The Dastardly Dungeon of Deliciously Devious Drinks

Happy Easter, Cantina!

Well, it has been an...interesting weekend. That's a Minnesota "interesting" for you - anyone who knows about Minnesotans knows that that particular interesting is...um...yeah...

Let's see. Friday night, I feel asleep with my contacts in after watching Collateral Beauty (LOVED - the movie, not the contacts part). Woke up Saturday morning like this:

Then, Saturday, ran out of shaving cream, went to use my new one after getting one leg done and it went "pffffft" and malfunctioned. Apparently no aerosol or whatever was added so no shaving cream would come out. This was Winks:

Then, THEN, I pack up to head up to the cabin to meet the hubby who is already up there hiding, and being a good person who tries to keep things tidy, throws my trash in the trash chute on my way out...only my car keys get tangled in the bag and go down the trash chute. Here is Winks:

THENNNNNN...Winks spends two hours dumpster diving with her apartment manager to find keys to drive car...because of COURSE the keys didn't stay on my trash bag when they landed. Nooooooo. They exploded into individual keys and fob parts all over the dumpster. I never did find the spare keys I had on there for my other car :/ So this was Winks as she went back up to her apartment to take ANOTHER shower:

I managed to calm down at cabin, due to soothing nature. (Granted, I had a momentary blip of when I found new trees I had to wrap with wire at the base since Mr. Beaver is out terrorizing my property again. But that was a minor thing with everything else I'd been through that day. I'm still going to go Caddyshack on him at some point if he doesn't knock it off.)

Today was better. I only managed to fall into a hidden puddle of doom hiding underneath a pile of leaves on my walk in the woods, which meant my shoes were all squish squish squish the entire walk back. And after family Easter things, I've been finishing our taxes this afternoon. I owe. Not as much as I was biting my nails over, so that's good. It's still a fair chunk, but I can deal.

I also started my new aliens-glitter-coffee-end of world story.

And now I'm going to go for a nice walk on city sidewalks where I won't suddenly fall in a puddle of doom and enjoy the last sunshine. Then it's laundry tonight. And more Scottish Highlander romances (yes, yes I am reading those again).

Then tomorrow is final freak-outs prepping for my back to back business trips to NYC and San Francisco.

As one of my friends put it, "who needs to read stories when I can just listen to the latest saga as Winks and her husband try not to die or make anything explode."

Cobalt Jade said:

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.)

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Please explain what you mean by "plot holes"?? :s I saw none, I felt none, I read none. That's probably on me because I'm not as good an editor as I like to believe but still, Cinder had me in alternate fits of giggle and squee with the occasional "JUST KISS ALL READY!!!!! :'O" feelz. I found no holes in the plot when I read it... but then I am almost its demographic, and that should probably be taken into consideration when addressing this..... so, what plot holes didst thou findeth?

tiddlywinks said:

Happy Easter, Cantina!

As one of my friends put it, "who needs to read stories when I can just listen to the latest saga as Winks and her husband try not to die or make anything explode."

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HAWT DAYUMN Winksie! :O :O :O :O :O That was a tale through the hillz of woe if ever there was one! I'm glad you and yours ain't 'sploded yet, though. ur kewl

Oh yeah. I forgot to mention that I found my first tick of the season crawling up my back. Yay...

Two ticks?? Ewwwwwwwww. That's worse. (Seriously, I hate ticks. Which is hilarious given how much I enjoy the woods.)

tiddlywinks said:

I managed to calm down at cabin, due to soothing nature. (Granted, I had a momentary blip of when I found new trees I had to wrap with wire at the base since Mr. Beaver is out terrorizing my property again. But that was a minor thing with everything else I'd been through that day. I'm still going to go Caddyshack on him at some point if he doesn't knock it off.)

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As I recall, the gopher survived 'going Caddyshack' on him... He even danced. "I'm alright..."

