The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[Kumquatqueen]

My wife has been going through this for about a year and a half. The current state of the NHS doesn't make it any easier.

Since you've had a longer time interacting with them, you may have better success than she initially did. Perseverance is required.

My experience is if it's something a GP is allowed to do, then mine are fine because I email them and they call me back in a couple days. Teenagers are screwed though because they can't be prescribed much of anything without at least three assessments by paediatricians, some psychs, a shrink, and a developmental assessment, and they're not a priority to anyone (unless they want a sexual health clinic, in which case they can have two appts today to ensure they don't get pregnant...) The GP is great service for small children - you get as far as telling the receptionist "I have a three year old and they..." and they say "10.20. See you soon."

The bloke also has private insurance, but the current iteration is total shit, as in in three years we haven't found anything it covers yet, apart from a couple physio sessions each. To be fair, I did rather milk previous insurance, having enough conditions to have a few appts a week if I could be arsed.

 

[MrPixel]

One coffee down, time to start work...

Already contacted the doc this morning about menopause issues - my brain is more scrambled than usual, and when the bloke and I went to a comedy night recently, the two main performers were both going on about menopause, and bloke kept poking me and going "that's you, that is." Let's see if I can avoid the full-on psychosis that runs in the family (I've already done the postnatal version. Wasn't fun, even with lots of warning and excellent care.)

For us, that was so long ago that I forgot how awful it was. C had an "early" menopause when her second ovary was removed, also due to fibroids. She was miserable (and made sure I was, too), and our GP prescribed HRT. Big, big mistake - breast cancer. This was before "they" had made the hard connection between HRT and breast cancer.

One small lesion, but she had to shop hard for a surgeon that didn't want to simply lop it off. Thanking our lucky stars, her support group recommended a female surgeon who did a fantastic job with a lumpectomy and preserving most of it - a little lopsided, but natural appearing... stunning, actually. Nothing since, although the 10 years of tamoxifen was its own special hell. She had a horrible gyno during those years who was totally unsympathetic to her/our desire to have a normal sex life - if you couldn't have children, what do you need to do that for? She found another gyno who understood and started different therapies... only to move out of the area four months later.

We eventually got more help, though it was a good 20 years after the original surgery before getting her mojo back.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

For us, that was so long ago that I forgot how awful it was. C had an "early" menopause when her second ovary was removed, also due to fibroids. She was miserable (and made sure I was, too), and our GP prescribed HRT. Big, big mistake - breast cancer. This was before "they" had made the hard connection between HRT and breast cancer.

Luckily there's no predisposition to cancer in my family, but more importantly, the rate of improvement in cancer treatment (especially breast cancer) is so rapid they have to tell.patients not to look at the 5 year survival rates, as by definition they're 5 years out of date. I've got at least three friends who would be dead if their breast cancer had been 20-25 years ago, not to mention two guys with bowel cancer who had gruelling treatment but are now well, 5 and 10 years later.

My girlfriend is still technically terminal, but having already hung on an extra year, she's having to consider that her plan to spend all her money before she dies may need to be slowed down a bit, and not just to ensure she can get to all the concerts and performances she's booked over the next year...

 

[Belegon]

Got errands to do today, Imp is coming over to help me since part of what I need to fix today is a suspended Driver's License. Coffee for me and I already had some eggs and sausage for breakfast.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

One coffee down, time to start work...

Already contacted the doc this morning about menopause issues - my brain is more scrambled than usual, and when the bloke and I went to a comedy night recently, the two main performers were both going on about menopause, and bloke kept poking me and going "that's you, that is." Let's see if I can avoid the full-on psychosis that runs in the family (I've already done the postnatal version. Wasn't fun, even with lots of warning and excellent care.)

I'm not officially menopausal, but I've had mild symptoms for a good 6-8 years. The fogginess comes and goes, but there was a period of irritability that caused some interpersonal problems, let's just say...
Oddly, some medicine I was on for something completely unrelated helped the hot flashes, now that I've been fighting with my insurance company and not been able to take it for two months, they're back. Though, it's the night sweats that bother me more.

