Shimla is a mountainous area; thus, the winters might be quite severe. In order to have a pleasant stay at the a Shimla hotel, there are a couple of things we should keep in mind. The hotel room has to have a geyser, a bedroom heater, and blankets in order to keep the guests warm and comfortable. Electric kettle in additional to water is needed. A great view from a nice Shimla hotel room is also necessary to make the stay pleasurable. Also, the hotel must be close to the road side in order to avoid additional fees.
Make the most of your trip to by using these straightforward suggestions.
Vacations are intended to be fully enjoyed. And if it’s a popular area like Manali, you should utilise it fully. To get the most out of the Shimla Holiday package, we should go river rafting. It lasts the entire year, with the exception of the monsoon season. Many occasions, such as the notorious Winter, must not be missed. For a tranquil and enjoyable trip among all of this activity, we must keep in mind to read internet evaluations of the hotels included in the Shimla Holiday package
Why should you book a hotel near Shimla Mall Road
The most crucial factor to take into account while booking a hotel in Shimla near Mall Road is how close or how far it is from Mall Road. This is due to the hourly car charges that apply upon entering the primary target markets on Mall Road. Booking a hotel in Shimla near Mall Road as opposed to one on Shimla Mall Road is therefore advised. You can find whatever you need there, including clothing and food, as Mall Road is the hub of the town’s economy. If your hotel in Shimla is located to mall road, you may quickly see all of the area’s major sites.
Source : https://luxuryhotelinshimla.wordpress.com/2023/04/25/when-planning-a-trip-to-shimla-there-are-a-few-things-to-keep-in-mind/

