I've managed to finally recover from what had to have been the drunkest I've ever been (yes, my HS peeps, even more than that day on Harris Field) from one of the funnest and carefree birthday celebrations I've had.
The way early hours of my birthday went, I was seriously hoping that it would not be a foreshadowing of how the rest of the day would go.
A few days prior to my birthday, I had the bright idea to ring in the big day with a toast at midnight with several friends. Since it was all very last minute and people had to work the next morning (damn you, responsible folks! Killing my buzz before it even starts!), I ended up taking a ride to Brooklyn to enjoy a drink with my best bud, Jorge. It was likely that he wouldn't make my weekend festivities so I figured I'd bring the celebration to him. We've known each other for so long (damn, dude has it really been 20-plus years?!?!) and celebrating a b-day without him is still a foreign idea to me.
I made the drive down the BQE after teaching my night class (no, I did NOT let them out early, though I was tempted). My travel was somewhat delayed due to construction by the northern end of the Gowanus Expressway. Fortunately, I made it to Jorge's place around the time I had initially anticipated (close to 11PM).
Rather than hitting up one of the dive bars in Bay Ridge/Bensonhurst, I suggested we drive up to Park Slope for a place with a bit of ambiance. What I didn't consider was that there ARE NO actual BARS/PUBS in Park Slope. Almost all of the establishments in that area are restaurants/bars and when the kitchen closes, the place closes. I became increasingly frustrated as we drove up and down 5th and 7th Avenues seeing only closed storefronts. I found out later that just about every place closes at 11PM midweek in Park Slope. How annoying. I'm beginning to HATE Brooklyn.
Jorge then offered an excellent idea. Why not swing by downtown Brooklyn? We reasoned that there should be an open bar somewhere on Flatbush Avenue. After driving a few blocks on Flatbush, we began to question the logic behind this decision. That was, until we saw an Applebee's. Resigned to the fact that we may not find anything better, we pulled up and parked. When we tried to open the door we were surprised to find it locked. You see, all this driving around killed about an hour and it was now 5 minutes after midnight. On this particular night, Applebee's closed their doors at midnight.
All I wanted was a freaking drink at midnight. A midnight toast to ring in the ol' b-day. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!! (Yes, just like Charlie Brown... lol)
We decided the dive bars around his way were the last places we would visit but going to a diner may be the next best available option. On our first attempt, we found a diner where we could have a small meal and, thankfully, a drink or two from the bar. I ordered myself a Tequila Sunrise and J had a Whiskey Sour.
Shortly after ordering my drink, I proclaimed: "I have experienced so much disappointment after disappointment tonight, I'm just happy this drink will have some alcohol in it. But I still expect it to taste like ass."
Thankfully, the drink was wonderful. Good enough to order a second one, which I drank while eating my spinach/cheese omelette. I know that may not sound very appetizing to some of you but, trust me, it went surprisingly well.
My sister called me while we were eating and I got to speak to her for a little while which was nice. Don't get to speak to her as often as I would like. I'm just not a phone person. What can I say...
Reflecting back on the last night start to my birthday, although it didn't turn out the way I had originally planned, I had a great time with those close to me (even if one was via phone). I didn't know how the rest of the day would turn out, but I knew that if this was a foreshadowing, I was in for a fun-filled birthday.
But, I had to survive another work day first. Keep in mind, it was around 3AM when we left the diner (and close to 4 when I finally got home), I didn't expect to be productive at work the next day AT ALL.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other memorable quotes from the late night "pre b-day" outing:
(1) "That looks more less gay."
(2) "I don't think "Argh, fuck you motherfucker" is pirate speak."
(3) "Brooklyn is f'n whack!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahhhh... good times, good times. HAHAHA... I guess you had to have been there.
Until next time, faithful reader......
Showing posts with label driving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label driving. Show all posts
Monday, May 4, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
My wanderlust has been satiated ... for now
Hello,
You've probably been spoiled rotten by my many posts to start this year. Nevertheless, I've been keeping busy lately and haven't had as much time as I'd like to post this past week.
*sigh* Where to begin...
