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Wow! The Insane Dubois Legacy has received 10 Liebster Awards! My head is just spinning right now @_@ I also received two Liebster Award's for my other story, Fear the Orchard, so now I have twelve all together?? YOU GUYS?? *cries tears of joy* T_T
I was nominated by:
blamsart, LateKnightSimmer, LilyShadowWriter, MsMidnightBlonde, Stormy, LilyParker, SandyBeachGirl, SimMadMeg, BBQPenguinWingsTrish, and Mikizumi!
Thank you all so, so much <3
If you've nominated me and I haven't seen it and haven't linked your name and your story to this, let me know so I can and so I can answer your questions!
Heads up, too, this post is miles long XD
The Official Rules:
- Post the award on your blog.
- Thank the blogger who presented the award and link back to their blog.
- Nominate 5-11 bloggers whom you feel deserve this award and have fewer than or equal to 3,000 followers.
- Answer 11 questions posted by the nominator, and ask your nominees 11 questions.
So, my Nominees are:
- LateKnightSimmer for The Compound
- Taina for The Tores Legacy
- Valpre for Krisis
- LilyShadowWriter for Different Winters
- MsMidnightBlonde for Another Life to Live
- FruHurricane for Twisted Color
First set of questions, asked by blamsart:
1. Do you pull from your personal life experiences when writing out your story?
Sometimes, yeah, but not mostly. Smalls things here and there, like maybe an argument or a certain place they go to, but I try to keep most of myself out of it, since it's not a story about me, but these many different characters and their battle with insanity. Eh, maybe that makes me a little crazy, too XD
2. If you answered yes to #1 can you gives us an example? If you answered no this is the place to insert the funniest gif you have.
Love me some Marky Mark XD
3. Who is your favorite among all the characters you have written?
Oh, God.. Why.. WHyyyy must you ask this questionnn?? ..I literally just sat here for like, twenty minutes going through each one of them in my head to pick my answer hahaha but, I decided that my favorites to write has been an heir, Gareth, and a non-heir, Isaiah. Gareth was fun to write because he's so foul mouthed and the most insane one yet, writing him was a roller coaster ride and I loved every second of it. For Isaiah, I really love writing his strong, flirty personality, it's just really fun, especially when he interacts with Oliver because he makes him blush constantly haha
4. Oh boy! You suddenly meet this character! What happens?
*faints* LOL I don't even know what I would do if I ever met Gareth. Probably run away? XD And if I ever met Isaiah, I think it'd be very fun just to have coffee with him or something haha he's someone that would be easy to talk to.
5. Sims 3 suddenly has a global malfunction and dies on every single computer and will never work again, would you still continue writing your story only without pictures?
Yeah, most definitely. Before I started writing Sims stories, I role played with characters that I'd make up on my own with other role players and we'd make a story together. I had always wanted to put pictures to the stories we or I, myself, create, and Sims was just a way for me to do that. So, if I wasn't able to do it anymore using Sims, yeah, it would suck, but I don't think it would be that hard for me to go back to my roots of my RPing days and pick up where the story leaves off, just without pictures.
6. Are you the type who can totally write your sims story with a bunch of people looking? Or do you need to wait for everyone to leave the room before you can get comfy and write your sims?
Oohh, I like this question haha whenever I'm home and have time to play Sims or write, I can usually write whether or not friends are over, just because I feel like it, I'm in the mood, or I feel like I should be working on my stuff. But, usually I'm pretty secretive about it, like if someone sits on the couch next to me while I'm working on it, I'll stop until they go away XD my hubs knows about everything that I do as far as the Sims, and he loves what I do, but I feel like my friends don't, or wouldn't, understand my love for all of this, so I try not to talk about it that much with them. I guess it's just a conflict of interests. If I had a choice, I'd always want to be alone when working on my Sims stories just so I could concentrate at my best haha
7. Do you own a cat? This is a serious question. I swear 90% of sims 3 writers own a cat.
Yes, I own a cat >_> I've had him for 15 years now.
8. Your thoughts on sims 4? You may cuss as much as you like.
I really don't care for it at all. Even with CC and the expansions, I still think it's a lot more boring than any other Sims game I've played. Now, I only really play it if I'm bored out of my mind and feel like playing a game I paid $60 for just to get out of it as much as I can haha otherwise, I'm still playing other games before that one, especially Sims 3 over 4.
9. Are you planning on continuing with sims 3 once you're done with your current story?
Yes, definitely.
10. Favorite expansion? In amazing detail plz.
Ohh, this is a hard question.. I'm going to go with World Adventures and Seasons. For World Adventures, I really love the ability to go to different maps and worlds, it's like getting 3 expansion packs in one haha I love all of the individual architecture of China, Egypt and France. Egypt is my favorite out of all of them, I love exploring the tombs, making them wear Egyptian clothing, getting tons of pictures of the scenery, I even featured an Egyptian character into the story, Bennu. For Seasons, I just really love the idea of having actual seasons in the game. It's a little unrealistic to have every single day be sunny and perfect, so seeing rain, snow, hail and storms, I just really, really love it all. It always helps with story telling, too, and pictures that I want to get. Like, if there's an argument in the rain, it gives it more of a romantic or intense feel to it, depending on the characters being used, rather than it just being during the day or night. Having weather just adds that extra little element to the story to make it pop more. Even if it is looked at as something insignificant, I love it to death.
11. Last question! How would you like living in the sims world and being a sim yourself?
Hmm.. Probably the only reason I'd like to be a Sim in the Sims world is so I could "motherlode" my household funds and buy whatever the hell I wanted hahaha I think I'd only like it, too, if someone took as good of care of me as I do for my own Sims XD
Second set of questions, asked by LateKnightSimmer:
1. What got you interested in writing? Have you always been a natural writer, or did some life event spark you to start the hobby?
I've always been interested in writing, like, always. I used to write little short stories with one of my best friends in elementary school.. At around age 11, I got into role playing and am still doing that to this day (I'm 25 now), and I've continued my writing now into the wonderful world of Sims Stories.
2. How serious are you about writing? Do you want to be a world famous author someday, or do you just write Sims stories for fun?
I am a serious writer, as in I take my work very seriously, but in no way do I want to be famous from it or to profit off of it.. If it ever happens, then that's cool, but that was never my original goal. I mostly just write Sims stories for the fun of it, it's a great way to keep my artistic side pleased, and I just really enjoy it immensely. I've fallen in love with my characters, they're all a part of me and I want nothing more than to continue their stories.
3. Is there a time of day that's the best time for you to write?
I usually am able to get a lot of writing done in the beginning of the day, because that's when I'm at my incredibly slow and boring job haha my boss actually loves that I bring my laptop to work with me because he likes that I have something to do, because he knows how boring it is XD So from about 9am-3ish, I'm able to write and play Sims a lot, then when I get home from work, I usually spend a lot of time with my hubs, then at night (he sometimes goes to bed early), I'll write or play my game while he's sleeping. Working on my stuff alone really lets me be able to concentrate the best with no distractions.
4. What do you do to get over writers block?
A lot of different things help me, actually.. Sometimes, I'll switch to a different story and just work on something else to clear my head of what I'm having trouble with, I'll often open my game and free play with the family and sometimes even the things they do on their free-will give me ideas on what I could do for a chapter, even taking a shower and thinking about it more in depth in my mind as I trance out in that way helps me, too LOL there's a lot of things that I do to get over it.
5. What made you start playing Sims?
Well, I started playing it because I just love video games, and it was one of those games that really interested me, even before getting the chance to play it. I bought Sims 1 when it came out, all the expansions, then I bought Sims 2 when it came out, along with most of the expansions, then Sims3 with most of its expansions, as well, and lastly, of course, Sims 4. I've just been in love with the Sims since the beginning and have never really lost interest in it at all. I'll probably still be playing The Sims many, many years from now, too.
6. Do you prefer creating and writing about male or female Sims? Why do you prefer the one you do?
I actually don't prefer either. The only reason I picked to do a patriarchy for this was because I never had much experience writing as a boy, so I took this challenge and chose male only heirs so I could get practice at them, since in my RP days, as well as most of my other stories(not sims stories), have had dominant female characters. I try to challenge myself all the time when I write, and this was just another challenge I wanted to face and get good at since I wasn't all that familiar with writing from a male perspective.
My first story that I completed, What Happens At Night, is the first Sims story I had written that featured equal amounts of female to male characters and I enjoyed writing it. My second story, in which I never finished due to a computer malfunction, Eaten Alive (which is deleted), was my first take on a male only perspective. My third story, which is also discontinued and deleted, The Black Occultist, the main character was male, his best friend was male, and even the villain was male, so there went on some more practice from a male perspective.
Then that leads to my other current story, Fear the Orchard, which is both male and female dominant.. Then this Legacy, which is dominantly male. I've been trying to get into a different perspective from my own. I guess it may look like I prefer writing with male characters now with explaining all of that, but, hmm.. I don't want to say it's gotten easier with my many ways of practicing since I was a dominantly female writer for most of my life, but I've found that I've grown more prone to telling most of my stories through the eyes of a male as well as a female (plus with life experiences, too).
Ultimately, I realized that there really isn't all that much of a difference between writing male and female characters, it's just all in the personality you create for them. You can't look at a male character and think instantly "oh, he's a womanizer because he's a man", or if you're writing a girl, it's not always "omg he cheated on me, but that's what a guy does", because no, it's not like that at all haha all in all, it doesn't matter the sex, it's all in the personality you make them have that makes them who they are. Male OR female.
