The Cantina Staring Back At You From The Abyss

E.F.B. · Feb 24, 2020

Wow, sorry your family went through that, GD. Glad he's a survivor, though.

Brightdreamer said:
The Second Moon - Your shorts getting shorter isn't necessarily a bad thing. Could be you're honing your skills enough that you can get to the meat of the story faster and more effectively. The trick is to make each story as long as it needs to be... and no longer.
And good luck with the editing!

My thoughts exactly.

Today may be my one quiet day this week since both parents have appointments everyday and then the beagle's annual checkup on Friday, so I'm trying hard to get some writing progress in. Yes, I know I'm online now.

It's lunchtime so I'm giving myself a brain break and then getting right back to it. After that, I'm thinking reading or crochet. Maybe both if I listen to my audiobook.

Re taxes, we're scheduled to get ours done early next month. Used to use Turbotax, but when mom retired there was new stuff we didn't even know we had to include, Turbotax certainly didn't tell us, and the IRS dinged us on it as if we'd intentionally withheld something, which was a massive, stressful headache. So we've been letting a human professional do it ever since.

Brightdreamer · Feb 24, 2020

EFB - My parents got a human person to help them last year, which got them a nice extra refund. (Dad's just not up to it anymore, unfortunately, plus the tax person found a few extra deductions.) Sometimes it's just easier.

And I don't expect I'll get taxes dealt with today, because someone may need to drive Mom back up to the hospital to check that fluid buildup thing.

At this rate, I don't expect I'll make the job interview tomorrow, not if they have to admit Mom again.

LadyV · Feb 24, 2020

Hello everyone! So glad this place is finally back. I've missed everyone.

Update for me: I spent the last month in Ohio for work training. It was really interesting, and I learned a lot. I took the ISA certification exam while I was there, and I'll find out in a week or so if I passed. I also met a lot nice people from all over the country and Canada. My only regret was not hanging out with some of them a little more. On our very last night, I confess I really hit it off with one of the guys. Within just a couple of hours, I discovered we had so much in common, and if it wasn't for the fact that we had to get up early the next morning to depart, we likely would have continued chatting into the wee hours. But it's probably for the best that that's where it ended. We live 9 hours apart, and as far as he knows, I have a boyfriend, which is technically true, but we're not much of anything anymore. Still, I can't help being a little down in the dumps about it, which I know is silly. At least we're following each other on Instagram.

The Second Moon · Feb 24, 2020

The Second Moon - Your shorts getting shorter isn't necessarily a bad thing. Could be you're honing your skills enough that you can get to the meat of the story faster and more effectively. The trick is to make each story as long as it needs to be... and no longer.
And good luck with the editing!

Thanks. I hadn't though about it like that.

Brightdreamer · Feb 24, 2020

Meh... later the same Monday, and Mom is back home. The doctor took a look and declared it "normal swelling." If it was going to get bad enough to interfere with swallowing and so she couldn't breathe well enough to lie down, why the frell is this not mentioned in any of the literature they sent home? Gah...

Got ribs in the oven for dinner, and I really should exercise, but Mom's taking a nap so I don't want to wake her up by stomping around or having the TV on (which I do when I'm using my non-stompy foot pedal thing.) Maybe I'll do my taxes.

TedTheewen · Feb 24, 2020

LadyV, that's always an amazing feeling when you meet somebody and that happens.

Today was a rough day at work but tomorrow is my Friday and I could really use a break. I haven't updated my blog in a while and I might do that.

tiddlywinks · Feb 24, 2020

Friendly Frog said:
... you've been out in the wild, a national parc to boot, and all you have is a few sore muscles? Huh, Kitkit is a miracle worker!

Or did she bubble-wrap all the wild-life and hard rocks for you?

Well, I, uh, did fall on my bum on the way down from one set of switchbacks THAT KITKIT RAN DOWN (I did not run. And I went even slower after I slipped at the top.) But yeah, only sore muscles and a bruise or two.

We wisely decided not to do a super duper steep hike on Saturday because it was raining that day. Given one of her other friends was describing how he fell in perfectly good weather on his bum...m'yeah.