This past weekend, I had a severe case of wanderlust. I had originally planned out my weekend where I'd spend time with old friends (Saturday) and some family (Sunday). Unfortunately, I had gotten paid on Friday and felt the urge to get away from NY... away from everything and everyone... just get in the car and drive away... despite my plans.
I happened to be chatting with a friend online and told her of my need to getaway. I didn't have a destination in mind at the time and she had been very encouraging offering options for byways. I figured going back up to Boston, MA would do me some good. And perhaps a stop in Providence, RI on the way just to take in the vibe all over again would be refreshing to my soul. Ultimately, I'm not quite sure if it was through my powers of persuasion or simply kismet, she agreed to accompany me on this overnight trip. I grabbed my gym bag and packed it for the 2 day trip and went to her place.
As my friend walks over to the car, I wondered whether she really was prepared for the trip or maybe she just packs really light. When she sees my bag in the back seat, she looks at me and says "Oh, you were serious." Now, I know I tend to be pretty sarcastic, and it is difficult to gauge sarcasm in an IM, but I was devastated. I needed to leave!!
Just minutes ago, I was grateful to have a travel companion. Now this?? I was ready to tell her to just stay home so that I could head off alone. Much to my surprise, after explaining that I really was serious, she told me to give her 5 minutes to get a few things together in an overnight bag. I was back on my travel high and ready to hit the road.
At this point, snow had been falling for a few hours already and the roads were not only covered in dirty snow and slush but they were not salted or plowed yet. We driving in some terrible weather. Making matters worse (in terms of road conditions) was that we did not take the I-95 but rather the Merritt Parkway. Needless to say, we didn't quite make it to Providence on Saturday but we did stopped at an awesome little coffee shop in South Norwalk, CT called Caffeine. If you happen to be in the area, or driving through, take a load off and relax for a few. The decor is wildly clashing IMO but the place is quaint and cozy.
I also had the (guilty) pleasure of introducing my friend to the evil empire known as Ikea when we reached New Haven, CT. She had never been there and I was more than happy to take her inside to the Swedish wonderland. We didn't have time to hit the food court since we got there after they closed (they closed early due to the weather so we would have missed out either way). We did have some very helpful Ikea workers tell us where we could find lodging for the night and some eats nearby.
Sunday's leg of the trip started with more snow and more cleaning of the car (much as it had during practically EVERY stop on Saturday!). Yet this time things were a little different. The car wasn't covered in snow, as it had been the day before. No, on this morning, we had ice covering the entire car. Don't believe me?? See the pictures below.
OUTSIDE:
INSIDE:
Snow was no longer in the forecast for the day and after clearing off the car, we returned to Ikea for breakfast. Before you cast judgment, it was close by and the price was pretty good for the meals we got. The next stop was Mystic, CT. A fairly small town but one that my friend wanted to see so I showed her around as best I could (which, naturally, means we got somewhat lost... lol). Her love of anchors was rewarded as she managed to get a picture of a decent sized anchor on display near the harbor. After driving over the drawbridge over Mystic River, we made our way to Providence. (For those of you wondering, it wasn't JUST the name of a movie. It DOES actually exist.)
Providence is a city I happen to love dearly despite having only been there once before. Something about the small city vibe that seems to invigorate me. I'm not one to consider leaving NYC but if I ever did... Providence would be on my VERY short list of destinations. I wish I could tell you why. There isn't one specific thing. It's just the overall feel of the city. It's like a node of revitalizing energy emanates from the ground when I'm there. It's very strange but I love it. I applied to Brown for grad school in the hopes of entering their Demography program. After walking through the campus and visiting the local area, that desire extended to the entire city and not just that school. I almost felt like I needed to be there.
Now here I was a few years later... and I felt like I was back home.
The weather was not conducive to walking around but there really doesn't seem to be much to do in Providence but walk and admire the mismatched architecture. At least this was the case for us who arrived without an itinerary or destination in mind. There were no list of tourist attractions. Just Google Maps and an iPhone. An iPhone that needed to be charged!!
