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We celebrated our another Wedding Anniversary with a special night at Café Monarch. Recognized as one of the most Romantic Restaurants in the US. It is romantic, elegant, and therefore expensive. We love coming here for special occasions and they make special occasions memorable.
This is the view from the east end of the bar looking west at the front door.
Welcome to a world of culinary elegance and sophistication you will not find anywhere else in Arizona. Named by Trip Advisor as a Top Three Fine Dining Restaurant in the Nation, this family owned and operated gem in the heart of historic Old Town Scottsdale has earned an illustrious reputation for its first-rate service, elegant ambiance, and five-star cuisine.
At Cafe Monarch the menu is always changing, bringing you an ever-evolving array of innovative culinary creations that feature nothing but the finest in premium fresh, local, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients. The four-course prix fixe menus are meticulously designed to delight even the most sophisticated of palates.
"A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory…” – Albert Einstein
IMG_1179 acd-SharpenAI-Focus
© Saira Bhatti
Fellow hikers passing by an array of peaks situated at the plain of six glaciers - My trip started with a broken camera lens which thankfully continued to stay alive throughout the journey leaving traces of flares in my photographs #rockies #glacier #mountvictoria #mountAberdeen #mountlefroy #mitre #brokenlens
This photo was taken through a set of manhole pipes kept in array on a road in south kolkata.No superimposition was adopted.I dedicate this photo to all my dear friends and enthusiasts and of course my family members for their constant support and enthusiasm.
The make-up collection and working palette from the incredible and calm Stormi. Used to create her magic.
Dorsal view of the main crew living area (windows removed for clarity.) Fore to aft: swimming pool, comms array, sports stadium, greenhouse, medium drone docking.
Name: S.S. Bessemer
Registration Number: KCC-1894 (Kolter Construction Contract Number 1,894)
Affiliation: Kolter Mining, Refining, and Fuel.
Class Name: Bessemer class
Type: Deep Space Mining Operations Flagship
Commissioned: Circa late 2500’s, post recent major conflict
Specifications:
Length: 1,844 meters (184.4 studs, 58.1 inches, 4.83 feet, 147.5 cm model)
Width: 503 meters (50.3 studs, 15.8 inches, 40.2 cm model)
Height: 484 meters, 398 meters without dorsal comms array, (48.4 studs, 15.2 inches, 38.7 cm model)
Crew: 2,950 standard complement + capacity for crew families, as well as smaller guest quarters for up to 2,000 additional personnel to be moved to/from mining operations.
Armament: 1 super-heavy coaxial particle beam cannon, (primarily for asteroid mining, but also more than capable of defensive action,) 4 dual-mounted heavy particle cannon turrets, 8 dual-mounted medium particle cannon turrets, 2 coaxial fore medium particle cannons, 80 quad-mounted 80mm anti-fighter flak railgun turrets.
Defensive systems:
Hull: Super-heavy steel alloy hull with carbon nanotube/buckypaper composite layers as spall lining.
Armor plating: steel, titanium alloy, tungsten, ceramic, and carbon nanotube composite armor layers against asteroids/other space debris, kinetic weapons, kinetic spalling, particle, laser, and plasma fire. Thick composite armor provides excellent survivability, but with very high mass. Some battleships are less armored than this ship.
Bulkheads: Extensive titanium bulkhead support network.
Structural integrity field: High power system designed for significant cargo mass placing stress on the frame, or to withstand asteroid impacts to the hull.
Shielding: Internally housed high power adaptive particle field repulsing shielding system capable of surviving significant punishment. Some older battleships have less robust shielding.
Powerplant: 1 primary matter-antimatter reactor with extensive fuel reserves, 2 secondary fusion reactors with extensive fuel reserves. Multiple massive power capacitors. Extensive heatinks.
Propulsion: 1 massive primary fusion engine for sub-lightspeed travel, 1 internal FTL core capable of moderate FTL speed, long range travel, and 32 large reaction control thrusters for slow but dependable below light speed maneuvering.
Computer systems: Single supercomputer core with onboard Virtual Intelligence system.
Comms and Sensors: Local and FTL comms arrays. Radar, LIDAR, infrared, multi-spectral, and additional other local area sensors systems, along with extensive FTL sensors.
Additional Systems: High power artificial singularity for both artificial gravity generation and inertial dampening, allowing for 1G gravity even when hauling an entire cargo hold full of heavy-metal. 6 massive blast furnaces for refining metal ore, an enormous central cargo hold system, 4 fuel refining tanks, 4 massive fuel storage tanks, and an internal rail system for moving ore and personnel.
Embarked Craft: 2 Thunderbird class super-heavy cargo/personnel shuttles, 2 Hurricane class heavy cargo/personnel shuttles, 20 heavy mining drones, 24 medium mining drones, 2 gunships of variable class, 2 heavy fighter/bombers of variable class, potential for multiple additional light shuttles and fighters.
Background: After seeing both the devastation to outlying areas of space caused by the recent Great War, and the corruption within the Federal Defense Navy (working title) Admiralty, Captain David Courtland retired honorably from military service and went to helm his family’s generations old mining company, Kolter Mining, Refining, and Fuel; one of the largest mining companies in United Earth Federation space. (Working title.)
He wanted to take the company, already a reputable and successful business, in a new direction. That direction was the disputed, war-torn, no-man’s-waste-land of space known as The Divide, (working title) situated between the major powers of the galaxy. Life in The Divide was desperate, with little hope for the many people stranded in the ruins, poverty, and crime infested land. None of the major powers could intervene without starting another territorial war, and as such, pirates, gangs, and unscrupulous mega-corporations ruled supreme.
Courtland wanted to make a difference to this sorrowful place, and with trillions of credits and a Fortunes 1,000 company at his control, he had the means to at least begin; although even he lacked the ability to single-handedly remedy the myriad of woes The Divide faced.
David’s plan was simple, to move significant mining operations to The Divide, thus:
1: Creating new, safe, well-paying, good jobs for both an area and an industry that seldom offered such things.
