The Dastardly Dungeon of Deliciously Devious Drinks

Aggy B. · Apr 14, 2017

Urgh. First thing this morning, my cat (one of them anyway) had to bounce across my desk and dump the entire contents of a cup of tea into my laptop keyboard.

I think it will be okay. Pulling it apart revealed only a couple dribbles from around the edge of the larger case but still upset and stressed because the backup laptop doesn't support the Dropbox app so if I want to work I have to go through a bunch of other steps to get the file off the web version of Dropbox. (Plus possibly install Scrivener. I can't remember at this point.)

Aggy, thinking a pair of fur mittens might be rather posh

E.F.B. · Apr 14, 2017

Morning, quiet Cantina which was quiet overnight. You know something that's not quiet? Big fat owls deciding they're going to perch on the hook with the windchimes while they hunt. AGAIN. Thankfully, we have smaller chimes out there now, so as owl jumped up and down it was just a repeated *tinkle tinkle* instead of *CLANG CLANG* but when you're trying to sleep it doesn't really matter. I ended up going to the window and asking owl if it planned to do that all night. It's usually a very personable owl, but it was right under the window at the time of the asking and decided I was too close and flew off. Seriously owl, you can have all the mice and voles you want. Goodness knows we have plenty to spare. But please, I beg you, hunt them from the fence, not the windchime hook. Whatever happened to being a creature of silence and stealth?

I would looooove to do the same number of words today as yesterday, so I'm going to try. As it stands, yesterday pushed me past the halfway point of my Camp Nano goal. :snoopy:

tjwriter · Apr 14, 2017

E.F.B. said:
Morning, quiet Cantina which was quiet overnight. You know something that's not quiet? Big fat owls deciding they're going to perch on the hook with the windchimes while they hunt. AGAIN. Thankfully, we have smaller chimes out there now, so as owl jumped up and down it was just a repeated *tinkle tinkle* instead of *CLANG CLANG* but when you're trying to sleep it doesn't really matter. I ended up going to the window and asking owl if it planned to do that all night. It's usually a very personable owl, but it was right under the window at the time of the asking and decided I was too close and flew off. Seriously owl, you can have all the mice and voles you want. Goodness knows we have plenty to spare. But please, I beg you, hunt them from the fence, not the windchime hook. Whatever happened to being a creature of silence and stealth?

I would looooove to do the same number of words today as yesterday, so I'm going to try. As it stands, yesterday pushed me past the halfway point of my Camp Nano goal.

Reminds of a night where I was falling asleep and apparently one of our neighborhood owls decided to hoot loudly very near to my bedroom. Startled the bejeesus out of me. Otherwise, I like listening to our neighborhood owls. We don't have any wind chimes though.

Richard White · Apr 14, 2017

Moving along on my fantasy noir story. So far, added 700 words, hope to top 2000 before 5pm. Just added a new complication into my poor detective's life. *bwah-hah-hah* Hopefully his secretary has the scotch and bandages handy. I suspect he's going to need liberal applications of both by the time we're done with this scene.

Shadowflame · Apr 14, 2017

tjwriter said:
Reminds of a night where I was falling asleep and apparently one of our neighborhood owls decided to hoot loudly very near to my bedroom. Startled the bejeesus out of me. Otherwise, I like listening to our neighborhood owls. We don't have any wind chimes though.

I've got one better. Our dairy barn was about a 1/10 of a mile from the house and during the summer and nice weather we just walked up the road to the house once we were finished milking. There are four large pine trees along the fence line and a few small scraggly trees. Apparently we had a pair of barn owls move into the area and they took a deep dislike to us walking up the road. Poor sister was the first to encounter the sound of their displeasure, in the dark, alone.

Not feeling well at all today. Stupid female issues. We have a guest in the house for the weekend (B's gamer buddy), so I've got to figure out what's to eat tonight. Car is at the repair shop getting an alignment. I did sleep in today so that's good but I just really want to curl up and sleep more.

greendragon · Apr 14, 2017

Got lots done this morning. Cleaned litters, did gardening shopping, chopped old stalks in the flower bed, broke down old Sugar Glider cage to trash, picked up sticks around the yard, got a trench coat for my gender bender Harriet Dresden costume at Salvation Army, walked 1/2 hour at the YMCA, had breakfast, put out bird feeders, extended 15 tax clients, prepared one and filed two others. Sent reminders to 5 others that I'm still awaiting final OK to efile. Checked work email (yay, Jane hasn't bothered me!), mailed out the extra Amazon Firestick (bought one, lost it, bought another, found the first). Now I have to reorganize my art show trailer this afternoon, and i'm done for the day. Today is brilliant and 60 degrees, so great for outdoor stuff. Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy so we're tackling the boxes in the laundry room - keep, sell or trash?

