The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[Candy_Kane54]

One last check on the coffee pot before I head off to bed. It was a good day despite the drummers. Enjoy.

 

[dmallord]

The lottery is a tax on the statistically challenged.

That’s me too! I mean, you only need one ticket, right? It’s like playing bingo but with fewer numbers. How hard could it really be to match six numbers? Heck, they’re only numbers—just put ‘em in the right order and voilà, billionaire city!

My problem is I never actually check the tickets. I stash 'em in the glove box or some random drawer. For all I know, I could own a fleet of yachts by now, but they’re stuck under last year’s pizza coupons.

Honestly, there should be some kind of lottery insurance. “Lost your winning ticket? No problem—pay a premium, and we’ll cover your billions!” Who’s with me?

 

[dmallord]

You're related to almost everyone if you look back far enough.

Back like... Adam and Eve back?

 

[NotWise]

I haven't written lately because of the holidays and because I didn't know how to fill a month-long stretch of the story with relationship-building, but little or no sex.

Getting sick can have an up side. I was shivering in bed last night, and when I finally got warm it was the best feeling I had all day--it even beat the hot shower. Then I was thinking. . . Nick catches something on one of his business travels--probably in the Atlanta airport--and calls off a date. Rachel shows up over his protests and when she realizes how cold he is, she slips into bed with him to keep him warm. It is, after all, what her mother did when she was a girl.

 

[NotWise]

Back like... Adam and Eve back?

Not that far. Genes get around.

 

[Duleigh]

Welcome to the 11th Day of Christmas. Coffee is on for anyone who would like it, water is hot for tea.
Ignore the plumbers, I'm not sure why those guys are here

 

[Belegon]

coffee is fine with me. The original energy drink.

 

[Belegon]

back from a long, long time ago. Present medical issues have translated to a desire to write again and thought I would check out the old stomping grounds. Noticed that Abs place is locked out of new posts, so migrated here.

 

[Duleigh]

back from a long, long time ago. Present medical issues have translated to a desire to write again and thought I would check out the old stomping grounds. Noticed that Abs place is locked out of new posts, so migrated here.

Welcome aboard from a fellow old timer whose medical issues has spawned a writing career also. The coffee shop is a friendly group who gather to chat about almost anything that comes to mind: Food, music, pets, and on occasion, writing. The coffee is always on, and there's always a pot of tea

 

[Belegon]

What career I had was largely due to having a writing partner (who also became my "real space" partner) that was much more ambitious than I. Sure, I've had a couple solo works published but most of my best work is probably the collaborations with Alessia Brio. Full disclosure, I did manage to make a little money in the early days of internet sportswriting. Even managed to sneak into Sports Illustrated once, about twenty years ago.

 

[Duleigh]

What career I had was largely due to having a writing partner (who also became my "real space" partner) that was much more ambitious than I. Sure, I've had a couple solo works published but most of my best work is probably the collaborations with Alessia Brio. Full disclosure, I did manage to make a little money in the early days of internet sportswriting. Even managed to sneak into Sports Illustrated once, about twenty years ago.

I tried some free-lance stuff for the Scifi channel but that went nowhere. Their management was insane and decided that horror=scifi and kicked off all the outstanding but quirky science fiction shows that made the channel what it was, Lexx, Sliders, Farscape, Torchwood and so many more. I confined all my writing here until I discovered people would hand me money for my words.

Who am I to argue?

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

What career I had was largely due to having a writing partner (who also became my "real space" partner) that was much more ambitious than I. Sure, I've had a couple solo works published but most of my best work is probably the collaborations with Alessia Brio. Full disclosure, I did manage to make a little money in the early days of internet sportswriting. Even managed to sneak into Sports Illustrated once, about twenty years ago.

Um, swim suit edition???

 

[Belegon]

No, Baseball season preview. I was one writing sports blogs back around 2004 until I moved away from my hometown to be with Imp. I had a fairly large audience while covering the San Diego Padres and Chargers, but writing about the teams while being seperated from the source by a couple thousand miles proved too challenging without the input of other enthusiasts interested in those teams and the coverage and commaradery of other writers. Daily content is a pretty basic demand of those readers and when I was no longer personally attending games and press conferences I found it affected my motivation. My posts fell to a couple times a week and that is not enough content to maintain a presence in that world.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

No, Baseball season preview. I was one writing sports blogs back around 2004 until I moved away from my hometown to be with Imp. I had a fairly large audience while covering the San Diego Padres and Chargers, but writing about the teams while being seperated from the source by a couple thousand miles proved too challenging without the input of other enthusiasts interested in those teams and the coverage and commaradery of other writers. Daily content is a pretty basic demand of those readers and when I was no longer personally attending games and press conferences I found it affected my motivation. My posts fell to a couple times a week and that is not enough content to maintain a presence in that world.

Padres, huh. Do you still follow them. I'd be curious what your take on Profar is. Asking because when he was with the Express here in Austin (Rangers AAA), he was gracious enough to sign a ball for my son. Super nice guy, and it was a grand slam ball, too.

 

[Duleigh]

Padres, huh. Do you still follow them. I'd be curious what your take on Profar is. Asking because when he was with the Express here in Austin (Rangers AAA), he was gracious enough to sign a ball for my son. Super nice guy, and it was a grand slam ball, too.

I love AAA ball, opening day at Sahlen Field with the the Buffalo Bisons was always a big day. The guys were great and I personally think the ball is better - every game is a playoff game for those guys. Everyone is trying to make it to the bigs. And in Buffalo it's a known fact that if you say that you love the people and the city, you become royalty. I think I'll close out Andi's Dream with a happy day at Sahlen Field.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

 

[Duleigh]

Since this is a reading room, I need to make a confession, I've... I've... ... I'll just come out and say it - I've been reading. (There! I said it!)