2: Allowing for the placement of company security forces to deter pirate activity around major settlements.
3: Providing tax-free revenue to fund new schools, hospitals, food, water, shetler, and other charitable activities in The Divide.
But to do it, he required a new kind of mining vessel, as well as additional security forces. Thus he contacted Nelson Heavy Industries, who in turn partnered with AxonTech Interstellar Systems for some components, to place an order for a line of custom massive deep space mining operation flagships with enhanced combat capabilities and capable of operating in the remotest reaches of space for months or even years at a time. And so the Bessemer class was born.
The Bessemer class is unlike any mining vessel ever produced before it. Certainly significantly larger mining ships existed, but these were typically little more than unarmed, slow moving things with small engines; closer to a semi-mobile starbase than a combination frontier battleship/mining vessel. But Courtland required something unique. Something that could move faster, survive more punishment, and something that had teeth; not a fragile, barely moving thing that would only sit in safe areas of space. Courtland needed a mighty sheepdog in a world of sheep and wolves.
Bessemer class vessels are 1,844 meters long, and possess more armor, firepower, and shielding than many pre Great War battleship designs. Almost any pirate or local gang would be terrified of the sight of over a mile of steel and particle cannons; clad in Kolter white, green, and yellow.
But the Bessemer, and others of her class, are not merely warships masquerading as civilian craft. They are heavy mining machines that live up to their name; a steel producing process that revolutionized the industry of Earth some seven hundred years earlier. The Bessemer and her sister ships are capable of blasting metal-rich asteroids to bits with their coaxial mining particle beam cannon, and then having swarms of automated mining drones devour any valuable deposits within before unloading the materials into the Bessemer’s ore hold for the internal rail system to run any raw ore through her six corvette sized forges, and then having the refined metal shunted to her cavernous lower hold, while any waste material from the refining process is vented directly into space.
Ships of this class are outfitted with a sizable hangar, advanced sensor suite, extensive internal cargo bays, and large cargo pod clamps that allow it to act in the capacity of miner, defensive ship, operations command center, and even freighter and personnel carrier should usual shipping to outlying mining sites be disrupted.
But capable as they are, these are not the spartan mining vessels with unlivable working conditions that some shady companies have been known to operate. These space-faring cities of steel feature robust safety systems, spacious and comfortable crew quarters, multiple restaurants, multiple mess-halls, multiple shops for clothing, food, electronics, and other items, an arcade, multiple gyms with weights, various weight and cardio machines, martial arts areas, gymnastics equipment, along with a walking track, a small bowling alley, an olympic sized swimming pool, a multi-sport stadium, a greenhouse, hydroponics bays, a small stage/concert area, several computer labs, a library, a small movie theater, crew lounges and break areas, a salon/spa, a bar/club, chapels, classroom/daycare areas, office areas, as well as repair stations, enough dry and frozen storage to keep everyone fed for extended missions, advanced workshops, astrotography, laboratories, guest bunk-rooms, and a starbase grade medical center.
Not everyone is happy about Kolter Mining’s efforts, however. While Courtland founded the Kolter Foundation to aid those in need, he also lobbied for what came to be known as the Kolter Bill to be passed. Mining employees out in the colonies loved the added protections this afforded them. But the executives of Kolter’s rival mining companies operating out of Earth’s colony worlds quickly found themselves facing laws that favored the profits of Kolter and their already developed safety systems and excellent treatment of employees. What’s more, the Federal Defense Navy Admiralty have been continually frustrated that rather than helping to line their pockets as part of the military industrial complex, Courtland has been working tirelessly to reveal their corruption and hidden support of crime in outlying areas of space.
What’s more, there are even rumors that Courtland is now working with, and possibly even helping to fund, a mercenary vigilante unit out in The Divide known as the Phoenix Command Group, founded by Jonathan Scarlett, another former Federal Defense Navy Captain who ran afoul of the Admiralty.
The wealthy and corrupt among the Admiralty, military industrial complex, crime syndicates, and corrupt businesses running shady operations out in The Divide are deeply troubled by these rumors. But those who are now citizens of no nation, and who have known nothing but hopelessness and need for years, have a slight spark of hope rising like a Phoenix.
IRL info: This digital SHIP was made in Bricklink’s Studio software from September 11th to September 30th, 2021. I did not originally plan to participate in SHIPtember, but I couldn’t resist. It is 184 studs (58.1 inches) long, 50 studs wide, and 48 studs high. It is comprised of 23,470 pieces, which I believe makes it my highest piece-count SHIP to date, and means that the model itself has a mass of 973.502 ounces, or 60.843 pounds, or 27.597 kilograms, which most likely makes it my heaviest SHIP as well as my most piece intensive. (I really need to learn to build a little more hollow.) Note that it uses all real pieces/colors that are available for sale on Bricklink. (Albeit at a price that makes attempting to build it in physical bricks highly impractical.) It is 100% connected, and should be at least somewhat stable in real life. I would want to reinforce the fore-end with more Technic, and switch out the longest Lego Technic axle holding the engine for an aftermarket stainless steel version. I cannot guarantee that various sections built out from the main SNOT and Technic frame would be totally stable without slight redesign of a few bits. It would also require a hefty display stand of some kind.
The current pictures are WIP to show the completed status of the build itself. Better renders done by importing the Studio build into Mecabricks, replacing any pieces that fail to load or change position, and then exporting to Blender for higher quality rendering, and finally hopefully doing some cool backgrounds with GIMP, will hopefully follow before whatever October picture deadline is decided on. Please do not use these early pictures in the poster if time remains, as I hope to provide better ones. Thank you for reading this lengthy description. Have a cookie.
If this ship had a theme song, this magnificent piece by Clamavi De Profundis would be it: youtu.be/Xm96Cqu4Ils
Interesting array of trees, planted quite densely at the Filoli Gardens, California.
Below is another shot of it looking at the opposite direction. In the image above, I had the sunlight against me, and in the shot below, behind me. It is interesting to see how that affected the exposure and white balance. The two shots were taken back to back, with almost no time lag between them.