We actually did joke that fellow AWers would never let Kitkit live it down if I broke something while on this trip with her :greenie

Not looking forward to leaving her humble abode and going back to the frozen tundra tomorrow. *sigh*

Brightdreamer · Feb 24, 2020

*waves to people*

Well, Monday's winding down; need to at least attempt writing (I've been slacking on Sisyphus again, though it's been a very crudtastic time lately), then read some before bed. Tomorrow's the job promotion interview that I'm sure I'll blow but I at least aim to make the attempt.

Away I drift...

Religion0 · Feb 25, 2020

Okay, wow, I just pulled on my ear to help ground me and I heard a sound like tearing paper? It didn't really hurt, and and as far as I could tell nothing's wrong, so I did it on the other ear and had the same sound and I think I just? cracked my ears? What?

Have done... some writing! Not super duper happy with it, but that's to be expected.

Brightdreamer said:
What did you have in mind? Or did you want to take some of my TBRs? *curls up on TBR pile, snarling like a dragon*
The last good books I've read were:
Soonish, by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith (by the creators of the webcomic "Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal", a humorous nonfiction look at emergent technologies, what they might do, and what's holding them back)
Bob, by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead (a children's/MG fantasy about friendship, where a ten-year-old girl returns to her grandmother's home after five years away and finds a little green creature in the closet, who insists she promised to help it remember who it was and how to get home)
Terminal Alliance, by Jim C. Hines (humor/SF wherein Earth has been decimated by a zombielike plague, but aliens have managed to fix - somewhat - a handful of humans, using them as shock troops and for other menial tasks that don't challenge their diminished minds... until a group of janitors are the only survivors when a hostile bioweapon reverts the rest of a spaceship's crew)
The Rage of Dragons, by Evan Winter (an intense, somewhat dark fantasy about a young man from a lesser caste whose anger drives him far beyond what his people tell him he can achieve - even as they stand on the brink of annihilation)
And best of luck on the puppy!

*puts on helmet and picks up sword* Thanks for the recs!

CobraMisfit said:
Only to tell me that my restraining order is still in place.

Okay, I need you to spill the noodles on what happened.

Cobalt Jade said:
For sure the doppelganger pup won't have the same personality. But you know what? That's all right. My theory is, dog people are blessed with an abundance of dog energy, and it's a violation of the laws of nature not to bestow that energy on some lucky pup who needs it.

An abundance of what? I've never had an abundance of energy in my life!

frimble3 said:
Good that the Danish welfare state is finally living up to the fine reputation of Scandinavian countries in general!
As to spelling - English itself is a devil for spelling. The British borrowed words from all over the world, shifted them around to suit themselves, and sometimes sent them on, in mangled shape.
I have always read a lot, so for consonants I go by 'look'. Requiring my to write/type the word first, so I can compare it to the template in my head.
With vowels, I am sorry to say that I guess a lot. If I see two vowels together, not only do my eyes blur, but so does my brain. Any of the dipthongs (ie, ea, ei, ae, ou, uo, etc.) are all pretty much interchangeable in my head. (I know that ae is unusual in English, but used in older British books, so I have to keep it in mind.) I have to write the word out, which sometimes helps, but not always. The only phrases that ever worked for me was for 'ie'. 'A Scout is a friend to all, and a brother to other Scouts'. If you take the 'r' out of friend and the first 'r' out of 'brother', the phrase means the opposite: 'A Scout is a fiend to all and a bother to other Scouts'. 'I' before 'E' except after 'C' would work if it weren't for that little list of exceptions, which I never remember.
Sometimes flipping a coin seems the better choice.

The main problem with the Danish system is that there's so much damn bureaucratic slime to keep the moochers out that it makes it kind of impossible for the people who need it to get through as well. Once you're in, though, it's very good, and there are a lot of people in the system who want it to work for those who need it.
What really gets me is repeated letters. But trust me, for every gripe one can have with English there's at least one to have with Danish.

Friendly Frog said:
About 'yeeting', I am not familiar with the word, but I'm starting to see it here and there appearing online. Is it a new word? or have I managed to miss it for the last twenty years or so?

To "yeet" is to throw something with force. It's recent-ish, in that it has its origin in a Vine video.

