Daphne's Adventures

 
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Beauty and the Geek - CW

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Lost - ABC

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I Love Lucy - Fox

Building a Gingerbread House - Tip #1
Saturday, November 24, 2007

When building a gingerbread house from a store-bought kit, before leaving the store, remember to read the label of the box that tells you the kit does not include ICING. *sigh*

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posted by Daphne @ 9:57 PM   6 comments
13 Things To Be Thankful For
Thursday, November 22, 2007
13 Things to Be Thankful For

1) My Faith

2) My Health (including my vision, hearing, ability to walk, and just waking up every day feeling comfortable)

3) My Family

4) My Old Friends

5) My New Friends

6) This country and the people who help protect our freedom

7) My parents, who let me live at home and don't charge me rent (Thanks Mom and Dad!)

8) My job. Yes, I complain a lot, but when I think about the people who get laid off and struggle to find work, I realize I need to shut my mouth. I also need to include the few people at work who care about me, and help me get through the tough times of the year.

9) Internet. Without it I would never have met my wonderful friends from The Sanctuary and now Blogland. Plus, without internet, how else would I get my fill of eye candy emails?

10) My brother, who annoys me half the time but who is still one of my best friends.

11) Authors, bookstores, romance books and ebooks. All have opened my eyes and helped me turn the TV off.

12) Ceramic iron hair straighteners. If you saw how my natural hair looked like, you'd know why.

13) My small sufferrings and heartaches in life. They've helped me be strong and appreciate what I do have to help me get through them.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!



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posted by Daphne @ 3:03 PM   1 comments
Will It Ever Cease Being Funny?
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
This is what happens when you work with an all-male team of auditors: You hear what should be a totally offensive/ inappropriate/ I-can-get-you-fired-for-saying-that joke. And you laugh. Because sadly, you find it funny too.

Now don't think that I encourage inappropriate behavior at work. I'm a pretty easy-going person, and I like to bring my sense of humor and outgoing personality to my jobs. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's jobs where everybody is so damn serious, it's like working with robots. I'm so not about that. But I know my limits. I conduct myself in a professional manner with my clients, whether in person, phone or email. With my team, I tend to be a tad more casual. I laugh with them, make fun of them, and let them make fun of me. It's the Daphne style of working.

Alright, we get it Daphne, now hurry up and tell the joke. Okay, I'm getting there. So every day around 3pm, my team and I go downstairs to get smoothies and mochas. We all place our orders and step aside to let the two ladies prepare our beverages (and by 'prepare' I mean they try to imitate Starbucks and write down shortcuts for our orders on the plastic clear cups, but still get confused with our orders anyway because they make it blended when I said over ice, add whip cream when I said no whip, etc.). While we're waiting, we always glance at the food/drinks sold in the little refrigerated section below the counter. Just your average stuff: fruit salad, yogurt parfaits, little desserts, Arizona Iced Tea, Vitamin Water, Monster Energy drink, and what's this?................


BAWLS.

A 10 ounce blue bottle of Bawls contains 66.7 milligrams of caffeine.

Bawls is a popular carbonated beverage made with guarana berries (Guarana is a natural source of caffeine found in the Amazonian rainforest), that hit the market in 1997.

You can't see the cap of the bottle, but it says "Fueled by Bawls."

To the makers of Bawls: Thank you for providing us a source of entertainment in our otherwise dull accounting lives. Because of your product's name, we can say things like....

  • Hey there's only two bottles. Someone must've wanted to drink some Bawls yesterday
  • Mmm.... I want some Bawls in my mouth
  • I want to drink every drop of those Bawls
  • We should get a 4 pack, because you can't have an uneven number of Bawls

I'm pretty confident that the makers of Bawls are turbo-uber geeks from gaming land. Who else would come up with an energy drink named Bawls? I also did a search in Google and I swear most of the images and references to Bawls came from places like hardwaremods.com, lanparty.com, geekday.com, you get the idea.