Leica S2 + Leica APO Macro Summarit-S 120mm f/2.5
S2202827
圖片出處 www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091705canon_5dmarkII.asp
List price
(body only) • US: $ 2,699
• EU: € 2,499
• UK: £ 2,299
List price
(EF 24-105 L kit) • US: $ 3,499
• EU: € 3,299
• UK: £ 3,049
Body material Magnesium alloy
Sensor * • 36 x 24 mm CMOS sensor
• Full 35 mm size frame
• RGB Color Filter Array
• Built-in fixed low-pass filter (with self-cleaning unit)
• 22.0 million total pixels
• 21.1 million effective pixels
• 3:2 aspect ratio
Lenses • Canon EF lens mount (does not support EF-S lenses)
• No field of view crop (1.0x)
Dust reduction • "EOS Integrated Cleaning System"
• Self-cleaning sensor unit (filter in front of sensor vibrates at high frequency at start-up and shutdown - can be disabled)
• Dust Delete Data - Data from a test shot is used to 'map' dust spots and can be later removed using Canon DPP Software
Image processor * DIGIC 4
A/D conversion 14 bit
Image sizes (JPEG) * • 5616 x 3744 (21.0 MP)
• 4080 x 2720 (11.1 MP)
• 2784 x 1856 (5.2 MP)
Image sizes (RAW) * • 5616 x 3744 (21.0 MP)
• 3861 x 2574 (10.0 MP)
• 2784 x 1856 (5.2 MP)
File formats * • RAW (.CR2; 14-bit)
• JPEG (EXIF 2.21) - Fine / Normal
• RAW + JPEG (separate files)
• sRAW1, sRAW2 (see above) *
Auto focus • 9-point TTL CMOS sensor
• 6 "Invisible Assist AF points"
• All points cross-type for lenses of F5.6 or faster
• Center point additionally sensitive with lenses of F2.8 or faster
• AF working range: -0.5 - 18 EV (at 23°C, ISO 100)
Focus modes • One shot AF
• AI Servo AF
• AI Focus AF
• Manual focus
AF micro adjustment * • Adjust all lenses by same amount (effectively body adjustment)
• Adjust up to 20 lenses individually
AF point selection • Auto
• Manual
Predictive AF • As close as 8 m (with 300 mm F2.8L lens at 50 kph)
AF assist No (only with external flash)
Metering • TTL full aperture metering 35 zone SPC
• Metering range: 1.0 - 20 EV
Metering modes • Evaluative 35 zone (linked to any AF point)
• Partial (8% at center)
• Spot metering (approx. 3.5% at center)
• Center-weighted average
AE lock • Auto: One Shot AF with evaluative metering
• Manual: AE lock button
Exposure compensation • +/-2.0 EV
• 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments
Exposure bracketing • +/- 2.0 EV
• 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments
Sensitivity * • ISO 100 - 6400
• 0.3 or 1.0 EV increments
• Auto ISO (100-3200)
• Expansion options:
ISO 50 (L1)
ISO 12800 (H1)
ISO 25600 (H2)
Shutter • Focal-plane shutter
• 150,000 exposure durability
• 30 - 1/8000 sec
• 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments
• Flash X-Sync: 1/200 sec
• Bulb
Aperture values • F1.0 - F91
• 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments
• Actual aperture range depends on lens used
White balance • Auto
• Daylight
• Shade
• Cloudy
• Tungsten
• Fluorescent
• Flash
• Custom
• Kelvin (2500 - 10000 K in 100 K steps)
WB bracketing • +/-3 levels
• 3 images
• Blue / Amber or Magenta / Green bias
WB shift • Blue (-9) To Amber (+9)
• Magenta (-9) to Green (+9)
Picture style • Standard
• Portrait
• Landscape
• Neutral
• Faithful
• Monochrome
• User def. 1
• User def. 2
• User def. 3
Custom image parameters • Sharpness: 0 to 7
• Contrast: -4 to +4
• Saturation: -4 to +4
• Color tone: -4 to +4
• B&W filter: N, Ye, Or, R, G
• B&W tone: N, S, B, P, G
Image processing options * • Highlight tone priority
• Auto lighting optimizer (4 settings)
• Long exposure noise reduction
• High ISO noise reduction (4 settings)
• Auto correction of lens peripheral illumination (vignetting)
Color space • sRGB
• Adobe RGB
Viewfinder * • Eye-level pentaprism
• 98% frame coverage
• Magnification: 0.71x (-1 diopter with 50 mm lens at infinity)
• Eyepoint: Approx. 21 mm
• Interchangeable focusing screen (3 other types optional)
• Dioptric adjustment: -3.0 to +1.0 diopter
Mirror • Quick-return half mirror (transmission:reflection ratio 40:60)
• Mirror lock-up (once or multiple exposures)
Viewfinder info * • AF information:
AF points
Focus confirmation light
• Exposure information:
Shutter speed
Aperture value
ISO speed (always displayed)
AE lock
Exposure level/compensation
Spot metering circle
Exposure warning
AEB
• Flash information:
Flash ready
High-speed sync
FE lock
Flash exposure compensation
• Image information:
White balance correction
CF card information
Monochrome shooting
Maximum burst (2 digit display)
Highlight tone priority (D+)
LCD monitor * • 3.0 " TFT LCD
• 920,000 pixels
• Automatic 3 level brightness adjustment plus 7 manual levels
• 170 ° viewing angle
• Dual anti-reflection ('Clear View')
LCD Live view * • Live TTL display of scene from CMOS image sensor
• 100% frame coverage
• 30 fps
• Real-time evaluative metering using CMOS image sensor
• Best view or exposure simulation
• Silent mode
• Grid optional (x2)
• Magnify optional (5x or 10x at AF point)
• Three AF modes - Live mode / Quick mode / Face Detection
• Live histogram (Luminance or RGB)
• Remote live view using EOS Utility 2.0 (via USB or WiFi/Ethernet using WFT)
Movie recording * • Available optionally during Live view mode
• 1920 x 1080 (16:9) up to 12 mins (Quicktime 1080p H.264; 38.6 Mbits/sec)
• 640 x 480 (4:3) up to 24 mins (Quicktime 480p H.264; 17.3 Mbits/sec)
• Max file size 4 GB
• Quicktime MOV format (H.264 video, PCM sound)
• 30 fps
Record review • Off
• On (histogram via INFO button)
• Display mode same as last used Play mode
• 2 / 4 / 8 sec / Hold
Playback modes 1. Single image with exposure, file number, storage slot
2. As 1 but also image count and quality
3. Detailed exposure information, thumbnail and luminance histogram
4. Less detailed exposure info., thumbnail, luminance and RGB histograms
