The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[NotWise]

It turns out that shutting down a consulting business is not the easiest thing in the world. This is going to take a while.

My most recent story is still getting views despite being up since February. Maybe a lot of people bookmarked the Pink Orchid page. One anonymous reader gave me this comment today.

Lmao Rachel is not my type (if I was MC I would have cut ties page 2) but the story was fun nonetheless

I like the idea that they enjoyed the story despite note liking the main character. It feels like a win. At least it's better than the other way around.

This isn't the first comment to the same effect. I took a minute yesterday and looked back at all the comments on the story (it has about as many comments as favorites). They cover a range of opinions, and I find that range completely appropriate to the story and to Rachel, who was intended to be a fairly realistic character--being a Pink Orchid story and all.

 

[sirhugs]

I managed to write two pages of my story. I've finally gotten out of the funk and am feeling it again!

There's a fresh pot of coffee brewing, especially for @MillieDynamite, and the teapot is hot for those who want a cuppa. There are treats on the counter too numerous to list for those who want a bite to eat.

I'll be over in the corner pounding away on the keyboard. I have a glut of words that need to be put to paper ...

a glut you say?
Can you loan me a few?

 

[Candy_Kane54]

Frost warning this morning and grateful for a hot cup of Earl Grey.

I've got a fresh pot of coffee brewing so help yourself. Just start a new pot if you take the last of the old pot. The teapot is hot and there are donuts on the counter.

I'll be over in the corner doing some more writing. I am totally fascinated about where the story is going. I had no idea that it would be this interesting. I can't wait to see how it comes out.

 

[MrPixel]

Here's a fun one for y'all this morning - we just received notice we were selected to receive a pair of tickets to PBS's Antiques Road Show. C had applied - tickets are by lottery selection. Do we have something of interest? Yeah. A couple of original oil paintings by a particularly significant multi-talented artist in the region where she grew-up. They were gifted to her father and stepmother by the artist, a neighbor and family friend when she was a youngster. Will she be on TV? Won't know until we know, and it's all a few months away.

We're finally out of our Seattle-esque "rain festival" here, but the mud pit that is now our backyard needs a week or two to dry out before the tree crew can drive their equipment on it. Talked to the tree guy this morning ("I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK!") and we had a good laugh over it.

I now have three finished chapters all but in the can as of the wee hours this morning. The first in the chronological order is in final proofreading, a 10K-word humdinger about a troupe of young swingers staging a party that warped into a no-holds barred overnight orgy. It's fun, with a pinch of pathos and a barrel-full of OMG laughs.

 

[MrPixel]

It turns out that shutting down a consulting business is not the easiest thing in the world. This is going to take a while.

Not when one's primary client goes bankrupt. That is, except for the subsequent four years of weekly correspondence from the bankruptcy trustee, who's finding every excuse in the world to invoice the residue for his priority in who gets paid. He gets 100% of his billings, we creditors received... what?... maybe 2% of what we invoiced six years ago?

 

[Belegon]

I'll be over in the corner doing some more writing. I am totally fascinated about where the story is going. I had no idea that it would be this interesting. I can't wait to see how it comes out.

that's my favorite kind! one of the few advantages to being a "pantser", we're more likely to get "surprised" by our own Characters. sometimes I really do feel like I'm taking dictation from an alternate universe and am capable of being completely shocked/surprised/dumbfounded by the inventions of my own consciousness...

 

[MrPixel]

...being completely shocked/surprised/dumbfounded by the inventions of my own consciousness...

"She was doing what? To who? Excuse me... whom? That's not like her!"

 

[Duleigh]

Finally - a whole day I can dedicate to writing! No meetings, no doctors appointments not even any yard work. A blessed light rain is keeping me indoors and typing!

Ok, there's a flash of lightning or two off in the distance but that shouldn't interrupt anyth...

 

[NotWise]

Not when one's primary client goes bankrupt. That is, except for the subsequent four years of weekly correspondence from the bankruptcy trustee, who's finding every excuse in the world to invoice the residue for his priority in who gets paid. He gets 100% of his billings, we creditors received... what?... maybe 2% of what we invoiced six years ago?

That happened to a friend of mine. He worked with a grocery store chain to set up food safety procedures and train their employees. I did voice-overs for some training videos he produced. Then the chain abruptly declared chapter 7. He was out of business, and many of the chain's suppliers were left in dire straights.

Not our case. We had a pretty diverse group of clients. A long-time associate, a woman a little older than me who I've known for as long as I've worked for the company, has effectively taken over our shutdown. She has a lot of energy and wants to continue the work. She claims our long-time bookkeeper is on board. We'll see how this goes.

One of the tasks she's talking about is to develop a never-done-before system for dynamic management of combined municipal and agricultural water rights and water use. The problem and the suggested solutions are inherently interesting.

 

[MrPixel]

Gosh. Water rights in your corner of the world. Just makes me recall The Milagro Beanfield War. Hope somebody's pig isn't at risk of getting shot in the butt.

 

[NotWise]

Gosh. Water rights in your corner of the world. Just makes me recall The Milagro Beanfield War. Hope somebody's pig isn't at risk of getting shot in the butt.

