Support for Indie Authors discussion
Fun
>
Get Mad Here Thread

They are STILL coming.
Today's offering sees Verruca and Mephistopheles settled at the Old Rectory in the quaint village of Toothbrush-cum-Twat in east Anglia. Their darling offspring Erratum and Cablestitch are now at boarding school and Verruca has picked up the reins of her interior design business as if she has never been away. Ho hum.
Jane wrote: " Ho hum."
I dare you to send a letter back to each of them saying just that. "Ho hum."
I dare you to send a letter back to each of them saying just that. "Ho hum."



*sigh* It's indies for me!
Christina wrote: "Ya know, I never really got that. Is Satan the kind of guy you really want out of your line of sight?"
Well, see... I can't explain it here. There's rules against it and stuff.
Well, see... I can't explain it here. There's rules against it and stuff.

It... is happening.... AGAIN!
(maybe)
So. A little background. Along with being a writer, I work as a caregiver to adults with disabilities. I work in a home on the northeast side of Cedar Rapids. I live on the southwest side. Cedar Rapids is not, by any means, a sprawling metropolis, but it's no dinky little Mayberry, either.
My wife and I share one car and our work schedules are not quite the same. She is in the bank around 9 or 10 in the morning. I report around 1:30 or 3:30, depending on the day.
For some time, I spent my time before my shift sitting where I am now, in a coffee shop, doing my writing. The coffee shop was called Coffeesmiths and it was wonderful. Back in May, Coffeesmiths was bought out by a corporation called Scooters. The nice coffee shop turned into, well, a McDonald's. The emphasis is on smoothies and microwaved breakfast sandwiches. I turned my back and went elsewhere.
I went to a place called Java Creek Cafe, which I found was much better than Coffeesmiths had been. The coffee is wonderful. The food is excellent. And so on.
On Thursday I went in and found out that they were closing their doors on December 30. It would not be closed forever, but for about a week and a half. Then it will reopen. I have told many of the workers, including the former owner / manager not to do me like Coffeesmiths did. Do not turn into a cold corporate run fast food restaurant. I have been assured this is not going to happen... but I'm still worried and scared.
Meanwhile, until the reopening, I am stuck here in Scooters with the boring coffee. I will not be eating here on these days. I will either go to Subway next door or BBQ This, which is a short walk away. Not the best food in the world, but much better than a hockey puck that looks like a bagel.
(maybe)
So. A little background. Along with being a writer, I work as a caregiver to adults with disabilities. I work in a home on the northeast side of Cedar Rapids. I live on the southwest side. Cedar Rapids is not, by any means, a sprawling metropolis, but it's no dinky little Mayberry, either.
My wife and I share one car and our work schedules are not quite the same. She is in the bank around 9 or 10 in the morning. I report around 1:30 or 3:30, depending on the day.
For some time, I spent my time before my shift sitting where I am now, in a coffee shop, doing my writing. The coffee shop was called Coffeesmiths and it was wonderful. Back in May, Coffeesmiths was bought out by a corporation called Scooters. The nice coffee shop turned into, well, a McDonald's. The emphasis is on smoothies and microwaved breakfast sandwiches. I turned my back and went elsewhere.
I went to a place called Java Creek Cafe, which I found was much better than Coffeesmiths had been. The coffee is wonderful. The food is excellent. And so on.
On Thursday I went in and found out that they were closing their doors on December 30. It would not be closed forever, but for about a week and a half. Then it will reopen. I have told many of the workers, including the former owner / manager not to do me like Coffeesmiths did. Do not turn into a cold corporate run fast food restaurant. I have been assured this is not going to happen... but I'm still worried and scared.
Meanwhile, until the reopening, I am stuck here in Scooters with the boring coffee. I will not be eating here on these days. I will either go to Subway next door or BBQ This, which is a short walk away. Not the best food in the world, but much better than a hockey puck that looks like a bagel.

The only thing that's worse is the poncey bistro we went to a couple nights ago - where the chef comes out of his hole to explain the menu. Noooooo! I can fucking well read...

G.G. wrote: "anybody else ever noticed that when you shop but have no intention of buying you have someone asking you if you need help every 2 minutes, and when you actually need help, everyone disappears?"
YES!!!
See? You made me overdo the exclamation points.
YES!!!
See? You made me overdo the exclamation points.
Jane wrote: "Sympathies Dwayne. Chains are crap..."
Most of them. I do have a soft spot for a few. I love Hu Hot and Chipotle.
Most of them. I do have a soft spot for a few. I love Hu Hot and Chipotle.
Alex wrote: "I hope your fears prove unfounded, Dwayne, and they're merely revamping to make it a better place for you to do your writing"
Let's hope! Let's put it this way... I almost never give cards to anyone for any reason, but I left a Christmas card for the employees. That's how much I've grown to love that little coffee shop in the last few months.
Let's hope! Let's put it this way... I almost never give cards to anyone for any reason, but I left a Christmas card for the employees. That's how much I've grown to love that little coffee shop in the last few months.
Melissa wrote: "Remembering passwords. Enough said."
Simple fix. Always use the word password for your password. Now, I know, everyone says that's a bad idea, but here's the kicker. You use a dollar sign for one of the S's and you don't tell anyone which one!
Huh? Huh?
Simple fix. Always use the word password for your password. Now, I know, everyone says that's a bad idea, but here's the kicker. You use a dollar sign for one of the S's and you don't tell anyone which one!
Huh? Huh?