Playback features • Optional blinking highlight alert
• Optional AF point display
• Magnified view (up to 10x)
• 2x2 or 3x3 thumbnail index
• Jump (by 1, 10, 100 images, screen, date, folder, movies, stills)*
• Delete / Protect
Flash • No built-in flash unit
• E-TTL II auto flash / metered manual
• Flash compensation +/-2.0 EV in 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments
• X-Sync: 1/200 sec
• Hot-shoe & PC Terminal
External flash • E-TTL II auto flash with EX-series Speedlites
• In-camera flash configuration (currently only 580 EX II)
• Wireless multi-flash support
• PC Sync
Shooting modes • Auto
• Creative Auto *
• Program AE (P)
• Shutter priority AE (Tv)
• Aperture priority AE (Av)
• Manual (M)
• Custom 1
• Custom 2 *
• Custom 3 *
Drive modes • Single
• Continuous: 3.9 fps *
• Self-timer: 2 or 10 sec (2 sec with mirror lock-up)
Burst buffer • Large/Fine JPEG: 78 frames (310 with UDMA card) *
• RAW: 13 frames *
Orientation sensor Yes
Auto rotation • On (recorded and LCD display)
• On (recorded only)
• Off
Custom functions * 25 custom functions with 71 settings in 4 groups
Menu languages * • 25 Languages
• English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Greek, Russian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Romanian, Ukrainian, Turkish, Arabic, Thai, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean and Japanese
Firmware User upgradable
Portrait grip • Optional WFT-E4 (WiFi / LAN / USB mass storage)
• Optional BG-E6 battery grip
Connectivity * • USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
• AV out (video & audio *)
• HDMI connector *
• Microphone input *
• PC Sync flash terminal
• Communication terminal on base for WFT-E4
• InfraRed *
Storage * • Compact Flash Type I or II (inc. FAT32)
• Supports UDMA cards *
• Copyright metatag support
• Canon Original Data Security Kit supported ("Original Image Data")
Power * • Lithium-Ion LP-E6 rechargeable battery (supplied & charger)
• CR1616 for date & settings
• Approx. 850 shots at 20°C
• Battery indication 6 levels & percentage (memorized)
Dimensions * 152 x 114 x 75 mm (6.0 x 4.5 x 2.9 in)
Weight * • No battery: 810 g (1.8 lb)
Accessories • Viewfinder: Eyecup Eb, E-series Dioptric Adjustment Lens with Rubber Frame Eb, Eyepiece Extender EP-EX15, Focusing Screens Eg, Angle Finder C
• Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E4
• Battery Grip BG-E6
• All EF lenses (excludes EF-S lenses)
• Canon Speedlites (220EX, 380EX, 420EX, 430EX, 430EX II, 550EX, 580EX, 580EX II, Macro-Ring-Lite, MR-14EX, Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX, Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2)
• Remote control with N3 type contact, Wireless Controller LC-5, Remote Controller RC-1, Remote Controller RC-5
• Original Data Security Kit OSK-E3
A lot of my work lately has been creating and comparing datasets from professional development workshops. Google Apps Script uses a JavaScript syntax and can pass information back and forth using JSON, so I'm seeing arrays everywhere I look.
Monday Challenge: Lines and angles. Make a picture using line as a strong element of the composition. Horizontal, vertical, diagonal, leading lines, criss-cross lines etc.
To see all of the creative answers to this challenge, please see the group.
I've always found wafers really pretty, so I bought a few scrap ones on ebay a few months ago. Today I finally got a picture that I like out of one of them, and as much as I tried using artificial light sources, just using the sun was the way to go.
Also, in my stupidity, I didn't realize this thing would heat up like crazy in direct sunlight!
The drive engineering for orientation to the sun and folding. Solar panels in the shape of a flower. Wattwil, Switzerland, June 10, 2016. (3/3)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrel
In …Regrets
Like most of us, I have regretted some of my actions over the years…
Which, coming from a journey” man” burglar and pickpocket, may seem to be quite the understatement, and possibly just a bit of a daft viewpoint…
But in my defense, the majority of them( actions done by me, that eventually came regretfully creeping into my consciousness) were not planned, but spur-of-the-moment, frying pan-hot, decisions. The vast majority of which were from my younger days, but not all, for as a thief, I am very much an opportunist of the moment.
Which sometimes can get the better of me.
^^^^^^^^^^^
A Regrettable Affair
As I developed my craft, growing older in the process, I began to lean towards mainly working those avenues that attracted the wealthiest of guests. There were several logical based reasons for this, which I will not expand upon here.
One of the first times, as a still young lady, was a large mega-ultra-rich wedding reception that I succeeded in crashing.
Security at this affair was very salt and peppered about, they had attempted to prevent gatecrashers, but the affair was so large, so very spread about, that the seams of the event had as many leaks as it had guarded entrances.
But getting in was the easy part.
The freedom to ply my trade was another.
As I stated security was scattered about, but instead of just watching certain main entrances and exits, they were watching the bar area, dance floors, and ( no surprises here) the buffet. The only problem was that those were my favorite patches to work over.
But that is not to say I was going away empty-handed, by no means.
I did manage to early on successfully lift solid gold lighter from an unattended evening purse in the lady's powder. The owner, resplendent in a taffeta dress, was busy applying colour to her eyelashes and had her shiny back to me.
