The Cantina Staring Back At You From The Abyss

*waves to everyone*

Hubby leaves for trucking school in 1 week. I'm scurrying to get all my freelance stuff done for next weekend (scheduling promo) so all the things that he should have already taken care of that will come up next weekend, will get done without me worrying about my sidejobs. (LOL yes this is happening already, he spent 5 days researching smart phones (no he didn't have one) and approaching it from every angle possible before settling on the one he liked first) He's now checking out all of the stuff the phone can do and how to secure it, and whether adblockers work... (he's known he needed a phone for a month now. *sigh*)

But once this weekend is over, I'll have more time again for some writing. YAY! And crafting! Yay! And ME things! YAY!

Halloween has arrived at my store. This year there are skeleton mermaids! Skeleton unicorns! Skeleton dragons! In four different finishes, even: Carnival glass, pearl, bone, and metallic green!

Plus, there's an Aleister Crowley inspired dinnerware set!

And a costume so you can dress up as a giant eggplant.

I am way too old for trick or treat but I do enjoy the Halloween walk in my neighborhood. Kids and grownups alike dress up and viait all the stores on the main drag. Last year I dressed my dog up and did it. This year she has a banana costume. What kind of easy to make costume could I wear that would go along with a banana? Maybe a chef?

Cobalt Jade said:

This year there are skeleton mermaids!

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Their bones ring just as beautifully as their voices once did...

Cobalt Jade - If you're talking Freddy's/Kroger, there's a gold variant of the little dragon (same company, same mold, same price tag even) at Value Village in their Halloween stuff. Haven't seen the other skeleton critters there, though - just the dragon. (And I got the black dragon as an early b-day present to myself.) Big Lots also has a large unicorn skeleton with LED lights. (They also had a saber-tooth tiger, but not in a size small enough for my minimal collection space... dang it.)

lilyWhite said:

Now I'm going to have to eventually write a magical girl who uses a giant bubble wand to create bubbles that are pretty, float, and when they go pop bad guys get hurt.

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Lily, I feel like one of these days you're going to drop just a library's worth of stories that are all somehow connected, rainbow colored and full of magical/cat/siren girls.

Religion0 said:

Lily, I feel like one of these days you're going to drop just a library's worth of stories that are all somehow connected, rainbow colored and full of magical/cat/siren girls.

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...not if I keep thinking about future sequels and crossover specials before I have even the first one polished, yet alone published or whatever... ;_;

lilyWhite said:

Now I'm going to have to eventually write a magical girl who uses a giant bubble wand to create bubbles that are pretty, float, and when they go pop bad guys get hurt.

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Dooo eeet!

Shadowflame said:

But once this weekend is over, I'll have more time again for some writing. YAY! And crafting! Yay! And ME things! YAY!

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YAY!

Cobalt Jade said:

I am way too old for trick or treat but I do enjoy the Halloween walk in my neighborhood. Kids and grownups alike dress up and viait all the stores on the main drag. Last year I dressed my dog up and did it. This year she has a banana costume. What kind of easy to make costume could I wear that would go along with a banana? Maybe a chef?

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Or a banana tree?


More words than I expected got written yesterday. 777 of them to be exact. It's kinda fun and oddly satisfying to finish on a number like that. I'm currently debating if I should write more today or goof off. It is Hobbit Day after all. Of course, I'll feel a lot better if I write at least a little and *then* goof off, so I should probably do that first. Also, on my mom's suggestion, we're making a cake for Hobbit Day (because why not?) and the batter is very colorful because Jello powder. I'll share pics of the finished product tomorrow.

I want to dress up for Halloween this year. I'm not sure as what, but I want to do it. I haven't dressed up for it since I was in first grade.


Today was a rough one at work and I'm very glad it's over. Ever have one of those days where you just don't give a damn? Yeah, that's where I was today. Tired and not caring about anything. Late from breaks, screwing around between calls, having random chats with customers instead of getting the job done. Me? Give a shit? Not today, I'm afraid.

