The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[iwatchus]

How long are their school days?

 

[NotWise]

How many school days a year are required in your state? Most places I have lived. it's been 180 days. I think its 175 here. Seems like your kids get a lot fewer than that. Unless they go a lot over the summer.

Here, it's effectively 180 days, but the state specifies instructional hours rather than days, and that gives school districts more scheduling flexibility.

 

[NuclearFairy]

How long are their school days?

Eight hours.

 

[sirhugs]

Wish it was the plot bunnies keeping me awake

 

[Z_TheWriter]

Here, it's effectively 180 days, but the state specifies instructional hours rather than days, and that gives school districts more scheduling flexibility.

We have hour requirements too over here, but the standard number of days, which is followed by most, is 200.

 

[ColtonWrites]

Pain keeping me awake tonight. mostly just low grade pain (3-4/10) until I try to lay down or even recline in bed, or try to take a deep breath. Had some gas bubbles shift and cause some brief bouts of 10/10 pain (couldn't even breathe until it passed).

Everything points to gas pain/diaphragm irritation and not anything being wrong, but that doesn't make me any more comfortable. I am not certain if I want to ask my doctor for heavier pain meds in the AM. Called the 24 hour line and they said it sounded like I'm okay except for the pain (which isn't nothing but I wont die.) I dont want to keep going through this but if its going to ease on its own I dont want the meds.

Sorry for all the detail and for hijacking. Trying to distract myself.

 

[sirhugs]

Pain keeping me awake tonight. mostly just low grade pain (3-4/10) until I try to lay down or even recline in bed, or try to take a deep breath. Had some gas bubbles shift and cause some brief bouts of 10/10 pain (couldn't even breathe until it passed).

Everything points to gas pain/diaphragm irritation and not anything being wrong, but that doesn't make me any more comfortable. I am not certain if I want to ask my doctor for heavier pain meds in the AM. Called the 24 hour line and they said it sounded like I'm okay except for the pain (which isn't nothing but I wont die.) I dont want to keep going through this but if its going to ease on its own I dont want the meds.

Sorry for all the detail and for hijacking. Trying to distract myself.

I guess the upside of being in hospital was 24 hour pain med service.
I feel for you.
get well soon.

 

[Z_TheWriter]

Pain keeping me awake tonight. mostly just low grade pain (3-4/10) until I try to lay down or even recline in bed, or try to take a deep breath. Had some gas bubbles shift and cause some brief bouts of 10/10 pain (couldn't even breathe until it passed).

Everything points to gas pain/diaphragm irritation and not anything being wrong, but that doesn't make me any more comfortable. I am not certain if I want to ask my doctor for heavier pain meds in the AM. Called the 24 hour line and they said it sounded like I'm okay except for the pain (which isn't nothing but I wont die.) I dont want to keep going through this but if its going to ease on its own I dont want the meds.

Sorry for all the detail and for hijacking. Trying to distract myself.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

So far, not taking the Meloxicam hasn't produced the agonizing pain that I expected. In fact, after 48 hours, I really don't feel all that much worse. I have my fingers crossed that this will hold and I didn't really need to be taking it after all. In any event, I still feel good enough to get some writing done. Just a couple more paragraphs to wrap the last scene up and I'll be able to finish the edit and get it submitted tonight.

I've got a fresh pot of coffee brewing and the teapot is boiling. There are various pastries on the counter and a bowl of holiday candy (Hershey Bells, Reese's Christmas Trees, etc.) on the counter. Thanks to everyone who helped decorate the Christmas tree. It looks beautiful. Now, we'll see if Santa leaves us any present.

I'll be over in the corner finishing up my story and getting it submitted. Then, of course, I'll have to get going on the next installment of my Picture Postcards series. It seems I left Ray at a bit of a cliffhanger ...

 

[sirhugs]

Reese's Christmas trees? Are they new?

 

[TheRedLantern]

Hershey Bells, Reese's Christmas Trees, etc

 

[NotWise]

Reese's Christmas trees? Are they new?

Gemini tells me they're new since 1993. That might have been on limited distribution. I don't know.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

Reese's Christmas trees? Are they new?

They are basically Reese's cups in the shape of a Christmas Tree.

I did forget to add that there is also some Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark on the counter, too.

 

[TheRedLantern]

I have an extensive logistics network set up via Amazon and several redundant alternate vendors to ensure a constant flow of Ghirardelli and Reese's into my apartment. It might be my single greatest intellectual achievement.

