A Life of Crime and Chocolate

[heyjude]

Well hi there! Pull up a seat, grab some chocolate, and get comfy.

We're trying to keep the 500 thread on topic to writing goals (sorry, I'm probably the worst offender for off-topic topics), so I thought our own social thread might be fun. Talk about your life, your books, the guy who pissed you off driving slow in the fast lane, football, whatever you like.

Just be sure you bring chocolate to share.

And if you have a better thread title, suggest away!

I'll start by saying how thrilled I am to be finished with my edits. I can't wait to break into a new ms. My life is a whole lot more simple than it was a week or two ago, so that's a good thing. Also, I see the hand surgeon on Thursday, so hopefully he can help with my hand issues.

Your turn. Tell me about you.

 

[MysteryRiter]

*passes out chocolate* My life? Hmmm. I'm going on a camping trip tomorrow. I just began the novel that I have spent so much time planning and I'm really happy with the opening. I tweaked a few elements and it seems pretty unique.

 

[Mystery1]

I live in a RV. Recently put three short stories on Amazon and Smashwords. I'm in the middle of the first draft of a new mystery novel. Would like to have 11 titles for sale by 11/11/11 [novels/shorts].

*shares bag of mini chocolate bars*

Sharon

 

[Namatu]

Focus? On topic? How... orderly, hj. I'll try to understand.

We're 20 degrees below temperature average and my heat isn't working. It worked a week or two ago, but now it just makes me colder. I'm currently not freezing, but there's time yet. Like tomorrow morning, because I'm certain my landlord won't get this fixed today.

*sips chocolate tea*

Good luck with the hand surgeon, hj!

 

[heyjude]

*passes out chocolate* My life? Hmmm. I'm going on a camping trip tomorrow. I just began the novel that I have spent so much time planning and I'm really happy with the opening. I tweaked a few elements and it seems pretty unique.

Yay for novels and uniqueness! That's awesome. Camping... is that like, outside or something? My idea of camping is a hotel without room service.

I live in a RV. Recently put three short stories on Amazon and Smashwords. I'm in the middle of the first draft of a new mystery novel. Would like to have 11 titles for sale by 11/11/11 [novels/shorts].

*shares bag of mini chocolate bars*

Sharon

You live in an RV? Do you roam around having adventures? That sounds like so much fun! (Except for the lack of room service.) Fantastic on the short stories! Did you put them up in the Braggatorium?

Focus? On topic? How... orderly, hj. I'll try to understand.

It seems so unlikely. I don't do on topic well, but we'll see.

We're 20 degrees below temperature average and my heat isn't working. It worked a week or two ago, but now it just makes me colder. I'm currently not freezing, but there's time yet. Like tomorrow morning, because I'm certain my landlord won't get this fixed today.

Wasn't it ten minutes ago that you guys finally got the A/C fixed?

*sips chocolate tea*

Good luck with the hand surgeon, hj!

Thanks.

 

[mirandashell]

I love MTS. I have periods where I read nothing else.

I have brought drinking chocolate. Does anyone have a kettle?

I work. I write. But the second WIP is turning out to be a bitch.

I have a deep sense of curiosity.

Hmmm.... that's about it.

 

[Zelenka]

I dunno, I think I'm probably up there with the worst for derailing the 500 a day thread (usually with excuses why I haven't done 500 a day!)

In RL? Tomorrow I'm becoming a friend of the Prague National Gallery so I can get in any time I like for 600 crowns (about $20) a year, and they have a permanent exhibition that will be great inspiration for one of my WIPs. Other than that, I'm just pottering about with my stories in the fond hope that one of them will turn out not to be crap.

 

[Shakesbear]

I bring chocolate biscuits to be dunked into the drinking chocolate of Mirandashell.

I live next door to the back of beyond. The tranquillity is only broken by the sound of people munching chocolate and the kettle boiling. I am writing something that has been in my head for far too long and now needs to be on paper, so to speak. Sadly I keep getting distracted by the sound of chocolate being munched.

 

[heyjude]

How about I just install a chocolate fountain for the drinking chocolate? Good? Excellent. How is it that there's no "chocolate drinking fountain" smiley? Or is it smilie? My spell check is letting both through, which always makes me deeply suspicious.

Sadly I keep getting distracted by the sound of chocolate being munched.

Oops! Sorry. I'll munch quieter.

I just took a nap. How I love Sundays. Church is always a mad rush for me, then... quiet. (Well, aside from the munching and the children playing, of course.)

 

[DocBrown]

Focus? On topic? How... orderly, hj. I'll try to understand.

I told her not to do it!

Camping... is that like, outside or something? My idea of camping is a hotel without room service.

*Applauds*

Here! Here! And roughing it is a hotel without a pool!

I dunno, I think I'm probably up there with the worst for derailing the 500 a day thread (usually with excuses why I haven't done 500 a day!)

That's actually ON topic.


*Starts nonchalantly filling pockets with various chocolate items.*

 

[mirandashell]

How about I just install a chocolate fountain for the drinking chocolate? Good?

No, no, no! Drinking chocolate has to be hot!

 

[Shakesbear]

How about I just install a chocolate fountain for the drinking chocolate? Good? Excellent. How is it that there's no "chocolate drinking fountain" smiley? Or is it smilie? My spell check is letting both through, which always makes me deeply suspicious.



Oops! Sorry. I'll munch quieter.

I just took a nap. How I love Sundays. Church is always a mad rush for me, then... quiet. (Well, aside from the munching and the children playing, of course.)

