A cuppa Death Wish please.

Same day, different date. The weather warmed slightly so yesterday’s walk was warm. Today too, I hope. I am driving down to hang out with my first wife’s sisters tonight (long story).

Today I think I will write a newsletter entry. Nice low key way to get the day moving.

Over the halfway mark in Lonesome Dove, and I find myself slowing down, savoring it.

Good day all!

Cider. I can taste it now

Cross country ski or snowshoe?

Quote by gillianleeza

I like the title, although I misread it first as "Christmas is Bedlam". Bedlam is such a great word.

I had fun at the endodontist today. He needs another vacation, so I have two root canals scheduled. Today, I had the first one on one of my front teeth. I've had numerous root canals, but having one in your front teeth is weird. They had to use so much novocaine I ended up looking like I'd had a stroke. I metabolize certain drugs much more quickly than usual. Finding that out through a series of surgical procedures was unpleasant and painful. It's a running joke in my family: if there is a side effect or anomaly, I will have it.

Thankfully, I had the dental work after Sunday, when my husband and I celebrated our anniversary. I can't believe it's been thirty-five years. We had a quiet dinner at home and watched a movie after. We're so exciting, lol.

Have a great week, everyone. Cheers.

Well, Christmas IS Bedlam too.

Thanks for the setup, I would love a cup of La Petronas. Isn’t that a spell in Harry Potter?

Glad folks are liking the title. I have given myself a deadline of Dec 10 to finish this draft. We will see what happens after that.

Today? Same old thing. I took a walk yesterday and it was COLD - I will have to dress warmer to keep up this walking in winter thing.

Enjoy the day everyone.

Apple pie. Yum!

Turn up the heat or dress warmer

A cup of Fireside please.

Thanks for your vote of confidence on the title Ape. Christmas in Bedlam: It’s a collection of non-fiction stories. And Bedlam has Bethlehem as a root word - I didn’t know that.

Writing day, all day. Yay - been awhile since I had one of those. In exactly a week I will get to visit the neurologist and perhaps get some answers about my recent neuropathy.

Warm-ish out today, I may hazard a walk outside. Been awhile since I did that, though we did a TON of yard work this weekend. No Taylor Swift movie. Sigh. My inner fanboy is crying.

I’ll take a Navy cookie for my Dad. And a flag cookie.

You know, I was the one who got all excited about putting up the flag on the porch of our home, but Talia is the one who goes out and untwists it from the pole every morning. Props to her,

What do you guys think about the title “Christmas in Bedlam” for a book? Would it pique your interest?

Quote by Mendalla
(Damn, that was a bitch-y post. Sorry. Deleted the bitch-y parts.)

Damn, now I want to see the bitchy part. I listened to SO MUCH Taylor Swift when my daughters were young, I became a lifetime fan. I think she's a great writer. and Red and 1989 are just phenomenal albums.

Quote by Mendalla

Good morning and Happy Friday!!

Putting some Tobermory Grotto in the coffee machine. It's a lovely spot so I hope this dark roast is also lovely.

For teas, we got Assam and Sunday Tea.

Cold drinks are also refreshed.

Have a good one, folks!!

Tobermory Grotto? Sounds like the name of an old Beatles song.

Doc visit went fine, and I am starting to finally feel better. Whew!

Sadly, can’t write today, because novel critique is tomorrow, so I have to read and critique all day today.

We are gonna try to see the Taylor Swift concert movie. I think it’s about to leave theaters. Other than that, raking leaves and chilling out all weekend.

Carpe the weekend!

Deathwish Dark sounds like just the thing.

Doctor appointment and car bullsh!t today, and it’s cold and snowy out. Going to be one of those days I think. I might be able to get an hour of writing in before things hit the fan.

Coffee and coffee turkey cookie!

higgelty piggelty bop! Magically the coffee is perking, some wonderful teas steeping, and turkey cookies!

Cold weather is moving in, and sadly I have no car - it's getting some body work done. Sigh. I guess it's time to hunker down and stay warm and write.

I hope everyone is well.

Quote by JamesPBear

Hey there, hi there, ho there! I'm as welcome as … well, as I am, I guess.

I just wanted to alert you all to Elyse's story. I just finished, and almost got quite tearful. Almost. A little bit. But not really…

Loving Her In Silence

Thank for the recommendation, James, I agree it is a sweet and heartfelt story.