The Second Moon · Feb 25, 2020

Does any one else here have a scary good memory? I do. Just a few weeks ago I saw I girl from my kindergarten class. KINDERGARTEN people!! Of course I did not say anything because kindergarten was over a decade ago, but i recognized her face and her name which the doctor called out.

Anyways, I've had this complex idea for a series with me since early high school and I finally found how to make it work. Problem is I am already working on two other series, but just to have these characters in my head again feels so good. :e2cloud9:

Brightdreamer · Feb 25, 2020

Tuesday morning, and heading out to my promotion interview in an hourish... still don't know if I want-want it, but I could really use the money and I do need the change and everything seems to be nudging me "up or out" in this job. Really hope it's not "out." (Even my random Tarot draw for spitballing last night was 8 Cups, the figure walking away from the empty chalices to the next phase of their life. Not that I believe in predictive power of random cards, but there is something to be said for cords struck...)

Kjbartolotta · Feb 25, 2020

The Second Moon said:
Does any one else here have a scary good memory? I do. Just a few weeks ago I saw I girl from my kindergarten class. KINDERGARTEN people!! Of course I did not say anything because kindergarten was over a decade ago, but i recognized her face and her name which the doctor called out.

While far from perfect, my memory is generally sharp enough to constantly freak people out. Of course, I doubt I could remember someone from kindergarten but it's been a fair bit longer for me.

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]

Brightdreamer said:
(Even my random Tarot draw for spitballing last night was 8 Cups, the figure walking away from the empty chalices to the next phase of their life. Not that I believe in predictive power of random cards, but there is something to be said for cords struck...)

[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Yeah, I've been getting constant 'Time to Move On' omens lately, and I wish they would coalesce into, y'know, stuff happening.[/FONT]

LadyV · Feb 25, 2020

Good afternoon, Cantina.

Well, the stretch of beautiful days is over. It's been raining off and on most of the day. I went to the gym for the first time in weeks. I'm so out of shape right now. I tried to work out while I was away, but our schedule just didn't allot for much free time. To be honest, this whole winter I've been very inconsistent with exercise.

Oh! I just realized the site went down before I had my LASIK surgery. So yeah, that. Everything went great! It's been over a month now and my vision is amazing! I love not having to fuss with glasses or contacts anymore. I still have to use moisturizing drops four times a day for the next 2 months, but that's no big deal. I'm glad I had it done.

Cobalt Jade · Feb 25, 2020

Does any one else here have a scary good memory? I do. Just a few weeks ago I saw I girl from my kindergarten class. KINDERGARTEN people!! Of course I did not say anything because kindergarten was over a decade ago, but i recognized her face and her name which the doctor called out.

I remember stuff from when I was diapers.

Brightdreamer · Feb 25, 2020

Kjbartolotta - Yeah, it's doors trying to slam closed and push me through without any windows in sight, these days.

Am back. Interview existed... really not feeling that great about it, TBH. I'd be very surprised if I got the offer, and I'm still rather ambivalent about the whole prospect, but I had to at least try. (I'm just not leadership material in any form...)

And Target no longer sells USB cord and I didn't want to go to the far side of town, so I just got my Potbelly sandwich for lunch and came home.

TedTheewen · Feb 25, 2020

LadyV, our weather is weird. We were supposed to get a major storm that went south and now we're going to get a few flakes.

Today is my Friday and I need a weekend. Maybe I'll figure it out and get something done today.

JJ Litke · Feb 25, 2020

I’m sick again/still/whichever/who knows. This is absolutely the worst I’ve ever seen it on our campus; half our instructors have been out at some point, one was hospitalized, and at least a third of students in my classes. I’ve had it off and on since Feb. 1 (as in, sick for several days, feel better and go back to work, then worse again, then better, etc). I think I’m past the cold and into sinus infection territory now.

I kept thinking I’d say something when I was better but I’ve lost hope. This is my life now. I will be sick forever and turn into a snot ghost who dribbles infectious droplets on instructors with strict attendance policies that pressure students to come in sick. On them I will wreak my revenge.

TedTheewen · Feb 25, 2020

JJ, I love the idea of a snot ghost! The name Slimer was taken but I'm sure I could come up with a new one.