Simple fix. Always use the word password for your password. Now, I know, everyone says that's a bad idea, but here's the kicker. You use a doll..."
I use 12345. Works for everything! Even my luggage!

Here's the deal. My email goes bingly-beep and guess what pops in?
Yup.
A New Year round robin. And it gets worse. It's from somebody I never met. There's this woman I was at school with and I swear she has Velcro palms to her hands because I still ain't shook her off fifty years later. She was, until late last year married, to a man my family calls Alec the Asshole. So. He buggers off with his secretary Saccharine (or it might have been Diet Pepsi, or Compilobactor) but whatever the woman is called, she's only sent me a freaking New Year boast fest.
I took up Dwayne's challenge and mailed straight back 'ho hum'


How about money orders? such as western union etc?

Jane wrote: "I took up Dwayne's challenge and mailed straight back 'ho hum' "
*applause*
Another good response would be, "Jimmy crack corn and I don't care."
*applause*
Another good response would be, "Jimmy crack corn and I don't care."


But what makes me mad are the people on the road who are aggressive in these kinds of weather conditions, like they're racing to die and trying to take everyone with them.
Thomas wrote: "Well, Punxsutawney Phil made good on that prediction, at least for us. We just got a foot of snow last night. I had to use the "rocker" method to get my car rolling. Forward, reverse, forward, reve..."
Yes! I feel your pain Thomas!
Yes! I feel your pain Thomas!


We just have wet rain and wind. Yeah bloody wind brought half of next door's fence to rest in Dog's garden. Then the bloody woman whose freaking fence it is looks at us as if we should do something about it. Sheesh.
Thing is. We probably will because her dog has permanent diahorreah.
Don't get me started.
Need beer
It damn well better not snow today! We took our 4 lb preemie son home in snow and ice back in 2013. Today we're taking home our 5 lb preemie daughter and it's supposed to be 60!!!! If it snows, I will lose it!

Now I can't be mad any more. I just hafta say Awwww! We send our very best to you and your little one. We hope she is well and as eager to enjoy her life as she was to begin it. Dog says human puppies are cute.

Riely, you could give us all your snow. Pretty please? We need it to kill all the stupid bugs that killed our garden last year.

All we need is one good freeze, that's all. (Knowing Kansas it'll probably happen in April... after everything has bloomed).


Mosquitoes?! I hate those damn things! Grr....

Sending hugs, good vibes, and prayers to you and your little daughter, Ann!

I'm attending a local sci fic convention and I proposed to do an outlining workshop. I found out a week or so ago it was accepted (the con is in 1.5 weeks). So, I'm putting together my workshop, thinking I had about 40 minutes for the entire thing.
Now, I just got informed my 40 minute outlining workshop where I was going to go over various levels of plot and character arcs is now a 6 person 1.5 hr panel.
A panel?
WTF?! How did this happen? Did they even read my proposal!
I don't even know what to do. It's in a week and a half and my workshop is out the door. I complained to the programmer, then asked for contact information for the other panelists. I just don't even know.
I'm angry and frustrated. I'm angry because I know this will not be all that helpful to new writers. They're going to get 6 different opinions on what an outline is and we're not going to be able to get deep into story making at all. I'm mad that I wasn't contacted about the change to my proposal. I'm annoyed that my 'baby' I've been working on is dead.
I want to completely disengage and not go. (that's immature and whiny, I know, but that's how I feel at this moment.) I will still go, but I can't see how my vision can be salvaged and I'm not sure how to make this useful. It's soured me for this entire con, too.





I was considering offering 'my' workshop in my hotel room. ha! Put up signs in the hallway. I could try to youtube it, but I have no idea how to go about setting something like that up and have it look nice.
And yes, I will take that hug. *hugs*


I'm attending a local sci fic convention and I proposed to do an outlining workshop. I found out a week or so ago it was accepted (the con is in 1.5 weeks). So, I'm putting togethe..."
Wow! I feel for you, and I'm sorry this happened. If it were me, I'd go with the YouTube suggestion and go to the panel anyway. Maybe you can inject some sense into things. Also, you can possibly use points from your presentation, shortening them to be able to offer them more quickly, and slip in a "by the way, if you want to hear more from me, check out the longer version" type of thing.
Even if you don't Youtube it, you could write the presentation up as a short eBook and plug that to the panel's audience, then offer it on your site as a freebie. Or offer it in your hotel room, then use the questions you will inevitably get to improve your eBook.
What a cruddy move on the part of the organizers.
Their pleasure is your pain is our pleasure. I hope they keep them coming if they continue to inspire giggle-fit posts like this. I love the names you come up with!