I'll try to be as brief as I can, otherwise this post will become an essay of me trying to promote Japan as the best vacation destination I have ever been to.
TLDR; Japan is great!
Background
The trip took place from 13 May 2023 to 27 May 2023. 9 people, ages ranging from late 20s to mid 60s, family from both my side and my wife's, took part in this trip. The 4 youngest members, including yours truly, planned for everything in this trip which includes the hotels, places we visits, international flights, domestic flights, meals, routes to take. It also helps that our youngest member is fluent in Japanese, while the rest of the youngsters can understand simple Japanese, thus YMMV.
Tokyo (13 May - 18 May 2023)
Tokyo was probably the most hated part of our trip as it involves a lot of walking. And the 5 old people were definitely not keen on walking much. So we really had to spend a lot of time looking for places to chill after half an hour of walking, which really slows us down. Even in train stations, we had to look for elevators since they were unable to climb stairs. There were really a lot of stairs in Japan.
Anyway, for the most part, we stayed in Kyobashi in Tokyo. We chose this area as it provides direct access to Haneda Airport via trains. It was also really convenient as every location we went to in Tokyo was accessible from Kyobashi Station, requiring little to no transfers.
A short review of places we went in Tokyo
Asakusa - It was crowded on a Sunday. Sensoji was nice to look at. Lots of street food around the area if you explore west of Nakamise Street. Kappabashi Dougu Street sells kitchenware and handmade crockeries, which are slightly pricey but good additions to my dining set. Spent around 5 hours here.
Ueno Zoo - Oldest zoo in Japan. Houses many animals that we don't see in Singapore, like the snow monkeys and shoebills. Pandas were definitely the main attraction. We queued for 15 minutes just to see them for 3 minutes. There is a system in place so that panda viewing is not overcrowded. In total, we spent almost 5 hours here.
Ameyoko Street - Shopping street. We just walked through this stretch after Ueno Zoo when everyone was tired. It was quite a touristy place where we did not find it interesting.
Meiji Shrine - Very beautiful shrine. Everybody enjoyed the walk from Harajuku Station to the shrine. The canopy provided shade on a hot day. Coupled with the cool weather, the walk was pleasant. We were also lucky enough to be able to witness a wedding ceremony happening at the shrine while we were there. Get your Omikuji (fortune slip) for JPY200. It comes with English translation.
Harajuku - Very hip shopping street. We were just here for Marion Crepes, nothing else. But if you are into fashion, feel free to spend time shopping here. The clothes are relatively cheaper as compared to places like Uniqlo.
Shibuya - A lot of construction projects are happening now at Shibuya, so it was slightly harder to get around. We went to a planetarium, and sat down for a "show", which was all voiced in Japanese, no subtitles. Very cool even if you don't understand anything as the start of the show basically placed you right in the heart of Shibuya, and allowed you to see the skyline. The youngsters also had a chance to go to the Pokemon Centre and Disney Store to do some light shopping. Go if you like these kind of things. If not, I would recommend skipping them.
Tsukiji Market - A local, slightly more touristy fish market. A lot of fresh seafood to try. Uni (Sea urchin) was in season. The most popular items were the tamagoyaki (rolled egg omelet) and hotate (scallops). We also ate at a local sushi restaurant and I had my first horse meat sushi. The chef even advised me that I should eat it without soy sauce. Very cool experience, probably something I'll never try if I did not go to Japan.
As you can see from above, we didn't go to many places in Tokyo as the oldies were pretty much restricted by their physical abilities to take long walks. I should also share that eating out is more expensive compared to Singapore (where we are from), with each meal costing around JPY1500 or more per person.
Hokkaido (18 May - 27 May 2023)
Hokkaido was really the highlight of this trip. It was clear that everyone enjoyed Hokkaido more than Tokyo. For the domestic flights, we flew via Air Do. To get to Hokkaido, we flew from Haneda Airport to Asaikawa Airport. To get back to Tokyo, we flew from Hakodate Airport. In addition, we rented 2 cars to fit 9 people, with 10 medium to large sized luggage. The distance between each city was usually about 2 to 3 hours drive. Essentially, we went from the west of Hokkaido to the east. So.. That definitely took a long while. so I'll break down the locations by cities.
Monbetsu (18 May - 19 May 2023)
Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park - A tulip park recreated to make you feel as if you were in The Netherlands. Very pretty place especially when all the tulips were in full bloom. We spent about 2 hours here just taking pictures and taking in the view.
Takinoue Shibazakura Park - A park where everything is pink! I have never seen a place so pink. We missed the sakura season in Tokyo but managed to catch the blooming of Shibazakura instead. It is really a sight to behold. In the park, if you are able, I would recommend climbing all the way to the bell to get a stunning view of the whole place. There is also a 3 minutes helicopter ride for JPY600 per person to get an aerial view of the park.
The tulip park was the reason why we drove 3 hours to the small town of Monbetsu. I think the drive was worth it if you like looking at flowers in full bloom. On a separate note, I have been to Monbetsu on another trip in 2019. There is a crab claw statue, a sea ice musuem and a seal sanctuary to visit. The town is not as boring as one might think.
Asahikawa (19 May - 20 May 2023)
Ramen Village - Just a place where 8 ramen restaurants set up shop. I highly recommend eating shoyu ramen in Asahikawa since that's what they're famous for.
Otokoyama Sake Brewery and Museum - It's in the name! Go here if you like sake. There's free tasting. The museum portion just showcases equipment used in the brewing process. It even shows how it was brewed in the older eras. There is also a tap where anyone can collect the spring water that they use to brew the sake. So.. BRING YOUR OWN BOTTLE!
Takikawa Canola Festival - We were just in time for the event. Canola (oil?) is the main export of the town of Takikawa. The festival only runs for 2 weekends. We were lucky to have been able to see this. Anyway, the festival was packed with people. So to alleviate overcrowding at the fields, the organisers did not allow people to go to the fields directly. Everybody is required to go to the festival location and take a shuttle bus to the fields. The bus timings were about 10 minutes from the next one, so even if the queue was long, we didn't wait too long. With any festival, there will always be snacks and other merchandise. Feel free to buy them and support the locals.
Furano (20 May - 21 May 2023)
Ningle Terrace - I think there were a total of 18 small craft shops in the area. Anyway, it's a place where you'll want to go after it turns dark. That's when the fairy lights come on and make it look magical. Personally, I wasn't into the crafts. But I bet they will be good decorations for your office desk or home.
Farm Tomita - A farm famous for lavender. It was raining heavily when we were there. So.. It wasn't a great experience. Coupled with the fact that lavender wasn't really in season, we could only see a small patch of purple. Potatoes here were great though! I would recommend getting some potato wedges or croquettes as snacks.
Furano Cheese Factory - We went there on a weekend. So, there was pretty much no production viewing. But no loss, since we were actually there for the pizza! The whole complex, including a pizza cafe, ice cream shop, factory and museum is nestled in a small woodland area. So you get to enjoy pizza and ice cream in the great outdoors! I highly recommend the pizzas.
Sapporo (21 May - 23 May 2023)
Tanukikoji Street - Shopping street! There's a Mega Don Quixote if anyone's interested. Otherwise it is really just another shopping street. What's cool about it is that there is also an underground mall that's linked to Susukino Station. So, you can shop above and under ground.
Nijo Market - A fish market just like Tsukiji Market but on a smaller scale. It was already past noon when we reached so most shops were closed or closing. The local shopkeepers here were friendlier though.
Odori Park - We took a 15 minutes walk from Sapporo Station to this park. It was not very impressive without sakura blooms or festivals. The iconic Sapporo TV Tower was at the head of the park. We chose not to go up the tower as we went somewhere higher.
JR Tower 36 - I believe this tower is taller than the Sapporo TV Tower. It costs JPY600 per person to ascend the tower. It offers a 360 degrees (more like 90 degrees x 4 sides) view of the city. On a clear day, you might even be able to see Otaru from the tower. You can also see the trains leaving and entering JR Sapporo Station.
Mount Moiwa - Unfortunately, it was foggy the night when we wanted to go up the mountain. So, we decided not to go. From what we researched, it offers a very pretty night view of the city.
So.. In Sapporo, we ditched the car and travelled via trains and legs, like how we did in Tokyo. Parking is expensive in bigger cities. It was a shame that we didn't get to go up to Mount Moiwa as I personally wanted to go up there. But.. There is always an alternative (maybe even better).
Otaru (23 May - 24 May 2023)
Sakaimachi Street - The biggest shopping street in Otaru. The road is lined with shops of various sizes on both sides. Highlights include a glass warehouse, the Romankan (Romance House) and the windchimes on the river. At the end of the street (or the beginning depends on where you start), is an iconic clock tower. I think it rings and blows steam out of its top every hour. Under the clock tower is my personal favourite, LeTao! Their bestseller, the cheesecakes, is the best! But I love their chocolate biscuits, The Noir, better.
Otaru Canal - You may or may not know that Otaru was a port town. The warehouses that line up beside the canal has since been transformed into shops. According to my wife, it is supposedly a pretty place to go to at night, when lights brighten the canal. But when we were there, it was a sad sight. The lights barely lit up the canal. So.. GO IN FEBRUARY when the snow light path festival is happening! There is also a gondola ride on the canal if anyone's interested. We were not.
Sankaku Market - A really small market beside Otaru Station. We had our crab lunch here! 3 crabs totaling 4.6kg for JPY45000. I think that the items sold here are relatively more expensive as this market is catered towards tourists.
Lake Toya (24 May - 25 May 2023)
Mount Usu - A volcano which last erupted in the year 2000. We took the ropeway up. Trust me! It is worth the trip. There is a terrace right beside the ropeway station where you can enjoy beautiful scenery of the lake and surrounding mountains. The youngsters also managed to climb 320 steps to go closer to the caldera of Mount Usu. While you don't see any lava, you can definitely see some smoke.
Meisui-no-Sato Rest Station - This is not really an attraction. But I wanted to give it a shoutout because it was definitely the most beautiful rest station I have ever seen. A suspension bridge links the rest station to a small forested area. And in that area is a spring! It was unexpected to see everybody enjoying a rest there and drinking spring water directly from the mountains.
The Lake Ko no Sumika - Our hotel for the night at Lake Toya. This hotel resort is situated right beside the lake. The hotel is also part of the Toya Sun Palace. If you stay in Ko no Sumika, you get access to the onsen and facilities of both hotels. But it doesn't work the other way round. So it definitely feels more exclusive. The Lake Ko no Sumika has the onsen on the 8th level, giving you an unblocked view of the lake and its beyond when you're taking a bath. For those who don't know, from April to October, a fireworks show happens every night between 8.45pm to 9.05pm. The fireworks show takes place on the lake, starting from the pier near The Lake Toya Nonokaze resort, ending in the middle of the lake, right in front of my hotel room. Did I mention that there is a balcony in every room that looks out to the lake? That's where we enjoyed the fireworks show. There is also an onsen bath in every room of the hotel for you to enjoy if you are shy about going nude in the public bath. To summarise, The Lake Ko no Sumika was luxury on another level. I highly recommend this heaven.
Hakodate (25 May - 27 May 2023)
Onuma National Park - It's actually a quasi-national park. Not sure what the difference is. But it is a beautiful park where there are bridges that link small little islands together. It'll take around 1 hour to walk the longest route and 15 minutes for the shortest. Honestly, I love this park. It was picturesque and it was also amusing to see young couples (the guy) struggling to row a boat.
Mount Hakodate - Boasts the world famous night view. While I agree that the view is beautiful, it is too packed for anyone to enjoy. Everybody is holding up their cameras and crowding near the railings for anyone to take in the scenery. Of course, to counter this, you can always pop by the restaurant or cafe and hope that you'll be assigned a seat by the window so that you can enjoy the view. I recommend that to go right before the sun sets. At the top, you'll have to choose if you want to see the sunset or the night view. Because there is no way that you'll capture both since everybody will crowd to one or the other. It'll always be more crowded when the sky turns dark and everybody is rushing to get off the mountain. So.. Be prepared to wait! Good luck!
Hakodate Morning Market - The morning market is awesome. You have access to fresh seafood and other produce. You can even haggle! We spend our 2 mornings there for breakfast. Amazing place to get delicious and slightly cheaper seafood. There is also a stall which lets you catch your own squid and they'll grill it for you. Long queue though. For reference, we had 2 crabs, weighing at 4.2kg in total for JPY37000. They'll lead you to a restaurant where they'll cook the crabs for you, for free! Don't be afraid to haggle and discuss with the shop owners.
Goryokaku - A fort turned into a park! The famous star(?) shaped park is a beautiful place. When we were there, we saw wisterias and fresh green trees. There is also a structure, which I believe was the residence of someone, which you can pay to enter. Nothing to rave about. But if you want to see some architecture in the middle of a park, you can see it here. Come here if you enjoy walking around a big park. If not, give it a miss.
To sum things up
It is safe to say that all of us enjoyed our trip to Japan. For my parents, it was their first time in Japan. Our itinerary could have been more optimised to cater to the old folks but we planned what we could. Everything else was pretty much on the fly.
While most Japanese don't speak English, they do have some basic understanding if you speak slowly and give them time to process what you said. Alternatively, learn some simple Japanese phrases. It'll make life a lot easier there. For the most part, we relied on Google Maps and Navitime apps to get around Tokyo. We googled for Mapcodes for our drive in Hokkaido.
Hope you enjoyed this lengthy trip report!