7. Other than Sims and writing, what are some of your other hobbies?
There's other things I could be doing..? O_O LOL No, I do have other hobbies and such, I just find myself playing The Sims and writing in most of my free time. Some of my other hobbies include role playing, other games like Fallout, Oblivion, and Spore, I like reading manga's a lot and watching anime, painting and drawing, etc.
8. What are your favorite and least favorite expansion or stuff packs?
Above in blamsart's questions I answered what were my favorites, but my least favorite? Hmm.. I don't really care for Island Paradise, since every time I try to live in a houseboat, it never works and it lags my game really badly, I don't know why. It's just difficult to use the best feature in the game and I don't like that. Other than that, I don't really know. I only buy the expansion and stuff packs that peak my interest the most, and I pretty much always like what I purchase.
9. What is one of your greatest fears regarding your writing?
Becoming bland or boring when I've proven myself to be a pretty good story teller. I always fear that readers will get bored, or uninterested, or think that what I'm doing is stupid or just plain pointless, but even when I've thought that before with some of the things I've written about, the readers tend to like it anyways, so I don't even know why this fear exists. Plus, this is my story, so if I want to do something, I'm going to do it haha I think I just need to learn not to question myself so much if I feel good about it.
10. If you could pick five personality traits for your Simself, what would they be? I know when I do it, there's always more than five I want to use, but just think of the first five that come to mind.
This question is always so difficult.. But I'll try my best~
- Perfectionist
- Artistic
- Computer Whiz
- Hydrophobic
- Bookworm
Here's 5 more traits anyways XD : Excitable, Friendly, Shy, Photographer's Eye, Loner.
11. What is your favorite type of CC to download and why?
Oh jeez, this question is hard, too, because I love downloading CC so freaking much. XD Hmm, I guess my top 3 favorites to download would be Hair, Clothes, and decor. For hair, I just love the variety there is and sometimes you can even find multiple hairstyles that are really similar, so if you're worried about your Sim looking completely different from one hairstyle to the next, it's easy to finds ones that are similar so they still look like the same Sim haha When it comes to clothes, I'm a huge sucker for dresses for young adult females, and for males, I love shirts and pants and shoes. For guys, I download a lot of clothes that I myself like to see men wear, so a lot of the males in my stories have at least one thing about them that I'd like to see on a real guy. To an earlier question, I don't really put myself into my stories, but I do put a lot of myself into their clothing choices XD And decor? I hate, hate, hate building houses because I think I really do a bad job, so I'll most likely download a house I fall in love with that someone else made and then make my own changes to it to make the layout of the inside nicer or more to my liking, then I'll spend hours and hours decorating it to death because I just absolutely love decorating. I love little nic nacks, like candle holders, books, magazines, plants, records, make up, anything really that I can put on a surface, and I also really, really love decorating beds with different pillows and blankets.
Third set of questions, asked by LilyShadowWriter:
1.) Describe your typical writing process, including what you do to prepare to write and your editing process (if you have one).
Well, when I start to write a chapter, I generally just focus on what I covered in the previous one and decide whether or not I want to continue to the next chapter being it the next day, the next week, next month or year, etc., and once I choose when I want the chapter to take place, that's when I start thinking of the "why" and "what's going to happen". When I start writing then, I usually make my chapters kind of like "a day in the life of", so it usually starts in the mornings, goes throughout the day and ends at night, but of course, that can change, too.. I could start in the evening and end in the night, start at night, end at night, it doesn't matter that much, really, but I've noticed that most of my chapters are from morning to night. Then, once I figure out the when inside of the when, LOL, that's when I just kind of start writing and don't stop until I think it's done. After that comes all the editing, proofing, poses, then pictures.
2.) If you could turn any of your characters into real people, who would you transform and why?
Probably Jason, just because he's completely gorgeous and I love him, or maybe Oliver just so I could hug him and tell him everything's going to be okay hahaha But, then I'd have to make Isaiah real for Oliver and I honestly don't think it would stop there.. LOL I think if I could make them all real people, I would, just.. Without their murderous tendencies XD
3.) What is your favorite aspect of The Sims? What keeps you playing it?
I think I just really love the ability to make anyone I want, especially make them look how I want, dress how I want, everything, really. The Sims is so unique and the whole CAS and CAW concepts are really what drew me to these games in the first place.. Just The Sims being The Sims is what keeps me playing it.
4.) If you could be miniaturized into a sim for a day, what in the game would you want to do?
Probably woohoo with my favorite Sim lmao or just "motherlode" myself a crap ton so I could travel to the different World Adventures locations. It's not every day, too, that I can buy and ride a horse so easily, so I think I would spend a lot of time riding one of those around the towns, too XD
5.) Do you have friends in "real life" who are also simmers? If not, how much do you talk to your friends about the sims/your sims blog?
Well, my closest friend in real life is also a simmer in this community, LateKnight. I'm the only girl in my hubs and I's tight group of friends, but I don't talk really at all about what I do as far as Sims and my writing. It's one of those things where "if Jenna is on her laptop, don't disturb her" hahaha!
6.) Do you also write outside of The Sims? If so, what do you write? If not, why not?
Yeah, I write outside of The Sims. I write a lot of fan fiction, as well as role play with a few people I've known for a very, very long time, and I also am writing a very long story about what one of my Role Playing characters has been through ever since I thought her up when I was about 11. I still role play with her to this day, too (15 years laterrrr)
7.) What are you most proud of when it comes to your sim blog/your writing?
That's a good question.. I guess what I'm most proud of is actually being able to stick with something like this, a Legacy. This is my first challenge I've ever done and I'm very proud to say that it's still going strong into its upcoming 5th generation. It's actually really hard for me to stick with something like this and not get bored of it, so this is really huge for me haha
8.) Do you have any regrets regarding your sim blog? Why, or why not?
Honestly? Not really. Sure, there are a few plots I could've done differently, and DID plan differently, but changed into what you readers read now, but in the end, I think that it all just really works out.. To change it now or regret what I have already done is not having confidence in my story and what I want to write about. I like what I do and have done in the past, and every new chapter is still a learning experience for me to get better and better. You learn from your mistakes, if you think you've made any (which I constantly do think about hahaha)
9.) What are your favorite hobbies aside from The Sims?
Art, like writing and painting or drawing, and other games, like Fallout, Oblivion, Spore, Gears of War, Mortal Kombat.. Yeah, mostly just art and video games hehe
10.) For you, what is the most difficult part of writing and/or maintaining your sims blog?
I think it would be making sure to keep on track and not let my story go over a month or two without updating.. There are some times where life gets in the way, of course, but I still try my best to not let the readers go long without the next update. If I let myself get close to the point where it's almost been a month since I updated, or even more than a month, I'll take a day and crack down on getting an update out.
11.) LOOK TO YOUR LEFT. The first object you see is about to come to life—how screwed are you?
Oh, shit.. It's my cat.. O_O And he's a dick. I'm already screwed. It was either my cat or my couch, and I don't even WANT to know what my couch would do to me if it came to life LOL
Fourth set of questions, asked by MsMidnightBlonde:
1. If you could restart one generation or a couple chapters from your story, would you?
Hmm.. Good question.. I think I would restart Generation One, to be honest. I wouldn't change the story of that generation, per say, but I would just rewrite it in first person to make it better. I think when I was first starting out, I was still in my 'role playing' mode and I always wrote in third person for it, so it's been a little difficult for me to get away from that. So, I'd choose Gen 1.
2. Do you prefer making sims, building houses/lots, decorating, or any combination of the three?
I absolutely hate building, I'm so bad at it. I tend to just make my houses into simple squares and be done with it haha I much more prefer making Sims and especially decorating.. I think decorating is by far my favorite, though.
3. Who is your oldest and most cherished sim you created?
Not from this legacy, but I have a couple that I've been playing with for about as long as this legacy, maybe longer. Demos and Tim Thenes, which you can find on my tumblr only, since I haven't really made a story for them at all. I can't believe I haven't made a story for them yet O_O haha other than those two, though, I think my only other cherished Sims are from this legacy.
4. When writing your stories, do you already have an idea of how you want the generation or chapter to go or do you just play and take it a chapter at a time?
I go one chapter at a time, usually.. I've tried to plan out things before as far as covering the entire generation, but when that happens, I end up not liking it about a third of the way into the generation or maybe even half way, and I'll end up changing it entirely because I'll think of something better to write about instead. It's a lot better for me and the story itself if I just take it 1-2 chapters at a time.
5. Have you ever made a sim you didn't really like too much, but they grew on you the more you played them?
Just the opposite, actually hahaha I've made two characters in particular in this legacy that I really liked at first, but eventually didn't care for them at all as I continued the generation they were in. A gold star to whoever can guess the two XD
6. When developing your story, have you made a complete character background of your main characters, or even the minor ones, or do you learn more about them as the story progresses?
Usually I just think of a general background/personality for them, then as the story progresses, I learn more about them and what really makes them, them. I learn new things about my own characters constantly hahaha
7. Dialogue: difficult or the easiest part of the story? Does it feel natural, like it flows, or kind of stilted?
I try my hardest not to make the dialogue not believable and whenever I write it, usually I'll just type out the first thing that comes to my mind and assume that that's what was meant to be said since it flowed so easily into my head and then into words. Sometimes I might go back and rearrange the sentence or replace a few words with others, but it usually still gets the same point across as what I had originally put there. I hate dialogue that's like, "I am going to the bar, I am going to sit down here," I like more believable dialogue where their personality comes through, like how Gareth would definitely swear in that sentence, "I'm gunna go sit over there and get a drink, so leave me the fuck alone," or Oliver would stutter a little depending on who he was talking to or how nervous he was, "I-I'm just, uhm.. Gunna go sit over there and have a drink.." I like when their 'person' actually shows through in own their words.
