The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[MrPixel]

I'm finding it fascinating that distributed natural gas has become as unreliable as electric in some places. I shake my head at the thousand$ spent by folks installing gas-powered generators as backup - what do you do when the gas goes out, too. Like in natural disasters such as hurricane Helene in North Carolina, and the L.A. fires, where gas was shut off to entire cities as a precaution, all while the power lines were burning down.

May you live in interesting times.

 

[SerenaSteeleMonroe]

Hello, I'm Serena. This is a virtual coffee shop and reading room. So, tell me, do we have a few Beatnik poets here, hipsters in small fedoras, and noir femme fatales?

 

[LexxRuthless]

Hello, I'm Serena. This is a virtual coffee shop and reading room. So, tell me, do we have a few Beatnik poets here, hipsters in small fedoras, and noir femme fatales?

Hey, Serena. Welcome. We mostly talk about the weather, our struggles with writing, and share our love for a good, brewed beverage. I think some of the folks here write about those sorts of colorful characters. Pull up a chair and help yourself to a cup. Tell us what you'd like to know.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b0/01/93/b00193095f7fe99eff4cd1c9793eec1d.gif

 

[SerenaSteeleMonroe]

Hey, Serena. Welcome. We mostly talk about the weather, our struggles with writing, and share our love for a good, brewed beverage. I think some of the folks here write about those sorts of colorful characters. Pull up a chair and help yourself to a cup. Tell us what you'd like to know.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b0/01/93/b00193095f7fe99eff4cd1c9793eec1d.gif

Thanks, don't mind if I do. I'm getting my feet here right now. I have three stories in the oven, they're seasoned, treated with some spice, a pinch of naughty and nice, a dash of Bondage, a cup of Dominance and Submission, mixed with civil and political unrest, and a lot of interracial cooking in a stew.

 

[MrPixel]

Hello, I'm Serena. This is a virtual coffee shop and reading room. So, tell me, do we have a few Beatnik poets here, hipsters in small fedoras, and noir femme fatales?

Our late benefactor, @TxRad, was a down-to-earth kinda guy, very wise and helpful about life and writing, a matter-of-fact nudist, and just a great fella we miss very much. He'd be sure to wave you in to pour yourself a cuppa, take a seat, and encourage you to just be whatever you wanted to be. We carry on with the tradition in his honor.

Welcome. Be careful if you venture into the basement; avoid waking Handley's dragon. Grab a chuck of bituminous or anthracite from the pile in case you do, he'll appreciate it and offer to warm-up your cup.

 

[SerenaSteeleMonroe]

Our late benefactor, @TxRad, was a down-to-earth kinda guy, very wise and helpful about life and writing, a matter-of-fact nudist, and just a great fella we miss very much. He'd be sure to wave you in to pour yourself a cuppa, take a seat, and encourage you to just be whatever you wanted to be. We carry on with the tradition in his honor.

Welcome. Be careful if you venture into the basement; avoid waking Handley's dragon. Grab a chuck of bituminous or anthracite from the pile in case you do, he'll appreciate it and offer to warm-up your cup.

That sounds good. I don't know how often I'll get on the forum. You know, the word "Virgin" under my name is so not true. I turn 35 this year and feel like there is still so much left to do; there literally aren't enough hours in the day.

 

[JGittes]

Frost again on our early morning dog walk. The pond still has a pair of pairs (Mute Swans and Canada Geese). I haven't seen a fox in a few weeks, but I heard some foxes shrieking a few minutes ago.

 

[NotWise]

That sounds good. I don't know how often I'll get on the forum. You know, the word "Virgin" under my name is so not true. I turn 35 this year and feel like there is still so much left to do; there literally aren't enough hours in the day.

We all start out as virgins. It's nothing personal.

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

Hello, I'm Serena. This is a virtual coffee shop and reading room. So, tell me, do we have a few Beatnik poets here, hipsters in small fedoras, and noir femme fatales?

Welcome. Pretty much every morning, Western Hemisphere time, @Candy_Kane54 serves up virtual coffee, tea, and delectables. Discussion here is pretty eclectic. What follows is way too eclectic, and I apologize to you, Serena, if I come across as snippy about something you surely wrote in good will.

