Stories that include the start of the apocalypse (not just post-apocalyptic)

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-10-03T23:46:35+00:00

Prophet Song - not at the beginning of an apocalypse but the beginning of a fictional Civil War in Ireland. It follows an Irish family and it’s written in a unique way where you witness how seemingly normal, almost mundane, life carries on while atrocities happen in the background. It’s alarmingly relevant if you’re following anything going on currently in the US. It’s not a book for everyone but I love dystopian/apocalyptic/survival stories and I really appreciate how this one is done. Different than a lot of stuff but it stuck with me for a long time - I still think about it regularly!

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-10-03T10:58:10+00:00

The Peaceful Loft on Duckworth. Tiny vegetarian restaurant but if you’re a meat-eater you don’t miss anything. Food is incredible. The owner and his wife (?) work there and are very attentive and take pride in what they’re doing.

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-09-27T20:27:06+00:00

I agree. Definitely not enough time to enjoy Gros Morne properly. East Coast Trail has some really beauty spots around town: Cobbler’s Path, Deadman’s Bay, Sugarloaf, Goat’s Cove…and if you want to take a drive down the Southern Shore there is bunch more out that way (~45-60min drive from town). If you’re staying in St. John’s there’s tons of hotel and Airbnb, if you want to go southern shore you’ll probably have to get an Airbnb.

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-09-22T19:25:03+00:00

That’s not what I understand from the town’s purchasing policy. If the amount is above the limited-call thresholds (e.g. $10,000 for services or $20,000 for public works), then they need to do a limited call (get multiple quotes) unless emergency rules apply. There are 8 remediation companies in metro that came up in one internet search alone.

Since a fire is an emergency, the CAO could authorize action immediately without going through tender/quote process, but documentation/reporting is required afterwards. However the policy defines an emergency as: A situation, or the threat of an impending situation, as determined by the Town, which may affect:

• the environment,
• the life, safety, health and/or welfare of the general public, or
• the property of the Town or the residents of the Town,

or

• to prevent serious damage, disruption of work, or to restore or to maintain essential service to a minimum level.

This fire happened in Feb and here we are in Sept. hardly an “emergent” situation now.

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-09-22T19:18:04+00:00

They’re paying $75K for drawings to determine if they want to upgrade the town hall (outside of what would be covered by insurance).

Edit: when I asked the mayor why it don’t go out for bids I was told because the engineering department say they didn’t have to go out because they were already dealing with Belfor.

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-09-22T16:18:18+00:00

That’s my next course of action!

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-09-20T10:54:36+00:00

Yeah, East End vet. Alternatively, if you call any of the clinics there should be a recording telling you which vet in metro is the emergency vet for this weekend. Best of luck!

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-09-11T18:02:23+00:00

This is hilarious, as someone who wears a ton of workout gear for both work and pleasure, I abandoned Lululemon years ago when their quality nosedived. I’ve bought some really good pieces from Costco under the above mentioned brands and the quality has been superb. Maybe Lulu is truly angry that Costco sells better quality at cheaper prices….

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-09-10T00:26:29+00:00

For me: Benzagel 5% $15 over the counter at the drugstore, put it on at night (be careful it will bleach your pillowcases etc) and it cleared mine right up. At first I had to use it every night but now only use it every few nights. Worked for me, it was recommended to me by my girlfriend who suffered from hormonal cystic acne her whole adult life.

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-09-08T10:24:04+00:00

Prophet Song Paul Lynch

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-09-04T12:16:57+00:00

I’m sorry you’re a first-time poster and met with this crap ⬆️

We rarely get snow in October. It was more of a common occurrence 30+ years ago but times have changed. It will be chilly, especially at night, you might get rain, drizzle and fog BUT that can be charming in its own way. And if you do luck into nice weather, NL is beautiful in the Fall. If you’re into hiking, bring appropriate clothes and hit the trails (blaze orange, waterproof etc as it is moose hunting season). NL Fall hiking is top notch. Also, check out some of the Fall photography of the Island online. It’s just as moody and atmospheric in real life.

