j o s h u a

So the motorcycle thing is just...all for show? You're not in a big, scary biker gang where you beat people up? I have had you wrong all this time. Famous rodeo star...ten years from now. Won't your age start with a 5 ten years from now? Just to provide some additional contet here- and pretty firmly so.

Nope. I wear a leather jacket and boots and have a very fancy helmet that reflects everything around me and makes me look cool, but as for a gang... they won't have me, I'm not badass enough. Hey, now, we don't have to talk about that being a possibility, thank you! But yes. Aren't there rodeo stars in their fifties?

"I was a biology major in college, so nutrition felt like an appropriate class to take as an elective. I really loved learning all about the science behind food, which then helped me when learning how to cook for myself and when I'm trying to talk to parents about their kids' diet." And giving advice on nutrition was a significant part of being a pediatrician. "Although I do think that even if you don't go into medicine as a career, everyone should take a class in nutrition. Everyone needs to learn what their body needs and how to get it. I think if we were all aware of that, it's a lot easier to make the healthier choices." At least, that was JJ's experience. "Yeah, I don't like beef all that much, and I rarely eat pork. The only exception I would make to that rule is pepperoni. I won't have pizza without pepperoni, but I also don't eat pizza as often as I did when I was in college. Only as a treat." Truth be told, Pizza Thyme being so close to his house had made it quite convenient for him to have pizza whenever he did not feel like cooking. Not that he could complain. A Merrock pizza was just as good as the ones he used to get in Boston's North End back in the day. "Not just meatloaf, though. A lot of the food I cook came out of my disregarding the recipes and adding my own flair to it. I kind of see it as a science experiment. You change things up and see if you can get better results." He shrugged, taking another bite of his salad. "Hey, you have your preferences. I have mine," he remarked with a laugh, shaking his head. JJ listened to Josh's words with genuine interest, nodding along as he ate. "Hm, I like that word. Fulfilled. That's definitely how I'd describe my life right now. I feel fulfilled." Even though a lot of people in his life liked to point out his marital status as if it were a void that he needed to fill, it did not matter all that much to him. JJ was fulfilled in life, especially because he was on his own. "You're probably the only one who could call me young. I've been called old far too many times these days than I can count," he admitted, letting out another laugh. "Hey, I do bring Mia to the library every week. She's still on picture books, but I enjoy letting her pick out some books for me to read to her. That's become a part of our daily routine now."

"That does make sense, it's not a bad thing to be educated about in your line of work," given that he didn't want to seem like a hypocrite if he was going to be telling people what they should eat, and then ended up eating the opposite, or just not taking care of himself. Not that he could ever see that being the case with JJ, who seemed to care a lot about health, after all. See-sawing his head a bit as JJ said that everyone should take a class in nutrition, Josh knew that there wasn't much of a chance for that to happen, letting out a quiet laugh, "if they have the means to take a class and can afford healthier foods. Honestly, healthy eating is great, but eating, being fed, is more important." And given the kind of people that Josh worked with at the community center, he knew that he would rather see someone eat a burger from Wendy's than go hungry, every time, and those people were the ones who couldn't afford to take a class. "But that's a bigger, deeper issue within our government system, unfortunately." And not one that would be solved over a lunch at the community center. If Josh was the person in charge, he knew that the whole world would be a much different, much better place, but he didn't have that much motivation. "So no cheese pizza?" he let out a laugh, "I guess that's fair, pepperoni is pretty standard for people these days, too. There's nothing wrong with experimenting and having fun with food, though, especially if you're a bit of a picky eater. It's good that you can take a standard meal you wouldn't normally eat and find a way to eat it." That was probably the beauty of food, he realized, was the way that people could customize it to be exactly what they wanted it to be, in the best way possible. "Well," he let out a bark of a laugh, "I do think we just have to accept it after a certain point. Old age is a privilege these days, I think once you start looking at it that way, it stings… a little less," but being called old would never really feel good, would it? "Hey, start out slow, picture books turn into story books turn into chapter books in the blink of an eye, I've been told."

Glancing up from the book that he he was reading, Josh couldn't help but to let out a laugh when Anderson told him to go for the line, that he should take it even if it wasn't his. He let out a soft 'tsk' sound and cast his friend a lopsided grin, "are you encouraging me to steal, Mr. Fisher?" Having graduated a few years ahead of Anderson, but still close enough in age to have been friends, especially once grown up, it wasn't the first time that they had run into each other fishing. Definitely wouldn't be the last, either. "I'm actually watching it for the old guy who ... got hungry enough to want fish and chips," he said with a laugh, gesturing in that direction, "but good eye, maybe he'll split the spoils with me," he loosened the pole and began to pull back gently, and then with a little more force, reeling it in steadily. "Knowing my luck with the ocean, it's a boot. I feel like I'm always getting better catches at the lake."