8. If you're introducing a character with a background (i.e. a doctor, police officer, scientist) or a place (i.e. city, state, country, time) you're unfamiliar with, do you research it or just make things up?
A little of both, I suppose. Since this legacy deals with a lot of murders and crimes and other things, I have a pretty broad knowledge of things like this because of how many countless shows and movies I've seen that deals with things like this, like Crime shows or horror/mystery/suspenseful shows/movies. Not saying I'm an expert or know everything, because no, I'm not at all, but I like to believe I know what I'm talking about most of the time. If I'm ever not sure, yes, I'll look things up just to be sure, or if there's a subject I'm not familiar with, I won't just wing it, I'll take the time to get the facts and such.
9. What time period(s) do you typically write in? Are there others you'd be interested in doing in other stories?
I usually always write in modern times. I have too much CC that is based on that time to even think of downloading CC in order to do an entirely different one haha If I had to choose, I've always been very interested in doing a medieval type of story, and I'm actually working on a story that is kind of like that, but it still needs to be worked out a lot more before I start posting chapters for it.
10. Do you write via pen/pencil, computer, or a combination?
It's always computer for me.. If I need to think something out, like with a chart or an outline, I'll use Word or something like it to just jot some things down, figure out whatever I'm trying to, then go back to my drafts once I have and type it out.
11. Do you get nervous showing your work or are you pretty confident in what you've written?
Showing my work to other simmers and readers, I don't mind at all, but to my friends? I usually never do. It just makes me nervous haha As much as I love and adore it, no one that I know enjoys writing OR The Sims as much as I do, I don't think they'd ever understand how much I love it, either, so I keep it to myself, mostly. My husband knows I write this legacy, as well as my other stories, and he's insanely proud of me, and that's all I really need as far as my real life friends and people I hang out with haha <3
Fifth set of questions, asked by Stormy:
1) How long have you been playing the Sims? What made you start playing?
Similar question that I answered in LateKnight's questions. See #5.
2) Which version of the game is your most favorite?
Sims 3, by far.
3) What is your writing style, and why did you choose that style to write your story?
I really love writing in first person the most. It really allows you to get into the mind of the character, it allows readers to connect with them on an emotional level, and I think it's just all around the best choice for this legacy.
4) What inspired you to write your story?
Honestly, I have no clue hahaha I guess I've always loved the Insane trait and I've always really loved doing dark stories with blood and violence and other R rated stuff.. I had never done a Sims challenge before, too, so when I saw this rather simple challenge with only a few rules you needed to follow, I thought it was a good start at getting into the challenges. I wanted practice with male characters, as well as try my best with making the insane trait as realistic as possible, so that's why I started this story.
5) Which character out of your story is your most favorite? Why or why not?
Similar question that I answered in blamsart's questions. See #3.
6) What is it about writing that you like the most?
I love the ability to just 'get away' haha I really love to get into my characters heads and become them as I type, it makes it a lot easier if I feel what they feel as I write what they want to say and I really love being brought into their world whenever I want to be or need to be. Of course, too, it's a wonderful outlet to being creative and I just really, really enjoy doing it.
7) If you could be a Sim for a day, which of the in-game Sims would you be, and why?
You mean like, a townie? Hmm.. I guess Bella Goth haha Her husband is kinda cute and I like her gothic style. Other than that, I really don't pay attention to the townies like, at all.. LOL If you mean one of my characters, though, I guess I'd pick Katalina.. Since she's not an heirs spouse and doesn't end up getting murdered. XD
8) If you were a Sim, what would be your Lifetime Wish and which of the jobs/careers would you have?
Ohh, that's a good question.. Since I have my cosmetology license, I think Fashion Phenomenon would be mine, to reach level 10 in the Stylist career haha That, or Illustrious Author, to reach the highest levels of writing and painting, since I do both in real life XD idk *shrugs*
9) If you could change anything about the Sims to make your writing experience much easier, what would it be, and why?
Hmm.. I think I would want the ability to drag and drop objects into the hands of the Sims and they would hold it accordingly, so posing would be a ton easier instead of the rig-a-ma-roll you need to go through to bring the Sim into blender, make the object you want compatible to blender, then pose the Sim around the object you want them to use or hold and just.. Ugh.. Also, instead of trying and searching for hours looks for the objects to be a friggin' accessory in the first place to make it only slightly easier.. Hahaha I also wouldn't mind if the add-on to the pose player where you can change their facial expression had a wider range of faces, and that the ones they already had were a lot more realistic and less animated and over exaggerated. I have a lot more I'd change, but I'll stop XD
10) Do you create your own poses for your story or prefer to download them from other creators? Why or why not?
I create about 99.9% of the poses I use in my most recent generations. Generation 1 and 2, I used a lot of other peoples poses because I hadn't learned to make my own yet. I started making my own in Generation 3, but, with Generation 4, I honestly don't think there's any poses I've used that haven't been my own, maybe a couple here and there that aren't mine, but not very many at all. I make my own poses now because I'm a perfectionist, and I've gotten very invested in my story to the point where if it doesn't look exactly how I want it to, I won't use someone else's pose, but I'll make my own to make sure it DOES look exactly how I want it to. Being a perfectionist has its up's and down's bahaha
11) Do you prefer to write out your chapters first before taking your pictures or do you prefer to take your pictures first and then write out your chapters? Why?
I always write my chapters first, then get the pictures for it, and it's for the exact reason I gave above. I write out how I want things to go and how I want them to look, then I go into blender and make the poses I want/need in order to portray exactly what I write :D
(Sixth set of questions on my other story, FTO, here)
Seventh set of questions, asked by LilyParker:
1) What scene in your story caused the most controversy among your readers?
Hmm.. (spoiler alert if you're not caught up) I think the scene that caused the most controversy was probably the love triangle with Hannah being involved with both Gareth and Gibson, and also, whether or not Gareth even loved Hannah or he did what he did out of spite. I never really clarified in either cases and I let the readers decide whatever result came of it on their own. If anyone wants to contribute to this question, please do in the comments below XD
2) Where do you find inspiration for story lines?
You know what? I have no idea hahaha sometimes stuff just comes to me out of the blue (most times, actually) and it takes me a few hours of a few days to finally decide on whether or not I should go with it. If it doesn't come to me out of the blue, however, I rely on my characters to give me ideas. I try to think of situations they would either love or completely hate to be in, then throw them into it and see what I can make of it. Or, I sometimes just watch my Sims on free-will in game and sometimes even just doing something as simple as that gives me plenty of ideas.
3) Do you have any other story ideas brewing besides the blogs you're currently publishing?
God yes.. All the freaking time LOL I don't think my mind ever really turns off.. Every other month or say maybe, I'll think of something that I'll fall in love with the moment I think it, and if I'm still thinking about it a few months from when I originally thought of it, I'll consider making it into a reality. Currently, I have another story brewing in my mind that I already started putting the wheels in motion of, and I've been working on it for a few months now to get it ready and to get everything worked out in my head before I publish my first chapter and start advertising for it.
4) What is your favorite type of scene to write?
I really, really love complete opposites.. Like, I really love to do arguments and fights, which gets my adrenaline going XD But then I also love to do romantic scenes, as well as sex scenes LOL they're all just so fun. I don't really like to write stuff just in the in-between because I think it makes me less creative and it's harder for me to think of things to write about when the chapter is 'neutral' or even seems to be pointless (or just for the sake of posting).
5) Do you think your story would be any different if you didn't use The Sims to illustrate it? Does it help you or constrain you?
I think it has the potential to be a ton better than it is, just for the fact that sometimes I really don't want to work at making all the poses I do to make everything perfect and just how I picture it.. I think it takes me longer to make all the poses and get the pictures than it does to write entire chapters, which consist of between 6k to 12k at times. However, I think it's very worth it, because I've always wanted to write stories with illustrations, but I don't have the patience to draw everything like I used to try to do, so posing the Sims myself and getting the pictures is actually a lot easier to me, believe it or not. If there were no pictures with the use of Sims, however, it would take me a lot longer to write chapters because I'd be focusing on literally, every little detail, just so that the reader could picture it exactly how I see it in my head.
6) What types of stories do you like to read (books, blogs, etc.)?
I like to read manga's more than anything, really.. Books, eh, sometimes, blogs more then books, but mostly manga's. As far as what I like specifically, I like stories that make you think, that make you have to guess and stories where you don't see things coming and you're constantly surprised. I love horror, suspense, mystery, stuff like that.
7) Have you ever received any great writing advice that you'd like to pass along? Or, do you have advice of your own to share?
Hmm.. Don't be so stiff, I guess. I kind of write how I talk, I don't write, like- "I do not want to do this, I am a robot, beep-boop-beep" LOL I dunno.. I just feel like writing how someone actually talks is a lot more funner to read than everything constantly seeming like a robot is talking.. Honestly, I could be the worst writer in the entire world because I don't really give a crap about "proper" writing or proper anything or the "rules of writing".. idk.. I just WRITE haha *shrug* I think it's both more enjoyable to write AND to read.
8) If you were to spot one of your male characters across the room without knowing anything about him, which one would be most likely to catch your eye, and why? (No one is off limits. Assume you're both single and that he's straight and of the appropriate age for you. I'm not leaving out all those hot gay guys in your blogs. They're fair game for the purposes of this question. And, if your favorite is a teenager, assume you're one, too.)