After walking down Benefit Street (and back on South/North Main St.), we decided to find a charger so that my navigator could have a functioning phone. Throughout Saturday, it proved to be indispensable and I was willing to go the extra mile to find a place where a car charger could be purchased (preferably one with audio playback capabilities). I was sure that we would need the phone on the ride back home.
To quote my friend: "Providence is all anchors and hills and bliss and NO FUCKING SIGNS but hey is that too much to ask for?"
After a few futile attempts at purchasing the charger at Radio Shack, Staples, and FYE, (not to mention futile attempts at FINDING the freaking strip mall where these stores were located!) we gave in and went to the Apple Store at a mall in Providence. With charger in hand and a rumbling in our bellies, we made our way to a restaurant on the other side of town. By now, we had driven back and forth often enough to know our way around the city already. We had dinner at a Portuguese restaurant - a Madeiran restaurant for those of you requesting more details.
On the ride home, we vibed to a variety of good music courtesy of the charging iPhone. We returned home much the same way we made it up to this area: down the I-95 until we could hop back onto the Merritt Parkway. Though the ride wasn't completely without incident.
My friend had to pee pretty badly... and when she mentioned it to me, I agreed to stop at the next rest area. I missed the exit... of course I did. What else would I do on this trip?? The next chance I had to get to off the highway... I got out one exit early. *SIGH* I should have expected something like that would happen.
We eventually made it to a Dunkin Donuts where you will find the worst men's room door in the history of any public establishment!! It starts easy to open, then it gets really hard to open. By the time you exert extra pressure to open the door completely, it loosens up again. It's a cruel practical joke on the customers of that Dunkin Donuts. I was looking around for the video cameras.
That's where the final pics in this photo set were taken and where I bought my final cup of coffee for the day. That coffee cup would only be half full by the time I managed to get a sip out of it because my travel buddy felt it was her prerogative to help herself to my coffee. Madness!! It was getting late on Sunday night and she dares deprive the driver of his coffee?? Someone has a death wish.
We made it back without incident (other than dodging two fools who decided to play a hybrid of chicken and leapfrog with their cars in the passing lane!). My friend had to pee yet again and she managed to get back upstairs with her Ikea booty and overnight bag in hand.
As for me... I came back relieved, revitalized, and refreshed. I had an amazing weekend and will be eternally grateful that my friend went with me. It wouldn't have been the same had I gone alone.
For the people I upset that day by flaking on our plans and for ignoring your phone calls and texts, I apologize. I needed this time to disconnect from everything that kept me grounded in NY. If you know me and care about my well-being, I know you will understand.
This was truly one of the best road trips I've ever had!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I bid you farewell for now. Until next time, faithful reader...
You've probably been spoiled rotten by my many posts to start this year. Nevertheless, I've been keeping busy lately and haven't had as much time as I'd like to post this past week.
*sigh* Where to begin...
This past weekend, I had a severe case of wanderlust. I had originally planned out my weekend where I'd spend time with old friends (Saturday) and some family (Sunday). Unfortunately, I had gotten paid on Friday and felt the urge to get away from NY... away from everything and everyone... just get in the car and drive away... despite my plans.
I happened to be chatting with a friend online and told her of my need to getaway. I didn't have a destination in mind at the time and she had been very encouraging offering options for byways. I figured going back up to Boston, MA would do me some good. And perhaps a stop in Providence, RI on the way just to take in the vibe all over again would be refreshing to my soul. Ultimately, I'm not quite sure if it was through my powers of persuasion or simply kismet, she agreed to accompany me on this overnight trip. I grabbed my gym bag and packed it for the 2 day trip and went to her place.
As my friend walks over to the car, I wondered whether she really was prepared for the trip or maybe she just packs really light. When she sees my bag in the back seat, she looks at me and says "Oh, you were serious." Now, I know I tend to be pretty sarcastic, and it is difficult to gauge sarcasm in an IM, but I was devastated. I needed to leave!!
Just minutes ago, I was grateful to have a travel companion. Now this?? I was ready to tell her to just stay home so that I could head off alone. Much to my surprise, after explaining that I really was serious, she told me to give her 5 minutes to get a few things together in an overnight bag. I was back on my travel high and ready to hit the road.
