The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[iwatchus]

One of my cats was born on the streets of Miami. She does not appreciate that northern weather is different. This morning I'm not either. I was up for an hour and a half before it hit 40 (roughly 5 for those of you in more civilized lands). My SO oiled the furniture to make it look nice for my sister's visit. But the downstairs now soemwhat smells of teak oil and it is too cold to air it out this morning.

Writing on my sci-fi novel is going slowly, but going. I am almost finished chapter 2 and all the major characters are introduced.And a whole new subplot I had not considered is now obviously happening. Unfortunately, the character I like the most so far is going to die early on (chapter 5?), so that's kind of a bummer. No sex yet, but my FMC is a widow and my MMC has a dying wife who is not healthy enough for any action. You can imagine where the romance and sex will come.

Have a good day everyone. I will be spending time with my guests until they head out for their concert this evening.

 

[NotWise]

Our weather is beautiful, but fall is upon us. Our normal high temp is dropping: 81 for the next two days, 80 for three days, then 79 through the rest of the week. Our predicted highs are staying above normal through that whole time. We're past the earliest date when the second batch of cantaloupes could ripen. Maybe warm conditions will let that happen.

I think I'll keep the cooler going for a while, but this morning feels cool. I think it's the first morning since last spring with a low below 60F, but our first frost may still be a month away. In the mean time, we have hot air balloons.

My grandson's party for his fourth birthday is today. His actual birthday was several days ago. I hope to go early and come home early. I have 30+ chiles in the fridge to roast, clean, chop and freeze.

 

[NuclearFairy]

Does anyone else habitually (compulsively) count things?

An apartment in the French Quarter of New Orleans had 66 steps to the front door, and my wife's flat in Copenhagen had 88. Both had no elevators. I counted 204 telephone poles between Baker and Shoshone before I got confused and stopped.

A couple of weeks ago, I discovered that it takes approximately four turns of the crank on my manual coffee grinder to process 1 gram of coffee beans. I had tried to count for the year and a half I've had the gizmo, but would constantly get lost after 80 or 90 turns. Then I remembered back to my four years in marching band in high school and counted 1, 2, 3, 4 - 2, 2, 3, 4, and easily got to 19, which is how many grams of beans I use.

I now blame the marching band for this lifelong habit.

Are you a vampire? If I threw a bag of rice, would you feel compelled to count the individual grains?

 

[NotWise]

I bailed out on the four-year-old's birthday party after the pinata and cake, but before the long process of opening presents was over. The parents were an interesting group. Young professionals late to having kids. Kids in private preschool. Several were native Spanish-speakers. Several were neighbors from that expensive neighborhood where I figured there'd be few young kids.

The Amazon FIre on the kitchen counter caught my attention as soon as I got home. It scrolls through family pictures all the time, and it flashed up a picture of my daughter when she was here for the kid's second birthday. I think she was wearing the same clothes then that she wore today--at least the same style. I guess we know what makes her comfortable.

I had the first talk with my daughter's father-in-law in quite a while. I think we both have ADD, so we have half a conversation at a time.

Now that I've cooled off, it's time to go roast chile.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Caught up on my paid work, now I'm diving back into editing my publisher/editor's new Novel. I can't wait to read what happens next!

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

My last 'paid work' was over 14 years ago.

 

[JGittes]

Are you a vampire? If I threw a bag of rice, would you feel compelled to count the individual grains?

How did you find out vampires count things?

Not compelled, just interesting.

 

[NuclearFairy]

How did you find out vampires count things?

Not compelled, just interesting.

I first learned about it in a rather hilarious French Revolution vampire web comic that I think is called Twice Bitten. Not sure, but it was funny. And I've since looked it up for authenticity. Writer was working on their masters in history or mythology or something, can't remember for sure, when they wrote it so of course it was well researched.

It's old lore about vampires. Supposedly if you scatter grains in your yard at night it'll protect you from vampires because they'll feel compelled to stop and count each individual grain. But, they'll run out of time and have to flee back to their grave before they finish.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Wonder if that would work with tax auditors?

 

[NotWise]

Wonder if that would work with tax auditors?

Maybe if you cast beans instead of rice.

 

[NuclearFairy]

Just went and looked it up, it's actually called Bite Me! and it was created by Dylan Meconis.

 

[SevMax2]

Hey, y’all, I’ve left Texas and now reside somewhere in Appalachia….home sweet home.

 

[sirhugs]

just waiting for the coffee to cool enough to drink...

 

[TheRedLantern]

It's old lore about vampires. Supposedly if you scatter grains in your yard at night it'll protect you from vampires because they'll feel compelled to stop and count each individual grain. But, they'll run out of time and have to flee back to their grave before they finish.