You'd think we'd get sick of saying these phrases over and over, but sadly we don't. I "LOL" every day when my manager says it. Then of course came that fateful day when he actually bought one of the bottles so I could try it. "Take one for the team Daphne and let us know how the Bawls taste."

So I did. I held that bottle (which by the way has a bumpy outer texture... mmm... bumpy Bawls....) and twisted the cap off. Cold, whispy white smoke started rising from the bottle (mmm... smokin Bawls....) and I quickly took a sip. Hmmm not bad, but not great either. Sorta like a sweeter/less carbonated version of Sprite. Followed by:
  • So, you like the taste of Bawls eh?
  • So Bawls taste sweet huh?
  • Dude, Daphne loves Bawls
I ended up draining the rest of it because it ended up tasting nasty when no longer cold. And that's the story of how I tasted Bawls. You'd think it wouldn't be funny anymore, but this joke has no expiration date in my book. I crack up every time my manager says Bawls jokes. If I were a better role model for my staff, I would hold in the laughter. But I can't, and I don't want to. I guess that's probably why this morning I received an email notifying me to do the firm's annual "Preventing Harrassment in the Workplace" training module.


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posted by Daphne @ 10:25 PM   4 comments
Another CPA Exam
Sunday, November 18, 2007

Alright, I'm taking a quick "study break" to eat dinner, and blog for a bit. Tomorrow (Monday) I have another section of the CPA exam to take. I've done nothing all week/weekend but work and study. I had to miss three birthday parties and a wedding this weekend to get my studying done. (Side note:: my mom was bummed I couldn't go to the wedding because the bride and groom are both young lawyers and supposedly they invited a lot of "single lawyer friends":: End side note) Sucks, but it has to be done. I'm sick of this exam cloud hanging over my head for the last three years. This is THE year I'm going to pass.

The only times I left the house were to eat (although my parents were kind enough to bring me home lunch and dinner Saturday) and go to church this morning. Speaking of church... Greek boy wasn't there as usual, but my dad told me after mass Greek boy's dad suggested to my dad that I be a Eucharistic minister (aka person who distributes communion at mass). I seriously laughed when dad told me that, because, well... you kinda have to be "holy" to do that (like Greek boy). But I guess that's a good sign because Greek boy's dad thinks I'm a good girl. *evil grin* See, strategy is working... win GB's parents over.

My studying is fueled by a lot of caffeine. But surprisingly, I haven't been drinking coffee. My new favorite drink is Rose Milk Tea. What does it taste like? Umm... milk tea.. with rose petals in it. Because that's what it is. I swear. Here's a picture:


If you're sitting there thinking, "that's effing gross Daphne!" well then, either you don't drink tea at all, or you haven't tried this. It's very aromatic, and soothing. A bit on the sweeter side, but it's great because I don't have to add anything to it. Still not convinced? Why, does the image of a flower in your drink scare you? Well, just remember that tea is made from tea leaves. Hah, so there.

So anyway, please keep me in your thoughts and/or prayers. I know I'm capable of passing this test, but I've had a busy work schedule in the last two months. Hence, the cramming. I'm going to need all the help I can get. And speaking of help, here's a little prayer my mom (bless her heart) stuck on my desk this morning:

Prayer Before an Exam

O wise God, I pray that my mind might be rested, my body energized, and my spirit inspired for the exam I must write.

Grant me peace and assurance so that I might do the best I am able, regardless of what that might be.

Be with my fellow students and may I be a good example to them, offering reassurance and confidence regardless of how I feel.

May I be honest and insightful, and able to give a true record of what I have learned. In the end, may any disappointment be born with grace, and any joy accompanied with humility.

I write this exam with Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.


Alright, I'm done with my study break. I'll be back to work Tuesday, and possibly Wednesday. I'm sure I'll have something to post about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, but until then... have a great week everyone!

-Daph

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posted by Daphne @ 7:26 PM   1 comments
Since I'm Still Awake... This is How I Feel
Thursday, November 15, 2007
I just had one of those days today where I almost had a meltdown.... this is totally how I feel right now.... (long video but very good)

posted by Daphne @ 12:10 AM   2 comments
13 Things I Want For Christmas
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Christmas. It's here before ya know it!