You should be proud of me, Josh. I haven't spent that much time in a library in so long! I also learned a lot about the beach and the town, and I practically grew up here. I'm so ready to hop on the committee... or maybe just listen in and take notes.

Incredibly proud of you -- have you gone back since then? We have to get you a library card, if you don't already have one handy. But I'm glad, I think sometimes we live in a place like this and don't always realize just how much there is to learn, you know? But this was a good educational experience for a lot of people, too.

I am excited for summer! I mean, I’m working some parts of it because of the library and my summer sessions, but I’m looking forward to everything happening in town. I can get with a good party, that’s always fun. And the beach, I really miss it.

Of course, have to keep yourself busy -- and I'd imagine that the library does stay pretty busy during the summer, from what I've seen whenever I stop by to grab a book or two. I'm looking forward to the carnival, when that happens -- but also the beach. I love to surf, so I get excited when the weather turns warm.

Maybe we need to be more honest with ourselves about how we just want to be called good boys. Because...we'd be happier than ever. Listen, if you think about it, that's what Jurassic Park is anyway. Dinosaurs are basically birds, down to the fact that they were probably covered in feathers.

You're not wrong, it probably would be better for us in the long run if we were honest about what we wanted. You're always right about these things, Che. No kidding. Even the noises that they make are pretty... prehistoric. Not that I'm a bird expert or anything, obviously. Or a dinosaur expert, for that matter.

But being bad does feel sort of good, doesn't it? Because there's definitely some joy in that. No, that's not very good therapist of you, to lie about who you are to the world or really to anyone. Maybe you should start with the mechanical bull, let it humble you once or twice, and then see.

You might be asking the wrong person that sort of question, Elise, I'm not sure that I've ever been bad for a single day in my entire life, not that I would brag. I know, I'm pretty sure that's the sort of thing that gets people to not want to work with you, come to think of it. Opposite effect of what you should want to do. Well, in ten years when I am a famous rodeo star, we can always laugh about the time you told me to get on the mechanical bull.

"Oh. Was I giving the impression that I didn't think someone would want to win it? Because that's not what I meant at all," Chess asked with genuine concern. She opened her mouth as if she was going to explain herself more, but decided against it, knowing she had the tendency to over (or under) think situations sometimes. "Anyway, did you see anything you think I should check out? Or were you more focused on Mission-" she paused for a moment and searched her brain for some clever wordplay then continued, "no, I don't have anything better than 'Snack Possible,' which doesn't really flow as well."

"No, no, no!" Josh shook his head, offering her a reassuring smile, "not at all, I knew what you meant. I think that we have a hot commodity here, like an underdog. Sure, one of those gift cards for free wine over at Bardales Inc. seems good, but can that wine fix your car, tune up your bike?" He made a 'tsk' sound and shook his head, the smile on his face clearly teasing. "You mean besides the delicious food...? Actually yes," he nodded, pointing in a different direction, "I pet a pony. Also, I made Espie a very nice bouquet over at Kennedy's DIY flower bar, I do recommend that. And Mariah has a rock painting activity over at her new business, which is actually quite fun to see come together."

"That's my motto in life. Always spoil the dogs." Taryn teased with a laugh. She couldn't imagine not spoiling her dogs anymore.

"Much better than something cliche and overdone," he replied with a warm laugh, "and I'm pretty sure that all of the dogs in the world would agree." Or at the very least, the dogs that liked to visit her cafe, none the less.

Nathan gave a nod when Josh said that Skylar was welcomed to hang out at the garage. "I'll let her know. She'll be happy to hear that," he gave a small grin. "Just, don't be surprised if she starts asking questions and wants to try assisting in small repairs. She said, and I quote, 'if I'm driving, I should know how to fix the car'," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. The fact that his daughter was at the age to want to drive was still something he was getting used to. He then let out a sigh, giving a nod at Josh's words. "There are silver linings, I guess. More people are more aware now of our wildlife for one thanks to this. And I wouldn't be surprised if the council is thinking about ways to present something like this from happening again. Or at least makes it harder to do." Like changing the zoning ordinance, as Josh mentioned. "And the rules and regulations they'll have to follow if something like a new resort really becomes a reality." Would the town be able to adapt to the changes? Maybe. Eventually. Would the community felt the same? He had his own doubts about it. "I suppose it's just, I don't know, too extreme of a change? Too much to lose, yeah. I mean, I get it when it's coming from those whose families have been here for generations. I am pleasantly surprised that some who doesn't have deep roots here in town are also against the building of a resort. Maybe we'll be able to stop it afterall."