First off I’m b & r. It’s super sad to see this mall so empty 😔 my teenage years were bustling, you couldn’t find good parking on a Friday. Sadly this is not how it is now.
I take my kid regularly for boba, L & L and ramen. We walk around and enter all of the stores. Recently I noticed the keiki jeans wear house has a startling theft stand that goes off randomly. Every time we go in it gets weird. After talking to the employees and looking at the rest of the mall, they are the only ones with these theft stands.
This mall has 50+ yrs worth of history(heck wasn’t it a cannery at one point?). Very hard digging up anything other than the man that was murdered in the bathroom(RIP Alex Cerezo).
Can anyone else remember any stories? I’m so intrigued.
I really hope we don’t loose this mall 🙁 it has so much history. 💔

Has anyone been having their power reset several times tonight? I think we’re up to 5 times since about 4pm yesterday? We’re over near the southern end of Mid Rivers Mall Dr.

A lot of people have been having issues with the Land of Confusion Quest, which due to the randomness can be tricky. I figured since I've been looking at quite a few posts about it I'd make a guide. If I miss any area let me know in the comments and I'll add them.
The first 2 lines are intro and don't really change anything.
The third line tells you if the location is East or West compared to Harbortown Station, which is what the fixed line 4 is referencing, Morganite's "chambers" which are now empty.
Line 5 then tells you if you need to go North/South compared to that Harbortown Station.
Line 6 is a more direct hint about which biome the location is in.
Line 7 is the one that gives you the exact location. A few I've seen:
Altar of Fire, Water, Earth, Air: Basically go to one of the altars you did for the Kuneko storyline(Each is based on an element)
Pool of Water on Land, near stones and graves: The L shaped pool near the graveyard.
The river that flows through this land it's source: Follow the river up the mountain until you reach a nook where it ends. You'll know you reached it because the camera angle will change.
A lone house towers in this land in it's shadow you must be: The ranger outpost
A tree stump stands in wooded land: There's a small area between Eastam Woods and Autumn Hill that has a single stump.
This Temple of Commerce once grand: Falldown Mall Roof
Line 8 tells you what you need to do. It's typically extremely clear and can be pretty varied I've seen opening the map three times, bulletino dash, recycling three items, standing still for a minute, dropping a chest or rock among many things.
Then lines 9 and 10 are fixed, I think you get both of those at the same time though. If I missed any lyrics or lines let me know, I tried my best but the game is pretty new and some lines are clearer than others which makes it harder to find posts about certain lines since people don't need help to solve them.

i was supposed to meet up with my grandma at the mall, however i didn’t know the bus i was on went all the way to my destination, so instead i got off at the terminal where all the other buses were, i don’t live with my grandmother so i don’t really know the area to well but it was fine as i was able to get internet and call and explain the situation. i then sat down and waited for the bus she told me to get on and was just minding my business trying to touch up my makeup a little bit when all of a sudden this man, looked around in his 40s comes from behind the bench i was sitting on and starts talking to me. i have never been in this situation before(with a man, this has happened with a woman but i didn’t feel scared.) so i was really nervous because i heard stories all the time of creepy guys going up to women. he started asking me questions about my race & ethnicity, and then started telling me how pretty i was. i felt so stuck and just kept saying thank you because i didn’t know how else to respond but i regret it so much now because he probably thought i actually felt complimented. he then asked for a ride and this was the part i just wanted to cry because i knew he was going to try and persuade me into getting in his car with him but i luckily i thought of lying and telling him my dad was coming, he still tried to but stopped after a few minutes but it only got worse…he kept telling me how he could buy me all this stuff and presents and chains and how he has so much money but no love just so stupid…god. i didn’t know what to say except “no it’s fine.” but he wouldn’t walk away!!! he got even CREEPIER, he asked for my age and i told him i was 17!!! he even said i was too young for him and when do i turn 18 yet still asked me if i was single, like he didn’t care at all! how gross i could’ve thrown up right then and there, christ. he then started talking crap about my “bf” and how he can’t do the stuff he will do for me and all this crap, and how he has been drinking for 6 days straight, i could literally smell it off him. i have dealt with alcoholics in my family and i know how violent they can get sometimes so that was just my last straw to stop being scared and leave so i finally after a few minutes lied and said my dad was over by the parking lot near the terminal and as i got up, he told me that he loved me. YOU DONT EVEN KNOW ME!!!! when i wasn’t in his sight anymore, i literally RAN as fast as i could all the way back to my house which is an hour away but i didn’t care, i have never been so afraid for my life. now i’m too scared to go anywhere alone, i don’t want that to EVER happen again. it’s so scary being in that situation and i know other girls can relate. idk why these men think they get to make us feel bad for existing in public spaces. just leave us alone! i was old enough to be that man’s daughter, HIS DAUGHTER OR EVEN GRAND DAUGHTER!!! that should’ve been a turn off right there but they don’t care and i’m sick of it. i’ve been thinking about it all day and i feel so terrible. nobody deserves that ever!