The quiet munching of chocolate is much appreciated.

Though it might have been me munching not you. The drinking fountain solves the problem and munching could well become slurping. Why does the thought of chocolate spoil my grammar and syntax? Sigh...

 

[heyjude]

Can we slurp from a heated chocolate fountain? That works, right?

Doc! Is that chocolate in your pocket or... um... never mind.

 

[Namatu]

I acquired some dark chocolate-covered pumpkin seed... bites. They're very healthy, you see, because of the pumpkin seeds, and the dark chocolate.

Did you know Starbucks has a salted caramel hot chocolate or something like that? I recently saw this and am now plotting when I can make one mine.

I'm with hj and Doc on the definition of camping. I have never in my life been camping. Outside? With bugs and dirt and stuff for your neighbors? And where's the bathroom with the hot running water and the fluffy towels? Even in sixth grade, when the whole class was going for a camping week, I was wise enough to abstain. I'm quite fond of my bed and my pillow, thank you.

 

[MysteryRiter]

I haven't written anything today. *goes back to write*

 

[ToddWBush]

As one of the worst "off-topic topics" offenders, I welcome this thread with open arms.

So to update everyone on football this season, our varsity team has evened their record at 2-2. Our junior varsity team, of which I am the head coach, is now 3-0! I can't believe how good the kids are playing on JV. They are awesome!

 

[Shakesbear]

Can we slurp from a heated chocolate fountain? That works, right?

Doc! Is that chocolate in your pocket or... um... never mind.

You will burn your lips! Straws will melt. Communal slurping is a synonym for sharing bacteria. I will bring my own prrcious mug (well, a pint pot) and let the precious liquid flow into it. Muahahaha my precious ... watch slowly and see me transmogrify into Gollum...

 

[wonderactivist]

Our junior varsity team, of which I am the head coach, is now 3-0! I can't believe how good the kids are playing on JV. They are awesome!

Go JV! Congrats to Todd!

As one of the worst off-topic posters, I'll just say that "Moneyball" was a hit outta the park for the boys and I this weekend. Plus Brad's still cute. My DH stayed home so I got that naughty feeling of being with my "other man"

 

[heyjude]

Todd! Congratulations on the win, Coach! That's wonderful!

Shakesbear, I still insist on a chocolate fountain. We shall have dippers! Made of chocolate!

Namatu, where did you come up with these chocolate covered pumpkin seeds?! That sounds like it could either be wonderful or horribly wrong.

 

[Shakesbear]

Todd! Congratulations on the win, Coach! That's wonderful!

Shakesbear, I still insist on a chocolate fountain. We shall have dippers! Made of chocolate!

Namatu, where did you come up with these chocolate covered pumpkin seeds?! That sounds like it could either be wonderful or horribly wrong.

Dippers? Please, not skinny ones.

Chocolate covered pumpkin seeds sound very halloweeny! And not right. Very not right!

 

[Zelenka]

Marks & Spencer do a variety of chocolate covered stuff, but not pumpkin seeds. Best was the chocolate covered corn flakes but they don't do those any more. And over here in CR you can't get the chocolate covered pretzels yet either, those just came out in the UK.

I made a Czech aniseed cake last night and shoved some chocolate in it, that's about as much as I have in the house right now. And now I want chocolate.

 

[Shakesbear]

You can do your own chocolate covered cornflakes:

You will need:
a saucepan
a heatproof bowl
chocolate
cornflakes

place water in the saucepan - it must not touch the base of the bowl - and bring to the boil, then turn down heat so water is simmering

break chocolate up into chunks and place in bowl

place bowl over saucepan

wait patiently whilst chcocolate melts

gently sprinkle cornflakes into chocolate and stir gently

remove bowl from heat

use a table spoon to scoop out the mixture and leave it in blobs (love that word - blobs!) on waxed/nonstick paper

wait patiently for chocolate to harden and then munch and crunch happily

 

[Zelenka]

Yeah, that's kind of how I make my rocky road, only substitute cherries and marshmallows for cornflakes, and I do a base out of smashed up double chocolate chip cookies bound together with melted butter. The M&S ones though were actually individual cornflakes coated in chocolate though. Seriously good.

If I go shopping tomorrow after my job training I'm going to look for some chocolate and give my rocky road a go. I haven't seen any Green & Blacks chocolate here though and it is just brilliant for traybakes and such.

 

[jeseymour]

Is it too on-topic for this thread to ask for help with a title? My series has titles that are all sort of medical related (and all have double meanings related to each book.) First one I wrote was Stress Fractures, which features the main character falling apart under severe stress. Second one was Frostbite, set in the winter in New Hampshire, third one (and first published) was Lead Poisoning, which is related to an old mob joke. What did he die of? (Two guys looking at a bullet-riddled body.) Lead poisoning. Get it? Anyway, I'm well into the next one, and I know I've mentioned this before, but I hate the title. I'm calling it Arrhythmia (which is related to heart problems, which is related to the main character having relationship problems in this book.) But it's a terrible title. Nobody can spell it, much less understand it. So I need a new title, something simpler. Frostbite would work for this one too, because it's set in the winter in northern New Hampshire. (But I already used Frostbite.) I thought of Hypothermia, but that's almost as bad as Arrhythmia. Chillblains is too obscure. Frostnip is lame. Any thoughts?

 

[MarkEsq]

I thought of Hypothermia, but that's almost as bad as Arrhythmia. Chillblains is too obscure. Frostnip is lame. Any thoughts?

Dead Cold
Frozen Stiff
Body of Ice