I got words done this weekend, woohoo! I got lots done, actually. Did general cleaning, vacuuming, laundry, etc., but also cleaned out the garage (despite the garage door being stuck DOWN and unable to lift manually due to a broken spring and a chunk in the runner). Cleaned out half of the laundry room, the last bastion of STUFF we have left to go through. Took three big bags of clothing/linen to the car to take to Salvation Army. Recycled a whole bin's worth, with more left over for next week, and trashed three big yard bags full of trash. Still have more to do, but it felt good to get rid of STUFF. Also went to Amtgard on Saturday for general socializing and a bit of exercise for the husband.

Got two beadwork commission pieces done, a dog face pin and a cat face bracelet. Now working on finishing a big wedding commission. Bride necklace, bride bracelet, bride pin, two bridesmaid necklaces and a bridesman bracelet. All is done except the bride necklace (which is MOSTLY done, just need to add lots of fringe) and the bridseman bracelet, which is half done. The bride necklace is particularly cool - white raven polymer clay with polymer 'feathers' as wings, white fringe with tips of ice blue, and a spiraling fringe down the back. I'll have pics when I'm done, of course.

Also wrote 2900 words on Thursday, 1000 words on Saturday, and 2800 words on Sunday. Woohoo!

tiddlywinks said:

As one of my friends put it, "who needs to read stories when I can just listen to the latest saga as Winks and her husband try not to die or make anything explode."

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Oh, uh, I meant...



I did do words yesterday. 500-ish, which actually surprised me, but I credit having managed to turn off the inner editor for a bit. I don't know if that many will happen today because I've reached one of those places in my outline (again) where things get a little more vague. I have a general idea what I think need to happen between point A and point B, but the order in which it should happen and the details of the events are fuzzy. I'll give it my best shot, though. Meanwhile, my laptop has decided it doesn't like the temperatures lately and has been getting hotter than it should. Obviously, I can't control the weather, but I can't have this thing overheating and dying either, so we're going to the tech store today to see if they have one of those cooling mat thingies you're supposed to be able to put under your laptop and keep cool air going through it.

Took yesterday off of pretty much everything. Had dinner at grandparents then came home, did some reading, watched some TtNG and then played some EVE online.

Today back to the grindstone although I'm absolutely tired.

B got me a fitness tracker from Garmin. Once I had the darn thing figured out, I've logged over 10K steps a day since Saturday (yes I did walk on the treadmill yesterday) Back and hip are still giving me a bit of trouble though I am taking things easy and not over doing it. FYI 10K steps is about 4 miles which is double of what I was walking daily a week ago.

Cliff Face said:

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. )

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This is me exactly. When my littlest sister sees me air drumming instead of typing, she comes over and unplugs my headphones so she can dance along. Or, if she doesn't like the song, she'll tell me to get back to my writing. Little bugger!

tiddlywinks said:

Oh yeah. I forgot to mention that I found my first tick of the season crawling up my back. Yay...

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EEEEEEWWWWW!!! (I deal with tons of ticks on a summerly basis. Mostly on the dogs, tho.)

I'm procrastinating on my word count because I have a new scene to add. After so much editing, my brain won't switch over. Even though I outlined it in my head, I can't type two sentences without fussing over them for the next 20 minutes. In two hours, I've got 250 words. Ugh!!

Tiddlywinks - your weekend sounds like it was insane.

I've finished my website, which is all new and shiny. Now I have to write emails to go beg, um, I mean, convince someone that I'm worth employing.

So yay?

Hope you all had a good Easter!

I myself had a nice, quiet Easter, played some computer games although allergies are trying to sabotage me by attacking my dominant mouse hand. Yep, my old nemesis, the baffling skin allergy, is back. I suspect it is an allergy to some plant, but haven't got a clue to what since it appears too intermittantly and all over the place. Skin specialist was baffled too. But this time it's changed tactics and has decided to really focus on my hands, which means they're covered in little bumps like mosquito bites that. Itch. Like. Hell. A. Lot. As I type this my hands are wrapped with bandages to keep me from smeering salve everywhere and I constantly have to stop myself for going full Macbeth on my hands. THE ITCH.