Hormones suck, man (except for all the stuff they're useful for). Hope you can get some relief KQ.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

Checking to make sure there's a pot of coffee brewing and the teapot is hot. There are chocolate cookies on the counter and I will see you all tomorrow morning.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Took pup to the vet for his second round of vaccinations. Everyone thought he was cute. He met a new friend - a female goldie about three weeks older than him. Lots of tail wagging and nose rubbing.

He's also put on a bit over 3kg (6.5lb) since we picked him up 3 weeks ago! Bec has trouble picking him up, especially when he wants to climb into her lap for a cuddle.

A good, strong Friday arvo coffee is most welcome to celebrate my VD story getting over the 4.6 mark.

Flowers and chocolates to all! If you can't have chocolate, there are marigolds!

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

Checking to make sure there's a pot of coffee brewing and the teapot is hot. There are chocolate cookies on the counter and I will see you all tomorrow morning.

Thanks for looking out for us, Candy.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

I've got a fresh pot of coffee going and the teapot is hot. I've brewed myself a nice cup of Earl Grey as the sun comes up on a cold morning. We're expecting to get a lot of rain tomorrow so there's a flood watch issued for the area.

There are some buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy warming on the back burner for those who like that for breakfast. There are donuts on the counter for those who want something lighter.

I found a chocolate (mmmm... chocolate) that @Rustyoznail must have dropped so I'll be over in the corner enjoying that as I try to put more words to paper today.

 

[Belegon]

coffee, coffee, coffee PLEASE. Got an appt with my therapist at 11:30, then up to the hospital to get my chemo pump disconnected until my next infusion day.

 

[NotWise]

We're likely to get some moisture today, but not much. The mountains will get more, but we need a lot.

I added a few hundred words to my WIP by replacing one scene and I lost a few hundred by editing another. More to come.

The cats are my good buddies right now. I haven't fed them yet. They're fed when I get my second cup of coffee, and my first cup is empty.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Hormones suck, man (except for all the stuff they're useful for). Hope you can get some relief KQ.

Thanks. Ended up on the strong opiates last night. Fab for pain relief, but meant I had to take the bus rather than drive, today. Also good for general word association and solving cryptic crosswords, plus, sometimes, writing long chunks of stories that aren't always total shit. Nearly done a draft for Pink Orchid...

Have a doctor's appt now, week after next. At least it's free and any meds are max £9.85. And about 1 min walk from home, which is a huge advantage of the inner city.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Q. How can a man remember Valentine's Day forever, without fail?

A. Forget it once.

Happy St V Day to all!

 

[NotWise]

My employer and friend of the last 40 years passed away this morning. He went the same way my father went, from a heart attack leading to septicemia. He leaves behind a wife, daughter and granddaughter.

I think I'll spend a quiet day.

 

[Belegon]

My employer and friend of the last 40 years passed away this morning. He went the same way my father went, from a heart attack leading to septicemia. He leaves behind a wife, daughter and granddaughter.

I think I'll spend a quiet day.

Ouch! Love and strength to both you and the family he left behind.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Afternoon tea or coffee time here. There's an Antarctic blast coming through that's dropped the temps from 35-40+ a couple of days ago to mid teens. And it's still technically summer.

I've made a batch of cheese and chive scones in the air fryer - the English version of scones. They'll go well with a tea.

 

[JGittes]

It's 5 a.m. here in SE England. I've been up for a couple of hours doing my usual dog-walking and morning routine. I heard young female voices outside. I've often heard teenage guys larking about and making mischief, but never young girls. So I opened the front door.

Two girls, 14 or 15, in pajamas, stood in the middle of High Street. Keep in mind it's 2C (what?, 34F) out there. One girl stood on one of those electric hoverboard sorts of things, and the other held her cell phone. The hoverboarder took off toward the pond (all the geese and swans are missing, by the way) with the other girl recording it.

I'm pretty sure I've woken up and am not dreaming, but I can't say for sure.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

The promised rain is here and everyone is freaking out that there's going to be flooding ... like it's never happened before in the history of the world. Anyway, I've got a fresh pot of coffee going and the teapot is hot for those who want a cuppa. There are danishes and blintz on the counter for those with a sweet tooth.

Hopefully I'll get some writing done if the roof doesn't start leaking.

