The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[MillieDynamite]

I'm tempted to have an Irish coffee with a boost already today.

Afternoon! Thank you for asking, you gay old bird. Ima doing just good. Worked from home. Had a cheeky half-glass of wine already.... my I can feel it warming my insides

 

[stickygirl]

I'm tempted to have an Irish coffee with a boost already today.

It's morning: time for coffee. You can flavour it as you may, but it's still coffee, right?!

 

[MillieDynamite]

Right!

It's morning: time for coffee. You can flavour it as you may, but it's still coffee, right?!

 

[NuclearFairy]

It'll be at least another week till we get freezing temps again. But I wanna enter hibernation mode.

 

[stickygirl]

It'll be at least another week till we get freezing temps again. But I wanna enter hibernation mode.

We've had it very mild - 16c today. We really need to play catch up with rain this winter because the groundwater is so low - our sailing lake is about 12" lower than it should be. Next week is forecast to be cold, but not freezing, just north winds, damp, fog = typically British weather!!

 

[TheRedLantern]

I have been unreasonably obsessed with a woman who was born 521 years ago, women like her, and the time they lived. It's a topic I picked for a story, and it's proven to be frustratingly and gloriously difficult to put these women into one box. Whenever I think I have them figured out, a new dimension to them emerges and I realize I'm only 10% of the way to understanding who they really were.

 

[TheLobster]

I have been unreasonably obsessed with a woman who was born 521 years ago, women like her, and the time they lived. It's a topic I picked for a story, and it's proven to be frustratingly and gloriously difficult to put these women into one box. Whenever I think I have them figured out, a new dimension to them emerges and I realize I'm only 10% of the way to understanding who they really are.

FTFY

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Today was forecast to be pissing it down, then only light showers at lunchtime. In the event it was glorious sunshine all morning until 1pm when it clouded over.

No rain for us, but apparently reservoirs are filling up again, which is good.

For arcane legal reasons, I ended up having a video call today with a lady in Virginia, who had a really charming voice - it made the frustrating call a pleasure. I'm not sure it it was a Virginian accent, but she sounded like molten molasses.

 

[iwatchus]

We had to abort our dinner plans last night because the road (a state highway) was closed to due ice. We had to take a detour through a shopping area on the way to our alternative because that road (also a state highway) had multiple cars off the road,. I found out today that the interstate near us also shut down at the same time and our secondary road that is plan B for getting to/from school was closed because 4 cards went off in a single quarter mile stretch.

 

[stickygirl]

it's proven to be frustratingly and gloriously difficult to put these women into one box.

The prosecution rests, your Honour.

 

[MrPixel]

it's proven to be frustratingly and gloriously difficult to put these women into one box.

And UPS probably wouldn't accept it, in any case.

 

[Booboobear84]

I have been unreasonably obsessed with a woman who was born 521 years ago, women like her, and the time they lived. It's a topic I picked for a story, and it's proven to be frustratingly and gloriously difficult to put these women into one box. Whenever I think I have them figured out, a new dimension to them emerges and I realize I'm only 10% of the way to understanding who they really were.

Good news is that sounds like you’re doing it right. I just hope it isn’t like software where the first 90% takes 90% of the time and the last 10% takes the other 90% of the time.

 

[Belegon]

Today makes two years since my son convinced me I did need to go to the emergency room and they ended up doing emergency surgery for a perforated colon. I'm glad to still be above the ground, so to speak. Docs told me at the time i was probably about two days away from being below it.

While they were repairing my colon... well, shortening it and creating a stoma that acts as the current exit... they also ound a tumor and a couple days later the word "cancer" entered my self descriptions. But I'm still here, and intend to stay here as long as I can!

 

[Belegon]

Today was forecast to be pissing it down, then only light showers at lunchtime. In the event it was glorious sunshine all morning until 1pm when it clouded over.

No rain for us, but apparently reservoirs are filling up again, which is good.