LOL Love this question ;D If my founder and heirs were all lined up on one side of the room, I think I'd have to pick Oliver. As far as looks and the way he carries himself compared to the rest of the heirs, he's seriously the cutest to me and just how shy he acts with each bashful glance and the rosiness of flattery written all over his cheeks when he's nervous or embarrassed is to die for, for me, and I just love it. My second choice (yeah, I know you only said one, but idc >:D LOL) would be Gibson. Blonde hair, green eyes, glasses, who wouldn't love him? Plus, with a rather refined and gentlemanly look, as well as attitude, and also a confident stare and stature, that's also a plus that I really love about him. They're both extreme opposites, but oh well hahaha
9) Repeat of question 8, but please choose a male character from any blog you read, and you can factor in his personality this time. (Make me fall in love with another character!)
(will answer later when I can pick a favorite)
10) How long have you been playing The Sims?
Ever since the first one came out, but I didn't start writing Sims stories until I had gotten into Sims 3.
11) Have you written from both male and female points of view? If so, which do you prefer, and why?
Yes, I've written in both many times. I answered a similar question to this in LateKnight's questions. See #6.
Eighth set of questions, asked by SandyBeachGirl
1. Do any writers inspire you? Blog writers or novel writers?
Valpre always inspired me when I was reading her story Krisis, it really got me in the mood to make supernatural-like stories myself. Jazen, too, inspired me a lot with her story Fiendish. It's really an incredible read and I recommend it to anyone and everyone. LateKnight, all in all, is an amazing writer, and if I haven't updated in a while or took a few days or a week off from writing, usually reading anything from her makes me want to get back into my own stuff, because I can see how much she enjoys writing through each chapter she writes, and that in itself, is inspiration.
2. When you have writers block, do you plow through it and keep writing or do you take a step back and take a break?
I usually alllwaaayyysss take a break and come back to it later, there's no powering through because once I'm stuck, I'm really stuck, and really do need a break to think things over at another time and come back to later.
3. Are there other types of stories you're interested in writing? Some other genre that you'd like to try writing for?
Similar question answered in MsMidnightBlonde's questions. See #9.
4. Do you do any character development before you start writing for a character or do you figure the character out as you write for them?
A little bit of both, I'd say. For the heirs of this story, I usually always figure it out as I write them, in the beginning only going strictly off their traits that are rolled at random. As for other characters, like potential spouses or friends or enemies, etc., I usually do some character development and try to figure them out as much as I can before introducing them.
5. How much editing do you do for your story? Is it an ongoing process? Do you have many drafts for your chapters?
A LOT of editing. Lots and lots and lots LOL I don't ever really have many drafts for a chapter, just the original, maybe an extra that goes in a different direction to see which I like better, but not more than two drafts of one chapter. When writing a chapter (if I know exactly what I want it to be about), I'll usually write the whole thing in one go through, or write half now, half later type of thing, then when it's all done, I'll go back and really, really look at it, running everything through my head and see if it all makes sense and comes together in the end. If not, I could spend a few hours, or even a couple of days to a week or so to fully get it edited and just how I like it. I write a ton, I edit a ton, I make my own poses, gets pictures, publish. It's a really long process for me, this kind of explains why updates only happen about 1-3 times a month.
6. Where is the weirdest place you've ever gotten inspiration for a scene for your story?
Is the shower weird? Idk LOL While I'm in the shower, it's always really, really easy for me to just space out and think of things to do for the story, and it's actually helped a ton. For some reason, instead of just thinking of the same stuff that's already happening in the chapter over and over again and wondering if it will work or if it should change, being in the shower makes me change what happens and makes me think of the pros and cons of changing things, and sometimes I'll think of many different ways a chapter could go, even if it's already been written and in the proofing process.
7. If you could live with any one of your characters, who would you choose, where would you live, and why?
Hmm.. I'd probably choose Oliver to live with. He's a very quiet person, keeps to himself, wouldn't disturb you for any stupid reasons, would be nice about pretty much everything and would never try to change you or make you do something you didn't wait to. Yeah, he's my first choice haha As far as where, I'd choose Lucky Palms, his home town, just 'cause <3
8. What was the thing that sparked your interest and pushed you to start writing your story?
Similar question answered in Stormy's questions. See #4.
9. If you write a legacy, which is your favorite generation and why? If you write a story that isn't a legacy, what is your favorite chapter and why?
For this legacy, so far, I think I'd have to say Generation 3 and 4 have been my favorites.. I can't just choose only one haha For Generation 3, I absolutely loved doing "double heirs" with the twins Gareth and Gibson, it was just way too much fun to do two completely different personalities while also having them both be the heir. My love for Generation 4 should be obvious, too haha I just love Oliver and Isaiah together and they're just as fun to write about as lovers as Gareth and Gibson were just as fun to write about as brothers. I think it's a tie, actually? Two boys are always better than one, right? XD
10. What is your favorite line in your story? Why?
Ahh man, I don't really know 'cause I have quite a few in mind that I like. Maybe I'll pick one from each generation instead of just naming 83483151 of them at random XD
Gen 1 – I pretty much like everything that Archor says to Marrick. Archor has always creaped my out and I wrote him to be rather "slow" at first, like he's trying to understand humans and trying to understand how to speak English. Later on, he talks more normal and more frequently, but everything he says just.. Idk.. Creaps me out, like I said haha
Gen 2 – "I'll always be here for you, Jason." – Spoken by Marrick Dubois, Chapter 20 Part 2. This line proves that Jason still struggles with his insanity and I liked making people think that he was okay, but then at the end of the generation, it seems as if he'll never not be crazy, or he'll never be able to get rid of the hate he holds for his father.
Gen 3 – "I'm sorry.." I began blandly, "Did I interrupt something?" – Spoken by Gibson Dubois, Chapter 20 Part 1. This marked the peak of Gibson's insanity and I feel these lines held a lot of power behind them, even though they seem so simply spoken. If you were never scared or intimidated by Gibson, this'll probably change your mind.
Gen 4 – I'll fill this in when I'm done with the gen.
11. What is one thing that has surprised you about your story? Has it taken a different direction than you thought? Have readers reacted different than you imagined?
I'm surprised by its popularity, honestly.. Who knew that so many of you lovey readers would enjoy insane Sims so much? hahaha Yes, sometimes it's been taken in different directions than I've intended at first, but the change was always necessary, in the end. I like how it's going, I like what I'm doing, and I see myself completing all ten generations to this legacy. Also, the reactions from my commenters haven't really surprised me much.. I write what I write in order to get the reaction that I usually always do. It's just how I write the story and dialogue and all that haha
Ninth set of questions, asked by SimMadMeg
1. Could you play your game cc free? No mods/cc at all.
God.. I mean, yeah, I could.. But do I want to? Hellllll no. LOL
2. What got you into writing sim stories?
When I was browsing the forums a long time ago, I came across the "Stories and Legacies" thread and when I noticed people making those stories and legacies, I pretty much thought "wow, I wanna do that too!" I thought it was such a good idea and I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it earlier. Before I started writing stories and such fr my Sims, I always made families and just kept their own little stories in my head, like whenever I made a character, I'd just tell myself "well, this is Janet, she hates apples and loves dogs and she's a sassy business woman blah blah" hahaha I always kept their personalities and their lives in my head, but I eventually started writing it all down, and that's how I wound up where I am now. :D
3. Why do you write sim stories?
I write them because I just absolutely love writing.. I wanted a way to put pictures with the stories I used to write and keep to myself, and this is an excellent way to do that.
4. How do you decide on a personality for your sims? Do you make it up as you go or do you use their traits?
I always, always use their traits. This is actually kind of hard to explain hahaha Well, if I get obvious traits (rolled randomly for this legacy), like Shy, Dramatic, Grumpy, etc., those are pretty easy traits for me to figure out their personality with, but if I roll ones that have to do with what they DO instead of who they ARE, like Loves The Outdoors, Athletic, Neat, etc., those are the ones where I just have to make up the personality completely. When that happens, I tend to go on looks. If they have a baby face, big eyes, or a naturally curved up lips, I'll usually make them a nice person, but if they have a hard look, like small, narrow eyes, a strong jaw line, or a defined nose and brow, then I'll tend to make them a little cold. It's quite the process, lemme tell you. LOL
5. Do you prefer realistic style play (vanilla sims, no aliens/supernatural, no wierd jelly bean deaths or stuff) or more cartoony play and why?
Realistic all the way haha at least for this story. Realistic makes it believable and it allows readers to relate to the character, or feel things for them that (in my opinion) cartoony stories and Sims just can't do. Well, I myself can't take them seriously.. Others might be able to, but I can't haha I love stories that you can connect with the character, and if I can't connect with them, then I don't read it. However, I've always wanted to try playing Berry Sims, just because I think they're so pretty and cute hahaha I guess if I ever wanted to do a cute story, one with less murder and stuff, I'd do a berry story, or a rainbowcy. XD It would most likely just be for fun, though, and I probably wouldn't take it as seriously as I do a story like TIDL.
6. What is a mod/piece of cc you could not play the game without?
Well, hair really means a lot to me haha that and pose player. Without pose player, I couldn't do nearly enough things that I would want to in order to portray this story exactly how I see it in my head.
7. How did you get into sims?
Similar question answered in LateKnightSimmer's questions. See #5.
8. Could you continue your story if you could no longer/could never use poses?
Yeah, I could, but I really, really, really wouldn't like it. LOL
9. What is your favourite sims 3 EP/SP and why?
Similar question answered in blamsart's questions. See #10.
10. What kind of sim stories do you like to read?
Similar question answered in LilyParker's questions. See #6.