 

[Duleigh]

I slept in for the first time in ages, but it's Saturday! I get to write all day! I fire up the big desktop and find the Wi-Fi was out. Fiddlefucking around with the router got the internet up and running. I dash to the kitchen and I make a healthy, nutritious breakfast then I sit down at the keyboard. It's showtime.

This is it! My muse isn't whispering in my ear, she's singing! Ideas and plot twists course through my head, characters and settings fall into place... My fingers gently touched the keyboard and I start...

"It was a gray and dreary April evening, the kind of night that was made fo..."

AND THE FREAKING POWER WENT OUT!

WHO THE HELL CUTS THE POWER ON A SATURDAY MORNING???

I'm going to send a sternly worded letter.

 

[MrPixel]

Sounds like you need to invest in a large UPS. Power the computer, router, modem, and a maybe a light.

Here's what I'm running at our art studio: APC BR1500G. With the auxiliary battery (total outlay ~$500) it keeps everything going for about 8 hours.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

WHO THE HELL CUTS THE POWER ON A SATURDAY MORNING???

I'm going to send a sternly worded letter.

But not until they turn the power back on, right?

(Note, Mr D, that I made no mention of quill pens...)

 

[Duleigh]

Sounds like you need to invest in a large UPS. Power the computer, router, modem, and a maybe a light.

Here's what I'm running at our art studio: APC BR1500G. With the auxiliary battery (total outlay ~$500) it keeps everything going for about 8 hours.

Good idea, I decided to go for a smaller unit for the wifi router and a single 5w light for a very dark corner of the house. I can live on my laptop until the lights come back on.

 

[Belegon]

good morning/afternoon, all... having some coffee here and enjoying a quiet, pleasant day. That pleasantness enhanced by noticing that my latest contribution, which wasn't online yesterday, is now up and already had the coveted red H and a comment on it. I feel like I put a lot of myself into this one so it is especially pleasing to me. And the commenter is asking me to continue and references a plot point I landed but didn't enhance as much as I originally intended, which means they read AND remembered this point in the story, which is gratifying. Th only problem with it is that the reason I dropped expanding on it was because it created a tangent that would put the brakes on my characters and my pacing. But now, I feel a little bit of need to go back to it. Well, perhaps I can use it as a jumping off point for continuance. If any of Y'all are interested, the story in question is An Unexpected Reunion. A warning for those that prefer quick strokes, this is rightfully in romance and probably 11k of the stories 13k are more about emotion than sex.

 

[Duleigh]

I'll have to tuck into your story. I haven't written a 'stroker' since 2008 (not counting 750 word stories) so, no worries.

My third 750 word story for 2025 somehow turned into my April Fools entry so I need to clean it up and flesh it out. I'm doing EmilyMiller's picture subchallenge and had to shift from the diving instructor to the business meeting.

 

[JGittes]

.....
(Note, Mr D, that I made no mention of quill pens...)

Speaking of quill pens, I visited the Jane Austen house near Farnham, today. They had several of her quill pens on display, and a modern reproduction they encourage visitors to try out.

If I knew how to reduce my handy photos to appropriate size, I'd post a photo of her writing table. To say we have it easy is such a gross understatement, I won't understate it.

You don't have electricity, well, neither did she, and somehow she is the second most read and revered author in the English language. Mr. S still leads the pack, and he didn't have electricity either.

I noticed that the titles of her chapters in Pride and Prejudice would make excellent titles for stories here on Lit.

"He sat close to her for half an hour without once opening his lips." (Transgender & Crossdressing)

"Mrs. Bennet, accompanied by her two youngest girls." (Lesbian Sex)

"Now and then accompanied by their aunt." (Incest/Taboo)

"He never failed coming to inform them." (Audio)

"Reading Jane's letters." (Letters & Transcripts)

"In vain have I struggled." (BDSM)

"How nicely we are crammed in!" (Group Sex)

"I am determined never to speak of it again to anybody." (First Time)

"Mr and Mrs Gardiner, with their four childrenm." (Incest/Taboo)

"To whom I have related the affair." (Loving Wives)

"She saw Mr Darcy with him." (Gay Male)

"Pronouncing them, after a short survey, to be decent looking rooms." (BDSM)

"But now it comes out." (Exhibitionist & Voyeur)

"Unable to utter a syllable." (BDSM)