13 Things I want for Christmas

1) Books. Of course.

2) CDs... like... Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, etc.

3) This blanket from Bath and Body Works



4) My brother to pay me back in full the $800 he owes me

5) The Orange Box



6) Dane Cook. His DVD. Or see him live. Or both!


7) More personalized stationary

8) Another winter coat. Black.

9) To spend lots of time with family and loved ones.

10) To get my hair straightened again

11) My brother to pay me back the $400 he owed me from like 2005

12) Did I mention books? Okay, maybe ebooks then.

13) To see Greek boy at Christmas eve mass. And sit next to him. And talk to him after mass.

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posted by Daphne @ 10:08 PM   5 comments
Decadent by Shayla Black

Kimber Edgington is a virgin with a crush-on a pop star with a penchant for threesomes. Determined to prove that she's woman enough for singer Jesse McCall, Kimber turns to bodyguard Deke Trenton for sexual education...lessons that include his super-sexy friend Luc. Though she's saved herself for Jesse, Kimber soon learns that he's not the man adept at stoking her aching, endless need. That's Deke, and he can't resist when Kimber begs for more-and more.
Ever since I read her first book, Wicked Ties, I've been waiting for this second one to come out. You don't need to read WT to enjoy this one, but for those of you who did read it, you probably remember Deke Trenton as the third in Jack and Morgan's menage. While WT was primarily focused on BDSM, Decadent is targeted toward threesomes (Two guys, one girl).
If you're in the mood for a steamy erotic ("cookbook" as I like to call it) where you're not too concerned about superb plot and storyline, Decadent is right up your alley.
Kimber is a virgin saving herself for her long-time crush, Jesse the popstar (think Justin Timberlake). He's known in the tabloids for his wild sexual escapades and threesomes, and Kimber feels like she's not experienced enough to light his fire. She turns to Deke, who years ago worked for her father and protected him. Now of course Deke has always lusted after her but also held back because of her age. Kimber is older now and bravely asks Deke to "tutor her" in the ways of menage.
Deke is living with his supposedly sexy cousin Luc, who is a chef. Now you're just going to have to take the author's word for it and believe he's sexy, because other than that, I don't see any reason to be excited over a gourmet chef. Luc overhears Kimber's offer to Deke, and immediately walks in and offers to be her other "tutor."
There's lots of sex right away, and I'll admit, it's pretty hot. There's just one little catch though... Kimber doesn't want to lose her virginity because she's saving herself for Jesse. So they have fun in "other ways." Kimber is up to the challenge and manages to be a good student for Deke and Luc's sexual cravings.
She then takes off to try out her newfound sexuality on Jesse. She attends one of his concerts and backstage feels very uncomfortable with the atmosphere. It's like one big drug and orgy fest in the break room and Jesse's drummer offers to be her third. But I guess the difference between the drummer and Luc is that this guy was a total jerk and treated Kimber like a piece of meat and nothing more. Meanwhile, Jesse admits that he only wants Kimber in his life because she's always been the "good girl." He needs her to correct his bad boy ways. Kimber says no thanks and leaves Jesse.
Only to return to Deke, who at this point still hasn't taken Kimber's virginity. He's afraid that once he does, he'll fall in love with her and won't be able to let her go. Another weird thing about Deke, is that he can't have sex without Luc being present. I think there's a scene where Luc goes to the bathroom to dispose of the condom and Deke shouts "Get back in here!" I think the explanation was that Luc is the gentle one, and he doesn't want to ever be alone with Kimber or else he'll be too rough on her. Whatever.
The story then gets a bit lame because someone blows up her father's house and now Kimber's life is in danger. The trio head over to Jack/Morgan's place in the the swamp (remember from Wicked Ties?) where they can protect Kimber. They have more sex while they're there, and Deke finally takes her virginity.
The stalker/killer finally gets busted in the end (pretty obvious who the killer was), and Deke overcomes his fear of having sex alone with Kimber. Hah! So Luc is out of the picture now and Kimber and Deke live happily ever after.
Again, the story isn't the best, but there's still plenty of steamy sex to make up for it. I'd give this one a 3 out of 5, simply because it was enjoyable as a whole.