greendragon · Apr 14, 2017

MIGHT get some writing done this weekend, we shall see! I thought of a great twist in my Druid's Brooch - my magical brooch may slowly become sentient as we go back farther in time

Also, I'm installing a mystery in my current WIP. People are disappearing. Main Character has to decide if it's moral to use his invisibility power to spy on people to find out why. When he decides it's in the better interest, it screws things up more somehow... not sure how yet. But in the end, the cause is a mad fairy. To make it stop, MC has to make a bargain with him, a bargain that could have been used to save someone else's life, maybe?

Aggy B. · Apr 14, 2017

I'm down to one chapter left on the Southern Gothic. But time to fix some late dinner first.

tiddlywinks · Apr 14, 2017

It is Friday right?

*looks around desperately*
*pinches herself to stop thinking about other work things*
*tries not to faceplant on her keyboard*

No words tonight. I worded and edited and did lots of stuff that now escapes me at work today. I'm going to go get a movie and go curl up. And decide if I have time to go up to the cabin this weekend, or if I need to freak out about everything I need to get done here before I travel to NYC.

Blerggghgghghghghghghghhg

Aggy B. · Apr 15, 2017

Finished the Southern Gothic.

Have a different novella due at the end of the month. >_<

So, there's some stuff around the house to do today. Then back to wording.

Aggy, All The Tea

E.F.B. · Apr 15, 2017

Gah, I hate having wierd dreams half the night. Truthfully, I think parts of the ones I had last night we're inspired by the wierd dream my mom told me she had, but that doesn't make them any less woerd and annoying. Just trying to get awake and forget them now.

As I was expressing to my mom yesterday, it's annoying how some days words just flow so easily, and other days I have to fight for every sentence. Yesterday was a fight. I still got over the daily amount Nano says I need to reach my goal, but nearly 1,000 words feels a lot better than just barely over 300. Words are still words, I know. I wish I could learn to stop being so hard on myself. I've noticed that when see people finishing things and publishing things it makes me want to get my stuff finished and published too, and then I find myself feeling frustrated because why can't I write as fast as them. Oh yeah, probably because many of them wrote through their teenage years and have more practice than me, OR they're older than me and have more practice than me. I can't really make a justifiable comparison between myself and them, so WHY DO I KEEP DOING IT AND MAKING MYSELF FEEL INFERIOR? Dumb perfectionism. .-. *goes off to put her frustrated energy into writing*

Mary Love · Apr 15, 2017

So, I'm supposed to be massively grinding down my word count on this rewrite. I reached chapter nine and compared my counts to the first draft at that point. Looks like I'm down about 4500 words. I was pleasantly surprised, since it doesn't feel like I'm cutting much, but it's a start. I think I can go back and repeat that again in draft three. Yay. :box:

- - - Updated - - -

Btw, happy day the titanic sunk *shudders*

lilyWhite · Apr 15, 2017

'lo Cantina.

I has been quiet because I has been useless at writerizing and Camp NaNo. Congrats (and much envy

) to of all of the folks writing all of the words.

*sinks into the poutine hot tub with some pre-Easter chocolate which will all melt because she is smrt*

Damoclian · Apr 15, 2017

Guess what, Y'all!

I SURVIVED THE GOOD FRIDAY FAMILY GET-TOGETHER!!!!!!!

And so has the rest of my family as far as I know.... woohoo! :snoopy:

Also, the short I put in the SYW has garnered three (3) critiques so far and they were ALLL hyper mega uber super doober helpful!!!

I'll be making an update post in that thread in a bit with my revisions. (Sidenote: does the particular voice I have in my posts come off as slightly odd to strangers, or those who are unfamiliar with how I talk?? Say, the reppies I send out as thank yous for getting critted... like, would they, in my usual hyper enthusiastic voice, come off as odd or overly familiar? I wonder for my own sanity, not because anyone has said anything.)

Aggy B. said:
Finished the Southern Gothic.

Have a different novella due at the end of the month. >_<

So, there's some stuff around the house to do today. Then back to wording.

Aggy, All The Tea

YAY!

