The No News is No News Purgatory Thread, Volume 9

Calla Lily · Jun 18, 2013

I have never acquired a taste for rhubarb. Or yogurt or brussels sprouts.

Peach crisp OTOH = nom.

Non sequituur of the afternoon: I want to like Beethoven's Fidelio, but the songs are boring.

Maryn · Jun 18, 2013

I thought I didn't like brussels sprouts until I had them garlic-roasted at a hoity-toity restaurant. I can now mimic that dish and do so fairly often. They're mostly a vehicle for the garlic and butter or olive oil. Yum!

The contractor only set off the smoke alarm four times in the last hour. He's now driven away, giving me anywhere from twenty to fifty minutes of peace before Mr. Maryn comes home.

Maryn, who wants brussels sprouts and rhubarb, please

Calla Lily · Jun 18, 2013

Tired. Not in a happy place.

Writers are solitary creatures. I need to remember that. And, yanno, remember not to trust people too quickly.

Thank you all here in Purgatory for still being my friends. *pouncetacklehug*

Vespertilion · Jun 18, 2013

suki · Jun 18, 2013

Hi all. Squeezing in some word before dinner. And celebrating that I'm back in a place where I can simply "squeeze in words" without it being a major, soul-sucking, endeavor.

tas -- any chance that it you pointed out it's basically two jobs that they might up the pay?

Maryn -- interesting vinegar-water tip -- I might have to try that.

Lily -- hug.

We have those days. You're among friends here.

ETA: I do love those little bunnies.

~suki

Calla Lily · Jun 18, 2013

mmmm... inappropriate bunnies....

Calla Lily · Jun 18, 2013

Also: There re not enough legendary rats/lizards small enough to inhabit a sewer. Grr. I'm wasting writing time.

ETA: Found one: Mapinguari. Nasty babies of this one will work.

Little1 · Jun 18, 2013

Aw Tas

(((( LIL ))))) I hope things get better.

Tasmin21 · Jun 18, 2013

Suki - Oh, I pointed out to them that their job grade was too low the moment they posted the job. The problem is, the job doesn't EXIST at a higher job grade, even though Boss Boss is supposedly doing the paperwork to create that higher job grade in both departments. (blah blah paperwork blah blah committees that only meet twice a year blah blah blah) He's been dangling this carrot for over a year now. I have no faith.

Calla Lily · Jun 18, 2013

Tas, when I'm on the work server during the day, I'm careful what I post. Now I'm home, and my one piece of advice is: Get everything in writing. Trust no one. If they hook you for the job at your current pay grade, you'll see nothing but those 2% COL hikes once a year, and your potential for ulcers will quintuple. I'm sure you know this, tho. *hugs*

Tasmin21 · Jun 18, 2013

Yeah, Lil, and that's where I come down to...do I want this job bad enough to endure the crap?

Of course, no one has offered me anything, on either interview, so this could all be a moot debate in the end.

Maryn · Jun 19, 2013

Good morning, Citizens of Purgatory!

Today may turn out to be a good day--this morning they removed the dumpster from our driveway. Woo-hoo! And I got a car appointment for today, which is good because the AC isn't cooling sufficiently and I'm due for an oil change. Who knows what other delights await me this fine Wednesday?

Maryn, who must remember to get the trash out tonight

Calla Lily · Jun 19, 2013

I dreamed I took a PT job driving a short bus full of gifted kids to a super-special summer school class. Except the only way to get to this school wasn't on regular roads. It was on roller-coaster tracks. In the dream, I was driving a school bus on u-down-sideways-loop the loop tracks.

:scared:

I don't do roller coasters.

Maryn, yay! And we are A/C sisters--sometime this morning the heating/cooling place will call me for our annual a/c system check.

They set the service window at between 9am - noon. I told them to call me when the guy's 15 minutes away. I'm not losing a morning of work. Any bets that he doesn't call till after 1pm?

sammyig · Jun 19, 2013

((Lily))

I'm kind of in a funk, not really posting much. Caught a crud-o-doom and my book sales are extremely poor. I'm sure the amount of steroids I'm on right now has me emotional. (Doc put me on more than I'd ever been trying to keep my butt out of the hospital. So far, it has worked. Evil crud must die.)

Calla Lily · Jun 19, 2013

{{{sammy}}} Steroids are nasty. Occasionally I have to do a 6-day mega hit, and by day 5 I am angry, short-tempered Lily.