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posted by Daphne @ 12:10 PM   2 comments
Only My Mom
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Would give me this....

In case you can't tell off the bat what this is, it's lip balm. And in fine print it says "St. Anthony Pray For Us"


If I remember correctly, he's the Saint you're supposed to ask to intercede with God for the return of things lost or stolen. Car keys, your favorite sweater, your sunglasses, you name it. So I asked my mom why would St. Anthony be on the cover of a lip balm? So I can lose it and then have to pray:

Something's lost and can't be found
Please, St. Anthony, look around.

She said, "Well, he also helps you find a spouse." I'd never heard that before so naturally I looked it up online. I should've known mom wouldn't just make that up, since I found this:

June 13 - St. Anthony of Padua was born in Lisbon, Portugal and is the patron saint of Portugal. Because he's considered a matchmaker, young people write to him on St. Anthony's Eve, asking for help in finding a spouse. Young men will present a pot of basil concealing a love letter or poem to the young lady they hope to marry on this day as well.

So maybe mom is giving me the lip balm in hopes that I will find a good man and my lips will be ready to go when I do. Haha! Seriously though, I looked up that website on the lip balm. You can get all kinds of lip balm with your favorite saints, Jesus images, angels, etc. I swear, mom would buy a chainsaw if it had St. Anthony on it.


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posted by Daphne @ 7:57 PM   5 comments
Read Along?
Thursday, November 08, 2007
There's a fairly new shopping plaza near my office that I absolutely love because there's a new Borders inside. I stopped by after work today, with my 20% off coupon in hand. As I entered the sliding doors, I noticed the clearance section out front had some hardback Beverly Cleary books on sale. (::Side note:: I was pleasantly surprised, considering most of the clearance books on display are lame, like How to Make A Friendship Bracelet book that comes with real string. ::End side note::) Now, if you don't know who Beverly Cleary is, she's the author of the famous Ramona series for children.
The book shown here is one of my absolute favorites. Better yet, the book on sale for $7.99 was a hardback Special Edition. I couldn't find a picture of the Special Edition version I saw on the clearance rack, but it basically had the words "Read-Along Edition" on the cover.

Read-along edition? What the crap does that mean? Can someone please tell me what the difference between a RAEdition and the original version of the book is? Isn't that what we're doing with any book... reading along? I know the Ramona books are read out loud by teachers in many classrooms. So is this what RAE is implying? I still don't get it. I opened the book to see some cute illustrations and HUGE print. It was almost blinding. Guess that's what happens when you're so used to reading tiny font on a laptop the size of a sheet of paper.

I guess the RAE means that the font is larger so that children can see the words better and read along side you? Well then, why didn't they just call it Large Print Edition? That makes more sense to me. Am I the only one who has never seen the phrase RAE or thinks it's weird? I don't even know why it boggled my mind so much that I had to go home and blog about it.

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posted by Daphne @ 11:12 PM   1 comments
13 Qualities I Want in a Husband
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Thirteen Qualities I Want in a Husband

In no particular order. If there's a ** next to it, that means it's a MUST. Otherwise it's just a preference. I'm trying to keep this list specific, and not list down the generic things like "trustworthy, honest, caring, sense of humor, handsome, intelligent." I don't think people are as interested to read lists like that. Been there done that. This list is tailored for me, Daphne.

1) Taller than me. It's really not that hard considering I'm 4'11". **

2) Does not smoke/do drugs. **

3) Knows how to dress. I'm not saying super metro or that he needs to wear expensive brands. I'm talking about basics. Like knowing how to put on a tie. Or knowing that you don't wear white socks with black shoes.