11. Can you relate to your characters in your sim story/stories?
Yeah, all the time, actually. If I didn't, there'd be no point in my writing, I think haha Just because I write them and don't use my own experiences I've faced in life, doesn't mean I have no idea how they feel about certain things.. The anger, the sadness, how their heart races when thinking about a certain something.. I can relate to them in those ways always. When they feel sad, however, is when I feel it the most.. My heart tends to drop with theirs whenever I'm describing what makes them feel that way, like if they ever get into a fight with another character they love or if they cry because of something they've done, my heart drops right with theirs the whole time I'm describing everything.. It's actually difficult to write like that sometimes because it can be emotionally exhausting.. XD
Tenth set of questions, asked by BBQPenguinWingsTrish
1. What do you hope to express in your Sims stories?
Good question.. Haha hmm.. I guess I just want to express a wide range of different personalities, and it's also really great practice for me to write in so many different characters. Everything I write ever is mostly just practice for me to get better and better and to challenge myself.
2. What music inspires you?
A little bit of everything, to be honest. One thing I like to do is just put my Pandora on in the background while I type and if I find a song that really relates to what I'm writing, I'll listen to it on repeat XD I really enjoy smooth, chill music most. Zhu, Glass Animals, Empire of the Sun, Sam Smith, John Newman, Hermitude, Flume, etc.
3. What's one of the funniest things that has happened to you or your Sims while Simming?
Oh, jeez.. Honestly, so so so many things hahaha there's really too many to list. Most of the funniest things happen whenever my Sims are on free-will.
4. What's the longest generation you've ever reached in the Sims and how did you manage?
Well, this is my first legacy, so generation four is the furthest I've gone. Even when free-playing with random Sims, I haven't gotten at far as the fourth generation, not even the third haha I'm just really bad at sticking with families. I've grown really, really attached to the Dubois, though.
5. Whats the hardest thing you've ever done in your life? (either physically or mentally) and what did you learn?
I don't think I'm going to answer this one.
6. What made you start blogging in the first place?
I don't really know.. I think I just randomly went into the Sims forums, noticed that other people had blogs for their Sim stories and just thought it was a really good idea, so I jumped on board XD
7. Whats the best moment you've ever had in your life?
Finding myself and figuring out what truly makes me happy.
8. If you could make an expansion pack, what would you do?
Well, I love Pets and I love Supernatural stuff the most, and seeing as those two have been made already, I have no idea what else I would want haha perhaps something more inclined to story tellers? Like, the ability to move a Sim on your own by clicking and dragging their limbs or their faces, kind of like what you can do in Blender to make poses, but instead of going through the whole "making poses" process.
9. When are you most motivated to blog?
Usually always haha I write every day and never get tired of it, especially when I get good ideas, or when I just have the urge to continue my Sims lives and writing about them. I'm usually always motivated.
10. Who is are favorite sims ( yours or someone else's) and why?
Similar question answered in MsMidnightBlonde's answers, see question #3.
11. What inspires you to continue Simming and blogging when you think about stopping?
I don't thing about stopping LOL Sure, I can get frustrated at times with writing or with my game, but I never really ever think about stopping.
Eleventh set of questions, asked by Mikizumi
1. Do you like to listen to music when you write your story?
Similar question answered in BBQPenguinWings' answers. See question #2.
2. How long have you been playing the sims for and what got you started?
Similar question answered in LateKnight's answers. See question #5.
3. Are there other types of stories you're interested in writing? Some other genre that you'd like to try writing for?
Hmm.. TIDL kind of has a little bit of everything, and usually if there's something else to write that I want to experiment with, I'll do it. My other many stories cover the things that I don't in this legacy.
4. What is your favourite sim trait and why?
Insanity. And why? Because, well..Why not? It's the funnest one to write about and honestly, if I were to do another legacy when this one ends, I'd have no idea what constant trait to do next because I just love the Insanity way too much to pick anything else.
5. What do you do to overcome writer's block?
Similar question answered in LateKnight's answers. See question #4.
6. What is it about writing that you like the most?
Similar question answered in Stormy's answers. See question #6.
7. Where do you get the inspiration from for your writing?
Similar question answered in LilyParker's answers. See question #2.
8. Which is your favorite expansion pack?
Similar question answered in blamsart's answers. See question #10.
9. When did you start writing? And blogging?
Similar question answered in LateKnight's answers. See questions #1 and #5.
10. Do you create your own poses for your story or prefer to download them from other creators?
Similar question answered in Stormy's answers. See question #10.
11.Do you prefer to write out your chapters first before taking your pictures or do you prefer to take your pictures first and then write out your chapters? Why?
Similar question answered in Stormy's answers. See question #11.
Thank you all so much again, you beautiful people
Questionsssss for the people I nominated
1] In everyday life, how often do you find yourself thinking about your story or your characters (when you're not working on it)?
2] How did you come up with your idea to start your story/legacy? Was it something you wanted to do for a while, or did it just come to you out of the blue?
3] What's your process in bringing in new characters? How do you choose their traits and their personality?
4] What's your favorite view to write? First, Second, or Third person?
5] What are your favorite worlds to play in?
6] What are your favorite types of stories to read? What interests you the most?
7] Which character in your story can you say you relate to the most?
8] What are the five traits that worst describe you?
9] If you could go back and change how you wrote your story, so that it would've gone in a completely different direction, would you? Why/Why not?
10] Does your style of clothing ever come through in your characters? Or do you dress them how you think they themselves would dress?
11] What is something in game that your Sim does to others that you wish you could do in real life? No consequences or repercussions?


text:
"Limited access to nutritional food and fresh fruits and vegetables is a problem we are working to address," said Mayor Parker. "By giving neighborhoods tools to grow their own vegetable gardens, we are not only improving nutritional choices that increase health but bringing neighbors together to build a positive environment."
The City of Houston will provide lots through its LARA program (Land Assemblage Redevelopment Authority), which works to redevelop tax-delinquent and abandoned properties. Community members, partnering with local non-profits, foundations or churches, will then work to transform these vacant lots into usable, productive and attractive green spaces.
Full article

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Circle of Eden
Consciously guided celebrations hosted with love
The Inspiration
Circle of Eden is an invitation to explore social exchange and play
in an entirely new and provocative way.
We are searching for you, divine playmates, to dance in a different arena than those that we typically gather in. There are a growing number of us who want to connect more deeply
than the typical party atmosphere allows space for.
It is our soul's desire and great pleasure to craft enticing experiences that ignite the energies of our guests,
creating an atmosphere in which we can connect to the subtle, mystical realms,
and enchant each other through sensual, spirit play.


text:
The OKR methodology is as perfectly suited to develop a successful outcome in sport as it is in setting and attaining seemingly out of reach business goals.
by Mark Richard of Auxin Services , a provider of services to help companies drive performance, including support to set and manage OKRs.
Sport and OKRs
Ever dream of taking a struggling sporting programme, setting it an outrageously difficult goal and then by navigating from one achievable milestone to the next drive a path to ultimate success?
OKRs have been used in world leading businesses such as Intel and Google for some years now but the move into sport has been surprisingly slow given professional sport's never-ending search for marginal gains when actually the big picture is where attention is need most.
OKRs in business
Mark Richard, High Performance Lead in Rugby Union at Northumbria University and Director at Auxin Services, specialists in OKR implementation explains:
"OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) work to first establish a business's long term and often seemingly out of reach "moon-shot" goal as set by its board or founder. This is then broken down into annual and quarterly objectives which are assigned to accountable groups or individuals who carefully establish and set targets for quantifiable key results. The key results are achieved via a series of tasks all aligned with the company's route-map to its ultimate destination. Subsequently these results are monitored carefully through the OKR process (having ditched those activities that don't contribute) ensuring the energy, resources and talent of the whole company is now pulling in the same direction".
Translating OKRs for Sports
The application for sport are obvious; let's say a team seeks to improve its standing in a championship where it has perennially fought relegation battles and struggled just to survive. Like many this team might set itself a three-year goal of a top four finish; OKR methodology would challenge this and set the outrageous goal of winning the league in question.
Moon-shot established, what next? Well let's not look too far ahead, just the next twelve months and set a realistic but stretching goal for the year, say that's a top half finish in year 1. Win 65% of our home games and 35% of our away games should do it. And what might that look like this three-month quarter and next?
What will a fully aligned team of attack and defence coaches set for their own objectives and set of key results which will help us attain the quarter's goal?
What statistics can the analyst provide to assist; not just by looking at our team but at the opposition, the referee etc. and that we can set stretchy targets for?
What can our logistics team do to establish a match day protocol for home and away games that help prepares a positive match day environment?
How do we measure that?
How does our ground staff help, what are we doing to quantifiably improve on our diet, gym attendance and work out targets?
And what objectives and key results can we set for the team members themselves to improve skill sets and outcomes both as individuals and as units on the field or court?
So top half finish achieved year 1, how does a top three finish year 2 sound, how do we set more stretching OKRs for this year, and next into year 3 and a realistic shot at the title?
Nothing Worthwhile is Easy
Sound difficult? Well working with OKRs is difficult, it is demanding, and it is not for the lukewarm; it needs full commitment from the top down. OKRs will drive accountability, provide line of sight and a golden thread to high level organisational goals, and inevitably make life uncomfortable for the uncommitted and underperforming individual or group.
Sound complicated? Well it may be on first sight, but any group hoping for success with no aligned and visible plan at best will see patchy performance, underachievement and frustration. With no milestones being set nor met there is no sense of progress, there will be merely drift and lack of direction.
The importance of teamwork above all else in sport is self-evident; it's why they are called team sports and why we identify with them (teamwork's role in helping Leicester overcome the greatest of odds in winning the Premiership a couple of years ago is already legendary)
Now, and with enabling software such as Gtmhub on hand, experienced OKR practitioners at Auxin will challenge and guide you through the process; your forward-looking business or aspiring sporting programme can take advantage of one of the most effective organisational and planning philosophies around.
