidental Girl Dad Experiment by GlassParade
Summary: Ilya Rozanov does not know Patty Whitman, but a panicky snap decision he makes when he's spotted at the Ottawa airport has just changed both their lives. And he kind of has to just go with it.

Ilya mentors a teen he randomly encounters - I liked this story, with some great OCs and fun (if implausible) plot points. the author described it as "deeply AU, canon-noncompliant, original character fun", which is so accurate.


come to me slowly by anincompletelist
Summary: He’s never been a full person so much as a set of predetermined, distinct, sanitized things dressed up in athletic wear, jerseys, suits and ties. Borders that he could operate within, could point to inside of his own head with a clear boundary in between: these things are Shane Hollander, these are not. It’s kept him focused. Grounded. They’re facts.

But this, despite its aching, sweet simplicity, doesn’t fit neatly anywhere. He doesn’t know what he wants to do with it, only that he isn’t quite ready to let go of it just yet.

The knock comes two minutes on the hour. Shane thinks of it again.

You look pretty.

He opens the door.

Shane and Ilya try a few new things


Ilya Rozanov breaks his silence on the Scott Hunter Kiss by Airuna
Summary: Is the first day of the new season and Scott's a bit afraid of how his team will act now that he's out. Unfortunately, he cannot dwell on that because there's a video that Carter just has to show him.

Or.
Some reporter tries to get Ilya to comment on the Scott Hunter Kiss, he does not get the answer he was looking for.

Ilya really is an expert troll!