I know, I know, I've said in the past many times that I don't read while I'm writing because I end up with another author in my head. It's true, but I have no problem stealing this author's snark. I'm currently reading a series of books by Andrew Klavan (There are no E's in Klavan) the Another Kingdom series. Talk about addicting! Holy smoke, when he opened book 1 by slamming Hollywood and everything to do with it (Andrew is a blacklisted Hollywood script writer with several movies and TV shows under his belt) he hooked me. A surreal magical quest full of suspense, mystery and horror.

Austin Lively is a script reader for a studio that won't buy his own screen plays. We're introduced to his mundane life, the woman he loves but feels he's not good enough for, his awful brother and parents. Then he steps through a door and finds himself in a castle standing over a dead woman holding a bloody knife. The castle guards come and toss him in a dungeon where he finds himself back in LA. He's got a mission in LA - to find a manuscript before the Soros lookalike gets it, and in the magical New Galiana to take a locket from the queen to the emperor signaling to the emperor that she needs his army ASAP. It's an epic adventure of magic, murder, and political intrigue in both the New Republic of Galiana and the streets of Los Angeles. Most of the characters are great, well rounded characters. But he's introduced characters that I really didn't like, topping the list was Maud the "Squirrel Girl" but when she shows up in book three I nearly cheered, "It's Maud! Where has she been?"

Klavan is a great writer, his books are a true delight and this series is a geeks dream come true.

 

[NotWise]

I love AAA ball, opening day at Sahlen Field with the the Buffalo Bisons was always a big day. The guys were great and I personally think the ball is better - every game is a playoff game for those guys. Everyone is trying to make it to the bigs. And in Buffalo it's a known fact that if you say that you love the people and the city, you become royalty. I think I'll close out Andi's Dream with a happy day at Sahlen Field.

I haven't been to a AAA game in years. I did see the Cubs in Chicago last June, but that's different.

Our local AAA team is the Isotopes, named from an episode of The Simpson's. Some days they're called The Mariachis. They have one of the best facilities in all of AAA, called The Lab. Long ago our team was called The Dukes for the Duke of Alburquerque, who was the Viceroy of New Spain when the city was founded. They were the top farm club for the Dodgers, so all the Dodger greats came through here, and Tommy Lasorda visited often, but they moved that franchise out. The new franchise has been the top farm club for several different teams and for now they've settled with the Rockies.

The Isotopes share The Lab with the local pro soccer team, and while the baseball crowd is about as laid back as you'd expect, the soccer fans not only get crazy, but they often pack the place.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

 

[al55]

And a happy St Barbara's Day, for those of you who observe such!

(Now that I know it was his birthday, it explains a lot about TxRad. I'll raise a jar to his memory tonight.)

Hey TarnishedPenny, I haven't been on the forums for a while - sorry to hear about TxRad, I used to bug him about story requests.

I also want to thank you for indulging my mermaid stories, I started writing my own. They're probably not great, but hoping someone likes them.

Anyway, hope you are keeping well!

Al

 

[Candy_Kane54]

The coffee is brewing and a fresh pot will be ready in a minute. There are some shortbread cookies and glazed donuts on the counter. The teapot is hot for those who prefer a cuppa.

Today is the twelfth and last day of Christmas. It's a little crowded in here with all of the lord leaping around but there are still a few seats for those who want to hang.

Tomorrow is a big day and I'm looking forward to it. Until then, I'll be over in the corner working on my next story.

 

[Rustyoznail]

It's just turned Monday, and I'm going back to work in eight hours. Wish me well, and I'll have a very large coffee please.

 

[Belegon]

Padres, huh. Do you still follow them. I'd be curious what your take on Profar is. Asking because when he was with the Express here in Austin (Rangers AAA), he was gracious enough to sign a ball for my son. Super nice guy, and it was a grand slam ball, too.

I've never met Jurickson, but I like the way he plays. He seems to be a real locker-room asset. I'd like to see him stay in San Diego, but I fear he wants to be paid like last year was his average year, not the exception that it was. He has played his best ball as a Padre and has a great relationship with the fans, so I hope he and the team can find a balance and keep him where he belongs.

 

[Duleigh]

Greetings, and welcome to the 12th day of Christmas. Every Christmas season there is one piece of music that catches my spirit and won't let go. Last year it was "Baby it's Cold Outside" mostly because I was told by people who know nothing about the song that it was "Rapey" and that was my way of saying "shove it up your..." anyhow, this is the one that caught me this year. It was written by John Rutter who is a musical genius but I'm not crazy about his habit of turning things into a broadway show tune. This fortunately is not one of them. If you follow the lyrics its probably the most moving piece of music written in the past 100 years. Even the Neil Diamond version is moving.

 

[MrPixel]

It's a balmy 25°F and there is roughly 3" of snow on the ground. So it was a French toast morning. Reiterating the story... there's always a run on milk, bread, and eggs immediately before a snowstorm. The only explanation is everyone is making French toast. I've battened-down hatches - the snow (or whatever) is only through tonight, we're going to see single digits the rest of the week - 20-30° below our normal. So much for getting anything done since we'll be mostly housebound.

Anyway, I was amused last night by the TV weatherfolk dancing around the pending winter storm. They were attempting to forecast who in our region was going to get lots of snow, a little less snow plus some sleet, or sleet and freezing rain. Our "band" was slated to get all three, but just a little snow at this point.

It made me recall a similar report a couple of years ago from a long-time forecaster who was waving at the map as they do. She said something like, "The computer forecast models can't seem to agree on anything at the moment, so your guess is as good as mine!"