A silver Rolex from a rather courteous young man who had somehow not seen me and had bumped my hand, spilling my drink on his sleeve in the process was next.
Then I ran into two wealthy young men, Gary and Sean, who soon tried to outdo themselves to grab my undivided attention.
I ended up seated at a far side table with both, dancing with first one and then the other.
At various times one would leave to get drinks and the other would seize the opportunity to say something incredibly sweet to me. I would then envelope them in a most feeling hug, during which I lifted in turn, both of their leather billfolds from fancy tux coat pockets.
Slipping my hand inside their tux jacket pockets, feeling the warmth of their bodies while we hugged, my hand carefully extracted the long leather billfolds each was carrying, as my eyes were lustfully locked into theirs. It was, and is, a very sensuous feeling when I perform a lift like that on my victims.
Especially these two, Gary and Sean, who were both such sweethearts that robbing them was such a delightfully heightened feeling for me. And I suspect there was a certain amount of pleasure coming from their end also.
But that is getting ahead of myself, for obviously none of that was regrettable.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Now let us go back to the beginning:
An understatement would be to say that “The formal dress” wedding was a bit over the top.”
I have seldom seen such a collection of slinky designer gowns and tight-fitting tuxes, along with expensively glittery jewels and lovely designer purses, outside of a BAFTA after-party filled with overpaid actors and actresses.
Which, for the record, are events I have worked over.
For jewellery worn out on loan from upscale stores for such events is heavily insured, and simply worn loosely enough to fall easy victim to my lifting fingers at such affairs.
I very seldom lifted wallets from pockets or purses when attending.
That’s not atoll where the real money was at.
So that evening, as I watched the well-jeweled wedding reception guests arriving to party for this event, I licked my red-coloured lips, anticipating the same delicious scores to be made.
Knowing about this affair ahead of time, I came prepared. I was wearing an elegant sleek sky blue satin gown that I had acquired from a successful burglary of a mansion.
I modified it by adding secret pockets in several strategic locations. It was a nice fit and a smashing look, judging by the staring eyes of the males there that evening.
I was carrying a matching blue purse. My only other accessory was a pair of sparking long rhinestone earrings of the same style the bridesmaids had in. This was no coincidence, I had intentionally found out what they would be wearing and ordered a set so it would look like I was in with them.
Now the wealthy bride, dressed in white lace with a green/gold tartan sash, wanted her equally wealthy bridal party girl’s dresses to be something to be remembered, so the gowns she had designed were a little too over-the-top showy.
The maid of honour wore a red silk version; the six Bridesmaids wore theirs in black satin.” The gowns had plunge necklines, rhinestone-trimmed bodices and sleekly long straight skirts touching the tops of glittery silver open-toed shoes.
Each of the girls had also been presented with a matching collection of rather expensive Swarovski rhinestones. Which they proudly wore, throwing in some really expensive ones of their own to additionally show off with.
The blazing brite jewelry, when added to the bridal party girl’s ensemble, further enhanced the red carpet-like atmosphere of the Bridal party, and fit right in with her other guests over the top evening attire.
The groom wore a grey tux, and his groom’s men wore grey. All the men had on ascot ties that matched the colour of their escort's gowns, all the ties had gemstone pins, green tie, emerald for the groom, red tie, ruby for the best man, and all the rest grey tie, with diamond pins.
A handsome lot.
Watching the smart members of the wedding party interact was smashing fun, and I was enjoying the excitement of watching, inwardly drooling, over their shimmering shiny bits.
^^^^^^^^^
Now, for the regrettable part of my saga.
^^^^^^^^^
It involved two principal characters, not including myself.
The first principal character was a shy awkward 13-year-old girl, redhead, wearing heavy glasses whose makeup and style of dress made her appear far older, but not wiser.
Zeroing in, I soon learned she was named Cadey. Her glamorous parents were both with the bridal party, and a young Aunt who was a partying type, was supposed to be chaperoning her. So Cadey was alone, a lot.
But she was certainly a living doll, leaving me speechless as I watched the lass scurrying about in her smashing, fluidly flowing, shiny in the lights, fancy party attire, and dazzling emeralds and diamonds.
Sorry for all the verbiage, but it is hard to describe just how incredibly fetching she was.
That party attire was in the form of a fitted, richly slick long mint green satin gown with the neckline tied together with a ribbon bow with the ends hanging past her fast-developing, wriggling plump breasts. The slit shoulders of her gown ended in long scalloping ruffles at her elbows.
It was both very elegant and adorably attractive.
Though she wouldn’t be able to wear that gown again in a few months without letting the cleavage out.
Her bare minimum jewels, were very sparkly, very desirable calling out to the female and thief sides of me, especially her lovely necklace.
Cadey wore a longish silver chain embedded with diamonds, ending with a teardrop rhinestone pendant made up of a big round emerald surrounded by more diamonds. It fetchingly fell swinging down from where it hung around her neck, to just below her minty-coloured shiny gown tightly fitted bosom.
In later years I watched a fictitious movie about the Titanic where the wealthy main heroine wore a very similar necklace of sapphire, albeit a bit larger than Miss Cadey’s emerald one.
Still, it was an adult necklace and easily worth a nice around £10,000 to anyone capable of getting it from her.
I managed to discreetly be close enough several times to get a good examination of her delicious attire.
Close enough also to observe a few other things.
Miss Cadey would play with her pendant, and as she did, I notice her fingers blatantly stroking along her breasts, perking them up. Which explained her secret smiles.
Her only other jewel was an emerald Diamond ring that glittered from one of her self-stimulating bare fingers, all of which sported long emerald green painted manicured nails.
I also caught her at times sitting with her hands between her legs, probing inside her silken lap as Cadey watched the guests dancing to slow music. I could tell she was petting herself down there, using the ring on her finger to arouse herself, as Cadey’s breasts again noticeably were bulging from the self-stimulation
I thought if she was pleasing herself, I could perhaps please myself by liberating from her fanciful attired person, that sumptuous diamond/ emerald necklace. Especially since it was entirely on her sleekly slick gown, front and back, absolutely no part of the cold metal touched bare flesh.