Some of us are old enough to recall that coffee-house habitues of a bygone era (in boldface above) referred to themselves as 'Beats.' The term 'beatnik' was applied to them from outside their circle, after the 1957 launch of Sputnik led to nearly everything in pop culture getting a '-nik' suffix. Those of us who might have Beat sensibilities at least know better than to play bongos. I have seen the best minds of Allen Ginsberg's generation get laughed out of this place for doing that. (That's an attempt at a reference to "Howl.")

 

[LexxRuthless]

That sounds good. I don't know how often I'll get on the forum. You know, the word "Virgin" under my name is so not true. I turn 35 this year and feel like there is still so much left to do; there literally aren't enough hours in the day.

You can edit your title from Virgin to something else. It's on your author page under the Options menu.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

@SerenaSteeleMonroe - welcome to the AH Coffee Shop. Grab a cup and have a seat. Everyone is friendly and we can talk about anything on your mind.

There's a fresh pot of coffee going and the teapot is hot. There are donuts on the counter for snacking.

I'll be over in the corner working on my story. I've got another page written and more on the way. I may actually finish this story in a month or so. I'm so glad I worked my way through that blockage that had put me on the brink of despair ...

 

[MrPixel]

G'morning, CK. Thanks for the cuppa and treats. It's a wonderful thing that virtual donuts have no calories - otherwise I'd be as big as a house.

I decided to bag the story started day before yesterday. It was getting too raunchy and leaned on too many tropes. This morning's project will be to make a couple of light changes to the preceding story with the setup for it to not create expectations. Next will likely to be efforts to flesh-out what I started for the sports event.

 

[NotWise]

I got some writing done yesterday. Mostly a bar scene.

Something got the boy cats going this morning. The big one met me when I got out of bed and he's been hanging out with me since. The smaller one has been chasing his toys and bringing them to me. He "accepts" petting in return. The girl is still quiet.

 

[SerenaSteeleMonroe]

We all start out as virgins. It's nothing personal.

We do indeed, I'll be popping my cherry sometime very soon with my first story.

Welcome. Pretty much every morning, Western Hemisphere time, @Candy_Kane54 serves up virtual coffee, tea, and delectables. Discussion here is pretty eclectic. What follows is way too eclectic, and I apologize to you, Serena, if I come across as snippy about something you surely wrote in good will.

Some of us are old enough to recall that coffee-house habitues of a bygone era (in boldface above) referred to themselves as 'Beats.' The term 'beatnik' was applied to them from outside their circle, after the 1957 launch of Sputnik led to nearly everything in pop culture getting a '-nik' suffix. Those of us who might have Beat sensibilities at least know better than to play bongos. I have seen the best minds of Allen Ginsberg's generation get laughed out of this place for doing that. (That's an attempt at a reference to "Howl.")

History was my minor at college. But at any rate, I always enjoy learning something new or refreshing what I know. I don't remember if new Beats...

You can edit your title from Virgin to something else. It's on your author page under the Options menu.

I'll think of a sassy term to replace it with once that cherry is popped.

 

[SerenaSteeleMonroe]

@SerenaSteeleMonroe - welcome to the AH Coffee Shop. Grab a cup and have a seat. Everyone is friendly and we can talk about anything on your mind.

There's a fresh pot of coffee going and the teapot is hot. There are donuts on the counter for snacking.

I'll be over in the corner working on my story. I've got another page written and more on the way. I may actually finish this story in a month or so. I'm so glad I worked my way through that blockage that had put me on the brink of despair ...

Ah, another feminine resident, how nice. Thank you, I don't eat sweets anymore. But fresh hot coffee with cream is always wonderful. And Candy, I'm pleased to meet you.

 

[yowser]

Some of us are old enough to recall that coffee-house habitues of a bygone era (in boldface above) referred to themselves as 'Beats.' The term 'beatnik' was applied to them from outside their circle, after the 1957 launch of Sputnik led to nearly everything in pop culture getting a '-nik' suffix. Those of us who might have Beat sensibilities at least know better than to play bongos. I have seen the best minds of Allen Ginsberg's generation get laughed out of this place for doing that. (That's an attempt at a reference to "Howl.")

I believe it was the San Francisco columnist Herb Caen who coined the term in 1958, you're right, not long after Sputnik. The 'beats' (Kerouac, Ginsberg, Ferlinghetti, et al) were not amused at what they considered a diminutive.

 

[NotWise]

My edits to "Escape from Cimarron" have been published. It took less than two weeks.