I look forward to buying it when it's ready! And I believe in you Aggy, you can make all the awesomesauce words and books and novellas, you rock!

E.F.B. said:
Gah, I hate having wierd dreams half the night. Truthfully, I think parts of the ones I had last night we're inspired by the wierd dream my mom told me she had, but that doesn't make them any less woerd and annoying. Just trying to get awake and forget them now.

As I was expressing to my mom yesterday, it's annoying how some days words just flow so easily, and other days I have to fight for every sentence. Yesterday was a fight. I still got over the daily amount Nano says I need to reach my goal, but nearly 1,000 words feels a lot better than just barely over 300. Words are still words, I know. I wish I could learn to stop being so hard on myself. I've noticed that when see people finishing things and publishing things it makes me want to get my stuff finished and published too, and then I find myself feeling frustrated because why can't I write as fast as them. Oh yeah, probably because many of them wrote through their teenage years and have more practice than me, OR they're older than me and have more practice than me. I can't really make a justifiable comparison between myself and them, so WHY DO I KEEP DOING IT AND MAKING MYSELF FEEL INFERIOR? Dumb perfectionism. .-. *goes off to put her frustrated energy into writing*

You's ain't inferior Effby, take it from a mega dyslexic like me (and a tweet I saw a couple days ago and had to retweet due to QFT): "Your (in)ability to write says diddly about your worth as a person." And the same is true of fast words versus slow words. All words is good werdz, and they're all meant for the same thing, right? Sharing experiences, stories, whether fictional or otherwise. It doesn't matter how long it takes to get to the place you're going, so long as it's still there when you arrive.

Mary Love said:
So, I'm supposed to be massively grinding down my word count on this rewrite. I reached chapter nine and compared my counts to the first draft at that point. Looks like I'm down about 4500 words. I was pleasantly surprised, since it doesn't feel like I'm cutting much, but it's a start. I think I can go back and repeat that again in draft three. Yay.

Go Mary, GO!

lilyWhite said:
'lo Cantina.

I has been quiet because I has been useless at writerizing and Camp NaNo. Congrats (and much envy ) to of all of the folks writing all of the words.

*sinks into the poutine hot tub with some pre-Easter chocolate which will all melt because she is smrt*

Chocolate poutine sounds lovely........ :flag:

E.F.B. · Apr 15, 2017

You's ain't inferior Effby, take it from a mega dyslexic like me (and a tweet I saw a couple days ago and had to retweet due to QFT): "Your (in)ability to write says diddly about your worth as a person." And the same is true of fast words versus slow words. All words is good werdz, and they're all meant for the same thing, right? Sharing experiences, stories, whether fictional or otherwise. It doesn't matter how long it takes to get to the place you're going, so long as it's still there when you arrive.

*GLOMP* Thanks, Dammy.

You're like the Energizer Bunny (TM) of encouragement. <3

Friendly Frog · Apr 15, 2017

Congrats to Tiana and Greendragon! :partyguy:

griffins said:
I'm with JJ on earbuds though. I don't see how people write with music on. Art+Music, ok. Music+Exercise, yes. Cooking+Music is awesome (I serenade my bolognese while I cook--it's what makes the sauce special, hahah), but writing+anything with lyrics and I feel like wires are getting crossed.

I like writing with music, although I can do easily without as well, but I always pick instrumental music. Anything with lyrics is indeed too distracting.

Last summer when I was repairing the patio stone work, I had taking my ancient PM3 player with busted battery, hooked it up to a speaker and my solar power bank and it was oh so great working. I have yet to serenade my bolognese but I now feel this is something I must experience on a future occassion.

I'm going to look for one of those folding room screens. Once I have one I'm going to paint it with a nebula scene. That might be pretty cool, not only for a backdrop when I'm doing an online video conference but when I do shows too.

That sounds so very cool.

feyngirl said:
Had to have a minor op today. All done thank goodness and looks like nothing else needed. I have to stay home from work tomorrow for recovery so looking forward to catching up on email and maybe writing a bit. I'm not meant to handle a kettle or do cooking which is convenient. *Lies back on sofa and calls for more tea*

Hope you feel better soon, and that you have a minion on hand to bring you tea!

greendragon said:
We haven't yet had to have the lawn mower out, but it will be soon. It was 80 today. It SNOWED on Friday. Stupid weather.

We were doing so well spring-wise but next week the forcasts predict at least two days of frost. Booh. But at least it hasn't gone as crazy as snow yet.

tiddlywinks said:
You guys. I just got an awesome personal rejection from a pro humor mag (yes, I know, there's an oxymoron in there). They invited me to sub another story.