With tingling fingers, I could imagine how easily the jeweled piece could smoothly be slipped off her like an ice cube will slip across a steamy slippery surface. It would be that easy to pluck it off.
But alas I never was quite close enough to her inner circle to use my light touch to acquire her dazzling necklace.
And I was just forced to be content on watching it sparkle as it dripped down from her throat, with Cadey oblivious to the sinister attention it was attracting that evening as she wore it.
^^^^^^^
The second principal character came in the form of a cheeky 15-year-old blonde boy, handsome as all get out. His name was Heyden.
I could tell from just watching him interacting with the guests that he was a brassy cocky self-assured sort of young male. With a rough cockney accent that helped promote a bad boy image that young girls swoon over.
He wore a fitted suit over some surprisingly bulging muscles. Rugby player I guessed.
He decidedly was a budding teenage player, with all the common burgeoning male attributes.
His raging hormones were a reflection of his character, as he was deliberately stalking, then going up to countless numbers of young well dressed female guests and giving hugs. Which they mostly returned giggling in the process. But to me, it was quite obvious the lad was doing it to cope with a feel from his victims, of both their touchable fine soft gowns and voluptuously fine nuzzling breasts.
His home base was a table in a far corner just off the dance floor where he sat for brief stints with two exceptionally well-dressed girls.
One lass shared some similarities to him but was not more than 5 years his senior, so I assumed she was a sister or cousin. The other also may have been related but also may have only been a friend of the other lass.
The supposed sister (or cousin) was stunning in velvet with an array of diamond sparklers that made my heart beat and fingers tingle. Her necklace was especially showy and worth just a bit over £75,000
The one I assumed was a friend was dressed like many of the lad’s hugging victims, a touchable gold halter style dress of shiny soft satin, with a pair of rather succulent unbridled breasts just peaking out of the dress's low v-cut neckline. She was wearing a petite set of sapphires, not showy, but worth a small kingdom's ransom. Half of which value was in the gold necklace set with a collection of larger sapphires and diamonds.
I saw he reluctantly was behaving himself while with the pair, (no hugging) though I saw him longingly looking both of the girls over. But he had to satisfy his hunger by sneaking off as much as he could get away with it, to play out his sexually charged games on other prey.
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Spoiler alert:
Now, I never made the appealing connection between the sexually charged touching 13-year-old Cadey and the equally sexually charged 15-year-old hugger Heyden, until much later… And then almost too late, or too early depending on one’s perspective.
^^^^^^^^^^^^
So watching the boy's antics as well as trying to catch peaks of roving finger Cadey’s dangling necklace, as well as playing my table mates, Gary and Sean, off on each other to try and win me over, I really was having me self a bloody enjoyable time.
Since I was still a young lady I was all for having fun with these types of affairs I crashed. So my mind at that point was being placed on pleasure rather than business.
Though I was eyeing the wristwatch worn by Gary, and the diamond tie pin Sean was sporting as potential targets to be further lifted from the now wallet-less lads.
Before I could let my thoughts turn into action, the bridal bouquet Toss was announced, I knew it was time to go back to serious work, and I indicated I was going to have a go for it to Gary and Sean.
Not caring to watch the show, both lads then took my leave to go upstairs to a
covered deck on the roof to join the other male guests for bourbon and cigar. Neither soul trusted the other to be alone with me.
I went up and joined in with the crowd of swishing-gowned ladies.
Wading into what felt like the inside of a diamond mine.
Licking my lips as I eagerly was looking around and soon set my thieve’s sights on a diamond-laden miss, whose flashy broach was hanging loosely at the waistline of the most silkiest of satin gowns imaginable. It was coloured purple and tightly worn over the voluptuous curves of the rather giddy-looking black-haired, red-lipped, vixen.
A perfect mark during a perfect opportunity!
As the bouquet was tossed and all the ladies were reaching up, I was leaning against the lady wearing my diamond-encrusted target.
My one hand touched the utter softness of her gown, whilst my left hand was slipping in and soon was caressing her glistening broach. In the process I nimbly undid the clasp and slipped it away, palming it.
As the bouquet was caught and everyone was squealing over the lucky lady. I slipped out and went back to my seat.
I was catching my breath before gathering my purse in preparation for leaving the premises before the boys came back.
The broach I had just nicked from “purple silk” was with around £8000 and it would take something special to make me risk staying.
It was then, out of the corner of my eye, I spied young master Heyden working the crowd of departing ladies by sneaking up and giving his usual touchy-feely “sneak” hugs.
He happened to give my vixen in the purple silk gown a from-behind hug and she turned with a squeal and hugged him back.
“Oh, ain’t you just a darling one!”
Inspired by her response, his eager hands wrapped around her pulling her close, and I saw his fingertips were mere centimeters away from the jeweled clasp of her necklace that was hanging loosely down from the back of her bare skin neckline.
A delicious epiphany swept warmly over me, and I knew that I had to stay and at least give it a try.
I picked up my purse and began following the lad after he left his total work over hugging Miss “Slithering Purple Silk.”
I reached him as he stopped to watch the dancers on the floor. The band had started up what would be a series of slow dances now that the bouquet toss was over.
I had to admit I didn’t blame Master Hayden, it was an amazing show, with the lights dimmed, jewels sparking, and tightly worn gowns shimmering as they swished about in the dim lights.
I walked up and tapped his shoulder, feeling him jump( I believe his horny thoughts had made him feel a wee bit guilty).
“Hello Heyden, luv. Remember me?”
He slyly turned and I pulled him into a very feeling, very enveloping hug. Employing my womanly attributes to the fullest.
When I let him go I saw a dazed mixture of perplexity and a slight sense of male arousal.
Perfect
He nodded and politely said, with a bit of a sneer.
“Sorry mum, I don’t remember where I know you from.
Mum!… I can’t be more than 12 years older than you, Mr cocky. I thought sardonically but bit my tongue and answered with a sweet smile.
“I guess we really have not officially met. But I heard a lot about you when you were in school. My friend Mrs. O spoke highly of you.”