This article was written by Mark Richard of Auxin Services , a provider of services to help companies drive performance, including support to set and manage OKRs.


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We welcomed Year 6 students from schools right across Penwith and even further afield into MBA today. The youngsters sampled a variety of lessons in subjects such as Art, Drama, Dance, Music, Science, PE, Food Technology and Languages. They also enjoyed mixing together at break time and lunchtime and many enjoyed the delicious food served up in the MBA canteen.
Click on the video below to see how they got on.
Click on an image below to view the photo gallery


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Welcome volunteer Kelly Barnes to HIKE for Mental Health!
Hello! My name is Kelly Barnes, and I am HIKE for Mental Health's newest volunteer. As the Mental Health News Compiler, I'll be posting regular updates to the site about current discoveries and advances in mental health research.
To tell you a bit about myself, I grew up in New Jersey and I'm a recent transplant to the Houston area. My husband, Jeff, our children, and I have settled in and have begun exploring the Gulf Coast of Texas. With two toddlers, our family's "hikes" look more like walks to the park or around the neighborhood. But we've managed to squeeze in a few adventures in some beautiful places (Colorado!) since the kids arrived on the scene. I hope that my children will find time spent outdoors to be as restorative as I do.
I teach Psychology at Alvin Community College and at San Jacinto College here in Texas. Prior to starting in these positions, I worked as a cognitive neuroscientist. I studied how the brain develops and how it supports learning and decision making. In a pleasant coincidence, I was a 2012 recipient of a NARSAD Young Investigator Award from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation–the very foundation that HIKE for Mental Health supports through their donations. I can say first-hand that your donations do help to advance research! My background will help me share with you many of the exciting research breakthroughs that scientists are making. These advances are at the forefront of a tremendous effort to understand mental illness and mental health. Scientists still have a long way to go, but these truly are amazing times to be studying the mind and brain!
I'm looking forward to contributing to the fantastic work done by the all-volunteer team at HIKE for Mental Health. If you come across a research study that you'd like to see shared on the site, or if there's a particular topic that you're curious about, please drop me a line in the comments to let me know!


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Toppled pizza truck rolls onto car in Ross Township
Box truck lands on side on Perrysville Avenue
The drivers of a box truck and a car were taken to hospitals after a crash Wednesday morning.
Police said the truck was coming off a ramp from Interstate 279 when it toppled over and hit the car on Perrysville Avenue just before 6:30 a.m.
SLIDESHOW: Photos of the crash
"I don't know that there is anything more freak than sitting in traffic and having a Schwan's Bakery truck crush your car," Ross Township Police Sgt. Benjamin Dripps said.
Sky 4 helicopter video showed several firefighters working around the car, which was near the rear wheels of the overturned truck loaded with Red Baron and Freschetta frozen pizzas.
Emergency crews had to use the Jaws of Life to free the driver of the car.
Both the driver of the car and the truck driver were taken to the hospital. Their conditions were not immediately available.
Dozens of boxes of pizza were unloaded from the truck as police prepared to reopen Perrysville Avenue.
The frozen pizzas were donated to the Salvation Army, as well as St. Teresa Parish and School.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
"A statement (the truck driver) had made to investigators was that he had 'blacked out.' For that reason, we will be looking into avenues, such as intoxication," said Dripps.
Do you have photos or videos of breaking news? Share them on the u local page on WTAE.com or email them to email@example.com.


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In NCAA Basketball news, the 19th ranked West Virginia beat the 17th ranked Oklahoma 75-73. This was a huge win for West Virginia, as they beat Oklahoma on the road, which will look very good on their record. Pesonally, Oklahoma isn't that good. Trae Young is incredible, but they have no depth. Their bench is very bad. Without Young this team is not good. I wouldn't be surprised if this team is out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. One bad game from Young and this team is done for. Also, the Big 12 is wide open this year and anybody can win it.
In NFL news, I didn't mention this yesterday in my blog about the Super Bowl but, Bill Belicheck sat Malcom Butler yesterday and put in Eric Rowe. Who knows who he is? Why in the world would you sit the guy who not only one of your best offensive players, but got you the game winning interception in the Super Bowl a couple years ago? C'mon Bill. Then, Bill goes on to say, " I have to make decisions that will win us the game." That is the worst thing I have heard him say. He is the guy who will help you win the game! He won you guys the game years ago. Then, your defense lets up 41 points. 41 Bill. Also, Nick Foles tore your secondary apart. So just say you made a mistake.
Trivia Tuesday: What NBA player has played the most games of all-time?
Pictures courtesy of: Getty Images and thespun.com


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(PRWEB) March 25, 2013
Easter week has always been an important and exciting time at Trinity Broadcasting Network's Holy Land Experience, the Orlando, Florida vacation and worship destination where the land of the Bible comes alive for hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. This Easter season will be no exception as a modern, big screen cinema classic, musical dramas, and moving worship services combine to make this year's commemoration of Christ's death and resurrection truly unforgettable.
"Easter is a special season for all believers, when we celebrate the very foundation of our faith," said Jan Crouch, TBN co-founder and president of the Holy Land Experience. "At the Holy Land Experience there is a tone of reverence and expectancy during the entire week. No one who participates ever forgets the experience."
Beginning March 28 and for several nights throughout the week Mel Gibson's riveting classic The Passion of the Christ will be shown on the giant screen at the Holy Land Experience's 2,000-seat Church of All Nations. Since its historic release, this intense and unforgettable film has changed the lives of millions with its up-close portrayal of the suffering and death of Jesus for the sins of all humanity. Click Here for dates and times for the screening of The Passion of the Christ.
Throughout Easter week, a number of respected preachers, teachers, and Christian leaders will be speaking in special services at the Church of All Nations, including Pastor Jonathan McKnight, Pastor Johnathan Miller, Dr. Mark Chironna, and Pastor Paula White.
The highlight of those events will be a special Good Friday communion service on March 29, led by internationally renowned pastor and Bible teacher Benny Hinn. "This is a special service you will not want to miss," said Mrs. Crouch. "Benny Hinn is a deeply esteemed ministry partner at TBN who has ministered in healing and miracles all over the world. This is going to be a moving, life-changing service." Click Here for more information on the Good Friday service with Pastor Benny Hinn.
Holy Land Experience is famous for its inspirational productions and musicals powerfully depicting stories from Scripture that have inspired and challenged individuals for thousands of years. And heading up the the live productions featured during Easter week will be Holy Land Experience's most acclaimed and requested drama, Behold the Lamb. This powerful live production depicts Christ's betrayal and arrest, his path along the Via Dolorosa, his sorrowful crucifixion at Calvary, and His glorious resurrection. Filled with stirring music and heart-stopping action, Behold the Lamb puts guests in the middle of the most amazing event in all of human history.
Jan Crouch noted that the special Easter week schedule is just a part of the activities in store for visitors at the Holy Land Experience. "Every part of what we've created here — the sights, the sounds, and the entire atmosphere — is designed to impact the entire family," she said. "It's inspirational, educational, challenging — and unforgettable! And we think Easter Week is one of the best times for individuals and families to be here."
More About the Holy Land Experience
The Holy Land Experience is an exclusive interactive vacation and worship destination in Orlando, Florida that combines music, drama, and historical exhibits to offer visitors a face-to-face encounter with the transforming truths of the Bible. Bringing together the sights, sounds, tastes, and feel of the Bible world, the Holy Land Experience is a uniquely educational and inspiring experience. Its structures and exhibits accurately characterize the style, architecture, and settings of ancient Jerusalem, while its lively presentations provide visitors with one-of-a-kind scriptural perspectives. Colorful and dramatic re-creations of the ministry of Jesus, unforgettable stories from both the Old and New Testaments, glorious miracles, and life-changing triumphs will move and inspire guests of all ages. For more information on the Holy Land Experience, visit http://www.holylandexperience.com.


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Trophies For All!
I've tried, I have.
I've tried extending opportunities to these Millennials. I dish it up for them, and all they have to do is a little bit of work and…
Disappointment. Every time.
A little background: I run a blog writing service. We write blogs for businesses. Those businesses are run by people who are just too busy to write their own blog posts.
I thought when I started this that we'd have two great sources of freelance writers to help do that writing: stay-at-home moms and recent grads. The moms, I figured, have a spare hour every now and again and they are smart and some of them are good writers. They just lack an opportunity to write for pay. Zillions of them write for no pay on their own blogs, and that's all fine, but in general those are only read by the people they are already friends with.
That part has worked out very well. Many of our best writers are busy moms who make time for Blogmutt customers.
The other category is college kids, or recent college grads. They, right now, are either working at a coffee shop, or not working at all and either way living in their parents' basements.
I've been there. When I graduated the economy sucked and journalism jobs were hard to find, but you could always find work somewhere and I ended up at the Durango Herald and had some of the best times of my life.
While the Herald is still there, the reality is that the entry-level jobs for writers are far fewer percentage-wise than they have been in generations. I know there's lots of writing being done, but my job at the Herald was "Staff Writer." How many jobs with that title are out there today? Not many.
So I figured that these young Americans would be interested in writing work. Our pay is right in line with the industry, and it would be a lot better than spending all day asking people if they want room for cream. Maybe they could even make enough to move out of their parents' house, get a place of their own.
I really did try to reach out. I would get myself an invitation to go speak to college students anywhere I could, and recently got what I thought would be a perfect invitation to a class specifically designed to help graduating seniors from what for now is still known as the J-school to find work after they graduate.