Ever since the Allen outlet mall shooting, my call center (less than 30 minutes from outlets) has been "revisiting" our safety committee due to a handful of employees expressing concerns about the overall security of the office. We have a security team which, honestly, is a step up from Paul Blart. Yes, we all have to badge in, and we only have one entrance, and they have been hyper-focused on "piggyback" entries. I personally often think of Active Shooter situations and the whole what if... To the point where I'm attending a seminar about Active Shooter defense. The security is flawed in numerous ways, everything from the entry of the building to lazy "guards" at the front door. Some are caught sleeping mid-day; most of the time, they are all on their phones scrolling or flipping through magazines with their feet on the desk.
I did volunteer to join the Safety Committee, which addresses all building emergencies, not just Active Shooter scenarios. I do worry that I need to tread lightly. I don't want to out myself as a gun owner, let alone an LTC permit holder. I don't carry in the building as they have the 30.06 posted (but NOT the 30.07 🤔). I have my firearm locked in my glove box in a travel safe cabled to the dashboard frame (as I have a 90-minute drive each way). For this reason alone, I don't want to draw attention to myself. However, I'm the only male to volunteer the rest are women from the call center.
I know what will be said, don't talk about it; no one will bring it up. I only hope that this will be the case. In the next week or so, those who volunteered will get their "position" assigned, and we will all get emergency bags to keep near us at all times. I kinda feel like I'm falling down a rabbit hole and trying to acknowledge that I'm overthinking it.
Any thoughts?

Hey guys, im sure some of us are in our mid 20s, some are married, some are nearing the end of their studies, some are preety much doing fine. At this age i can't help but wonder whatever happens to places that we like to go when we were kids. i remember back then there used to be a famous shopping mall our parents love to go, its called Liang Toon. I heard its something to do with poor money managements or family disputes. But i could be wrong, for those who know the story, mind sharing it? But if its too sensitive im not forcing anyone😬👍

Chapter 18

Another tightly interwoven chapter this time around, with Erikson's pacing and plate-juggling kicking into overdrive. I'll slightly disentangle them for summary/observation pacing and coherency, but as always, the effect is wonderful in narrative prose form. We finally get a reunion between the Captain and the Bridgeburners, some major revelations regarding the background machinations of the former 2nd, and the Tyrant is awakened. Additionally, this chapter had a few loose ends (hopefully) click for me, as well as provide several "file for later" moments. So without further ado...

Epigraph

Another excerpt of The Conspiracy and continues the tradition of excerpts of ostensibly the same work sharing nothing of their formatting in common. It also continues the tradition of Blind Gallan ruining my life by being by far the most cryptic author quoted. There is a reference to an "eight-limbed Paralt-" so whom or whatever that is is likely the same as the spider mentioned in the previous Conspiracy Epigraph. It also helps that they're/it's explicitly referred to as a spider, lol. But to my recollection I have no knowledge of who or what a Paralt is, but am on high alert for the term moving forward. Most interesting is that it "dives home Power's//gentle balance" The capitalization of Power seems significant, but again IDK what to make of it.