When I was a teacher I was sick all the damned time. It was horrible.

JJ Litke · Feb 25, 2020

Agreed. This is one of the worst things about teaching. You’d think at the college level it’d be less of a disease factory, and you’d be wrong.

Brightdreamer · Feb 25, 2020

JJ Litke - Sounds like a "Mobius Bug": a general cycling sickness that keeps coming back, again and again, week after week. (With me, it's usually sinus to throat to chest to sinus, again and again and again, until it finally goes away.)

Well, I'd best get some exercise in while I can. Mom's not swallowing much today (throat too sore and everything), so I think nuke-your-own dinner has been called, meaning I don't need to deal with that. Away I meander.

TedTheewen · Feb 25, 2020

Mobius bug. I like that term. I used to get them but since I've become a reclusive hermit I don't have to worry about it much.

JJ Litke · Feb 25, 2020

Today I started running a fever, and my doctor wants to send me for a CT scan on my sinuses. Sheesh. I managed to get things clearer on the bad side, though I can’t feel confident that it’ll stay that way or keep getting better. (Mobius bug is such a great term for it.) Still, I feel like we skipped a step or something. It’s far back in my head, though, like, I don’t know, the eustachian tube or something? That’s the weird part—the front is clear and I can breathe, it just feels like cotton is stuffed into the back on the right.

Sorry, I usually avoid talking about gross illness, it’s just been going so long it’s hard to keep holding it in.

Religion0 · Feb 26, 2020

I feel sick. Luckily, not sick like JJ. More a bit of a cough and kind of exhausted and very achy. Probably has more to do with my lack of breakfast and the cyclical return of grief slamming me with a mouthful of sorrow. I dreamt about Havana and I miss her so much.

LadyV said:
Oh! I just realized the site went down before I had my LASIK surgery. So yeah, that. Everything went great! It's been over a month now and my vision is amazing! I love not having to fuss with glasses or contacts anymore. I still have to use moisturizing drops four times a day for the next 2 months, but that's no big deal. I'm glad I had it done.

Years down the line, I'm still happy I got mine, especially in the evening when I don't have itchy eyes from dry contacts or glasses. I hated wearing glasses, and I get angry about people who wear fake glasses. I do see light coronas at night, though, which can make driving in the city difficult, as all I can see sometimes is the light with intermittent patches of dark. Wouldn't trade that for smudged glasses or itchy contacts, though. It's uncomfortable more than unsafe.

JJ Litke said:
I kept thinking I’d say something when I was better but I’ve lost hope. This is my life now. I will be sick forever and turn into a snot ghost who dribbles infectious droplets on instructors with strict attendance policies that pressure students to come in sick. On them I will wreak my revenge.

They deserve it. I've never been a victim to them, but they definitely deserve it.

The Second Moon · Feb 26, 2020

I ordered a custom journal online and it came yesterday. It looks amazing! :hooray:

I can't wait to write in it.

Also my shoes that I ordered came. It's like Christmas!

Sorry everyone's sick. Get well soon!

Edit: Forgot to say I had a cool dream last night and a boy in the dream was named Terrance Firma Mann. Like a man from Terra Firma. Just thought that was cool.

Brightdreamer · Feb 26, 2020

Wednesday morning, and my "official" vacation started with a sinus headache. Great...

Sibling is leaving soon; she has a dental appointment this afternoon, but plans to do some thrift store hunting before then; it's how she deals with stress. I really hope they can help her...

Got my review of Don Quixote posted, so I'm going to take a bit of a break and then compose a post-interview letter to my interviewers, thanking them for the valuable experience (and basically telling them I'm not interested in the job at this point, but thanks for the opportunity - pretty sure I wasn't going to get it anyway, but still worth the courtesy, as it might help if another position opens up.)

For the curious, Mom's still puffy and miserable. The swelling looked like it had gone down a little last night, but is back this morning. I'm still hoping it dies down some by tomorrow; she's sick of not being able to eat more than soup and applesauce.

The Cantina Staring Back At You From The Abyss

Stories, stories everywhere

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Potentially has/is dog

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People are not wearing enough hats

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