The class had 35 students. I started by showing them this Ira Glass video. It's so good.
I then talked to them about the big idea in that video, that the most important thing is to work hard, to produce a body of work and to work regularly. As I looked around the room, I got a bunch of blank stares.
So I used the standard technique for engaging an audience, I started asking them questions. "Do any of you have anything lined up for after you graduate?"
After an uncomfortable silence, one of them asked, "You mean… a job?"
"I don't want to put boundaries on it," I said. "A job, an internship. Going into the Peace Corps. Anything in the works for after you graduate in a couple of months?"
More awkward silence.
I then pointed to one of them. "How about you?"
"Well, I hear there's lots of jobs in San Francisco, but my parents keep telling me that I'll get free room and board if I move back home to Minnesota."
So, out of this class of 35 people -- people who went to college to study writing, need experience in writing, and don't have anything at all lined up -- guess how many of them signed up to be writers? One. One guy was brave enough to apply. I put him into the system straight away. After a week he wrote one post. One. The writing was fine, the customer liked it. Nothing glamorous. The posts we write at Blogmutt remind me of the "briefs" I wrote every day when I worked at the Durango Herald. Nothing groundbreaking, just work.
But work, it appears, is not what Millennials do. I'm not alone in discovering this, by the way. I've had this conversation recently with a lawyer, a CPA, a cell phone exec, and others. They all say the same thing: I asked a new associate to do something recently and they told me "no." They told me they had volleyball or something. When I was their age I never said no.
This connected an important thread for me. I live by Wash Park and every weekday evening I see zillions of people in their 20s hanging out playing volleyball, drinking, having a grand old time. I've often wondered why there didn't use to be so many people hanging out in the park, especially people in their 20s. When this lawyer friend told me that about the associate who left work to play volleyball, it suddenly became clear: It used to be that young people worked. There was a time we were called "Yuppies" and that was short for Young Urban Professionals. There's nothing professional about the Millennials, so the term has just faded away.
Look, I don't have anything against volleyball. You want to be a professional volleyball player, that's great. Play all the time. If you want to be a writer you should be writing.
Now… I don't want to be scrooge. It's great that people can have some fun with friends, but you get good at the things you do. Read Malcolm Gladwell. If you spend a lot of time hanging out with friends doing nothing, that's what you'll get good at.
I don't totally blame Millennials. It was your parents who gave you a trophy for finishing fifth out of six teams in your soccer league. They are the ones who came to school every couple of days dropping hints about how brilliant you were. They were the ones who helicoptered over you. They are the ones who offer you free room and board if you move back home.
I was talking about this with a friend recently and heard about an office where parents regularly show up with their children to demand more for their children. This was not a middle or high school, or even a college office. This was the graduate job counseling office of a law school. These kids earn a law degree and still they have their mommies and daddies come with them to demand more from school because they deserve it because they are special! Is it the kids' fault for bringing those parents along, or is it the parents fault for going? Hey, there's plenty of blame to go around.
It was your parents who voted for Baby Boomer presidents (Clinton and GWB) who were just like them and those turned out to be the two worst presidents we've had since…
Yes, that's an interesting question. Since… I think, a similar pair in Wilson and Harding. Those were the ones, along with people of their generation, who were so self-absorbed and incompetent that they led us into the stupid first World War, left a screwed up Europe and eventually led us into the Great Depression. You know who got us out of the Great Depression and saved us from tyranny around the world? Well, now we call them the Greatest Generation. They don't like that title much. You know how they did all they did? There are still a few of them around, and they'll tell you if you ask them. They won't say they saved the world. What they will tell you is that all they did was work and work hard and work all the time and then work some more.
They did such a good job that they built America into this amazing powerhouse that could put a man on the moon, build the world's biggest and strongest middle class, survive Vietnam and Watergate. The only thing that they didn't do a great job on… was raising kids. Most of those kids were OK, but some of them were the classic Baby Boomers, the ones who wanted to take over because they had better hair. The classic Baby Boomers, I would say were Clinton and George W. Bush. And just like Wilson and Harding they were so self-absorbed and incompetent that they wrecked the economy and got us into another crappy war: the War on Terror. (Not taking anything away from the supremely awesome troops.)
Now before you say Clinton was not bad because the economy did so well while he was president, and we had peace, may I point out that he had many chances to get Bin Laden, and missed them all. He had a chance to stop the Enrons of the world, and didn't. The economy grew, but much of that growth was fueled by people cheating, and it was headed downhill at a pretty good clip when he was wrapping up.
But it sure did seem like things were going well with the economy for a while there under Clinton... so much so that your parents thought they wouldn't really have to work that hard, and that's a value that you picked up on. It turns out that the most important formative years of childhood that most affect your attitudes about money come when you are about 10-11 years old.
Do the math. If you are 24 right now it means that you were 10-11 in 1999, right when the economy was the most frothy. You "learned" that if you just have a good business plan -- Pet Food On The Internet! -- you could make a zillion dollars.
Well, you learned wrong. What you learned is the stuff that screwed us up. Luckily it's not going to get too bad. We're not going to let it. Who are we? We're Generation X, and we are a lot like the X Men. There aren't as many of us as there are of you, but we can do these amazing things that you simply can't do.
First thing we did was elect a non-Boomer president. Politics aside, that last election was between a borderline Gen Xer and a borderline member of the Greatest Generation. Both parties rejected the classic Boomers who were the early favorites.
Can you imagine if that election had been between Boomers John Edwards and Rudy Giuliani? <shudder>
Once the primaries were over, those that read about McCain learned that he's all Boomer in his views about how special he is because… well, you know, because he is. For me, the 2008 election was less about politics than it was about generations.
Luckily the economy is now getting fixed, for real this time. And it's Gen X that's doing the fixing. Xers like Sheryl Sandberg and Sergy Brin. Xers like Brad Feld, Adeo Ressi, and Dave McClure. Xers like Jim Reiner and Ruth Bremmer.
Boomers were all intent on replacing "The Man" with themselves because they really know how to change the world because they trust their gut. Xers ignore "The Man" and just go out and change the world. This is well laid out in the excellent X Saves the World, really the only book I've seen that lays out the case for how Gen X is quietly keeping the whole nation from a giant suck-fest that it would be if the Boomers and their Millennial offspring were left in charge.
The Boomers sure aren't going to save the world, for as much as they talk about it. It's us, we're going to save it by just showing up and working hard every day.
And as for you Millennials, well, Stop Whining! We're sick of you telling us about how you need to find your work meaningful. We're sick of you telling us about how you want balance. We're sick of you telling us that you can't work Thursday after 4 p.m. because you have your Ironic Polo Club. We're sick of you working somewhere for six weeks and then asking when you will be taking over as management. We're sick of it all.
And you know what we can't wait for? One point in time. That point will come when you realize that you are expendable. Right now you think that you should have all the things that come with hard work, and you should have them because you've always had them. (Soccer trophies!) You just don't want to do the work.
But here's the rude awakening that's coming: The next generation. Our kids. My son comes downstairs every morning and finds me working, and he often falls asleep to the sound of my typing. He's started two businesses, and he's 8. We sit and watch Shark Tank together and he has a dead-on sense of which businesses will get an offer, and which will not. He has dreams about my current business, Blogmutt, in which he's solving business problems.
That's right. In his sleep he's better than you are awake.
And he's not alone. An 11-year-old relative of mine recently asked me if I was sad about Whitney Houston, "Because she's from the 1900s, like you."
Pause, and take that in for a moment. "The. 1900s. … Like. You."
She's not from the 1900s, she's from this century. She'll see you, born the 1980s or 90s as being essentially the same as the Xers born in the 60s and 70s. We'll all be lumped in together, and so you know how she'll judge us?
By our work.
Have you invented Google? No. Then get back to work!
Now, sure, you will say that Millennials can work. Look at Instagram. Yes. Let's do. Those are not whiney kids, those are people who are smart and work hard. They said it themselves: They saw the "wantrepreneurs" all around them going to parties, hanging out around incubators playing video games, reading every story on TechCrunch and commenting on all the stories about how stupid an idea was and how unworthy it was of TechCrunch coverage. What were the Instagram guys doing while the Millennials sat around talking about changing the world? They were working. Solving problems. Focussing not on themselves but on their users.
Now, you may be asking how I can write such incendiary things. Three reasons:
First, I'm not worried about any Millennials reading this. If it's longer than a tweet, they can't handle reading it anyway and so they didn't make it this far. If they did read this far it's probably because they are one of the exceptions that are so amazing in part because they stand out so dramatically. Millennials like the "boys" pictured above working 14-hour days on an organic vegetable farm, or writers like Téa Obreht who taught herself English by watching bootlegged Disney movies and wrote every day for as long as she can remember. There are even a few entrepreneurs who show promise.
Second, Even if they did read this far they aren't able to do anything about it. It's like that scene from Bull Durham where Kevin Costner challenges the hot young pitcher to throw the ball right at his chest. The pitcher says he'll kill him, but Costner knows the guy won't come close. He doesn't, either.
Lastly, Let's say there's one Millennial out there who's read this far, is outraged at what I say, and decides that he or she needs to prove me wrong, so that person goes to sign up as a Blogmutt writer and writes 100s of great posts for dozens of different Blogmutt clients.
Boy, that would really shut me up.


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Gray area/serious/pay-attention time.
I couldn't pass by these sentences from "Desiring God" by John Piper without sharing them. If you have an opinion on the matter, feel free to comment. If not, just take a moment to reflect on these thoughts.