The Chapter Itself -

- begins with Sergeant Whiskeyjack on edge, awaiting the upcoming fights, increasingly aware of the mounting complications and still wrestling with his forced ambivalence. The other Bridgeburners are preparing as well, Fiddler and Hedge inspecting and tweaking an arbalest, Quick Ben attempting and failing to scry (the presumably dead) Sorry, and Kalam doing everything in his power to accelerate the healing process. The ex-Claw is preparing for one last ditch effort to draw out and contact the cities assassins, but it's a long shot. To do so, he will enter the same Inn as before. If this doesn't pan out, they'll default back to plan A with the intersections. Given the situation, Whiskeyjack is as desperately callous as ever, and Fiddler calls him out on this. While encouraged, WJ does not regain his optimism on a dime. He sees Kalam out, and orders the others to get back to work; not without some good humor.
Coll, meanwhile, is getting worse by the second, his leg swelling and seeping blood. Considering what we learn later regarding the severity of his injury, it's a wonder Coll manages to endure as long as he did. The former lord and Captain received some small measure of help, but far, far less than Coll needs. As they approach Worry Gate Coll informs Paran of the need to reach the Phoenix Inn. When they reach the gate itself, Coll has gone comatose, and Paran rejects their offer of a surgeon, trusting Coll's request. One of the guards recognizes Coll, despite the city's records insisting he's dead, and is thus able to order a cart for the dying man. We don't get any indication of who this guard is, other than the fact that he's one of Coll's former guards.* Getting Coll onto the cart, he notices a flash of movement along a distant, square platform. In a moment, the movement subsides, and Paran moves on. They quickly rush to the Inn, getting observed by Irilta on the way in. Paran then sends for a medic and sits down to eat. Upstairs, Meese, guarding a sleeping Crokus and Apsalar, is informed of the development. Irilta notes Paran's good looks and abnormally good Daru, but can't make much sense of the man. The two converse about things getting tense, even for the Eel, and oddly, complain about catching glimpses of individuals within their periphery. I'll get back to that note in a moment.
* I'd entertained the idea that this was Circle Breaker, helping even after his duties were technically done. The gate is incredibly close to Despot's Barbican, per the map of Darujhistan, so it's not inconceivable that the gate is one of the last stations along his rounds. Additionally, if Kruppe is the Eel, it would fit that he'd recruit from Coll's staff. So while we, again, get no indication either way, I'd like to think so. The biggest point against this, however, is CB's history as a privateer, so there's likely a narrow window wherein that'd even be possible.
The flash of movement Paran observed was the clash between Rallick Nom and Ocelot. Rallick had climbed up the back (or depending how you look at it, the front) way, draining most of his strength to even approach the Clan leader. This drain winds up being a critical weakness in the upcoming fight. The sorcery of Ocelot and the exhaustion of RN manage to open a window for the Clan leader to retaliate. Fortunately, the powder Baruk gave still works, and the conjured bolt dissipates on contact. The two knife fight, quickly adapting to one another's counter strategies, and each receiving fatal wounds. Even with all of his magics, and RN's weakened state, Ocelot losses, or perhaps the fight ends in a draw with him succumbing first. As RN fades out, the blood spilled in the temple once again invigorates K'Rul. Between the Elder god's attention and the now proven potency of the "changes you" powder, there is some hope for RN's survival, but it is unlikely to be pretty.
Speculation Time: Could it be possible that the battle K'Rul is preparing for is against the Jaghut Tyrant? Is Oppon steering the nearly-impotent elder god towards the Tyrant? While that sounds like a fantasticaly dumb idea, if Rake, the Cabal, and K'Rul were to come out swinging, none of the three parties could come out seriously weakened, rendering Laseen's three-birds-one-stone strategy worthless. Or worse yet, the Tyrant subsumes K'Rul, someone he remembers as immensely powerful, but is suck with a weak thrall and one with cultivated weaknesses and exploits. One produced as a "back door" of sorts to get at the monster. I'll admit, this is likely my least grounded guess yet, mostly because it's pure motive speculation, but at the very least, I feel good guessing K'Rul is on a collision course with the Tyrant.
Meanwhile, Serrat got jumped, preventing her interfering with the Coin Bearrer's escape. We don't learn who did so, only that it was unlikely to be a god and especially unlikely to be Oppon. I'll just shelve this for now, but find it interesting that, in the chapter, it's revealed immediately after blood is spilt within the temple.
Paran sits eating and drinking in the Phoenix Inn, contemplating his options. He suspects his luck has turned, as foretold by Anomander Rake, but is unsure of what to do with that information. He notices a chance spill of beer dripping into a crack in the counter, and wedges Chance within it, resolving to destroy the blade. He fears that despite being freed from Oppon, Chance is a sufficent conduit to the Twins that they're continuing to shape him, destroying and alienating those he loves. Live a life the gods don't notice. Just as he reaches for the sword, Kalam enters the room. He catches a glimpse of of the Captain, and intercedes before the blade can be destroyed. He somehow managed to peice together what it was Paran intended to do, speaking to his experience. I'm not quite certain how he managed it, but I can speculate. One such clue was a series of sensations being observed, "four times in quick succession." Either it was repeated glances from Oppon, or four individuals. If I had to guess, its the Twins, along with Meese and Iralta, still watching the street from the attic. How he picked up on two of them being gods, (or one composite god?) I still don't know.
Paran, once he recognizes the corporal, demands he fetch Mallet. He then moves upstairs, with the surgeon the Inn retrieved being unable to save Coll. For whatever reason, I found the interaction between the surgeon and the Captain particularly affective. "Why, nothing, sir. I failed." Says so much in so little time, particularly when we find out how poor of a physician he is. In a story with dozens of hypercompetent characters, seeing someone profess their mediocrity stands way out. Ganoes then rests by Colls bed, practically willing the man to hang on for a few more minutes.
Eventually, Whiskeyjack, Kalam, and Mallet barge in. Coll is so far gone even the healler breifly mistakes him for a corpse, then shoos them into a distant corner. They debrief each other on their goings on, and asses how dire things are. After getting Paran's version of events, Whiskeyjack uses a K'chain Che'Malle relic to page High Fist Dujek Onearm. Dujek provides an update for the Bridgeburners (and the audience) regarding the goings on in Pale. Tayscheren is practically self destructing trying to catch up with the plot, Hairlock apparently killed someone in Nathilog (for reasons or lack thereof I cannot even begin to speculate) and Laseen is growing more intense in her attempts to undermine Dujek. He'll likely be moved to Seven Cities to put down the brewing rebellion mentioned earlier. It's to late, however, as the situation on Genebakis has deteriorated so far that anything could set off what little remains of the 2nd, likely the disbanding of the Bridgeburners. Whiskeyjack vouches for Paran, and we get some updates on Toc and another hint that Dujek and his father were close. It seems to be accepted that he died from Hairlock's attack. I'll hold my reservations for meta reasons, but I really don't have any method or explanation to anticipate his survival.
It is accepted that no one present could accept the continued authority of Laseen, and while Dujek hints at some potential openings, things aren't looking good for defection either. The Crimson Guard continue to make headway, the formerly free cities are on the verge of revolt, and something is eroding the Moranth alliance. What's worse, the Pannion Seer* is some big looming threat, preparing to make moves of their own. The conversation ends, and while I didn't bring it up, it is noteworthy that GP chose not to mention Silverfox. Paran defers command of the BBs to WJ, experience superseding rank via necessity.
*Who's been mentioned maybe twice, if we don't count the map. Like I literally keep forgetting this guy exists.
Kalam asks Whiskeyjack what had changed the High Fist's mind on revolt, and WJ points out that it was obvious someone intends to torch the Genebakis campaign to do away with the remainder of the Old Guard. This doesn't quite jive with Laseen's current needs for certain members of the OG, so I'm curious as to who. WJ convinces Paran that Lorn needs to survive at the very least long enough to draw out the Jaghut Tyrant and waives away the Captain's concerns regarding their use of explosives in a gas powered city. (On a review, Paran doesn't even know that much, and I can see why the Sergeant would like to keep him in the dark) Paran leaves to retreive Chance once he learns Coll is safe, and refrains from updating the BBs regarding Sorry.
We end the chapter with a brief update in the Barrow. Tool explains to Lorn that she needs to find what's called a Finnest, efectivly a "self contained Warren" because that's a thing that makes sence. I'm growing increasingly sympathetic to the template model of Warrens. Any Warren built like Omose Phellack is Omtose Phellack. She finds it, in the form of an acorn, betraying once again the Jaghut's pacifism. Tool admits that they had to be goaded into warfare and self destruction. They quickly leave as the Tyrant stirs.
And there we go, one more chapter and we're likely in the climax proper. No where to go but further into the tightening mess, waiting eagerly to see how it all unfolds...

In a few weeks I'll need to take some important donors for my work out to nice lunches/dinners near my office, which is in the fairly dead Fox Hills area of Culver City, near Westfield mall. I haven't been in this role before and I'm wondering where we should go. Good food and nice atmosphere are what I'm looking for, as well as a kitchen that can handle whatever dietary restrictions they might have (nothing fancy, just vegetarians/vegans/maybe gluten-free). I love Mayura, which is pretty close, but would be hit or miss depending on the person and I won't know these people well. Versailles is great but could be loud and we need to be able to talk. We'll drive there but don't want to drive too far—Santa Monica, etc. are out. Thanks in advance for any tips!
PS Should also add my job is at a nonprofit so while I have a company card this is not a splashy big-spender kind of meal. More of a "nice/upscale" vibe. Thank you!