At this point, snow had been falling for a few hours already and the roads were not only covered in dirty snow and slush but they were not salted or plowed yet. We driving in some terrible weather. Making matters worse (in terms of road conditions) was that we did not take the I-95 but rather the Merritt Parkway. Needless to say, we didn't quite make it to Providence on Saturday but we did stopped at an awesome little coffee shop in South Norwalk, CT called Caffeine. If you happen to be in the area, or driving through, take a load off and relax for a few. The decor is wildly clashing IMO but the place is quaint and cozy.
I also had the (guilty) pleasure of introducing my friend to the evil empire known as Ikea when we reached New Haven, CT. She had never been there and I was more than happy to take her inside to the Swedish wonderland. We didn't have time to hit the food court since we got there after they closed (they closed early due to the weather so we would have missed out either way). We did have some very helpful Ikea workers tell us where we could find lodging for the night and some eats nearby.
Sunday's leg of the trip started with more snow and more cleaning of the car (much as it had during practically EVERY stop on Saturday!). Yet this time things were a little different. The car wasn't covered in snow, as it had been the day before. No, on this morning, we had ice covering the entire car. Don't believe me?? See the pictures below.
OUTSIDE:
INSIDE:
Snow was no longer in the forecast for the day and after clearing off the car, we returned to Ikea for breakfast. Before you cast judgment, it was close by and the price was pretty good for the meals we got. The next stop was Mystic, CT. A fairly small town but one that my friend wanted to see so I showed her around as best I could (which, naturally, means we got somewhat lost... lol). Her love of anchors was rewarded as she managed to get a picture of a decent sized anchor on display near the harbor. After driving over the drawbridge over Mystic River, we made our way to Providence. (For those of you wondering, it wasn't JUST the name of a movie. It DOES actually exist.)
Providence is a city I happen to love dearly despite having only been there once before. Something about the small city vibe that seems to invigorate me. I'm not one to consider leaving NYC but if I ever did... Providence would be on my VERY short list of destinations. I wish I could tell you why. There isn't one specific thing. It's just the overall feel of the city. It's like a node of revitalizing energy emanates from the ground when I'm there. It's very strange but I love it. I applied to Brown for grad school in the hopes of entering their Demography program. After walking through the campus and visiting the local area, that desire extended to the entire city and not just that school. I almost felt like I needed to be there.
Now here I was a few years later... and I felt like I was back home.
The weather was not conducive to walking around but there really doesn't seem to be much to do in Providence but walk and admire the mismatched architecture. At least this was the case for us who arrived without an itinerary or destination in mind. There were no list of tourist attractions. Just Google Maps and an iPhone. An iPhone that needed to be charged!!
After walking down Benefit Street (and back on South/North Main St.), we decided to find a charger so that my navigator could have a functioning phone. Throughout Saturday, it proved to be indispensable and I was willing to go the extra mile to find a place where a car charger could be purchased (preferably one with audio playback capabilities). I was sure that we would need the phone on the ride back home.
To quote my friend: "Providence is all anchors and hills and bliss and NO FUCKING SIGNS but hey is that too much to ask for?"
After a few futile attempts at purchasing the charger at Radio Shack, Staples, and FYE, (not to mention futile attempts at FINDING the freaking strip mall where these stores were located!) we gave in and went to the Apple Store at a mall in Providence. With charger in hand and a rumbling in our bellies, we made our way to a restaurant on the other side of town. By now, we had driven back and forth often enough to know our way around the city already. We had dinner at a Portuguese restaurant - a Madeiran restaurant for those of you requesting more details.
On the ride home, we vibed to a variety of good music courtesy of the charging iPhone. We returned home much the same way we made it up to this area: down the I-95 until we could hop back onto the Merritt Parkway. Though the ride wasn't completely without incident.
My friend had to pee pretty badly... and when she mentioned it to me, I agreed to stop at the next rest area. I missed the exit... of course I did. What else would I do on this trip?? The next chance I had to get to off the highway... I got out one exit early. *SIGH* I should have expected something like that would happen.