He happily cut in,
“Mrs. O’Rielly. She taught my form last year.”
I nodded
“That’d be her. She told me about that marvelous trick you played.”
He smiled deviously. As did I, realized I had read his character right spot on.
“Yes miss, that was my idea planting the shrew in the girl's loo.”
I commended him while at the same time congratulating myself also as I placed a caressing hand along his chest.
“Brilliantly played out “
We then went on with small talk as I quickly began working him into my plan.
I had a lot of practice charming men( and women) into allowing me to get close enough to lure them off so I could make a lift. This really was no different. And it was buying me time to locate Cadey and see if she was poised enough to be vulnerable to the trap I was planning.
As we chatted I learned the two girls Heyden was with were his cousin and her friend. And he told me proudly of some of the tricks he had played on his cousin, as well as other tricks he and his mates had played, mostly on classmate females.
This was getting better and better I thought, and then I spied Cadey standing alone by the women’s service loo entrance, watching the dancers.
Was that a yearning look in her eyes, like the yearning I felt over that expensively takable necklace she was busily fingering? It was still just calling out to be taken from the unwary young girl.
I also spotted a rental Bobbie wanna-be standing nearby, looking the other way at a couple bickering.
So I still could not dare approach her myself and enjoy firsthand the opportunistic fun of parting Cade from that dangling necklace she so alluringly was wearing.
But then, that was not my current plan.
I place a hand on Heyden’s shoulder...
“Speaking of pranks laddie boy, I had in mind a trick to play on my niece Cadey tonight. But I couldn’t come up with a way to make it work out on my own.”
He had been looking around, bored, but I now had his full attention back.
“A trick mum? like what?”
I then explained that I lent my niece Cadey my own emeralds to wear tonight. and I earlier had thought that it would be brilliant if I could get my necklace away from her without her realizing it, then wear it and see the delicious response once she realized It was lost, and now I had it.
I looked at Heyden doubtfully…
“Or is that just a daft idea to try as a prank?”
He grinned...
No mum, sounds a lark to try pulling it off, if you could now. “
I looked him in the eyes, and as I looked surprised he agreed with me.
“Do you really think so? I did think it would be delicious if I could just somehow pull it off? But how?
I jumped with an excited squeal.
Oh look, there is my sweetheart now…”
I had him at the word prank, all the rest was icing as he gave me a broad smile while he turned his head to see whom I was pointing out.
I saw Hayden freeze with lustful eyes as he saw the enchantingly dressed pretty Cadey.
And I’ll admit the way Cadey looked under those lights would have melted the most indifferent of hearts. Mine included as I again salivated over her elegant, slinky-shiny mint green gown outlining tightly along her pretty figure, made even more desirable with the dazzling jewels she was wearing.
And Heyden was anything but indifferent to well-dressed ladies and girls...
And judging by the wicked little smile and horny-eyed gaze as he looked my “niece” over, I was spot on, tell no lie.
I now had a key, I just needed to turn it in the lock to open my door to riches.
He whispered out of the side of his mouth while taking inventory of pretty Cadey…
“One would have to not let her know it’s been taken, of course.”
I rubbed his shoulder from behind, pressing against him, as we both eyed susceptible Cadey….
“Totally correct, and it would be sweet if I had some help with taking it. So she wouldn’t suspect I’m up to something. It will make her surprise when finding her necklace had vanished all the more remarkable….”
He nodded thoughtfully.
“Your niece probably wouldn’t suspect a thing, would she know, If I was the one who took it. I could do it while holding onto her. I mean, like in a hug. Bet I could get it from her that way. Then you can play your trick.”
Aside from the mum bit, his words were music to my ears and I hugged him warmly, leaving nothing out as I whispered into his ear...
“Better yet, do it while dancing with her. Sort of like a prolonged hug. Gives you more time to carry it out? And I could slip you a fiver as you hand me the necklace, for your help of course….”
He broke away and gave me the most amazing gleaming look of agreement.
“I could do just that. It should be easy to hook it off her then!”
I added...
“Just look at the way it is hanging loosely around her throat. It would be child’s play for you I bet.”
Seeing that I now had him hot over the idea, I quickly coached him, fanning the coals before the desire burned out.
I described how he should start out not close, but apart, dance one full round with her, then invite her for a second dance. At that point draw her in closer. Then, perhaps, lift your knee up ever so slightly between her legs and see if she responds.
“Then if all signs show she is engaged and enjoying being with you, undo her necklace and slip it over her shoulder and into your pocket. And Bobs your Uncle, you’ll have played her in a trick of your own.”
With a nod and a wink, my brassy young male hugger-mugger was off.
The lad was a natural.
Instead of rushing his victim, he circled and approached Cadey unseen from the flank, his eyes never leaving her pretty figure.
He introduced himself and she readily agreed to a dance. They took to the floor, Heyden cuddling Cadie up in his arms.
I sweated the first dance, hoping Sean and Gary would not come back yet. Though I had contingencies ready if they did. Also, there were worries that young Heyden might become so enamored during the first dance he would forgo his mission.
But my money was placed on Heyden not losing focus. Right now he would indeed be planning, as he danced with Cadey. Deciding on how to best distract the sensuously attired, horny young darling enough to lift off the necklace she was so elegantly allowed to be trusted wearing out this glamorous evening.
I’ll admit to feeling jealous of Heyden as I watched his hands holding onto that luscious minty satiny green gown worn over the tantalizing figure that was Cadey. It was giving me proper chills just watching.
At the same time, I was also ready to flee down a nearby exit if needed.
But the first dance ended with nothing out of the ordinary.
The second dance came and my “protege” was perfect. The girl was swooning and leaning up against him as he clutched her tightly by her slippery waist as they moved to the slow rhythm of the music. I saw him look around and he moved his nimble hands up her sleek backside.
I saw him slightly raise his knee, and Cadey responded by rubbing it against her privates She smiled up at him, then closed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulders, her long red hair covering her face. I could almost hear her purring as Heyden’s knee was rubbing against her previously self-stimulated sweet spots.