So glad I don't have to cook tonight, not sure how to do it with the bandages. But seriously, I look like I tried to bathe a hedgehog and lost.

tiddlywinks said:

THENNNNNN...Winks spends two hours dumpster diving with her apartment manager to find keys to drive car...because of COURSE the keys didn't stay on my trash bag when they landed. Nooooooo. They exploded into individual keys and fob parts all over the dumpster. I never did find the spare keys I had on there for my other car :/ So this was Winks as she went back up to her apartment to take ANOTHER shower:

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Oh god, what a horrible nightmare story. My sympathies. No good deed goes inpunished, right?

tiddlywinks said:

Two ticks?? Ewwwwwwwww. That's worse. (Seriously, I hate ticks. Which is hilarious given how much I enjoy the woods.)

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Gaaah, I'm not looking forward to this year tick-season. Winter was too soft, didn't kill enough off them. I've pulled a few of the cats but have been lucky myself so far. Also, so very glad not to live in a Lyme-area.

Mary Love said:

Even though I outlined it in my head, I can't type two sentences without fussing over them for the next 20 minutes. In two hours, I've got 250 words. Ugh!!

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I do that all the time, it's not just you.

Friendly Frog said:

Hope you all had a good Easter!

I myself had a nice, quiet Easter, played some computer games although allergies are trying to sabotage me by attacking my dominant mouse hand. Yep, my old nemesis, the baffling skin allergy, is back. I suspect it is an allergy to some plant, but haven't got a clue to what since it appears too intermittantly and all over the place. Skin specialist was baffled too. But this time it's changed tactics and has decided to really focus on my hands, which means they're covered in little bumps like mosquito bites that. Itch. Like. Hell. A. Lot. As I type this my hands are wrapped with bandages to keep me from smeering salve everywhere and I constantly have to stop myself for going full Macbeth on my hands. THE ITCH.

So glad I don't have to cook tonight, not sure how to do it with the bandages. But seriously, I look like I tried to bathe a hedgehog and lost.

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I tend to get flaky eczema skin on my hands this time of year but nothing like that.

Gaaah, I'm not looking forward to this year tick-season. Winter was too soft, didn't kill enough off them. I've pulled a few of the cats but have been lucky myself so far. Also, so very glad not to live in a Lyme-area.

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I seem to have mastered the art of knowing where in the yard the ticks tend to hang out and I keep myself and the beagle away. 95% success rate most years.


Morning Cantina. I now have a cooling mat for the laptop. I tested it last night and it seems to work fine. The fans don't blow as hard as I necessarily thought they would, but it's definitely moving air through and keeping things cooler. Now I just have to figure out why the recent Windows updates made it so the thing doesn't want to play any media again. (This has happened before, i just don't remember how i fixed it last time)

I writing news, I'm getting enough daily wordage in that I should definitelyreach my Camp goal and then some. I know I can adjust the goal until it gets locked in on the 20th, but I think I'll just let myself go past it and see how much I can do. That will help me know what to set it for when the next Camp Nano rolls around later in the year.

E.F.B. said:

I know I can adjust the goal until it gets locked in on the 20th,

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I did not know, and now I'm sorely tempted to turn it back a few thousand words because I know I'm not going to make it. It only gets harder from here. But my pride, mmm!

Friendly Frog said:

Yep, my old nemesis, the baffling skin allergy, is back. I suspect it is an allergy to some plant, but haven't got a clue to what since it appears too intermittantly and all over the place. Skin specialist was baffled too. But this time it's changed tactics and has decided to really focus on my hands, which means they're covered in little bumps like mosquito bites that. Itch. Like. Hell. A. Lot. As I type this my hands are wrapped with bandages to keep me from smeering salve everywhere and I constantly have to stop myself for going full Macbeth on my hands. THE ITCH.