But I need to re-shoot an ice cream video tonight. The previous one I screwed up the video too many times. Even creative editing wouldn't be enough to fix it.

And I still haven't been visited by the plot bunnies so I can get this short story knocked out. It's like I'm the guy giving out tooth brushes and toothpaste on Halloween and everybody knows it so they're just walking past without making eye contact.

Ted - There's probably a MG-level short horror story in that idea: the one house with the neighborhood eccentric giving out toothbrushes and weird-brand paste on Halloween, and only the one kid (to be polite) takes it... and the next day everyone has mutated into candy monsters because they didn't use the special toothpaste - even the parents, who always snack on kids' candy after they go to bed.

Sunday afternoon, and still sunless. Got my exercise in (one round at least - need to double up at least once a week, I think), and am now chilling while my headphones recharge. Should probably push through my Kindle read, which has lingered a little too long unfinished, while I'm doing nothing else. (And job prospects without training don't look great around here, according to Snagajob... lots of it looks like Uber-style traps or retail/fast food traps or other life-draining traps. dang it.)

Brightdreamer said:

Ted - There's probably a MG-level short horror story in that idea: the one house with the neighborhood eccentric giving out toothbrushes and weird-brand paste on Halloween, and only the one kid (to be polite) takes it... and the next day everyone has mutated into candy monsters because they didn't use the special toothpaste - even the parents, who always snack on kids' candy after they go to bed.

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I had a similar plot bunny about a guy with a cursed apple tree who handed out apples on Halloween from that tree. But it was far darker than that one. You're idea is much better, I think, and would be an amazing story for younger readers. I would totally run with it if I had the chops for that audience but unfortunately I tend to have too many drug addicts, suicides, some other adult content.

Today, somebody asked me to make him some pickle ice cream for a girl he's trying to get close to. Because I'm the best wingman ever, I'm thinking about it, and checking out recipes and methods.

TedTheewen said:

Today, somebody asked me to make him some pickle ice cream for a girl he's trying to get close to. Because I'm the best wingman ever, I'm thinking about it, and checking out recipes and methods.

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Does he want straight-up sour dill pickle, or would something like a pickled cocktail onion, vinegar with a hint of sweet, work better for ice cream? Sweet mixed pickle with chunks of that bright yellow pickled cauliflower!

Cobalt Jade said:

I am way too old for trick or treat but I do enjoy the Halloween walk in my neighborhood. Kids and grownups alike dress up and viait all the stores on the main drag. Last year I dressed my dog up and did it. This year she has a banana costume. What kind of easy to make costume could I wear that would go along with a banana? Maybe a chef?

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Monkey or gorilla?

frimble3 said:

Does he want straight-up sour dill pickle, or would something like a pickled cocktail onion, vinegar with a hint of sweet, work better for ice cream? Sweet mixed pickle with chunks of that bright yellow pickled cauliflower!

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Around here, just straight sour dill cucumbers. Nobody gets fancy. The cool part is I've got some young dill growing in a flower pot right now and I could use it in the base.

I've got some ideas about how I could approach it.

TedTheewen said:

Around here, just straight sour dill cucumbers. Nobody gets fancy. The cool part is I've got some young dill growing in a flower pot right now and I could use it in the base.

I've got some ideas about how I could approach it.

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won't the vinegar clabber the milk?

And trudging off on Sunday, to read and thence to bed. Got another book read and reviewed; finally cleared the Kindle one, so I need to pick another. Should probably do something other than SF or F... change gears a bit.

Tomorrow will be a shopping day. Yippy skippy...

jallenecs said:

won't the vinegar clabber the milk?

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That's what I thought. So, I'm not sure about that tang you get, unless I use buttermilk.


Guys, I'm just despondent tonight. I'm numb.