Good luck with them. I hope you don't have to head for the hospital.

sammyig · Jun 19, 2013

Right now, they seem to be keeping my lungs under control. So knock on wood. Today is my last dosage. I'm hoping that I won't have to go on more of them after this. But, I'm up coughing all night, which isn't fun. Three days without much sleep has probably attacked my mood as well.

Maryn · Jun 19, 2013

Day three of bad nights' sleep would have me sharpening tools on a whetstone and just daring somebody to cross me, even a little.

But fingers crossed for staying out of the hospital, even if a mood is the price you pay.

I got in a walk outside, which was pleasant enough except for it being exercise, and now I'm back listening to the contractor's radio. At least today it's music I don't care for rather than politics I don't agree with. Later on I've got a car appointment, to which I'll take a book and an MP3 player.

Maryn, who needs quiet and privacy to write

Calla Lily · Jun 19, 2013

Back from minding the house while the A/C got serviced:

Me: Could you increase the fan speed?
Nice Young Man: (looks puzzled) Sure, I'll check it out.

Much clomping in the cellar, things turning one and off, etc.

NYM: Have you had the a/c on at all this year?
Me: A couple times.
NYM: According to my diagnostics, the motherboard isn't working.
Me: (in despair) You'll have to give me an estimate.
NYM: I'm going to call my boss to make sure I'm doing this right.

10 minutes later, an older guy arrives. They put new batteries in the thermostat, clomp around the cellar, go outside to check that unit.

Older Man: Did you install a new thermostat?
Me: No. This one is a few years old.
OM: Oh, then it's ours. Well, your wires were crossed. That's why the fan wasn't working. We've fixed that. You should be fine now.

More clomping. I'm sitting at the kitchen counter when the vent at my feet goes WHOOSH and lots of cold air freezes my toes.

The techs come upstairs, I sign the official report, and they leave.

This annual service contract is totally worth it. And honest technicians are a treasure. Whew.

Maryn · Jun 19, 2013

We're having a good week in here in terms of businesses treating us right, aren't we? (I got my sandals replaced, no questions asked, when I hoped for a free repair.)

So I must confess: I went to Panera after my car was ready, just to spend some time not at home, and it was pretty empty mid-afternoon. The section I was in dwindled down to me and a young 20-something guy who was nice-looking. I tried not to ogle too boldly, scolding myself the whole time, since he's younger than my son.

Maryn, sick puppy/normal woman

Tasmin21 · Jun 20, 2013

Mornin' folk!

I lurked around a lot yesterday, just didn't feel like posting.

Got 2 chapters worth of revisions done Peacemaker last night while kiddo was at karate. Added almost a thousand words. Hope I can keep that up, the book was shorter than I'd like to begin with.

Trying not to think about the job interviews. There's no new information, so all I can do is obsess over the what-ifs. That way lies madness.

Hope everyone has a good day.

Calla Lily · Jun 20, 2013

*sends Tas virtual mai tais and a cabana boy to massage her feet*

Maryn · Jun 20, 2013

Bah-humbug. I got out the door early to walk, because I should (and for once I did), and on my return the contractor is here telling me one of the parts for the faucet arrived broken, so he's ordered a replacement. This job is never going to be completed, is it?

Yeah, not the world's biggest problem.

One of the women in my writing group forwarded a blog post excerpt and link taking about how readers would be wise to diversify their bookshelves so they're not reading White Dudes exclusively. I was pleased to see Evie mentioned, even though I barely know her--she was getting real busy just when I arrived at Purgatory.

Maryn, all sweaty

Tasmin21 · Jun 21, 2013

Waiting, waiting, waiting
Man, do I hate waiting
I think my legs need shaving
Rawhide!
*whip sound*

Yeah, bit punchy this morning.

Can't even celebrate it being Friday, because we know we may have to work this weekend on this big project (but no one can seem to tell us FOR SURE if we're working this weekend). Not like I have a life that needs some plans made or anything.

*grump*

Calla Lily · Jun 21, 2013

{{{Tas}}}

Kiddo graduates HS tonight. I will be Tweeting a pic of him in cap and gown whether he likes it or not. :evil

Maryn · Jun 21, 2013

You absolutely must, Lily. Once they're that old, embarrassing them and paying for things is all we have left.

I can't seem to get myself out the door. I'm dressed, even shoes, yet something holds me back.

Oh, right, Laziness.

Maryn, guilty

The No News is No News Purgatory Thread, Volume 9

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Opinionated

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Hakuna Matata

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Vampire Connoisseur

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Vampire Connoisseur

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I Tried

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I Tried