This is why, when I go to Vegas to count cards, I always bring my friend Nos Feratu from Pennsylvania.

 

[sirhugs]

This is why, when I go to Vegas to count cards, I always bring my friend Nos Feratu from Pennsylvania.

good old Nosy...

 

[TheRedLantern]

good old Nosy...

I almost sprayed coffee over my laptop when I read this. OMG I was not expecting that!

 

[Candy_Kane54]

There is rain in the forecast but it's going to be hot, despite the possibility of rain. Oh, joy.

There's a fresh pot of coffee brewing and the teapot is hot. There are donuts on the counter. I've procured some Empire apples and plan to make an apple crisp today. The cornbread is gone so I'll have to make more soon.

I'll be over in the corner working on my story. The 2025 Crime and Punishment stories will be published tomorrow and I'm looking forward to reading them.

 

[Duleigh]

Is it maybe in your other hand?

Da-dum, CRASH! "I'll be here all night! Don't forget to tip your waitress."

I tell my waitress that all the time - "Just the tip..."

I'll wait.....

Wonder if that would work with tax auditors?

Trust me - NOTHING works with Tax Auditors. I've owned car batteries with more compassion

 

[NotWise]

Hey, y’all, I’ve left Texas and now reside somewhere in Appalachia….home sweet home.

Welcome back! You're profile still has you in Phoenix.

 

[SevMax2]

Yes, it’s outdated.

 

[NotWise]

My holiday story hit a hard spot. I was fishing for ideas on how to end the story and decided to write the first two sex scenes before I wrote the rest of the synopsis. I found the dialog in the sex scenes very hard to write without developing the characters more than I did in the rough synopsis I'd already written.

Writing is more difficult than it used to be.

Tomorrow (9/22/25) brings the equinox! It's time to rotate my coffee cups to fall colors. It's almost time to bring the potted amaryllis up to the porch and let them go dormant. It won't be long before I dig out the gladiolas and store them for winter.

The second crop of cantaloupes are starting to ripen. One is almost ready. We could be inundated in melons. Two of the tomato vines have recovered from the summer heat and they're starting to bear heavily. The third was an early-bearing variety and it isn't doing well. I think I'll get rid of the vine and not grow it again. I have jalapenos and New Mexico chiles to pick. The broccolini look OK, but they need to be staked. I'm still battling aphids on the cucumbers.

Broncos vs Chargers this afternoon.

 

[MrPixel]

G'morning, all.

We're finally getting significant rain here - last two days have seen evening thunderstorms, and more coming. I missed my window to mow the weeds in the still-unplanted backyard, now it's too muddy. Fella who's going to re-seed after all the construction and tree work tore it all up said we have to hold off until the ground is moist enough for the seed. I trust him implicitly; he's a great guy, hard worker, and truly an expert who has done great work for us for 15 years. Everything he touches turns to gold.

Delaying the lawn was a good thing. The tree people will be coming back this week to deal with a huge limb half-broken off from a neighbor's tree fallen into our yard. So if we had replanted it would be torn-up again. Yes, that neighbor, the one that refuses can't afford to maintain their property, they're house-poor. Talked to an arborist and the city last week. It's looking like lawyer time after the arborist finishes his report. Oh, joy.

Story in progress is out of control, currently at 21K words. I added yet another big scene and its development last night when I should've been more concerned with wrapping things up. Story could easily do without this new scene, so I'm thinking of going back to leave it on the cutting room floor. We'll see.

 

[sirhugs]

I LOVE a good thunderstorm (have a story series based on that).
If your neighbour is house poor, what is the point of lawyers? That will just cost you money, and if he truly can't afford to fix things, you won't get satisfaction (cue Mick Jagger...)
I don't tend to view stories in progress as getting out of control. much more positive to think of them as simply taking on a life of their own...like the stepdaughter story that I am in the muddle of.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

We could be inundated in melons.

This is a problem on Lit?

 

[MrPixel]

It's not totally hopeless. The two young ladies who own the house bought it with obvious assistance from grandparents (who we have met). Our take is it was a "bucket list" thing, but they didn't want to wait. If we sue, or even just have a lawyer send a letter informing them of liability for the very large trees - one, about to die, if it falls, will take out our house - that might serve to get the grandparents to pony-up. Hence getting an arborist involved to certify "dangerous trees."

Or just wait and hope the trees stand firm. We're in the process of building a new house with the intent of selling this one once the new place is ready, probably next summer. That's what the couple before the girls did, sell it and make the trees somebody else's problem. There were other considerations, but we have kept in touch and he admitted concern for the trees was one of their motivators to move.