We eventually made it to a Dunkin Donuts where you will find the worst men's room door in the history of any public establishment!! It starts easy to open, then it gets really hard to open. By the time you exert extra pressure to open the door completely, it loosens up again. It's a cruel practical joke on the customers of that Dunkin Donuts. I was looking around for the video cameras.
That's where the final pics in this photo set were taken and where I bought my final cup of coffee for the day. That coffee cup would only be half full by the time I managed to get a sip out of it because my travel buddy felt it was her prerogative to help herself to my coffee. Madness!! It was getting late on Sunday night and she dares deprive the driver of his coffee?? Someone has a death wish.
We made it back without incident (other than dodging two fools who decided to play a hybrid of chicken and leapfrog with their cars in the passing lane!). My friend had to pee yet again and she managed to get back upstairs with her Ikea booty and overnight bag in hand.
As for me... I came back relieved, revitalized, and refreshed. I had an amazing weekend and will be eternally grateful that my friend went with me. It wouldn't have been the same had I gone alone.
For the people I upset that day by flaking on our plans and for ignoring your phone calls and texts, I apologize. I needed this time to disconnect from everything that kept me grounded in NY. If you know me and care about my well-being, I know you will understand.
This was truly one of the best road trips I've ever had!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I bid you farewell for now. Until next time, faithful reader...
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Playlist # 6 (Freestyle Follow-up) + Driving Pet Peeves (the short list)
Hello there,
I've gotten bit by the "list" bug... so for today's entry I'm offering you the follow-up to my Ultimate Freestyle Playlist and a few selections from my list of Driving Pet Peeves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I took you back with the original list of Freestyle songs... this one revisits some of the freestyle songs we all vibed to when they were out. These artists didn't stay on the scene long and essentially these songs were their only hits. Some you may know by song title, some you may know by artist (but I doubt it), but they're all freestyle hits...
This is Playlist #6.
These are your Freestyle One Hit Wonders:
Dzyre - Forever Amor
Laissez Faire - In Paradise
Linear - Sending All My Love
Taana Gardner - Heartbeat
Jaya (featuring Stevie B.) - If You Leave Me Now
Jellybean (featuring India) - Dancing on the Fire
Nyasia - Who's Got Your Love
Shana - I Want You
Stacey Q - Two of Hearts
Denise Lopez - Sayin' Sorry Don't Make It Right
Information Society - Running
Amoretto - Clave Rocks
Hanson & Davis - Hungry For Your Love
Nocera - Summertime Summertime
Company B - Fascinated
Pretty Poison - Catch Me I'm Fallin'
Seduction - Two To Make It Right
Rockell - In A Dream
Jocelyn Enriquez - Do You Miss Me?
Lina Santiago - Feels So Good
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know there are many MANY M-A-N-Y that set me off when I'm on the road. Stupid behavior, bad decision making, and general idiocy make up the list of my pet peeves. I will not list them all here but I will pick off items from my list and post them as I see them. There is no ranking or order importance to them so don't over-analyze and misinterpret the #'s of the pet peeves.
My Driving Pet Peeves
#1 - Seeing anyone on the road that validates my Three Group Theory! Just the fear of being around bad driving behavior gets me on edge with these folks. (Granted any of these other behaviors may - and typically - are exhibited by drivers in this category)
#27 - Signal blinking but not changing lanes or turning anywhere!! Seriously?? You don't hear the click-click-click-click inside your vehicle? Either put down the phone or turn down your music because you're being a real douche to the rest of us out there behind you!!
#18 - I certainly cannot and should not expect others to speed (as soon as I pass you, I will. You can count on it!) but can we at least COME CLOSE TO THE FREAKING speed limit when driving on local roads!! WTF is up with driving straight down a street at 18mph in a 30mph zone!!! I'd get it if you were turning at the next intersection but if not... move aside, grandma! You're keeping us from our destinations over here!!
#9 - Drivers who cut you off so that you can't pass them... only to see said vehicle passed by about a dozen cars that were behind you!!