Warm day here, but winter moves in like a beast tomorrow. I’m taking a long walk today because I don’t think I will be able to for a few days.

I am car-less right now. Sigh. Getting some body work done. So I’ll stay and tend the coffee shop.

higgelty piggelty bop! Magically the coffee is perking, some wonderful teas steeping, and turkey cookies!

I piggyback off someone else’s Amazon Unlimited Music thing, and it always works pretty well. It plus whatever music I tell Alexa to play (I use Alexa for music and news only, in my office).

Good morning, and excellent set up! Those turkey cookies look pretty tasty too.

Not much new today. Same ol same ol. Didn’t sleep great, but nothing new there. This damn cat keeps wanting to be petted, so maybe I should get out of bed.

Enjoy the day everyone.

I’ll have a cup of decaf.

I have a similar problem to yours, in that I can sketch characters and situations pretty well, I think, but I have great trouble coming up with plots. Some way to inject action into the mix.

Anyway. Extremely lazy Saturday today. T is on a Zoom call with old friends, I am upstairs reading Lonesome Dove. Later I think pizza and horror movies will be in the mix.

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

Quote by Mendalla

Two hours? How big is his property?🤔

It’s an apartment building. And he’s slow.

I finally got a full night’s sleep and feel good. I’m closing in on the end of a book and that feels good too. We have a title! The End is Not the End. If anyone wants to be a beta reader, lemme know. I’ll be done with a first draft by Thanksgiving.

No baseball for 5 months. Sigh. Sometimes my Dad and I would find random Mets games on YouTube and watch them to ease the boredom.

Coffee and tea and cookies are waiting. I’d love a coffee.

Someone's in a good mood! Thanks for the setup, Ape.

That was a really boring World Series. I don't have cable, and didn't want to spend $50 to get cable for a month, so I either listened or ignored it.

Slept poorly, two nights in a row. Hope things improve tonight. Right now some guy has ben running a leaf blower for two hours. It's ANNOOOOOOYING.

I'd love a coffee and a cookie! Cookies should be Thanksgiving-y next time, right?

Quote by Mendalla

So apparently I was the top author and has the top story in October? Cool. Got notifications when I came in and shiny new badges, too.

Rearranged my featured stories on my profile. First is my latest, second is my most liked, third is my most viewed (which, not surprisingly, is my first).

We have some Flowerpot Island coffee on in the coffee pot. Teas are English Breakfast and Russian Caravan. Iced tea and lemonade are fresh in the fridge.

Hope you had a nice Halloween, all.

Cool indeed Ape. You are on a roll.

Had fewer trick or treaters than last year, but it was cold as f last night. So, lotsa leftover candy.

Watched a terrifying Korean horror movie last night - Incantation. It didn't always make sense, or bother to explain itself, but when it's scary, it's SCARY.

I'd love a coffee and a cookie!

I'd love a cup of blood...I mean coffee!

We're a couple episodes into House of Usher. (I like it better than T does.) Things have been busy. We might watch more tonight while we pass out Halloween candy.

I hope everyone is well.

Quote by Mendalla

William Goldman is probably one of my favourite screenwriters when I actually look at his output over the years. And he also wrote novels like The Marathon Man and The Princess Bride and wrote the screenplays for the adaptations of his novels. He even had unused drafts for movies like The Right Stuff and Mission Impossible 2 (hard to imagine someone rejecting a screenplay from Goldman, but apparently it happened).

I rewatched Marathon Man recently. What a fun ride! I’m not sure it makes sense, but the action just hurtles forward so it doesn’t matter.

And The Princess Bride is a perfect movie.

Gaa! I broke a temporary crown off this weekend and have to make an appointment to go in. And I have to bring my car in for body work this week. So I have to dig out of the snow and scrape the ice off the windshield.

The Misery play was good - based on the movie, not the book - the credit was to William Goldman. Man does that guy have some great screenplays to his name.

Off to do chores in the cold now. At least I can come home to a warm house and a World Series game.

I’d love a cup of heavy metal coffee and a scary cookie!

Quote by Mendalla

Based on the King novel or the movie? There are differences. Or something else entirely and I am leaping to a wrong conclusion based on you being psyched for it?

Based on the book. We made sure it wasn't a musical first.

Thanks for doing the setup, Ape. Hope you are recovering nicely. Sounds like a nice break, actually, if it allows you to write.