For arcane legal reasons, I ended up having a video call today with a lady in Virginia, who had a really charming voice - it made the frustrating call a pleasure. I'm not sure it it was a Virginian accent, but she sounded like molten molasses.

Voices get me. I could be totally non-interested in a woman as far as looks are concerned and then be thrown in to full on lust because of her voice. But it isn't limited to a certain type of voice. It's incredibly individualized. I've had crushes of the deep smoky kind of voice and also on light pitched gigglyu ones. I'm not sure I'll ever understand it.

 

[Belegon]

it's funny how things come to you at different times. I just remembered this story while laying in bed. I decided I'd share it.

This is a story from my childhood about the time I made a big leaguer cry, or at least helped do so. But it's not as cruel a story as that might make it sound.

The names are going to be changed...or at least one of them is. I sat in my bed trying to remember his name and I think I have, but i decided I'm not going to use it. At least not the last one.

I'm eleven years old when this takes place, so I think that makes it 1978.

Jeff Barry was the terror of my little league. He was our Nolan Ryan. Our Mason Miller. He threw the ball so hard and fast we could hardly believe it. I was afraid of the first time I had to bat against him. This is the seventies, before little league teams were all given a big league teams hat and just called that team. In those days, when Pizza Hut sponsered a little league team, they were the Pizza Hut Pirates or something else with alliteration. I was on the Sir Speedy Superstars. Sir Speedy was a printing shop. They made business cards and printed menus for the local breakfast place, that kind of thing. I don't remember what team Jeff was playing for, but we were facing him that Saturday afternoon.

I was hitting third. Jeff struck out our first two hitters, one of whom was my little brother, one of only two players on my team I thought might be better hitters than me. So I come up with two outs and prepare to face the kid we were all afraid of. Except I wasn't. I don't know why, but in that wonderful confidence of childhood, I thought I could get him. And I did.

I hit the ball to left field. It hit the fence on the fly but wasn't high enough to get over. I ended up standing on third base, staring at the kid everybody was scared by and surprised at myself. Also angry at myself, since I was thinking I should have run home. Jeff looked over at me with that very pure hatred an eleven year old directs at someone that has broken his favorite toy. I'm pretty sure no one had ever hit a ball that hard against him and he didn't quite know what to do. The bad news for Jeff was that hitting fourth and coming to the plate was the one kid on my team I KNEW was better than me. If Jeff had been puzzled by what I did, Dan broke him. Because Jeff's hit, also to left field, didn't stop at the fence. It went all the way over and landed in the little creek we used to hunt crawdads in. I jogged home and we all waited for Dan to circle the bases. We were all thrilled of course. Home runs are rare in most little leagues and I'm absolutely certain it was the first time big, bad Jeff Barry had given one up.

Speaking of whom, he really didn't know what to do after that. He yelled and was angry at first, then he put his hands on his knees and started CRYING. The moment was kind of surreal. And we were children. Children aren't sweet when left to their own devices. They are cruel. We had a little party waiting for Dan at home plate and none of us felt any mercy for the kid whose aura of invincibility had just been shattered.

Jeff's dad was his coach. true for a lot of us. My dad was my coach too. But Jeff's dad is the hero of this story. Jeff's dad came walking out and did something almost unthinkable in these days of participation trophies and helicopter parents.

When Jeff's dad got to the mound, Jeff tried to give him the ball and leave the field. He started walking towards the dugout. Jeff's dad Picked Jeff up and put him back on the pitching rubber. Not gently either. These days he would be condemned for that. I don't know what he said, because he didn't raise his voice. But Jeff composed himself. He went from "little boy" to "young man" in about thirty seconds. By the time his dad finished, Jeff had dried his tears and was slapping his glove against his thigh.

He struck out our next hitter. And all the guys in the next inning and when it was my turn to face him again, he struck ME out. And I didn't strike out very often. And I'm pretty sure he then struck out Dan, too. The pitcher we all feared was back. I'm pretty sure his team won that game. I don't remember the final score. We played six innings games and I think pitchers were only allowed to go four innings. I think we got some more runs against the kid that replaced Jeff, but I don't think we got another hit off Jeff.