#11 - Hiccup drivers. You know who they are. They hesitate and drive as if their car was hiccuping. Are they going to take advantage of the space I'm giving them on the highway so they can change into my lane? (e.g. There they go... oh no... false alarm. Let me speed up then and let them get behind me... WTF... you almost hit me you crazy hippie!!! Oh sorry... little old Asian lady!! Watch where you're going!)
#6 - Drivers that cannot stay in their God-forsaken, mother-f***king lane!!! The lines really are there for a reason!!! Pick a freaking lane!! (Sometimes these folks are also guilty of #9)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*sigh* OK. I feel better now.
Thanks for stopping by again. I appreciate you taking the time to visit my little digital hole in the wall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time, faithful reader.......
I've gotten bit by the "list" bug... so for today's entry I'm offering you the follow-up to my Ultimate Freestyle Playlist and a few selections from my list of Driving Pet Peeves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I took you back with the original list of Freestyle songs... this one revisits some of the freestyle songs we all vibed to when they were out. These artists didn't stay on the scene long and essentially these songs were their only hits. Some you may know by song title, some you may know by artist (but I doubt it), but they're all freestyle hits...
This is Playlist #6.
These are your Freestyle One Hit Wonders:
Dzyre - Forever Amor
Laissez Faire - In Paradise
Linear - Sending All My Love
Taana Gardner - Heartbeat
Jaya (featuring Stevie B.) - If You Leave Me Now
Jellybean (featuring India) - Dancing on the Fire
Nyasia - Who's Got Your Love
Shana - I Want You
Stacey Q - Two of Hearts
Denise Lopez - Sayin' Sorry Don't Make It Right
Information Society - Running
Amoretto - Clave Rocks
Hanson & Davis - Hungry For Your Love
Nocera - Summertime Summertime
Company B - Fascinated
Pretty Poison - Catch Me I'm Fallin'
Seduction - Two To Make It Right
Rockell - In A Dream
Jocelyn Enriquez - Do You Miss Me?
Lina Santiago - Feels So Good
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know there are many MANY M-A-N-Y that set me off when I'm on the road. Stupid behavior, bad decision making, and general idiocy make up the list of my pet peeves. I will not list them all here but I will pick off items from my list and post them as I see them. There is no ranking or order importance to them so don't over-analyze and misinterpret the #'s of the pet peeves.
My Driving Pet Peeves
#1 - Seeing anyone on the road that validates my Three Group Theory! Just the fear of being around bad driving behavior gets me on edge with these folks. (Granted any of these other behaviors may - and typically - are exhibited by drivers in this category)
#27 - Signal blinking but not changing lanes or turning anywhere!! Seriously?? You don't hear the click-click-click-click inside your vehicle? Either put down the phone or turn down your music because you're being a real douche to the rest of us out there behind you!!
#18 - I certainly cannot and should not expect others to speed (as soon as I pass you, I will. You can count on it!) but can we at least COME CLOSE TO THE FREAKING speed limit when driving on local roads!! WTF is up with driving straight down a street at 18mph in a 30mph zone!!! I'd get it if you were turning at the next intersection but if not... move aside, grandma! You're keeping us from our destinations over here!!
#9 - Drivers who cut you off so that you can't pass them... only to see said vehicle passed by about a dozen cars that were behind you!!
#11 - Hiccup drivers. You know who they are. They hesitate and drive as if their car was hiccuping. Are they going to take advantage of the space I'm giving them on the highway so they can change into my lane? (e.g. There they go... oh no... false alarm. Let me speed up then and let them get behind me... WTF... you almost hit me you crazy hippie!!! Oh sorry... little old Asian lady!! Watch where you're going!)
#6 - Drivers that cannot stay in their God-forsaken, mother-f***king lane!!! The lines really are there for a reason!!! Pick a freaking lane!! (Sometimes these folks are also guilty of #9)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*sigh* OK. I feel better now.
Thanks for stopping by again. I appreciate you taking the time to visit my little digital hole in the wall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time, faithful reader.......
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