I've got 5 bras here since trying my AFTF size, and none of them are great fits. I've learned some things, but others just confuse me and I don't really know what brands/styles of bras to attempt from here. Any sort of help would be appreciated.
The first two bras were from my first (and now only) attempt at going to a fancy bra boutique. To say I was unimpressed would be an understatement, it was painful. The attendant, after asking whether I preferred molded or unmolded bras (told her it literally didn't matter as long as the wires didn't hurt), literally only gave me molded bras to try, insisted that if the wire was hurting I needed a bigger band, ignored all attempts at my own inexperienced fit checks (the cups were frequently buckling just above the wire, the tops of the cups were empty, and ALL of them hurt my ribs) and then pressured me into buying a pair of painful bras I have worn maybe twice. I literally cried after I left this place. I'm never going back, and the whole endeavour put me off even attempting to find ABTF for over a year.
Marie Jo L'Aventure 32F. At first glance and proper posture it looks okish, but with the slightest forward tilt of the shoulders you can see the empty cup space at the top and towards the outsides. The wires HURT. I got a 1 inch extender added to the band, which makes it less painful (but not painfree! ugh) but also causes the gore to not tack. You can see the cup buckling just above the wire. There is so much empty space it isn't even funny.
Marie Jo ???? 32F. All the same fit problems as above. Also has an extender. Also doesn't tack. Also has empty space. Also buckles just above the wire (less so, but it still happens). There's a reason I never wear these.
Fast forward a year and I finally find the courage to try again. Find myself in a small bra shop in a mall, try on well over 50 bras to the immense frustration of the solo staff lady on hand, but at least this time the lady has enough sense to let me decide fit for myself. Also, unmolded bras, finally! Left with two that didn't hurt and would at least halfway fit.
Gossard ???? 32E. Finally a wire that doesn't hurt! Could do without all the frilly bits but at least we're getting somewhere. Still have problems with empty tops/outsides of cups but it is significantly less so here. However, my center-full boobage is on full display as I am simultaneously quadboobing AND not filling the cup, depending on where you look. The empty space is best seen in the top-down view. The gore tacks, yay! Of the five, this is the best fit I've got.
Montelle Intimates ???? 32E. Second bra that doesn't hurt, and the only other one out of everything I tried to do so. Fit issues are more extreme here, however. The wires sits on my boobs centrally, pushing the gore outward. Quad boobage is somehow more severe, though I think I failed to image that properly. (It's absolutely ridiculous when I push the gore back onto my chest for instance.) The empty cup space at the top is also worse, but I don't know how much of that is because parts of my boob are pushing the wires out instead of sitting in the cup. This is, however, the most comfortable wired bra I've got, for what it's worth. The Gossard I can still feel the wires there, this one the wires almost (but not quite) seem to "disappear."
And that was it for a while as money became an issue, (very nearly a whole other year) until very recently where I had some more to spend and got a Panache Envy secondhand on braswap. I thought where the Es were giving me quad boobage I should go back up to the F, and that the molded bras were problematic cause of their molding. I was wrong.
Panache Envy 32F. These cups are clearly way too big. Also the gore goes extremely high, and while it was tacking it felt like it was pressing into my chest, on the verge of painful but certainly not comfortable. (Ditto for the wires as a whole: uncomfortable for the 2 mins I wore it, possibly painful over an entire day? Not gonna try and find out, though.) The wires also feel way too wide? Like the Gossard feels like the wires actually follow my boob. This thing was practically in my armpit. However, the immediate projection at the bottom of these cups was actually very appreciated.
Where exactly do I go from here? I think it's clear that I am closer to the E cup than the F, however shape mismatch is still a big issue. I know I am rather projected, and VERY center full, but these fittings are making me think I'm more bottom full than even? Is there something else going on I can't see? What bras fit those shape requirements, cause the Envy is the supposed starting point and that kinda failed spectacularly?
I also have very little bodily padding, and a bigger issue than the fit itself is the wires, which are very often painful to me, digging into my ribs at (usually) roughly 2 oclock and 10 oclock, using clock directions (straight ahead being 12, obviously). Any suggestions to make wires not hurt would be greatly appreciated. In the meantime, I'm going back to my pile of unwired sports bras and the two wired ones that don't hurt me, kthxbye.
Measurements:
Underbust loose: 31.5"
Underbust fit: 30"
Underbust tight: 28.5"
Bust standing: 36.5"
Bust forward: 38"
Bust laying: 36.5"
ABTF recommendation: 32E/F
Edit: I should add that I am very confident in the 32 inch band size, 30 is so small I can barely close it (and can't breathe) and 34 the gore never tacks. I have done the upside down and backwards thing and 32 is the one for me. But within the 32 inch band, most wired bras just flat out hurt, regardless of fit in other manners. I don't know exactly what's going on here. The cup size though? Well, none of it seems to fit quite yet. I'll take whatever advice you can give.

Hello all,
I am looking forward to purchase a new Jeep Wrangler. The 4xe plugin does look exciting to me given that I am going to drive jeep mostly in cities. Could be called a mall crawler or soccer mom/pop vehicle.
I do know that the Jeep wranglers usually have better re-sale value and many people also recommend to always get a new one rather than used because the used ones sell near to new prices.
However, I am not sure about 4XE resale or if all the issues have been ironed out by now.
Can someone share opinion how good are 4xE in term of resale value vs non-hybrid and if these still have any issues?
Also, if someone is aware of good deals in California please share.
Thanks in advance.

I'm new to using uber and was planning on using it during an upcoming trip, so we took one to the mall yesterday. Scheduled it the night before, it got picked up by a driver in 15 minutes or less, great. That ride was fantastic. Now, when we went to leave the mall, we tried to get a ride for an hour and had to give up and call my in-laws for a ride home. I tried different classes of vehicles to no avail. We live on the edge of the metro area, but only about 11 minutes' drive from this mall. Is this why no driver would pick up our request? I confirmed the car type and price and then the app showed me nearby drivers near our pin, but that was it. I didn't do anything wrong with the app, did I? When it got to the map screen there were no other options to select. Any insight into this would be appreciated. Best I can figure is that no driver wanted to take us home because they likely wouldn't find a pickup near our house and have to backtrack to the busier area we were in. ?

I also snagged me a copy at FYE. I am heading home from Chicago (2 hour drive). Will do what I can if homebody that posted before me doesn’t hold his end up.
I’d prefer not to be the one to leak it but I am willing to take one for the team.
Edit: I will not DM anyone. Please be on the lookout for an update on this post with the torrent site I post it on. I will not link it to Reddit. Not loosing my account when I already have the record.
EDIT: last guys post was axed I think. If I get any kind of strike or warning I can’t justify doing it. They seem to be cracking down. I am still heading to a mall near my local town to get a record player and then record it.
Update: I do not own a record player and cannot find a record player near me with a USB port. See comments.

I am not sure if you can call it a Tik, but the last year I'm slowly developing some kind of extreme intrusive thoughts.
Examples:
1-When leaving a room I am turning the light off-on-off
2-Sudden urge to make a sound, which can be extremely annoying since it was for example while writing an exam, so I made a silent humming noise.
3-Maybe it's typical but that's probably the longest "tik". I whistle and sing nearly all the time and everywhere. In the shopping mall between all people I randomly start whistling.
4-When streaming a video I'm always double clicking on the time so its blue (selected) and then clicking again so its back to normal .
It's not a real tik because I can still control it, but if I don't do it I start to feel strong distress. So I find myself not doing something like the light switches, feeling weird, and then going back to the room just to turn it off-on-off again cause I didn't do it.
Just for extra Information, I had extreme stress the last years, was in the psych yard, got depression, lost many friends, ex girlfriend cheated, was in thereapy.But now I'm better. Still not good, but I'm working out a lot since 2 years and have a bit more control over the depression, even thoug I got extreme trust issues. I only drink once every 1-2 weeks on the weekend and eat mostly plant based since I'm vegetarian.
So does anyone have some kind of Idea what those intrusive actions could be. Or at least what the official term for it is, since I'm pretty sure it's not a normal tik