"Well… not that I want to play devil's advocate here, but she's probably not wrong," he said with a laugh to his voice, "it's not a bad idea to know your way around the car that you're driving, after all." Most teenagers just wanted to put the pedal to the medal and go, they weren't actually interested in what was going on under the hood or how to make something work. If Josh could help nurture that in someone, then why not? "How do you feel about her driving?" that brought a grin to his face, "a little nervous?" Without kids of his own, he couldn't say that he knew exactly what it must have felt like, but he did watch Espie go through it with her kids, knew that it wasn't always the easiest thing for parents to tackle. But it was what they had to do. "That's incredibly true. I'm hoping that at the end of the day, they can use some environmental studies, maybe have it a designated wildlife area, or something history related to make sure that they don't end up in this position again years down the road?" If not the Benefactor, wouldn't someone else eventually step up and try something like this? And then it would be bad all over again. "Me too, some of the new people in town, even. It's kind of nice to know that it doesn't take a long history and generational ties to make people see how truly special our little town is."

JJ could not help the laugh that escaped his lips at Josh's suggestion, and he responded with a nod. "Oh, definitely! Built character, encouraged me to learn how to cook... Oh, and I also took a class in nutrition during my undergrad because I wanted to understand it better. I'd say that helped me become a better doctor, too." He had to give credit where credit was due. The experience of eating cafeteria food during high school had some sort of positive effect on him, and that was something. He would always be grateful for that. "The thing about meatloaf... It's typically made with beef, isn't it? I'm not particularly fond of red meat, so I make mine with ground turkey instead. I add lots of breadcrumbs, milk and spices, and I also glaze it with barbecue sauce instead of ketchup. It's definitely not your traditional meatloaf, but it's an easy make-ahead meal that I like to prep during my day off. It freezes well, so I divide it up into individual portions that I can reheat during the week when I don't feel like cooking. Meal prepping has been a lifesaver lately." When Josh pointed out that his preference for pretzels might not be available at Snack Shack, JJ nodded. "They don't. I'm afraid Auntie Anne's is my go-to when it comes to pretzels. But when I'm at Snack Shack, though, I usually go for the smoothies." Some might even call JJ a picky eater for having such specific preferences when it came to food, which was certainly true. "I don't think I'm looking to achieve anything more in my career, if I'm being honest. When I was younger, I might have thought I was going to do so much more. Boston's big on medical research, and I did spend some time working on some clinical trials and whatnot when I was a resident. That sort of work can be just as stressful as working in the ER. But now, I'm definitely more focused on working at a much slower pace. I see a handful of patients a day, maybe even make a house call or two, but then I get to clock out and go home to my daughter. That's more than enough for me. I don't feel like I need to do anything more for my career." And that was something he firmly believed. "But I'm not ready to retire, though. That's for sure," he admitted, laughing softly. "Now, I don't know if I would have made a good librarian, but I did have a fascination with the Dewey Decimal System as a kid. I think the idea of organizing things in a system like that... It tickled my neurodivergent brain in a very specific way. I definitely would have enjoyed working in a quiet environment as well. Libraries are not as overstimulating as hospitals." Perhaps in another life, but not this one. He could not complain, though. JJ knew that pediatric medicine was his calling.

"Definitely not a bad class to take if that's the career you go into," after all, anything that gave you a leg up in the health department was going to be a good thing. It never hurt to be able to answer any kind of question that a patient might come to you with, whether it be something specialized like diet, or… well, anything else that they could come up with. Josh didn't know much about that side of the medical world, but he knew that there were probably a million questions one could come up with. "Beef," he confirmed with a nod, "or beef and pork, a lot of people do a mix." Though he supposed that had less to do with taste and more to do with the cost, and the meat being affordable for more people. "I guess that's the joy of cooking something like meatloaf, there are no real rules, so you can doctor it up however you want, make it to your taste to be sure that it's exactly what you want." And it was better to eat something that you liked than to force yourself to eat something that you really weren't all that into. "Snack Shack has Auntie Anne's beat, sorry to say -- they use a little extra butter and salt, but somehow it ends up more flavorful than it does a greasy mess," he said with a laugh, taking another bite of his food and chewing thoughtfully as they talked about careers, nodding his head. "What matters is that you find something that makes you feel fulfilled. Truly. Sure, you might not be where you thought you would be ten years ago, and that's fine. We don't always end up in the spot we had in mind -- we end up where we're supposed to be, instead," and JJ did seem pretty content with where he was, like he had something figured out that worked for him, and that was important. "You're far too young to think about that," he laughed, shaking his head. Josh had been, too. But he had retired from private practice into working at the community center and picking up mechanic work and co-owning a garage, so… retirement hadn't really quite happened. And Josh was okay with that. "I think, as accurate as that might be… you're good at what you do, it seems to be where you need to be. Besides, you can always visit the library for fun, right?" he laughed, "maybe ask Jayla or Oliver or Will if you can volunteer to organize their shelves?"