My V-Day story first draft is done except for the outtro / epilogue, which will probably only be a few paragraphs about the future of the couple, and it's nice coming up for air for a little bit. I'll write the epilogue after lunch, and then it's time to start on my big writing project for next year with the Jasmine Tea event.

 

[NotWise]

The NWS thinks we have a chance of rain turning to snow starting about sunset. I'll believe it when I see it.

I finished the two main sex scenes (out of three total) in my WIP. Now for the rest of the story. I realized that, after the cold open, the synopsis describes just three conversations before the first sex scene. I've gone back over things to see what has to be established to make the story work. I probably don't need much more than the three conversations, but the dialog will have to be pretty explanatory of changes that happen between conversations.

When I started this story--before many distractions--it was for the holiday contest. Now it'll be for next year's holiday contest. I hope to finish it by Christmas so I'm still in the mood.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I've written two blog posts and one podcast script today. I have a lot more such junk to write today. Just stopping to fuel up for the next few hours. Deabting, Earl Grey, Darjeeling tea, or French roast coffee. Decisions decisions, Darjeeling it is.

 

[MrPixel]

The NWS thinks we have a chance of rain turning to snow starting about sunset. I'll believe it when I see it.

No kidding. The NWS is being raked over the coals in our area by the news media. The district manager has apologized on camera that the forecast for Monday absolutely blew it, with snow arriving 5 hours sooner and about 3X heavier than the usable (by schools and DOTs and airport, etc., etc.) advance those agencies needed to prepare. C's boyfriend said his travels between his two offices was totally snarled and it was totally miserable all around.

Fortunately we're well outside the metro area, but from watching the news it was an honest-to-gosh mess!

 

[MillieDynamite]

We're still waiting on the Freezing Rain forecast for Monday, 12/1/25 at 11 AM. It's a bit late.

No kidding. The NWS is being raked over the coals in our area by the news media. The district manager has apologized on camera that the forecast for Monday absolutely blew it, with snow arriving 5 hours sooner and about 3X heavier than the usable (by schools and DOTs and airport, etc., etc.) advance those agencies needed to prepare. C's boyfriend said his travels between his two offices was totally snarled and it was totally miserable all around.

Fortunately we're well outside the metro area, but from watching the news it was an honest-to-gosh mess!

 

[NuclearFairy]

Well... Our weather forecasts keep being consistently accurate. Maybe there's a weather witch in charge around here.

 

[NotWise]

No kidding. The NWS is being raked over the coals in our area by the news media. The district manager has apologized on camera that the forecast for Monday absolutely blew it, with snow arriving 5 hours sooner and about 3X heavier than the usable (by schools and DOTs and airport, etc., etc.) advance those agencies needed to prepare. C's boyfriend said his travels between his two offices was totally snarled and it was totally miserable all around.

Fortunately we're well outside the metro area, but from watching the news it was an honest-to-gosh mess!

I've never known the NWS to apologize for a botched forecast. Outright botched forecasts aren't really the local problem.

When they give a prediction for precipitation like the 70% chance they gave us today, I understand what they're saying is that they think 70% of the forecast area will get precipitation. Precipitation, aside from being relatively rare here, varies systematically over the area, and I live in the area least likely to get anything. For my location their rainfall forecasts are always more likely to be wrong than right.

Their forecasts--especially the long term forecasts--are sometimes eye-rollers. This is a desert. If it rained here as often as they predicted, it might not be.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

One of the few jobs where you need a degree, get high pay, can be wrong much of the time with little consequence ... and get VA benefits.

 

[Z_TheWriter]

Fun fact: We actually have considerably more accurate weather models than the ones they use for predictions. The problem is that on current supercomputers, they run slower than reality.

 

[Z_TheWriter]

So being an erotica writer, and living with your parents while recovering from depression creates some interesting issues...

Not easy getting back into the groove of writing a sex scene after your mother comes to say goodnight...

(No. Down! Down! This is my actual mother. Bad T/I writers, bad!)

 

[TheLobster]

Not easy getting back into the groove of writing a sex scene after your mother comes to say goodnight...

*scribbles notes furiously*

Bad T/I writers, bad!

Pfff! You’re not my mother!

 

[Z_TheWriter]

Well I managed to get something on the page anyway.

Related question: How the hell do proper writers manage relatively consistent chapter lengths? The leadup/sex scene is as long as an entire other chapter!