My name is Alice, and my best friend for the past 9 years is Carol, we’ve have been friends since middle school when we were both 10, she was by all rites my sister, I was an only child, and she filled the void of not having any brothers or sisters of my own. We would spend most days together at my house, she was one of five siblings, her parents managed, but struggled to keep up with all the bills, so her spending nights at my house were frequent, I’m talking about 20 to 30 times a year. My parents treated her like a daughter, my mom would even spend time in private talks with her and without me, like mother, daughter talks. Of course, me and my mom had the same type of relationship, but Carol’s mom was too busy to have these kinds of talks with her, so my mom was the mother figure to her. Carol was part of our family, and we all respected each other. When she would spend those nights with me, my dad would always drive her home the next day. When my dad would take her home, he always returned 30 minutes later, but she only lived 5 minutes away, He would always walk in with a half-drunk Slurpee when he returned. I never really thought much about it then, life went on as normal. When she would spend those nights at my house for sleepovers, my mom would look in on us maybe once a night if at all, but my dad would check in 3 to 4 times and always say something or try to join in our conversations.
Fast forward 8 years, we just graduated high school, at the end of summer I was heading off to college in another state, she was going to remain in our little town and go to the state university about 20 miles away. We live in a small town 10 miles from a large city, but our town has only about 10,000 people, just enough for 2 elementaries and 1 high school so everyone knows everyone. Carol some how always had money, but she didn’t have a job, I had money from a part-time job and my parents both had great jobs, my mom was a RN for a large hospital in the city and my dad was a partner of a law firm he started right out of college and had build himself up as the top law firm in the city. He did a lot of charitable work and was on several committees helping small businesses. I could ask for anything, but they gave me just what I needed, like a car and paying for my college, the rest I tried to earn for myself. One day Carol drives up in a used car and I asked where it came from, she replied that her uncle gave it to her as a gift for her graduation. I had never heard about this uncle, she said that he was around, but didn’t get along with the rest of her family so she never spoke of him. Carol was a beautiful girl with long black hair, she hadn’t cut it since before we met, it hung down her back all the way to her butt, she always kept it in a ponytail, you could always tell it was her even from the back because it was unique. I am a pretty good-looking girl, I have no problem finding dates or boyfriends, Carol on the other hand, never once had a boyfriend, not because they didn’t ask, she would always turn them down, saying she wasn’t ready to get tied down to any guy.
One day my mother took me out to lunch and told me that she suspected my dad is having an affair, she said she looked over the bank statements, he was taking money from their accounts weekly, between 500 to 800 dollars each Friday and never had anything to show from it. She said that she may hire a PI to help her get to the bottom of it. I said let me investigate it first, I was going to college for journalism, this would be great practice for me, my dream job was to become an investigative reporter. She said okay, I have the summer, then when I left for college, if I hadn’t found anything she would hire a PI and I agreed. We finished our lunch and told her not to say anything to dad, because it would be harder to catch him if he thought she may know anything, she agreed, this would be our secret.
I told Carol about the situation, she said that she couldn’t believe my dad would ever cheat on his family, she said that both my mom and I were crazy. But said she would help me, she said that she wanted to prove he was doing nothing wrong, but she would keep an open mind. That Saturday I followed my dad as he left the house and he ended up at the library, I walked in and I saw him in the law section reading and he was alone, I walked out and sat in my car for 4 and a half hours. He drove to a restaurant, I could see him from the parking lot as he sat alone, he had a slice of pie and a soda. He left there and just took a walk to the local park, I stayed out of sight, he just sat on a park bench and pulled his phone out, texting someone for the next 30 minutes. He got up and walked back to his car and drove home. I kept driving to kill 30 minutes before returning home, I had found nothing and was disappointed with myself, but happy for my mom. I told Carol what I seen but all she said was I told you your dad’s not a cheater. I looked at her and said this was only day one and who was he texting for 30 minutes. She said maybe another lawyer. I knew she was right, I was grasping at straws, but something didn’t feel right, I was going to continue the investigation.
The following Saturday I had to work, Carol said she would follow him and take notes as to what he was doing and report back to me later that night. I thanked her, I told her she didn’t need to get involved, but she said she felt like she owed it to our family, because of all the years being treated like a daughter. That night Carol and I met up at a coffee shop and she said she followed him to a mall and he went into a bunch of stores but never bought anything, she said he was alone the entire trip other than when he went to the food court and sat with another couple, but it appeared he sat there because no other tables were open, he just sat and ate without saying anything to the couple. I thanked her and we just had a normal evening and went to see a movie. The next Saturday came up and I followed him again and he did exactly the same as I watched him two weeks ago right down to the pie and texting in the park. Carol was just too easily willing to give up, but I wasn’t done yet. She said I was wasting my time that could be better spent studying for college to get a head start. I found this very strange, she never cared about my studies while we were in school why now.
I told her I had to work on the following Saturday, she said she would watch him again. I started to get a gut feeling something was off. I took that day off and I followed them both to the mall. I put on a hoodie that I borrowed by a guy friend, I kept the hood on as I watch and videoed them from my phone as my dad and Carol walked the mall hand in hand, stopping at stores as he bought her clothes, shoes, and they even stopped into a jewelry store and looked at rings together, I had it all on tape. When they left, I continued to follow as they took my dad’s car to a motel, and I saw him get the key from the office and signal her to join him. They both walked into the room. As I was waiting, I was livid, how could my best friend do this to our family. 3 hours later they emerge from the room, he returns the key, then they drive back to the mall, and they say their goodbyes with a long kiss. He drove home and Carol called me as she was still sitting in the mall parking lot to tell me, she watched him all day, but he just walked the mall like her previous investigation, but I knew the truth. I didn’t say anything and thanked her for all her time.
I needed to find out when it started and I just knew it was on her phone, so I went to her house and was immediately told she was in her room. I walked in to see her reading a book, I said I just met these two amazing guys, they wanted to meet up at a new under 21 dance club. She was reluctant to go, but I pleaded with her, she said she had to wash her hair and get ready. This is what I was hoping for, as soon as I heard the shower, I opened her phone messenger and started typing in my dad’s phone number, the name Michael showed up, my dad’s name is Tony. I open the texts and there are thousands of them going back to when she was just 15 years old, the first text was her thanking him for her new phone. I forwarded the entire chat to my home PC and it took 20 minutes. There were so many, I closed her phone just in time for her to re-enter the room. We went to the dance club, I said I didn’t see them, they never existed so of course I didn’t see them, so we left after about an hour. Went to get a bite to eat and drove her home.
That night I spent it going through all of the text starting from the first one and documenting them all. There were talks about how much she enjoyed sharing a Slurpee with him before he dropped her off from our sleepovers. And the car that he bought her, not the uncle as she told me, my freaking dad bought her a car. I even had proof when they had sex for the first time, when she was 16. It also was a bunch of thank yous, for paying for her car insurance and the money my dad had given her weekly, that’s why she always had money. I put this on a thumb drive along with the edited video I had taken during the day. I made 6 copies of the thumb drives, I placed them into envelopes and on the outside it was typed LAWYER IS A CHILD MOLESTER. Inside I had typed a cover sheet stating that a prominent lawyer in the city, was a child molester and the proof was in the thumb drive included.
I had one bit of revenge for my best friend, I asked her out for dinner at the restaurant I worked at, she agreed, I set the table up where her back was facing the kitchen, I went to get our dinner or she thought, when I returned I was so quiet, I walked up as she was writing a text to my dad. I took her hair as I had done many times before, she slammed her phone down on the table face down. And I said how nice it looked today, pulled out the freshly sharpened knife and a final how nice it looked, I lopped it off as she sat there, I walked next to our table as she was grabbing the back of her head, I dropped the ponytail on the ground as I stared into her eyes. She immediately tried to pick up her hair as if she could glue it back on or something, I said this is what you get for having an affair with my dad.
I had sent the thumb drives to the city mayor, the DA’s office, The police department, The local news station one to her parents and one I gave to my mother. When Carol got home the reporters were already camped out on her front lawn. When I returned home, we had news crews and cameras staking out our house also, along with 3 police cars, I watched my dad being taken out of the house wearing handcuffs. He was arrested and will lose everything. I was consoling my mom, when we got a call from CNN looking for a statement, I declined, but was told this was going to get aired tonight, so this was our chance to make a statement, but we still declined. I turned on the TV and my dad was everywhere, every station local news and network news stations. He was on the front page of our local newspaper and the city newspaper. His story was even in the New York post.
Mom and I took a long vacation and disappeared for the next month and let things calm down. When we returned my dad had moved all his clothes out of the house, now he lives in a rundown apartment trying to find a lawyer that will work for him. Carol was kicked out of her family’s home due to the disgrace she brought onto her family, Carol left our town due to shame. Nobody that I know knows where she went or what happened to her, I guess the police must know because she will have to testify against my father at some point. We are still in the thick of things, but I have put college off for the near future to help my mom as this works through the courts and as she files for divorce. We are going to family counseling and trying to piece our lives back together. My dad faces so many charges starting with child molestation because of the text when the first sexual encounter was, he is also facing charges for manipulation of a minor for sexual purposes, and other charges stemming from his affair. He is looking at a possible 10 years of incarceration. I have no feeling for either of them, they manipulated me and my mom for years, they can both rot in hell for all they did to us.