Never read the book. Only saw pieces of the movie. I did know an attorney involved in the trial for New Mexico's last ditch-side murder over water rights. That was quite a while ago.

 

[JGittes]

"Forget it, Jake, it's Chinatown."

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

"Forget it, Jake, it's Chinatown."

How long have you, YOU, been waiting to use that?

 

[Candy_Kane54]

@Duleigh - are you still there?

There's a fresh pot of coffee brewing and the teapot is hot. Somebody dropped off a coconut cream cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory here so it's on the counter if anyone wants some.

I'll be over in the corner trying to write while fighting off a food coma from trying out the cheesecake. If my face is on the keyboard, just let me sleep it off ...

 

[NotWise]

An allergy is making me miserable. I think it's just the big male mulberry next to the house, and that will be over soon.

I've turned manure into two of my six raised garden beds. I third was planted with garlic last fall. I'll do a fourth today, then the two that are left are going to take some time because I have to remove bermuda grass from both of them.

My WIP has been resting for several days now. I had a yen to work on it last night, but distractions...

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Got an hour of drilling and filling at the dentist today. It was bearable, but I'm well shaky now. Possibly because I only had soup for lunch, but it took me over an hour to eat. I'm hoping it won't be too sensitive when the anaesthetic wears off.

Time for a nap, I think.

 

[MrPixel]

Hope that nap is refreshing for you, KQ.

I have to brag on our dentist. She's a DMD, not a DDS. That means she's a full MD that happens to specialize in dentistry. She and her staff are great! Anything from the thankfully-infrequent crown to a hygienist visit, it's always a fun visit cutting up with everybody, and chatting about goings-on in our neighborhood. When your only complaint coming out of there is when the hygienist tells you you can't have hot beverages for three hours because of the fluoride treatment... now that's a great practice.

Still proofreading the "next up" story, but in that story is a setup for another where the inspiration hit hard last night - I was up until 0400 working on it. Shaping-up into another fun, wacky, and sexy humdinger!

 

[_Lynn_]

We had snow off and on today. Around six I had a message that the gas was out due to some sort of damage issue. So I don't have heat. And the repairs could take several days. I have an electric blanket in the closet, so I guess I'll be using that.

 

[NotWise]

Stay warm, Lynn.

Here we have the opposite problem. It's over 80F now, and should be close to 90F this weekend. And of course, it's dry, dry, dry.

 

[dmallord]

 

[JGittes]

How long have you, YOU, been waiting to use that?

I couldn't help it, although Chinatown is about water in Southern California, not New Mexico.

Water is a huge issue in the Southwest. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley and frequently passed by the Mullholland Spillway. It was only a couple of miles from our house, but back in the 50s, the smog was so bad most days you couldn't see it. In 1971, I went to the opening of the Edmonston Pumping Station, which carried water from the California Aqueduct system over the Tehachapi Mountains.

Roughly 50 million people living in a desert tend to create violent tensions over water.

 

[MrPixel]

In 1971, I went to the opening of the Edmonston Pumping Station, which carried water from the California Aqueduct system over the Tehachapi Mountains.

Yep. I was living in the Antelope Valley at the time. The aqueduct for that project runs around the west rim of the valley. Our climate was desert dry, and we used evaporative "swamp" coolers, which were amazing in 110° heat. At least up until then. Once the water filled that huge canal, our ambient humidity must have gone up by 15-20%. All of a sudden swamp coolers were useless.

I too clearly recall being up on the roof with my father installing a self-contained commercial-type full A/C system where the whole-house swamp blower used to live. He was Mr. Jerry-Rigged to avoid paying for a pro. We almost lost that 800# unit off the roof twice.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

Having spent four and a half years in Albuquerque at Kirtland AFB, I know how effective swamp coolers can be in the dry desert air. It was wild watching a cloud let loose some rain and watch it evaporate and a mass of cold air hit the desert and throw up dust in all directions.

There's a fresh pot of coffee on the burner and the teapot is hot. There are some cookies and cashew butter coated cashews on the counter for those who want a snack.

I got a couple of more pages written despite the food coma. How a drug cartel wormed its way into my story is beyond me but it makes for a great story. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

 

[MrPixel]

A little funny last night. Had to run to Walgreens for a few medicine cabinet items. Mostly restocks, a couple of current relief needs. Double-checking the basket against the shopping list while waiting in line at the register, it dawned on me that what was in there pretty much touched everything from head to toe, at least what could be dealt with with OTC remedies.

Dumped everything on the counter, and the pleasant lady greeted me with, "How are you doing this evening?" I glanced down at the counter. "You be the judge." She looked, dwelled on it for a couple of seconds. "Oh." We were amused.

 

[_Lynn_]

My son managed to get to the store in time to buy several electric heaters/fireplaces. I bought one from him and sent the electric blanket over to a neighbor. The last update from the gas company is that they are bringing in crews from the Midwest to help fix whatever is wrong here. They are coming around to turn off all gas meters in the area. They added that repairs will take several days.