Now, it'll probably take two years before I know if it did any good.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Thanks, don't mind if I do. I'm getting my feet here right now. I have three stories in the oven, they're seasoned, treated with some spice, a pinch of naughty and nice, a dash of Bondage, a cup of Dominance and Submission, mixed with civil and political unrest, and a lot of interracial cooking in a stew.

Be careful with that bit - the site tends to reject overtly political content in stories, and if it comes to the AH, threads either get moved to the Political Board or shut down. Other than that caution, welcome on board .

 

[ElectricBlue]

We do indeed, I'll be popping my cherry sometime very soon with my first story.

History was my minor at college. But at any rate, I always enjoy learning something new or refreshing what I know. I don't remember if new Beats...

I'll think of a sassy term to replace it with once that cherry is popped.

There ya go, for a while.

Double history major here, a long enough time ago to say I was there for a chunk of it.

 

[SerenaSteeleMonroe]

Oh, my stories aren't about our world, and no political figure will be named. I'm unsure how a story will be reshuffled in the Political Board thread.

Be careful with that bit - the site tends to reject overtly political content in stories, and if it comes to the AH, threads either get moved to the Political Board or shut down. Other than that caution, welcome on board .

I was a history and political science major myself. But I'm just a measly ole blogger and freelance writer of political satire (where I will not say). I'm left of center and having a wonderful time making fun of both sides these days. But that's in my real life, and that's out of bounds for here. I like to be anonymous.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Oh, my stories aren't about our world, and no political figure will be named. I'm unsure how a story will be reshuffled in the Political Board thread.

Two separate cautions - one is not to mix the AH and the Politics Board (go take a look and you'll quickly see why), the other is your story outline. Even though it might be meant as satire, I reckon you'd have difficulty getting it past Laurel (site owner and Editor). She clamped down two elections ago, and has discouraged overt or unsubtle political or religious content ever since.

 

[SerenaSteeleMonroe]

Two separate cautions - one is not to mix the AH and the Politics Board (go take a look and you'll quickly see why), the other is your story outline. Even though it might be meant as satire, I reckon you'd have difficulty getting it past Laurel (site owner and Editor). She clamped down two elections ago, and has discouraged overt or unsubtle political or religious content ever since.

My blog and political writings are satire not my fictional writing. And what I said was I don't understand how a story published on the main sight the literature side will be moved to the forums. And I haven't said anything actually political here.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

Another beautiful sunny byt frosty morning. Glad I have my cup of hot Earl Grey to sip on.

There's a fresh pot of coffee brewing and the teapot is still hot so grab yourself a cup of hot beverage. There's cream in the 'fridge for those who adulterate their drink. There are various snacks on the counter for those who need to nosh.

I'll be over in the corner working on my story. I really love how my story has suddenly blossomed and am eager to get back to the keyboard. @Duleigh - make sure to start a new pot when you finish one ... I've got my eye on you.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

A belated welcome, @SerenaSteeleMonroe!

We're an odd bunch, but an eccentric mix is what was cultivated and nurtured by the late @TxRad. I find it nice in that there's little need for pretense here. The myriad of doubts and frustrations plaguing any writer are understood by all, as are the giddy heights of triumph a new-launched tale brings. Ain't nobody here but us chickens, so feel free to let your hair down and be yourself.

 

[JGittes]

There are a few foxes, geese, and swans, too. I haven't seen a hedgehog in a while, though.

When I left the house for this morning's dog walk (at 3 am), I heard two young female voices in conversation. I couldn't see where they were because our girl dog panicked when she heard people she didn't know, and she took off down the High Street. When we finished our circuit and turned back onto the High Street a little ways up from where we started at our house, I saw the two girls sitting on the bus stop bench. I'm sure they'd seen us leaving a few minutes earlier and could hear me running on our end-of-walk sprint. My headlamp is bright, too, so they weren't surprised when we showed up.

I wanted to get the sausage dogs home, so I didn't look directly at the kids. They had two of those two-wheeled scooters that looked like skateboards, with a long handle sticking up from the front. They kept chatting, and my group got home.

I thought it was unusual until I started writing this up and remembered something from a month ago that happened at the same time in the morning. There were two girls in front of the house in pajamas, one riding one of those electric hoverboards and the other taking a video on her phone. I used to think this was a quiet, conservative rural village in SE England. Turns out a lot of strange stuff happens if you're awake enough to notice.