The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[MillieDynamite]

Mums off everything but meat, beef, fish, and pork. Lots of spices, which for her is new, her nose is dying, so it ups the flavor for her.

Yeah, I'm working on a subset of that. My concern is increased cholesterol that comes along with dietary fats, and I'm already on two meds for it. We'll know more in a week when I go in for blood tests.

But no, I've cut sugars and such substantially since my diabetes diagnosis. Interestingly, it's been recently discovered that chocolates with >70% cocoa content are actually positive for diabetics. Very little sugar, and more of the good things like antioxidants with the genuine article. I'm already spoiled... we have some semi-sweet chocolate chips C keeps around to embellish her breakfast oatmeal. They're a mere 60%, and I don't like them nearly like I used to. Gotta have the hard stuff!

 

[MrPixel]

...her nose is dying, so it ups the flavor for her.

Sounds like C. Her nose is mostly "deaf" from COVID five years ago. "Did you smell that dead skunk we just passed. Yowee!" as my sinuses are cleared.

"Uh, no."

It's that bad.

 

[Off_base]

I'm actually off sweets and eating a carnivore diet with minimal vegetables and fruit.

Same

 

[TheRedLantern]

I read an article (NYT?) last week about chocolate candies having much less actual chocolate these days due to cocoa bean shortages and sharply increased costs, including tariffs. The difference is enough to force the big-name candy makers into re-labeling product with weasel words like "a chocolate-flavored confection" and similar euphemisms.

The solution to my particular chocolate habit is clearly labeled real chocolate products like chocolate chips where the cocoa percentage is specified. Ghirardelli does that.

Yeah, this is actually kind of a big deal in the confectionary world. Flooding in the Ivory Coast over the last few seasons have caused cocoa shortages for the last about two years, and cocoa prices have been really high. Those prices are hitting Big Chocolate now so they're trying to innovate to avoid passing that cost onto customers.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Yeah, not sure what caused it, but she can't smell shit, literally. Thank God, she doesn't wear perfume or we'd be inundated.

Sounds like C. Her nose is mostly "deaf" from COVID five years ago. "Did you smell that dead skunk we just passed. Yowee!" as my sinuses are cleared.

"Uh, no."

It's that bad.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Down below 105 now. Never gonna be 90lbs again, but at least I don't need a zipcode for my ass anymore.

Same

 

[iwatchus]

Changing off the topics here right, I finished the first draft for my Winter Holiday Contest entry. Draft is 29K, but I suspect the editing will drop that some. Let it sit for a day or two, then do a serious editing pass. I guess time to get back to work on the draft of my current novel for a few days.

 

[NotWise]

Rat turds look suspiciously like milk duds. Just sayin'.

How was the coffee?

It was fine. I just held the Milk Dud in my mouth while I sipped the coffee.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Don't follow me around Dude.

 

[TheRedLantern]

I finished the first draft for my Winter Holiday Contest entry. Draft is 29K

I admire anyone who can put together a coherent, interesting story that long. My longest draft that didn't fall completely to pieces several times along the way was around 23K, and it wasn't even a story, it was just the backstory of my favorite character that happened to fall roughly in line with a decent 3-act story structure.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

We that eat chocolate semi-knowingly support child slavery, but are too hung up on the chocolate to stop.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Note the forecast low on Friday and high on Monday.

 

[iwatchus]

I admire anyone who can put together a coherent, interesting story that long. My longest draft that didn't fall completely to pieces several times along the way was around 23K, and it wasn't even a story, it was just the backstory of my favorite character that happened to fall roughly in line with a decent 3-act story structure.

You presume too much for a story you haven't read. It remains to be seen if anyone else thinks it's either coherent or interesting, let alone both.

 

[NotWise]

I'm following news and election results instead of writing anything.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Well, no turning back now. My resignation is in and the removalist booked. We'll be in the West mid December. Looking forward to a four day drive with the dog.

My writing plans are now on hold until the new year.

 

[TheRedLantern]

I'm following news and election results instead of writing anything.

I woke up to use the bathroom at 2am and can't get back to sleep because I was excited to see the NYC mayoral election results.

 

[sirhugs]

I woke up to use the bathroom at 2am and can't get back to sleep because I was excited to see the NYC mayoral election results.

now to see if Trump declares war on NYC or bombs Gracie Mansion as a terrotrist headquarters. It must be hell having an insane dictator in charge.

 

[colddiesel]

Well, no turning back now. My resignation is in and the removalist booked. We'll be in the West mid December. Looking forward to a four day drive with the dog.

My writing plans are now on hold until the new year.

Whereabouts in the West? After all it is 3 times the size of Texas!

 

[sirhugs]

Well, no turning back now. My resignation is in and the removalist booked. We'll be in the West mid December. Looking forward to a four day drive with the dog.

My writing plans are now on hold until the new year.

best of luck. Looking forward to seeing your next chapter.
Are you packing your own plot bunnies for the trip, or hoping that new ones hop aboard along the way?

 

[Rustyoznail]

Whereabouts in the West? After all it is 3 times the size of Texas!

Yup. Drive the equivalent of the length of Victoria (9 hours), then turn left to the coast. And that's about half way across the state.

 

[TheRedLantern]

My winter holiday story is cursed. I let it sit for a week and went back to revise it this weekend and was like "this may not be salvageable." The more I made it what I think Lit wants to see, the less I liked the story until it got to the point where it's not something I'm happy sharing or even working on at this point.

The wretched, black, unholy curse of Writer's Block I was under has been lifted, so thank you to the mystical gypsy woman I gave my Naan bread to and who blessed me in return. The place makes really good Naan, so in all fairness I'm not sure who got the better end of the deal.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

@TheRedLantern - congratulations to getting out from under the curse! May the words flow freely now!
@Rustyoznail - congratulations on the move. A new place and new experiences will only enhance your writing!

It's a beautiful sunny morning and we're going to be warm and sunny for most of the day. Since my knee is back to working properly, I can try to finish up the garden cleanup.

There's a fresh pot of coffee brewing and the teapot is hot. There are donuts and croissants on the counter. For those who like to augment their coffee, the Jameson is in the cupboard next to the 'fridge.

I'll be over in the corner finishing up my story. I'm really pleased with how it came out and I hope my readers will like it, too.

 

[Rustyoznail]

best of luck. Looking forward to seeing your next chapter.
Are you packing your own plot bunnies for the trip, or hoping that new ones hop aboard along the way?

Thanks mate.

The WA quarantine is pretty strict, so I'll have make sure no strays are on board. Once we're settled, I'll wander past the story ideas forum and see what leaps out at me.

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

Could be worse. I'm a Blue Jays fan. Boy did they blow it.

I suppose that's one way to look at it. Since I'm actually an LA fan, I have a little different point of view. My view is, thank goodness, LA got over the blow it syndrome just in time.

 

[MrPixel]

Speaking of plot bunnies, this one showed-up in our fenced courtyard last night:



I had just returned from orchestra rehearsal and the little fella surprised me in the dark (no kidding!). I saw it a couple of weeks ago near the compound. I was more startled than he was. Probably somebody's escapee, but another thought is we're close to a public dumpster and somebody may have discarded it. Definitely tame, but not yet tame enough for me to get close enough to pick it up; it'll take a couple of leisurely hops away if I get too close.

Thinking of naming it if it hangs around. "Anthracite" (coal) works for me, "Annie" or "Andy" if I can get close enough to figure that part out.