4) Is Christian. Note that I didn't say Catholic, which is what I am. Although I would strongly prefer him to be Catholic, I'm not making that a must. But I am pretty religious and it plays a big part in my life. I'd rather have a good Christian than a bad Catholic. **



5) Isn't in that stage of his life where he's "figuring out what he wants to do" or can't seem to find any career path suitable to him. Nope, sorry. Daphne is not going to go there. I'm not trying to be an elitist. But I just don't want a man who is like my cousins, who will forever be waitressing while taking one unit a semester at a junior college that they should've been done with three years ago - all because they don't know yet what they want to do with their lives. **

6) Is somewhat geeky. What type of geek? The Star Wars loving, video/computer game playing, knows how to build a computer, and knows what I mean when I say things like l33t, w00t, pWn3d, etc. type of geek.

7) Puts family on the top of his list. I don't think I could be with someone who hated his parents (unless it was reasonable, like they abandoned him or something). And I also don't want to date someone who won't let me spend time with my family. **

8) Knows how to have a good time once in awhile with close friends, but is kinda over the whole clubbing/bar scene.

9) Wants children/is open to the possibility of children. I bring this up because my boss was suggesting I go out with his younger brother who is my age. I clicked on the link to his myspace and the guy said "I don't want children" in his profile. No thanks. **

10) Is clean and has good table manners. Yah, this one is kinda generic but it still amazes me how some guys still chew all loud with their mouths open. Or throw their clothes on the floor and leave dirty dishes in the sink. Seriously now. That's a sign of laziness.

11) Is not in major debt. School loans, fine. But being in debt because you HAD to have a new BMW or plasma tv. Nope. No, I'm not only after the richie riches. But after going through all the crap that I do with my brother, I just can't imagine going through it with a potential husband.

12) Gives me some alone time when I need it. Whether it be me wanting to read instead of watch tv with you, me wanting to have a girls night out, or me wanting you not to touch me because I'm on my rag. **

13) In the dating phase - respects the fact that I still live at home, and even if I did move out, no I'm not going to live with you before we get married. (Yes, call me old fashioned, but it's my preference) **

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posted by Daphne @ 10:23 PM   7 comments
Date with Dance Class Guy
Sunday, November 04, 2007
So I just got home from a date with this guy from dance class. "Dance Class Guy," or DCG for short, picked me up at 4:30, and it's now a little past 8pm. That was probably the earliest date I've ever had. I thought maybe we were going to hang out for awhile, then have dinner around 6 or 7. No, we pretty much went straight to the restaurant since he said he was used to eating dinner early (I think he said his parents eat dinner around 3 or 4pm). Thank goodness I didn't eat lunch today or I woulda been too full to think about eating at such an early time.

We went to a Japanese restaurant because he said he loves Japanese food. Apparently, he lived/studied abroad in Japan for 2.5 years. I'm still debating on whether or not he really meant it when he said Japanese is his favorite food, since he ordered the chicken teriyaki, while I got the real stuff (and by real I mean raw). We chatted about his studies, and I learned that he's trying to get his teaching credentials and eventually teach Chinese. SoCal is one of the few places where you will meet a Hispanic guy who loves Japanese drama shows and speaks Japanese and Chinese, but then doesn't even speak Spanish. Anyway, after dinner we went to a coffee shop and chatted some more. I guess it's a good thing I'm home so early, since tomorrow is Monday and DCG was nice enough to allow me some down time tonight.

So here's the deal. He's got a lot of good qualities to him. He works hard, studies hard, and is fun in dance class. He chews with his mouth closed, and opens all the doors for me, including the car door, so I know he's got manners. But.... I'm not really attracted to him. There, I said it. I admit it. I mean, I already knew I wasn't attracted to him, but I still agreed to the date, since he's not a creep and I do like chatting with him in dance class. But now I'm getting the sense that he really likes me and is attracted to me. So we'll see, I'll go with the flow for now, but if I'm not feelin it still, then I'll just have to let him know that I'm not interested in more than friendship.

So I think I covered the key points to the date. If there's anything else you wanna know about DCG, ask away.