I bet Jeff's dad was pretty proud of him that night. Now, with fifty years of perspective, the one I'm proud of is Jeff's dad. He shaped his son in that moment, gave him strength and confidence and made him a better ballplayer. Oh, and by the way.... This story features three professional ballplayers. Dan Walters played for the Mets, Padres and Mariners and when he retired became a San Diego police officer who lost his life in the line of duty. He was the first team mate I ever had that made the majors and one of the few people I've ever met that deserved the term "Hero" applied to him. I looked up to him because he was a year older and could hit a ball farther than me. But it was his life after baseball that made him a hero.

Jeff Barry grew up to also play in the major leagues. Not for very long as I remember, but he made it. He was my SECOND teammate to make the big leagues, because we were on an all star team together the next year. I didn't get to join them in the big leagues. I got hurt in "A" ball and that was the end of baseball for me.

 

[iwatchus]

My How To, that has been in pending purgatory for over two months, posted out of the blue over night. It was still pending unapproved when I went to bed last night. I did write a note to Laurel before bed last night, so that is presumably what broke it open.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

It's looking like Fall again, but I'm in a Winter mood so I'll just assume it's an Indian Summer. The starling mumurations are beautiful to behold but it means winter is coming.

I've got a fresh pot of coffee brewing and the teapot is hot. There are donuts and danish on the counter and I'm getting the ingredients together to make some Chex party mix.

I'll be over in the corner working on my new story but I'm not sure it's going to be done in time to be added to the Winter Holiday contest.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Today makes two years since my son convinced me I did need to go to the emergency room and they ended up doing emergency surgery for a perforated colon. I'm glad to still be above the ground, so to speak. Docs told me at the time i was probably about two days away from being below it.

While they were repairing my colon... well, shortening it and creating a stoma that acts as the current exit... they also ound a tumor and a couple days later the word "cancer" entered my self descriptions. But I'm still here, and intend to stay here as long as I can!

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I've got a fresh pot of coffee brewing and the teapot is hot. There are donuts and danish on the counter and I'm getting the ingredients together to make some Chex party mix.

 

[ChloeTzang]

I'll have coffe and donuts to go with my frozen yogurt breakfast LOL

I looked at the yogurt, and then I looked at the frozen yogurt, and the decision made itsels/ I am being decadent!

 

[TheRedLantern]

Lots of research this morning.

The question I was trying to answer was "what was money called in 1500 AD Korea", which led me to the special type of paper they used to print the paper currency they used at the time, to how that paper was made, to other uses for it (it was waterproof and very difficult to pierce, so the same stuff they used for recordkeeping they also used for armor which is why we have the records we do from that era). When I realized I'd spent 90 minutes reading about iron age Buddhist paper making techniques unique to the Korean peninsula, I knew I might have fallen down a hole.

This story is turning into a fun stretch for me.

 

[yowser]

Then that was the perfect kind of rabbit hole. Splendid focus leading to applied knowledge.

 

[iwatchus]

Lots of research this morning.

The question I was trying to answer was "what was money called in 1500 AD Korea", which led me to the special type of paper they used to print the paper currency they used at the time, to how that paper was made, to other uses for it (it was waterproof and very difficult to pierce, so the same stuff they used for recordkeeping they also used for armor which is why we have the records we do from that era). When I realized I'd spent 90 minutes reading about iron age Buddhist paper making techniques unique to the Korean peninsula, I knew I might have fallen down a hole.

This story is turning into a fun stretch for me.

I do talk about the history of paper making in one of my classes and I do mention Korea in that but I know nothing about the specifics of Korean paper making

 

[TheRedLantern]

I do all about the history of paper making in one of my classes and I do mention Korea in that but I know nothing about the specifics of Korean paper making

Well if you find yourself needing to either fall asleep or kill 16 hours on one topic, let me know.

 

[TheRedLantern]

I'm pretty sure we could own the "erotic paper making" tag.