I made a mistake with the settings on my camera and didn't realize it until I was done and reviewing the footage. After three hours of sweating in my kitchen under hot lights and next to a hot stove, until my clothes were soaked through, I have no footage at all that I can use. None. I have a massive batch of ice cream base chilling in my fridge and it'll taste great, but I can't use any of the footage. So, I'll have to shoot it a third time, but worse is that I'll have to buy all the stuff again and I just don't think I have the funds for it right now. I used up a lot of my ingredients making this. I'm out of sugar, dry milk, sweet corn, and heavy cream. Plus, I'll have to buy more milk.

I just wasted three hours for nothing. And I put so much into this video to get all the right angles and lighting.

Maybe if I'm lucky I can sell some of this ice cream so I can have the resources to try shooting this video one more time. A third time. Again.

Ugh, that's heartbreaking, TedTheewen

I had a tiring but fun weekend at the local powwow (see some video here) I don't make much sales there, but the cost of the booth is low ($50) and it's 20 minutes from home and great folks. Also, I get to have fry bread tacos for lunch

I also got through 3 of my backlog of commission pieces. Only 3 to go! And picked up another.

TedTheewen said:

I just wasted three hours for nothing. And I put so much into this video to get all the right angles and lighting.

Maybe if I'm lucky I can sell some of this ice cream so I can have the resources to try shooting this video one more time. A third time. Again.

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Aww, man, that sucks big time!

Weekend was kinda awesome and kinda disappointing. The awesome part: My elder son ran in his first 1/2 marathon on Sunday. He didn't finish (pulled muscle), but he made a good showing all the same, and I'm super proud of him. The disappointing part: I couldn't go watch him run. Being sick SUCKS SO HARD! Hubby and Younger Daughter drove up to be his cheerleading squad. I was able to follow his progress on the Racejoy app, but it's not the same. Plus, Hubby got Grandpa time with our granddaughters, and I didn't! Not fair!

Elder Son did laugh at me at one point. See, the Racejoy app lets me follow him by GPS. It also has a list of pre-recorded encouraging voicemail messages you can send him to show your support (you can also send custom messages). I sent five or six messages, and he laughed, saying that I managed to pick out every science-fiction-related VM the list had; I didn't plan it, it's just the way it happened. It's fun being me.

Some of the SF-related VM's
"Live Long and Prosper"
"No retreat; no surrender"
"Don't underestimate the Force"

BTW: somebody on Reddit deserves a statue in his honor (on the island of R'lyeh, maybe)! He compiled and posted a link list of every issue of Weird Tales from 1923 to 1954 (apparently they're in the public domain). The list also includes a link to two more archives of SF/F/H publications also in the public domain. How awesome is that?

Link is here. It's just a Google Docs spreadsheet, but fully linked up, and I'm hip deep in reading through them. WARNING: ARCHIVE BINGING AHEAD!!

Minty is a difficult pupper. She got into some chicken and now she has an ear infection. And needs to have another tooth pulled. Bloody hell, how do I make sure I actually brush her teeth? Can't do calendar notification, can't do daily ritual, can't just remember...

Whoo, I'm dizzy, might have pushed myself a little hard.

ETA: Hey, those of you without executive functioning issues, would you say it's harder to do a thing yourself or tell someone else to do it? Not, like, a belligerent child who really don't want to do the thing, but someone who just needs the booting?

lilyWhite said:

...not if I keep thinking about future sequels and crossover specials before I have even the first one polished, yet alone published or whatever... ;_;

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I have faith in you and your gay books.

Ted, that sucks. No other word for it. But for what it's worth, I feel like your audience might be understanding of technical issues, so just uploading a video about the ice cream, maybe with some well made clipping and lots of talking (and of course bitching about the camera) would be a decent filler episode, at least until you get the funds for another go, you can also gauge whether they would prefer a new recipe or you actually getting this one shot to standard. All the wasted effort still sucks, but it might work as a bandaid?