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Is it possible it's a sun allergy? I have to be careful about sun exposure, particularly on my hands, because I will get tiny, itchy bumps (sometimes like blisters, sometimes more like bites) on my skin if I get too much sun too early in the year. Also, if it is a plant-based reaction then washing with mild soap in alternating hot and cold water can help. (It will help your body remove any oils, pollens, etc from the pores. This is how Mr. Aggy treats poison ivy exposure and it's fairly effective if the reaction is from something you encountered topically. I.E. not a histamine reaction to something you breathed or ingested.)

Having a bum day. Not terrible, exactly, but struggling on a personal level. Blah.

Aggy, tea and nap on the schedule because self-care

Good dire cantina, I did a thing the other day (yesterday) and I was wondering if any of you fine folks have ever done similar. I cut 5k from my wip "Moonsway" because I can't build a book on an uncertain foundation, and cause I didnae like where it was going. I rarely plan these things out, I think that's my problem, but do any of you restructure as you go as well? Or find you dislike the tone and decide to change it? I need to feel less alone here!!!! :'(

Morning all. Today's another day of editing, wordage, and pulling my hair out. I think I have decided that I shall never have my own ezine or publishing company. Dealing with some authors is a PITA.

FriendlyFrog. It does sound like some sort of topical allergy. These can be really difficult to pin down. My opinion is to start a diary and write down what you ate, what you did during the day, and where you went. It's quite possible it's either from sunlight as Aggy pointed out, some sort of pollen or plant allergy or a food allergy. You will have to play the eliminate this game. It's a pain but does work.
Also, to relieve the itching, hold the itchy areas under hot water, it makes things itch really badly but that's because the Histamines that are causing the itching rise to the skin surface. They are then washed away. You can get several hours of relief that way (if of course, this is an allergy based rash.)
Second also, when exposed to poison ivy NEVER WASH WITH HOT WATER. Hot and even warm water causes the oils to spread out and opens up the skin pores. Always wash with cool water and a good soap. I use Dawn dish soap. We have PI all over my yard (round 2 of Round Up will happen again shortly) and since I'm the person who mows, I usually get exposed. Doing the above reduces the PI to only a tiny couple of places and I'm highly allergic to it.

Damoclian said:

Good dire cantina,

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So, you're implying the Cantina is a larger and more ferocious version of a regular Cantina? (Dire Wolves, Dire Cantinas?)

Damoclian said:

I did a thing the other day (yesterday) and I was wondering if any of you fine folks have ever done similar. I cut 5k from my wip "Moonsway" because I can't build a book on an uncertain foundation, and cause I didnae like where it was going. I rarely plan these things out, I think that's my problem, but do any of you restructure as you go as well? Or find you dislike the tone and decide to change it? I need to feel less alone here!!!! :'(

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Dammy, I was 72K into a story and came to a complete halt and said, "Nope, this is not going the way I wanted it to." Now, normally I'm a write to the end and then revise writer, but I could tell I had gone off the rails with the story. Plus, I had a new idea to make it a tad more creepy (The logline is Indiana Jones meets Call of Cthulhu"), so I stopped, harvested out certain scenes or themes I liked and started all over at Chapter 1, Page 1. Honestly, I'm glad I did. I'm not quite back to where I left off, but I think it's a much stronger story than it was and I'm more focused on it.

So, don't feel like the Lone Bunny. You're not out of silver bullets yet - you just spotted the box canyon coming and reversed directions before the bandits could trap you and your trusty steed.

Friendly Frog said:

I myself had a nice, quiet Easter, played some computer games although allergies are trying to sabotage me by attacking my dominant mouse hand. Yep, my old nemesis, the baffling skin allergy, is back. I suspect it is an allergy to some plant, but haven't got a clue to what since it appears too intermittantly and all over the place. Skin specialist was baffled too. But this time it's changed tactics and has decided to really focus on my hands, which means they're covered in little bumps like mosquito bites that. Itch. Like. Hell. A. Lot. As I type this my hands are wrapped with bandages to keep me from smeering salve everywhere and I constantly have to stop myself for going full Macbeth on my hands. THE ITCH.