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posted by Daphne @ 8:11 PM   4 comments
Last Halloween Story and the Crushes are Back!
Thursday, November 01, 2007
So last night was the third and final Halloween party I went to this year. I got the invite from a boss at work and even though there was no alcohol (my boss is a LDS), I knew a bunch of coworkers would be there, so I figured sure, why not?

I wore my peacock costume again. Might as well use it up since I might be too fat to fit in it next year. The party was a bit dull at first, since I got there so early and the only people there were married couples and their babies. But since my coworkers were there I was still enjoying myself. The place was well decorated, there were lights, a fog machine, a DJ, and lots of goodies to eat.

I think after about an hour the party shifted gears and the older married couples were replaced with younger people. The dance floor started filling up and you know I got my groove on, especially to Thriller. At one point I asked my coworker Will, and his wife Mormishmom, "So can you find out who the single guys are?" Of course I was being half serious when I said that, but shortly after I said that, a group of maybe two girls and like four guys walked in. Lemme tell ya, some of those guys were cute. Will of course, notices right away and points out the group of guys coming in. One particular guy caught my eye because he was wearing a bright orange astronaut costume. OMG, guess who Mr. Astronaut was? None other than Rob.


For those of you new to reading my blog, Rob is basically this LDS guy I had a crush on this summer. I got over it since 1) the last time he invited me to a function, he ditched me the entire night 2) He would always invite me to Church activities, and never anything outside of it 3) It just can never be since he's an LDS and I'm Catholic

So anyway, we both saw each other and were shocked. It just never occurred to me that he would be there, even though my boss is a LDS. I greeted him and of course started rambling like I always do. Then I quickly turned to Will and my other coworker John and said "Quick, keep talking to me so I don't look like a loser in front of Rob. I need to pretend I'm popular." Yes, I actually said those words.

As I'm talking to Will, John turns to me and says "Dude, Daphne. That guy keeps looking over his shoulder and glancing at you." Will nodded in agreement and added "Yah, he's checkin you out."

Ohhhhh HECK YAH! I am not gonna lie, people. I was lovin it. LOVE. ING. IT. After that last event where Rob blew me off, I was totally relishing this ego boost moment. So from then on I was having a blast... dancing the night away and talking to random people. Finally I went over to Rob and he said it was a "pleasant surprise to see me," shortly followed by "So, what are you doing next weekend or the weekend after that?" I told him I was busy. He wasted no time with his next follow up question... "Or do you want to come see me give a talk at my church in three weeks?" Ummm, no thanks. Ugh, he just doesn't get it.

So yah, the party was a blast and I would've stayed longer but eventually the cops came to shut the party down since neighbors were complaining. I said goodbye to my boss and a quick "Good seeing ya, take care" to Rob. Hah! Let that stir around in his brain for a bit. Daphne the tempting yet forbidden fruit. I love it.

And speaking of tempting yet forbidden, guess who I also just saw tonight at mass? That's right. Church crush Charlie! Oh thank you Jesus. It's been over 3 months since I last saw him at mass. And to think I almost forgot it was All Saints Day (holy day of obligation). Thank you mother for calling me at work and reminding me to go. And I'm so glad that I had a few minutes to swing by home and freshen up. I wasn't lookin too hot today after last night's Halloween escapades, so I changed my outfit, fixed my hair, and reapplied makeup. When I got to the church, it was packed but I spotted my mom and dad and a space next to mom. Well I didn't realize until later in mass that Charlie, his mom, and his younger brother were sitting behind me. Oh boy, thank goodness my skin tone is darker, otherwise you woulda seen me blushing brighter than a tomato.


Even months later, he still looks good. Holy dang, you better believe I was praying hard at mass, mostly saying "Thank you Lord!" over and over in my head. Ahhh, I'm such a freak.

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posted by Daphne @ 3:20 PM   11 comments
Who Is Daphne?

Name: Daphne
Home: California, United States
About Me: I love to read, especially romance books. I love to play, especially computer games and puzzles. I love to dance, especially lindy hop. I love my family and friends.
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