It is humanly manageable to make decisions of the will for Christ. No supernatural power is required to pray prayers, sign cards, walk aisles, or even stop sleeping around. Those are good. They just don't prove anything spiritual has happened. Christian conversion, on the other hand, is a supernatural, radical thing. The heart is changed. And the evidence of it is not just new decisions, but new affections, new feelings.
Negatively, the apostle Paul says that those who go on in the same old way of "hostility," "jealousy," "rage," and "envy" "will not inherit the kingdom of God" (see Galatians 5:20-21). These are all feelings. They must change. The [person] will not get to heaven unless they do. Positively, Christians are commanded to have God-honoring feelings. We are commanded to feel joy (Philippians 4:4), hope (Psalm 42:5), fear (Luke 12:5), peace (Colossians 3:15), zeal (Romans 12:11), grief (Romans 12:15), desire (1 Peter 2:2), tenderheartedness (Ephesians 4:32), and brokenness and contrition (James 4:9).
-Desiring God, Piper, pp. 89-90


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Signature Pies
Colossus - $15 (medium) / $23 (large)
pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham, mushrooms, red onions, green peppers, black olives
The Meat - $16/$24
pepperoni, ham, salami, bacon, Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, topped with our tomato pizza sauce
Quattro Formaggio - $15/$23
cheddar, mozzarella, provolone & ricotta cheese, bacon, mushrooms
Texas Fajita - $15/$23
chicken or beef fajita(extra charge for beef), avocado, fresh tomatoes, red onions, green peppers, jalapeños, cheddar cheese, cilantro, a side of sour cream
T-Bone - $15/$23
steak strips, red onions, red & green peppers, mushrooms, fresh garlic
Poseidon - $16/$24
alfredo sauce, mozzarella, provolone, parmesan cheeses, lump crab, shrimp, garlic butter, chives
Tchoupitoulas - $16/$24
Cajun shrimp, andouille sausage, red onions, green peppers, roasted red peppers, fresh garlic
Nyce Bryce - $15/$23
extra pizza sauce, pepperoni, fresh basil, garlic, topped with feta cheese (Pineapple suggested as an addition)
no tomato sauce—BBQ sauce, BBQ chicken, red onions, green peppers, cheddar cheese
Hawaiian - $15/$23
ham, red onions, pineapples, almonds
fresh basil, bacon, red onions, fresh tomatoes
Roma - $15/$23
prosciutto, black olives, ricotta cheese, and green peppers
Bayou Chicken - $14/$22
Cajun chicken, red onions, roasted red peppers, fresh garlic
Mexican - $15/$23
Chorizo, avocado, black olives, fresh tomatoes, red onions, green peppers, jalapeños, cheddar cheese
Seven Layer Tomatillo - $15/$23
no pizza sauce—our homemade tomatillo sauce, spicy black bean dip, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, provolone & cheddar cheese, fajita chicken
APG Hatch 15 / 23
hatch chile sauce, chicken fajita, white onion, roasted hatch peppers, cotija, cilantro, served with a side of sour cream
Regular Cheese (10") - $8.50
Large Cheese (14") - $11.50
Traditional Meat Toppings (10") - $1.50/(14") - $2.50
pepperoni, bacon, ham
Traditional Veggie Toppings (10") - $1.50/(14") - $2.50
fresh garlic, black olives, green olives, green peppers, mushrooms, red onions, tomatoes, pineapples, jalapeños, cilantro, pepperoncini peppers
Traditional Extras (10") - $1.50/(14") - $2.50
extra cheese, extra sauce, thicker crust, side of sour cream, jerk spice, Cajun spice
Superior Meat Toppings (10") - $1.75/(14") - $2.75
andouille sausage, Italian sausage, Mexican sausage, hamburger, genoa salami, Canadian bacon
Superior Veggie Toppings (10") - $1.75/(14") - $2.75
artichoke hearts, avocado, fresh basil, eggplant, grilled red onions, spinach, roasted red peppers, capers, sun dried-tomatoes, red bell peppers
Superior Cheese (10") - 1.75/(14") - $2.75
cheddar, swiss, feta, gorgonzola, ricotta
Superior Extras (10") - $1.75/(14") - $2.75
almonds, tomatillo sauce
Premium Meat Toppings (10") - 2.00/(14") - $3.00
fajita chicken, BBQ chicken, Cajun chicken, Jamaican jerk chicken steak strips, shrimp, BBQ shrimp, Cajun shrimp, prosciutto, veggie sausage
Premium Cheese (10") - 2.00/(14") - $3.00
fresh parmesan, goat cheese, fontina
Signature Veggie
Basilica - $14/$22
no tomato sauce—walnut pesto sauce, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives
Greek - $14/$22
spinach, red onions, black olives, feta cheese
Bazbeaux - $14/$22
fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes, & fresh garlic
Lisa's Fav - $15/$23
hot and spicy—extra sauce, green & red bell peppers, red onions, avocado, Cajun spice and only freshly grated parmesan cheese (For a special treat add fajita chicken as an additional topping)
Genova - $15/$23
fresh basil, eggplant, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, goat cheese
Garden - $15/$23
spinach, artichoke hearts, avocado, red onions, green peppers, black olives, ricotta cheese
Senza Formaggio - $14/$22
no cheese—fresh basil, eggplant, grilled red onions
Margherita - $14/$22
fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil
Garlic Bread - $5
Cheese, Garlic Bread - $6.50
cheese, garlic
Walnut Pesto, Garlic Bread - $6.95
Cheese, Walnut Pesto, Garlic - $7.95
cheese, walnut pesto, garlic
Meatball Appetizer - $7
three of our house-made meatballs topped with marinara, mozzarella, provolone, & parmesan cheeses
Buffalo Wings - order of five - $6/order of ten - $11
choice of sauces: mild, hot, Asian, honey bbq. choice of ranch or blue cheese, celery
Pizza Rolls - order of two - $4.50/order of four - $8
pepperoni, cheese, your choice of ranch or marinara
Fried Mozzarella - order of 4 - $7
Our hand breaded mozzarella sticks deep fried, served with side of marinara or ranch
Tossed - Small $5/Large $9.50
romaine lettuce, carrots, red cabbage, provolone & mozzarella cheese, black olives, tomatoes
Greek - $6/$11
romaine lettuce, carrots, red cabbage, red onions, black olives, tomatoes with provolone, mozzarella, & feta cheese
Spinach - $6.50/$12
spinach, mushrooms, bacon, sliced egg, red onions, black olives, provolone & mozzarella cheese
Antipasto - $8/$13
our tossed salad with vinaigrette shrimp, genoa salami, prosciutto, pepperoni, artichoke hearts, red onions with provolone & mozzarella cheese
Chicken Tomatillo - Large Only $12.00
our tossed salad with fajita chicken, tomatoes, fresh avocado, black beans, corn tortilla strips, cheddar cheese, & a side of our homemade tomatillo sauce
Caesar - $6/$11
romaine lettuce, seasoned croutons, freshly grated parmesan, house caesar dressing (add chicken - 2.50, add white anchovy - 3)
Muffuletta (served hot or cold) - $9.75
sliced ham, genoa salami, pepperoni, provolone & mozzarella cheese, brown mustard, spicy olive relish
Turkey or Ham Baguette (served hot or cold) - $9
baked ham or turkey with lettuce, tomato, swiss, mayonnaise, brown mustard
Submarine (served hot or cold) - $8.75
sliced ham, genoa salami, lettuce, tomato, red onions, brown mustard, house vinaigrette dressing, with provolone, & Swiss cheese
Eggplant Parmesan (served hot) - $9.75
fresh basil, baked eggplant, spicy tomato parmesan sauce, with provolone & mozzarella cheese
Meatball Sub - $9.50
three of our house-made meatballs served on an Italian roll. Topped with marinara, mozzarella, provolone, & parmesan cheeses. Served with chips and pepperoncini.
Stromboli - $11
grilled mushrooms, red onions, green peppers, italian sausage, marinara, provolone, and mozzarella. Sub eggplant for italian sausage to make it vegetarian.
Lasagna - 12.00
our own rich, meaty beef lasagna made with a special blend of cheeses(no ricotta), fresh herbs, and spices. Served with garlic bread. 1/2 order available for smaller appetites.
Kid's Menu
8" Noodle Pie - $5.00
mac & cheese, bacon, Canadian bacon
8" Cheese Pizza - $5.00
add one topping
8" PB&J Pizza - $5.00
peanut butter & grape jelly
Spaghetti & Meatballs $5
Spaghetti with Marinara, and one of our Homemade Meatballs
Soft Drinks & More - $2.75
please see in-house menu for our domestic & premium import beer selections & our vintage wines
Topo Chico - $3.25
please see in-house menu for our domestic & premium import beer selections & our vintage wines
Beer & More
please see in-house menu for our domestic & premium import beer selections & our vintage wines
1st Tier - two topping pizzas $13.95 adult, $7.95 child
Comes with a free non-alcoholic beverage
2nd Tier - Unlimited toppings $15.95/adult, $8.95/child
Comes with a free non-alcoholic beverage
All pizzas are served family style. Pricing is per person & all you can eat.
Add House Salad - $2.50/person
Add Garlic Bread - $1.95/person
Add Garlic Cheese Bread - $2.50/person
If you would like to create a special menu, please speak with one of our catering/event specialists
New York Style Cheesecake - $6
Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream - Scoop, $1.75
Float, $4.00
Tiramisu - $6
8" single serving pizzas for 7.50. Add small house salad and drink for 2.50. Choose from our daily selected signature pizzas or create your own with 3 toppings. Additional toppings on lunch specials are .75.