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Oh wow, I've been having the same thing! In fact, I'm wearing fingerless mittens as I type. The itch is unreal. Scratching makes the little bumps ooze, which makes it even worse. At some point my fingers started looking mangled, since I was scratching in my sleep. The good news is that the dermatologist prescribed some clobetasol propionate ointment that's completely cleared it up, but the bumps still appear randomly and occasionally. Since it's only on my hands, I suspect it's caused by contact with something around the house, but I don't know what.

Damoclian said:

Good dire cantina, I did a thing the other day (yesterday) and I was wondering if any of you fine folks have ever done similar. I cut 5k from my wip "Moonsway" because I can't build a book on an uncertain foundation, and cause I didnae like where it was going. I rarely plan these things out, I think that's my problem, but do any of you restructure as you go as well? Or find you dislike the tone and decide to change it? I need to feel less alone here!!!! :'(

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Honestly, it takes me a couple tries or more to get the tone of most of my scenes "right" (e.g. to match what I have in my head). It's taken some time, but I've finally accepted that it's just how I work, unintentional and annoying as it can be at times. If I don't like how a scene came out the first time and I'm getting all frustrated, I just have to remind myself that I can edit it later because it always gets better after an edit. And it does. Restructuring as I go, ftw.

Dammy, I am rewriting my entire novel from scratch. After getting it back from my crit partners and trying to change too many things piecemeal, I decided it needed to be scrapped and started over. Insane? Probably. But you are not alone.

Friendly Frog, I also have skin allergies. For months I had this rash ON MY FACE right under my eye that made it look like my husband beat me. I finally had to see a dermatologist, who sent me to an allergy specialist, who did a patch test that was the absolute worst. But, they found three chemicals commonly used in cleaners and cosmetics that I'm allergic to. I switched my entire family's shampoos, soaps, wipes, and cleaning products, and always read the ingredients labels on things now, and have not had another breakout. If the rash is showing up on your hands, maybe there's something in the handsoap you are using?




Hi everyone!

I just submitted my short story for the critique session of WisCon and now I'm all nervous nail-bitey. I'm not used to having people talk about my work to my face. This was only a second draft, never before seen by other human eyeballs, so I hope my workshop crit group doesn't hate it.

I also got a form rejection from a major market who held one of my stories for an extra long time so they could pass it up the food chain. I was disheartened for about a microsecond and then submitted it elsewhere. Mostly I'm just annoyed that after having it for so long I still got a form rejection. *harumph*

In non-writing news, my 8-YO dragonlet is... *whispers* reading for fun. I don't want to jinx it; I've been waiting, literally, years for this. Even as a baby he didn't like being read to, despite the 50+ books we collected for him before he was born. Finally, when he was 5, we got him some of those Captain Underpants books and he liked us reading those to him. But he's had a lot of trouble learning to read because of his ADHD, and so even now, in second grade, he prefers us to read things to him.

Then I saw this chapter book about kids who win a contest and go climb Mt Everest, and since he loves books about kids doing cool things I bought it for him. He started it last night; he and Mr. Dragon were going to take turns reading it at bedtime. Then Dragonlet wanted to read it himself. Then this morning he asked if he could take it to school. He read in the car. He read at line-up. I took a picture. To see my son, finally reading for fun in his own time, makes me so overwhelmingly happy!

I'm off to take a walk and enjoy this cool weather while it's still here. (I am a summer grinch. I get whatever the opposite of SAD is. Summer Affective Disorder?)

Please explain what you mean by "plot holes"?? :s I saw none, I felt none, I read none. That's probably on me because I'm not as good an editor as I like to believe but still, Cinder had me in alternate fits of giggle and squee with the occasional "JUST KISS ALL READY!!!!! :'O" feelz. I found no holes in the plot when I read it... but then I am almost its demographic, and that should probably be taken into consideration when addressing this..... so, what plot holes didst thou findeth?