Ted - Ouch, that's terrible... I supposed there's no way to even pull stills and narrate them like a slideshow?

greendragon - Sounds like a decent weekend!

jallenecs - Bummer on sickness. (As a nitpicker, I'd consider "No retreat, no surrender" more of a karate movie thing; it was "Never give up, never surrender!" in Galaxy Quest. Rifftrax preview of No Retreat, No Surrender... and, yes, it's apparently a cult classic, with Jean Claude Van-Damme.)

Religion0 - Personally, the only way to be sure it's done is to do it yourself, but if you have someone whom you trust who can remember such things reliably, outsource - and make sure they put it on a calendar or get a phone reminder or something organized people do.

Monday morning, and heading out to the store in about an hourish. Looks less rainy today, at least...

Hello Cantina.

I stayed home from work today. My stomach was rather angry last night and didn't award me much sleep. I'm not entirely sure what caused such an upset, but it was likely the airborne tablets I was popping all day Saturday. I started to come down with a cold Friday night, and wanted to do whatever possible so I could attend a gaming meetup yesterday. Well, the cold went away, but I paid for it by ways of intestinal grief. At least I'm feeling better today, albeit a bit tired.

Brightdreamer said:

jallenecs - Bummer on sickness. (As a nitpicker, I'd consider "No retreat, no surrender" more of a karate movie thing; it was "Never give up, never surrender!" in Galaxy Quest. Rifftrax preview of No Retreat, No Surrender... and, yes, it's apparently a cult classic, with Jean Claude Van-Damme.)

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You're right. The blame lies on my old lady memory, not on RaceJoy's archive of quotes.

Words are being achieved this morning. Not at a breakneck pace or ease, but they are happening.

jallenecs said:

Aww, man, that sucks big time!

Weekend was kinda awesome and kinda disappointing. The awesome part: My elder son ran in his first 1/2 marathon on Sunday. He didn't finish (pulled muscle), but he made a good showing all the same, and I'm super proud of him. The disappointing part: I couldn't go watch him run. Being sick SUCKS SO HARD! Hubby and Younger Daughter drove up to be his cheerleading squad. I was able to follow his progress on the Racejoy app, but it's not the same. Plus, Hubby got Grandpa time with our granddaughters, and I didn't! Not fair!

Elder Son did laugh at me at one point. See, the Racejoy app lets me follow him by GPS. It also has a list of pre-recorded encouraging voicemail messages you can send him to show your support (you can also send custom messages). I sent five or six messages, and he laughed, saying that I managed to pick out every science-fiction-related VM the list had; I didn't plan it, it's just the way it happened. It's fun being me.

Some of the SF-related VM's
"Live Long and Prosper"
"No retreat; no surrender"
"Don't underestimate the Force"

Click to expand...

I think it's cool that the app even has those VM's!

Religion0 said:

Minty is a difficult pupper. She got into some chicken and now she has an ear infection. And needs to have another tooth pulled. Bloody hell, how do I make sure I actually brush her teeth? Can't do calendar notification, can't do daily ritual, can't just remember...

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Do they sell "Milk-Bone Original Dental Chews" where you are, or some equivalent? We've been giving da beagle one every night for years (I could never remember to brush his teeth either) and he hasn't had to have a cleaning in years, which is good since dad has major anxiety around any member of the family having to be put under for any reason, including the animals, and da beagle gets really upset about being away from me, too. Better to avoid that stress when we can.

LadyV said:

Hello Cantina.

I stayed home from work today. My stomach was rather angry last night and didn't award me much sleep. I'm not entirely sure what caused such an upset, but it was likely the airborne tablets I was popping all day Saturday. I started to come down with a cold Friday night, and wanted to do whatever possible so I could attend a gaming meetup yesterday. Well, the cold went away, but I paid for it by ways of intestinal grief. At least I'm feeling better today, albeit a bit tired.

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@Ted sorry about the video issues. That sounds very frustrating!

There's also Greenie bones. My doggo loves them.