As she placed her head on his shoulders he held her extra tight. It must have been electric for the young lady, as her raised nipples were brought rubbed between the luscious material of her gown and his muscular chest.
It was then that his fingers left her sleek back, deftly gliding up her silky smooth back, and then, ever so gently, lifted her necklace clasp away from the oblivious darling’s high-gowned neck.
He studied it, turning it, then with quick fingers, had it open and was pulling its glittering length up and whisked over her sleekly attired shoulder.
My guess was he had had practice helping his cousin with her own pricey necklace. So this was simply reversing that process.
I watched as the necklace fell behind her, sparkling momentary against the minty green satin backdrop of her gown.
That quickly he has it in his fist and pocketed it.
In the dim lighting, no one but me saw Heyden carry out his end of the “trick”.
Not even the rental cop whose eyes were gazing over the dancers focused on the buffet line on the opposite side, was aware of a young lady being robbed right under his puggish nose.
Then Heyden pressed Cadey in tighter, squeezing her into him as his now empty fingers started caressing her backside, while he rubbed up against her bosom frontside. I could imagine just how much Cadey’s breasts were being aroused since mine were doing the same just by watching.
I thought:
“That’s the lad, keep her distracted enough not to realize she has had her bloody jewels nicked.”
The music ended and as the others left he held onto her and the pair stayed locked in their embrace.
They only broke it off when they realized they were alone on the floor. With guests doing the “ooohs and awes” over them, Heyden led her off and she kissed him on the cheek thanking him. Her neckline delightfully bare now that the breathtaking necklace she had been wearing all that evening, had been slyly taken off from her.
I mean really? In my mind how could someone allow a lass that young to be dressed up so noticeably elegant that it attracts everyone’s attention, then on top of that allow her to be wearing such an expensive piece of jewelry, and not realize that it would make her a proper thief’s target?
Unless of course that “someone “ believed thieves only are found in dark back London alleyways and never would ply their nefariousness at upscale weddings. So of course it’s perfectly safe to allow a young lady to wear one’s good jewellery here, without worries of being robbed. I’ll be the first to drink to that belief.
The thought also popped into my head that Cadey was now warmly thanking the very thief who had, with a sexy surreptitiousness, been busy reliving her wriggling figure of the valuable jewels she had been so seductively, so vulnerably, allowed to be wearing, as he was dancing with her.
Cade swished happily off one way, while Heyden(and her necklace) moved off in the opposite.
Heyden circled around, eventually coming back to me, his smile was a devil's own. He reached into his pocket and handed me the necklace.
“Should I help you on with it mum?”
“No,” I said taking it from him,
“I’ll do it in the loo.”
I handed him the fiver, and with a wink, as he nodded, touching his nose, he turned and was off.
And so was I.
For I had outdid my welcome by lying to Heyden about who Cadey was.
Seeing that Cadey would probably sooner than later discover the loss of her necklace, she may very well seek him out again and ask questions that would create a situation impossible for me to wriggle from.
I skirted around the long bar area to a side hallway which had the closest exit.
On my way out I spy Heyden’s wealthy cousin and her pretty, equally wealthy, friend both now pissed out of their pretty heads on liquor. Both their expensive necklaces were glittering up a tantalizing storm as they giggled at each other.
I paused.
I dare not risk the time to do any more lifting.
Besides, there was yet another rental Bobbie leaning up against the bar with a smirk as he unabashedly was eyeballing the same two ladies ….
So I reluctantly passed them both up, left via the back exit, and made my successful escape from the premises.
^^^^^^^^
It was a very satisfactory two-hour drive back to the hotel that I was been currently using as my base.
And I was feeling anything but regret at that point.
^^^^^
It was not until I was back at the flat, while I stood naked in front of the full-length bathroom mirror, fingering and admiring the emerald/diamond necklace stolen from the youthfully innocent young lass, that I started to feel that twinge of creeping regret that I mention at the beginning.
As my mind went over the evening's antics, I reminisced how adorably Cade had been wearing this simply too-valuable necklace set with emeralds and diamonds that I simply had to have. knowing full well how easy it had been to talk master Heyden in tricking it from the child.
Not to mention how I had to end my evening early and miss out on partying further with Sean and Gary.
Regret had indeed seeped in as I held up the sparking necklace to the lights.
For,n reminiscing over the night's antics, I remembered that Heyden had said that he liked to play tricks with his cousin. A cousin flaunting a £75,000 diamond necklace that she also had been allowed to keep wearing.
But I had been so focused on using him to get this mesmerizing £10,000 necklace, I had given no thought to convincing Heyden in acquiring his cousin’s necklace instead, using the same plot.
And let Cadey keep wearing this one.
I’m other words, without thinking things through, and being hasty I lost a potential £65,000 in profit.
Meaning I could have instead talked him into playing the same trick on his giddy, trashed cousin as I had him do on Cadey.
I could see it clearly now, in hindsight.
Using a similarly tantalizing outline, I would have talked him into dancing close with his highly drunk cousin.
Coaching him into lifting and pocketing her necklace to later pull it from his pocket and ask if this was hers?
Then as the shock wore off, convinced Heyden she would probably give him a hug and kiss as a reward. Probably from her friend also. Then he could use their exuberance to convince both of the pretty ladies to a close dance as a reward!
I was now sure he would have gone in for it, judging how easily I had sweet-talked him into doing the same on gullible Cadey.
After watching him play it out on his cousin, I would have lured him back to me to be congratulated and dangled a fiver to seal the deal.
In my mind's eye, I saw me hugging Heyden, then I would easily pick his pocket clean in the process.
Then as Hayden turned to hastily go back to his cousin to play out his trick. I would have taken off with his cousin’s more valuable diamonds, instead of Cadey’s lesser.
Yes, I did so now regret not thinking it through entirely.
I took off the necklace and threw it inside my leather satchel. Promising myself that I would try not to make a similar mistake down the road.
I then went to bed, tossing and turning as I regretfully pondered over what may have been.
Fini