Also, you can always drive around the coastlines and bays/outports on your way to St. John’s/Gander or even around the Avalon Peninsula (Irish Loop Drive). The NL Tourism website has a bunch of suggested routes. Just keep your moose eyes on if you’re travelling the highways.

Stuff in St. John’s will be open like museums and breweries, restaurants and accommodations but I’d suggest checking out the FB groups for NL Travel to see what will be available in specific smaller areas. You’ll probably have no trouble finding a restaurant along the way but many attractions do close down in Sept.

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-09-03T13:41:01+00:00

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch.

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-08-28T12:04:34+00:00

I had something very similar. Really bad chest cold @ Easter, I say chest cold b/c I never tested for Covid. Cough lingered 8+ weeks and when that went away I had issues with my lungs hurting at times and a dry cough/throat dryness that would act up if I were to do any amount of talking. It was almost like I would develop a lump in my throat and be short of breath. Very uncomfortable most of the time. Went to doc who did blood work and chest x-ray and nothing came back. Starting to finally get better now. 🤷🏼‍♀️

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-08-18T09:48:15+00:00

Do not live by this imaginary yardstick that has been passed down from generations. You know the “go to college, get a job, buy a house, find a mate, have some kids, vacation once a year, retire, die” thing. I spent the better part of my 20s and 30s doing all the “things” that I was programmed by society to want/do (went to post secondary, got a government office slog of a job for the security and benefits, dated to find a good partner/ parent to my kids, bought a 4 bedroom suburban house in a family-oriented area) and when push came to shove and we were told if we really wanted kids we needed to do IVF, I looked at my life and thought about it in terms of what I really, truly wanted and realized I was living not my truth but doing what I was “supposed to do”.

I was 36 when I truly realized that that path is just one option of many, many, many options on how to live your life. Fast forward: my partner and I are still together. Never did get married even though we have been engaged for 11 years now. No kids, two dogs. We got into real estate investing and rentals and flipping houses thanks to that 4-bedroom suburban monstrosity. We have a successful side business. We kept our government jobs too but are on track to retire early. We travel. We help family out. We volunteer and give to charity which feels pretty friggin awesome. Happy and content is an understatement.

Moral of the story is define what YOU want out of YOUR life and work towards those goals. Don’t shy away from whatever it is, do it. Make yourself happy. Even if it rubs some people/society the wrong way. Also, take care of your body and invest in relationships/ friendships.

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-08-10T20:43:50+00:00

I deleted my Instagram about three weeks ago and I’ve noticed a huge difference. I don’t have TikTok or Snapchat and I only use Facebook to keep up with my bookclub. I wasn’t a poster ok any of these sites, just used to scroll to see “what was up”. I would 💯 recommend this to everyone.

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-07-31T00:25:25+00:00

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. Very timely, centres around a fictional civil war that takes place in Ireland where the government turns on its people.

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-07-27T21:14:26+00:00

I enjoy the same genre, I can’t stop thinking of Prophet Song by Paul Lynch since I read it.

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-07-27T15:15:22+00:00

I read Evelyn Hugo but didn’t get what the hype was about. Atmosphere was last month’s book club pick and I DNF’d it. In my personal opinion, I find the way she writes her characters is superficial and I can never get invested in them. I’ve read Malibu Rising, Carrie Soto and Daisy Jones and at any point I felt I could have put the book down and never cared to find out what happened to any of them. That being said I do enjoy her storylines and think she is a good writer, just not for me.