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The background didn't make sense. I didn't know how far it was in future (admittedly, not necessary to enjoy the story, but it's science fiction, so I'd like a hint), how big this kingdom was, or why the prince can go just casually walking around outside without attendants or bodyguards. Why there was an internal combustion car hanging around in a junkyard in fixable condition if we were, in fact, so far in the future (those things deteriorate in the open air.) How the heroine could use it for escape since there's aircars now and hence no roads. Why cyborgs are treated like crap even though hundreds of thousands of dollars must have been invested in their mechanical parts and computer circuitry. How the evil queen controls minds (that's just faulty science.) How no one has thought to take a picture of her to see what she looks like even there must be telephoto lenses still. If the writing or story had engaged me, I might not have thought of these points or brushed them aside, but it didn't.

Then I saw this chapter book about kids who win a contest and go climb Mt Everest, and since he loves books about kids doing cool things I bought it for him. He started it last night; he and Mr. Dragon were going to take turns reading it at bedtime. Then Dragonlet wanted to read it himself. Then this morning he asked if he could take it to school. He read in the car. He read at line-up. I took a picture. To see my son, finally reading for fun in his own time, makes me so overwhelmingly happy!

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I guess you were a reader as a child? I think it's very hard for a reader to understand why a non-reader can't or won't read, even as an adult. I had an interesting experience with one of my tenants about this. She was ADHD too, I think, and had to read a lot for law school. She could learn things through hearing with no problem, so she used audiobooks... and sped the speech up so she could get through them quickly.

I'm off to take a walk and enjoy this cool weather while it's still here. (I am a summer grinch. I get whatever the opposite of SAD is. Summer Affective Disorder?)

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Summer was steamy in NJ when I left 30 years ago and I'm sure it's gotten worse since then. I remember childhood summers when walking outside was like entering a vat of hot, muggy, gray, soup.

Re skin allergies: I used to get terrible rashes in the summer all over my arms. Finally I figure out they were caused by both euphorbia bush sap, and ipomoea, a morning glory like vine that acts like a weed here in Seattle. If I don't fully cover when I rip it out, the sap -- and there is a lot of it -- flies out and marks me, and with the action of sunlight, causes the rash. It goes away only with doctor-prescribed cortisone cream. Rash sufferers have my sympathy. I know I hate looking and feeling like a leper.

I have two friends with skin allergies. One isn't as bad, but the other cannot go out without full protective gear on at all times, even on cloudy days. Hat, full covered clothing, even her bathing suit must be special material, as most bathing suits let in some UV rays.

I'm highly allergic to PI, but my husband isn't. He gets to do the back yard work. I do the front, where there is no PI Then he must be thoroughly washed and clean before I'll touch him!

I was an avid reader as a child. So was my husband, and he had ADHD. It can happen

Dammy, I rejigger things a lot and I'm a planner. Usually it's after the first full draft, but I've gone back with an idea part way through and sprinkled references throughout like candy so it all adds up in the end. Of course sometimes I mess with continuity then... but hey, that's what edits are for!

I only got in about 175 words yesterday, but I've done 1400 today, so I feel better. More to come. I've also added a fun new character. Utromma, warrior woman! She's Eogan's love interest... but he's a famous womanizer, so it takes a warrior woman to tame him. She's a foot taller than him and can totally take him in a fight, even though he's a career warrior as well.

Dammy, I cut stuff all the time. I just came off a writing bender where I cut 30K from a fantasy mms, then added a completely different 30K. I needed to do it, I resisted it for years, but the weight of beta and editing feedback finally pushed me. It's a better book now.

Damoclian said:

Good dire cantina, I did a thing the other day (yesterday) and I was wondering if any of you fine folks have ever done similar. I cut 5k from my wip "Moonsway" because I can't build a book on an uncertain foundation, and cause I didnae like where it was going. I rarely plan these things out, I think that's my problem, but do any of you restructure as you go as well? Or find you dislike the tone and decide to change it? I need to feel less alone here!!!! :'(

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I don't think I've ever cut that FEW words in one go once I realized something was off. Of course, my writing tends to be rather verbose and a bit allovertheplace when I first write a draft, so maybe that has something to do with it.

Me, too - I vomit first drafts.