Yeeeeeah!

...only, teeeeeeensy issue:
Winks does not have another funny story under 5K sitting in her back pocket. Because she rambles.

EEEEK!

I have 19 days. Methinks this is going to have to involve aliens, glitter, coffee, and the end of the world.

That ought to do it, go tiddly! Go forth and be spacy and glittery!

Yzjdriel said:
*pokes head into thread*

Oh, good, this is far less strange than the Off-Topic section of the other forum I'm on 25/8...

Aha, we've lulled another one into a false sense of security! Now we'll... oh hey was I saying that out loud? Nothing to see here, move along.

Welcome to the cantina.

RedDragoness said:
My kids are on spring break this week. I am so over these days off school for the Dragonlets that aren't also days off work for Mr. Dragon. Yesterday I took them to the Liberty Science Center and I know they had fun because I saw them having it, but later when I asked them what their favorite part was they said, "Going home." Spoiled little dragonlet jerks.

Kids...

Cliff Face said:
Honestly, though, I'm happy that guitar has taken the lead. It's the instrument I enjoy the most out of those 3.

One thing may be related to the other, I suppose. Rock on!

E.F.B. said:
Seriously owl, you can have all the mice and voles you want. Goodness knows we have plenty to spare. But please, I beg you, hunt them from the fence, not the windchime hook. Whatever happened to being a creature of silence and stealth?

Perhaps he's a fan of heavy metal?

Damoclian · Apr 15, 2017

Cantina, I finished reading "Cinder" by Marissa Meyer today. It took one (1) week with much stalling because it was so good I didn't want it to end. I got the sequel from my library a half hour later. Normally it takes me three months to finish a book and even then I often fail!!

I'm so impressed with myself. ¡Go me!

E.F.B. · Apr 15, 2017

I loooooved Cinder. <3 Scarlett...not so much. The parts with Cinder in them where great. Scarlett herself was okay, though she and Wolf kinda gave me Twilight vibes. *is not a Twilight fan* What really threw me was the graphic violence at the end. I don't know how you feel about gore, Dammy, and I won't spoil what happened unless you ask, but for the sake of your awareness, there was enough gore at the end of Scarlett I nearly got physically ill and didn't finish the book. (Though I am very aware I have lower tolerance for gore than a lot of people here, so YMMV.) When I was done feeling sick, I got kinda annoyed because my trust in the author was broken. (I had previously been thinking LC was one of the cleaner mainstream YA series I'd ever read and was rather pleased, so this is why the break in trust.) I hear the rest of the series isn't as graphic and I may finish it someday for the sake of liking Cinder herself so much, but not for a while yet. I'm just still feeling burned. Again, this is just IMHO and YMMV. (And yes, despite the burned feeling over Scarlett, I still want a copy of Cinder for myself and I still want the awesome T-shirt from Litographs.

)

Damoclian · Apr 15, 2017

E.F.B. said:
I loooooved Cinder. <3 Scarlett...not so much. The parts with Cinder in them where great. Scarlett herself was okay, though she and Wolf kinda gave me Twilight vibes. *is not a Twilight fan* What really threw me was the graphic violence at the end. I don't know how you feel about gore, Dammy, and I won't spoil what happened unless you ask, but for the sake of your awareness, there was enough gore at the end of Scarlett I nearly got physically ill and didn't finish the book. (Though I am very aware I have lower tolerance for gore than a lot of people here, so YMMV.) When I was done feeling sick, I got kinda annoyed because my trust in the author was broken. (I had previously been thinking LC was one of the cleaner mainstream YA series I'd ever read and was rather pleased, so this is why the break in trust.) I hear the rest of the series isn't as graphic and I may finish it someday for the sake of liking Cinder herself so much, but not for a while yet. I'm just still feeling burned. Again, this is just IMHO and YMMV. (And yes, despite the burned feeling over Scarlett, I still want a copy of Cinder for myself and I still want the awesome T-shirt from Litographs. )

Thanks for the warning, Effbubbles! :Hug2:

my literary gore tolerance is a lot higher than my RL one, in that it's actually there, and can stand a few droplets I guess.... :s I still intend to read Scarlet(t?) and see for myself, I enjoyed Cinder too much to let the story hang!! As far as Twilight vibes go, I listened to all the books yonks ago and thought they were great because I had nothing much to compare them to and was not the emotionally-intelligent individual at the time. Now I am aware of the level of not healthy representations of relationships that they contain, among other things, but it's like the Star Wars prequels, I was too small and inexperienced to know better (and the marketing was purdy dern ruthless/everywhere!).