Moving to Bham later this year. I'll work downtown, so am particularly concerned about the 280 traffic. Trying to decide whether it's worth it to live in the Homewood/Mountainbrook area or if living near Summit Mall is sufficient to avoid hating my life while sitting in standstill traffic.

Took a day and a half trip to Sacramento! Easy two hour drive from the Peninsula. I'm not from Sacramento though I used to visit a lot, apologies for any mistakes or wrong opinions.

• California Railroad Museum: Lives up to the hype. Great museum, with immersive ceiling to floor exhibits, interesting info, and, of course, TRAINS! It's very California/History specific and more about the impact of trains on CA history than about how trains work specifically, but there's a bit of that. Beware: The one train that has sleeper rooms rocks back and forth to simulate the train moving. My wife got seasick from it. (I loved it!) Also, don't forget to visit the the fourth floor.
• Old Sacramento State Historic Park: You really need a guided tour or watch some history videos on YouTube to get the most out of this place. There's a lot of cool facts but you will need to find it yourself or through a tour. This old PBS show has a decent overview: https://youtu.be/Bd4PM8UV5Hw
• Fanny Ann's Saloon: Came here for the "ambiance" over lunch. I could see this place being rocking at night for the bar crowd, but for lunch it's just a funky place with "meh" food. There are pinball and arcade machines and decent amounts of seating.
• Top Hand Ranch Horse Carriage Rides: Since the temperature was moderate and the horses seemed happy, we took a $20, 15 minute ride around Old Town. My kids loved it. It was super calm and uneventful but fun to be so close to people walking around. The ride was a little bouncy even on the paved streets, hard to imagine riding faster on dirt roads.
• Old Town: Pretty touristy. But some of them are really nice tourist traps! Shout outs to Evangeline's Costume for having funky "gifts" and being fairly reasonably priced. Cerealism was kind of funky and not bad (food themed around cereal) and Blueprint Coffee was a nice sleek modern coffee shop. Did not love Boxcar for froyo, overpriced, could have gone for better ice cream but kids wanted it now! Ferris wheel is worth it for the views of Tower Bridge and Old Town, though it goes really fast (speed wise.)
• DOCO: "Newer" style shopping district near the Sacramento King's stadium (some concert was there too). Mostly focused around eating with some light shopping. Made the mistake of walking past DOCO up K street towards the Capital and... it's a ghost town. A drunk guy called us a racial slur and accused us of smelling like vomit. Then a random guy was sitting there swinging a claw hammer around and we decide to go over to Capital Mall where it felt safer.
• State Capital: Very nice, beautiful place, nice architecture. Make sure to check out the "back" where there's a park and war memorial. Sadly, museum and main building were closed by the time we got there.
• Frank Fat's: This place is an institution and we had to try it. The décor is something else and the back booths are very private. The bar and front room, less so, we were practically sitting in the laps of the table next to us. The food is NOT TRADITIONAL CHINESE FOOD. You don't go for that: You go for the California/Chinese historic fusion of food. It's pretty interesting to see how Chinese food would have evolved over time as it intermingled with American palettes and ingredients (and older school cooking methods.) Make reservations in advance, they were turning people away who didn't have reservations. I enjoyed it.
• Sutter's Fort: Pretty small, but really gives you an idea of what living permanently in California would have been like (assuming you weren't Native American) before the gold rush. Sadly, the Donner Party Doll was not viewable as it's deteriorating fast and needs to be restored and taken off display. Each room is decorated to look like it might have during that historic period. There's a bunch of written information and a little hand out with each room labeled. The park rangers are very engaged as well, so feel free to ask questions.
• Sacramento County Fair: A pretty typical CA county fair, dominated by carnival out front. Nice they have a kid specific building and they have more demonstrations than my county fair (like racing ducks, racing pigs, or frisbee dogs, and horse and rider costume events.) Pretty low key like many CA county fairs that aren't in Southern CA. I loved the Demolition Derby where cars smash each other until they can't drive. Overall, I'd say the Sacramento County Fair is better than most Northern California County fairs out of the handful I've been to, but doesn't quite stand up to OC or LA County Fair. I wish I could have seen the Rodeo, but our schedule didn't work out.
• Yang Kee Dumpling (Davis, not Sacramento): Very good Chinese dumplings. The skin of the dumplings is a little thick, but everything tastes very good. Gets crowded on weekends, join the Yelp Waitlist. It's kind of a back building to the Safeway parking lot so it's a little odd to find.

Overall, a good 1.5 day getaway to Sacramento. Still a lot we didn't see (Crocker, Stanford, State Indian Museum, etc.) And last time we were here, we went to Locke with the kids, which is a blast if you're into Chinese in CA history.
Please let me know if I got anything wrong!