As Theo looked out upon the rain as it came down, thankful for the overpass above them, he nodded. "I mean it doesn't look too bad if it doesn't let up, that we can hopefully find a place to hang until it passes," he got off his bike for a moment as it was in park and walked to the edge of the covering to see if he could see any cloud cover. "As least it's not freezing rain or snowing, or cold in general," turning back to Josh while lifting both his shoulders. "For sure, let's see what we got," he smiled and walked over to the saddle bag and took out some ziplovk baggies. "I have both healthy and the not so healthy in here," he then patted the other saddle bag as on his seat now lay carrots and celery.

"Wouldn't be the first time I had to ride home in the rain," he admitted, scrunching his nose a bit. Soggy, damp, sure, but… there were worse things. And besides, as long as it wasn't a storm with lightning and thunder and bad winds, at least it wasn't too hard to navigate. He hoped. "Snow would be worse," he agreed with a laugh, "I've definitely been out when it's started hailing or sleeting during those summer storms, too, and that's just as bad. Absolutely no one wants to deal with ice on the road," even if you should have expected it. "Not so healthy," he said without missing a beat, and then letting out a laugh, "or… whatever, I guess we should have a little bit of both."

It took everything in Espie not to start loudly cackling at the suggestion of matching denim jumpsuits. Not offence to other couples who enjoyed that sort of thing but that was not for them. The closest to matching anything for them was Espie stealing items from Josh's closet. And that was how she liked it. Swallowing her laughter, it was silent as Espie shook her head. "I can't wait to go see how everyone's tents have turned out. I was excited seeing all of the proposals with ideas come in. I know there's a ton to do," she agreed as she worked on putting together the first few gift bags. "I hope it's also motivational for folks who have been more or less fence sitting or slow to get involved. I hope this is sort of a moment of realizing they don't have to be on the committee or leading anything themselves. How they can help and show support, get involved by supporting those of us getting our hands dirty. And who knows, maybe it will motivate others to get involved more."

"I already know that I'm going to end up spending way too much money on baked goods," he admitted with a low groan. For as much as Josh liked to budget, and as much as he knew that he would have to eat far too much to make it through everything that he bought at every event that he went to… he still couldn't stop himself from getting more. Every single time. "Plus, I was eyeing that prize wheel, maybe thinking about painting some rocks, making a couple of buttons…" plus side, everything that they did ended up funneling back into the money to fix the issue at hand: stopping the Benefactor. That made it a little easier to hand over crisp dollar bills. "I hope so, too. I know that they've mentioned other events happening, so I'm sure this might inspire some people," even if it was something as basic as helping to set up, or volunteering to work for different things. "Although selfishly, I wouldn't mind seeing us do more events this way, anyway. Less reliance on the Benefactor, more on community."

Listen, that "good boy" can get a lot of species pretty far in life. It's nice to be told you're doing good, right? I get how dogs work, sometimes. They are pretty darn close. I feel like they could have just used them instead of raptors in Jurassic Park, it's about the same level of fear.

That it absolutely is, everyone desires it, and if they don't... or they act like they don't, they're absolutely lying to themselves to feel better. Could you imagine? Actually, with the way technology is today, I bet someone already has re-made the entirety of Jurassic Park using birds and only birds. I'd watch it.

It was typical, everything that was going well had to end sometime. Though thankfully it was just rain and nothing worse, plus they were able to pull over and take cover. Theo was just glad that they didn't have any necessary plans or a time constraint, things that would ultimately be affected by the downpour they were in the midst of. Pondering Josh's question, Theo looked out at the rain for a moment, "Hm let's see if it's just passing first? And then if it doesn't end in say like ten minutes, we figure something else out?" He asked, leaning his helmet on his lap.

"I'm pretty sure that the 'figuring something else out' is just going to be us riding in the rain," he admitted with a laugh, shrugging both shoulders. It happened, though -- weather was never a guarantee, especially this time of year. And in Josh's mind, a rainy day on the bike was still a better day than a dry one at home. Although… he couldn't lie and say he he wasn't hoping it would taper off. "I guess maybe this is a good time for that snack break, then?" if they were already stopped, they might as well fuel up a little bit, do their best to get some energy.

And it's harder to get back to the clean and noble path once you've veered off those familiar ways. Some people have cowboy boots they wear to ride motorcycles, though, I didn't know if you were secretly a biking cowboy or if you've got aspirations to be a rodeo star. You're not too old yet. Probably, they might sort of side eye you if you tried bull riding or something.

Easier to go bad than to go good, how true is that? And a little bit sad, too, but that's the way it goes. That's true, but that's not me. I feel like I would be lying to the world about the kind of person that I was, and I don't want to do that. Or start chasing rodeo dreams, don't go giving me ideas about that. Well, there's the mechanical bull at Tumbleweed, that's... kind of similar, right?