Yeah, Talia is a keeper. I’m doing okay, but I was a little freaked out for awhile, and she was the key to my staying calm. She is good for me. This has been a hard few weeks.

Anyway. Writing calls. Coffee too. And the World Series starts tonight, albeit between two pretty boring teams (though our fearless leader Rump was a big D-Backs fan if I recall).

We are seeing the play Misery this weekend. I’m very psyched. Good scary Halloween fun.

The wind is howling, and this weekend should see our first snowfall. Enjoy the weekend folks!

presto chango I wave my hand and setup is done by magic! Costco coffee a-perking, our Ashberry Ape and Bilious Banana blends of teas are a-steeping, and Sara’s spooky cookies are on display.

Therapy day today, AND a doctor visit! Fun! And writing, writing, writing.

Can I just say I have the best wife in the entire world? I’ve been a bit of a mess, but I’m doing better, and she is just unflagging loving and strong. I’m lucky to have found her.

Okay, stuff to do, so I will see you later. If anyone shows up here today…

Quote by DenimAngel

grabbing a large hot chocolate with a mountain of mini marshmallows

World Series should be interesting this year ... Arizona Dbacks vs Texas Rangers . Both haven't been to the world series in several years .

The tickets at Chase Field (home of the Dbacks ) are pricey (350.00 for nosebleed section) but the seats are selling out fast no way I'm paying that much .

I wanted Phillies/Astros. But you know me, I will still watch.

I've only been to one World Series game, and it was pretty fun, even if the Mets got crushed by the Yankees.

Cool comp up at another site. Entries for DAYS!

Coffee is perky, teas are steepy, cookies are plated. Come on in!

Walks in, waves hand and presto chango! Ape has already done the setup!

Still a little foggy, but trying to crawl back to normalcy. Write all day, and I will skip the walk. I have an MRI tonight. You'd think they could schedule these things at normal times.

Still enjoying reading Lonesome Dove. One of the Great American novels of the 20th century.

A coffee and a cookie! Go Phillies!

EDIT: Sara came in and did the set-up while I was rambling on. Yay! I'd love a ghosty cookie! Sorry about your Braves.

Quote by JustAnotherSapphic

Not quite. If you regress, you are that age mentally, although biologically, you are usually much older. It's usually a way to cope with things like trauma but some people like to do it just for fun. My story features the latter and has the two main characters in a loving relationship - one is regressed and the other is their caregiver.

This sounds interesting, and I would definitely read it. Make sure you mention when it goes up!

Let’s assume Ape’s last setup is still in effect. I’d love a coffee and a cookie.

Talia had never heard of B Kliban’s Cats comic book! Anyone else remember that? We bought it on Amazon and are now reading a few each night. Cool book!

Health issues still in the air, but we are working on solutions. I’m pushing hard toward the end of this book, but I am going to try to get in couple anthologies with: a weird horror western, and a ghost story. So lots of writing I am behind on.

I hope everyone is well.

Thanks for the setup, Ape, and thanks for the healing vibes Red. Still not doing great, but I hope things will turn out well. In better news, I am almost done with a (short) book. End of year definitely.

Still haven't read the newest stories here, but I will. Life is busy right now.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Quote by Mendalla

I am so using this as a title someday (if you don't beat me to it). Though "Great Googley Eye" would be a terrific band name, too.

You may not have my title until you pry it from my cold dead fingers.

I hope everyone is well. Busy times here at home. A nagging health issue is complicating our lives. We hope it resolves itself.

A coffee would be great! Thanks for setting up Ape.

Finally back in town. The weather was perfect, and the eclipse was awesome - a perfect circle hanging in the sky for 4 minutes. Both Talia and I said at the same time it looked like a googley eye. The Great Googley Eye of God!

Looking forward to more spookiness from Ape and Molly, but right now I am kinda exhausted. I hope everyone is doing well. The comp on another site looks crazy fun.

Coffee please, if there is any. And a black cat cookie!

I'm reading Larry McMurtry:A Life. Just got to the part where he is writing Terms of Endearment. Then I am going reread Lonesome Dove for the third time.

Thanks for setting up!

Busy day today, we leave for Albuquerque tomorrow for the eclipse. About to meet the cat sitter! 😺

Wish us clear skies! A coffee to go would be nice.