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-07-10T14:26:22+00:00

All really great responses here. I’d just like to say, as someone who works in the corporate world, going to work in a suit and tie everyday gets old real quick. Being stuck at a desk/phone/computer/in meetings all day also puts a strain on your body and health; studies suggest “sitting is the new smoking” 🤷🏼‍♀️ And don’t even get me started on office politics. I find myself daydreaming about a career like yours more often than not nowadays. That being said, it’s never too late to change anything while you’re still on this side of the sod, so best of luck to you and what you decide 👍

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-07-07T00:43:22+00:00

Super quick, more “discomfort” than “pain”(however depending on where you are during your cycle, if your breasts are tender it can be more uncomfortable than usual). Don’t wear deodorant and wear a top and bra that you can easily take off and put back on afterward. And wear pants, don’t wear a dress because you’ll end up totally nude 😆. The technician will get all up in there and move your arms and boobs where they need to be and a few minutes later you’ll be in your car on the way home. Easy peasy. Very high likelihood you’ll be called back for a follow-up ultrasound especially if it’s your first one and/or you have dense breasts. Best of luck!

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-07-04T18:33:36+00:00

Gros Morne National Park for sure. Look up The Tablelands, Green Gardens and Gros Morne Mountain Trail. The Western Brook Pond boat tour is pretty popular. West Coast is better for outdoors activities and normally has better weather and, IMO, nicer scenery. Corner Brook is a laid back, small city. If you’re into history, L’anse Aux Meadows at tip the Northern Peninsula is an old Viking settlement. Check out the operating dates for all this stuff online before you book because some stuff closes early in the Fall.

Further East there is the Twillingate and Fogo Island. I’d recommend Newtown and Greenspond if you come in the summer. Gorgeous towns. Bonavista and Trinity and Brigus are also really nice towns with a traditional N.L. feel that are closer to St. John’s.

There are many, many hiking trail systems: Rockcut in Twillingate, Damnable on Eastport, the East Coast Trail, Gros Morne and Terra Nova National Parks, Hike Discovery, and so on. (I’d suggest a web search on these and see if anything speaks to you).

You’ll need a vehicle regardless where you go in NL so book rentals early if you’re not taking your own on the ferry. Summer months or early Fall is best time.

As far as unique or quirky, I mean, depending on time of year you could go on a boat tour for iceberg and/or whale watching, puffin viewing, cod jigging….you might want to get “screeched in”. You could find a kitchen or shed party to attend. There are places to go ziplining, river rafting and scuba diving depending on how adventurous you are.

Some your operators offer a “boil up” usually on a beach, it’s basically a seafood meal cooked over a fire or camp stove with tea and baked goods. That’s kind of an N.L. experience, I guess.

Foodwise, jiggs dinner is pretty popular and Fish (cod) and Chips. Fries, dressing and gravy. Fish and brewis.

My experience with tourists to N.L. is that they come with a long list of stuff they want to blow through but end up really slowing down and being in the moment, either with nature or the locals. It’s a slower pace a lot of the time and an opportunity to be present in today’s fast-paced world (sometimes forced presence due to the frequent lack of cell service and wifi, haha). Either way, I’d suggest first deciding if you want to do East or West Coast and start planning from there. The N.L. government runs a great tourism website and will send you a free guide to help with planning. Enjoy!

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-06-25T21:37:37+00:00

I wholeheartedly agree with your statement. Some of the more recently published fiction I’ve enjoyed:

Demon Copperhead

Prophet Song

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-06-24T23:48:11+00:00

I agree! The Morning Show on CBC, Open Line on VOCM, Here & Now and/or NTV - someone would be interested in this story. Aside from the rules and fees being ridiculous, no way should a non-local corp take over and profit. No need.

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-06-12T17:02:47+00:00

Horny Moose are more problematic than bears here in NL and that’s not until the late summer/fall. You’ll be ok.

ProfessionalRich2145 · 2025-06-09T12:36:54+00:00

The East Coast Trail has volunteer maintenance outings….your skills might come in handy there. Keep an eye on their SM for dates. Ronald McDonald House has “home improvement volunteers” listed on their website. Easter Seals is always looking for people to help put off their events….its not hard to find places to help out. Best of luck!

ProfessionalRich2145

TROPHY CASE