The Cinder shirt is tha baest shirt!! (and the reason I bought Cinder in the first place!

)
I may or may not have bought the shirt first....
>.>
<.<

Caitlin Black · Apr 15, 2017

For what it's worth, I can only write when there is music playing - usually with vocals. For me, the music becomes a sort of personal bubble of background noise. It's background noise I can control, as opposed to being in a cafe or whatever. And the songs are songs I've heard dozens of times already, which aids in getting lost in the writing, rather than focusing on the music.

The thing that makes it impossible for me to write is the spoken word. Whether it's actual people, the TV, or a spoken-word portion of a song, as soon as I hear speech I'm pulled out of my private little world and can't concentrate until the speaking goes away. But as I said, vocals aren't a problem.

(I do occasionally get distracted by a favourite song, however. Like, if a favourite song happens to be playing when I reach one of those points in writing where I have to stop and think things through, then I usually wind up paying more attention to the music, and air-drumming or whatever instead of writing. But that doesn't happen often enough to be a real problem.

)

eyeblink · Apr 15, 2017

Good morning and Happy Easter, Cantina. Popping my head out of the black hole of review copies I'll be disappearing back into until the end of the month. I'm in my hotel room, at the start of the Sunday of Eastercon. (I said hello to Roy Gray in the dealers' room for those who know him - hi Zanz, hi Sian. He's one of the good guys.)

At least I have a week's leave at the beginning of May. Most writing so far this year has been non-fiction writing, but I am hoping to do more fiction soon. So far this year, it's been my SSSFFSS story and the collaboration in my sig which seems to be heading towards novella length or close to it. And with the overtime I've been working I have a kitchen floor and a Worldcon paid for soon.

Hope everyone is well, and :Hug2:

for those who need them.

Filigree · Apr 16, 2017

Happy Easter, Cantina! I've been wording and arting. Down to the last chapters, final edit of the space opera NineStar is republishing on June 26. They say I'll have a cover soon. Contemplating a change to my high fantasy mms. Lining up book art projects. And housework.

Cobalt Jade · Apr 16, 2017

I am reading Cinder too, but am having a hard time with it. It's dull and the story's background doesn't make any sense, plus I can't get past the plot holes. (Granted, I'm not its demographic.)

LadyV · Apr 16, 2017

Happy Easter Cantina! I'm getting ready to head over to my aunt and uncle's place soon. I hope everyone has a fabulous day.

E.F.B. · Apr 16, 2017

Damoclian said:
Thanks for the warning, Effbubbles! my literary gore tolerance is a lot higher than my RL one, in that it's actually there, and can stand a few droplets I guess.... :s I still intend to read Scarlet(t?) and see for myself, I enjoyed Cinder too much to let the story hang!! As far as Twilight vibes go, I listened to all the books yonks ago and thought they were great because I had nothing much to compare them to and was not the emotionally-intelligent individual at the time. Now I am aware of the level of not healthy representations of relationships that they contain, among other things, but it's like the Star Wars prequels, I was too small and inexperienced to know better (and the marketing was purdy dern ruthless/everywhere!).

Re Twilight: I understand.

The marketing got me too, and I watched all the movies wondering what the fuss was about. I just...didn't enjoy them.

The Cinder shirt is tha baest shirt!! (and the reason I bought Cinder in the first place! )
I may or may not have bought the shirt first....
>.>
<.<

I knoooow! IwantitIwantitIwantit! But I have to wait for my birthday before I go buying anything because my mom was hinting she might get me some of the shirts I was unashamedly fangirling over.

The design they have for Scarlet (I checked the spelling and you're right it only has one "t". My bad!

) is actually really nice too, though I don't want to buy it due to the aforementioned associations with gore and annoyance. Still, gotta give them props for a great design!

ETA (I hit submit post by accident!): Happy Easter, all! I've been up since 6am because my parents and I went to a nearby sunrise Easter service. It's outdoors and really pretty. We also get to sing along to the music while the Canadian geese honk and the cows moo. XD Went to our usual church's service too, and have now had our special Easter lunch complete with lamb and fancy plates, so I'm rather sleepy. Not sure if words will happen today or not. Dunno. Have a wonderful day, everyone!

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