Thursday

Re: Thursday

• short+sassy member

  

  November 2018

  @CharmedPam, Yeah .  Don't get me wrong, all shootings are tragic.  But, for me, it's extra striking when it is so random.  People just living their lives, doing their normal stuff/routine.  Like I do, like we all do.  And are killed by a sick individual for no reason, other than being at the wrong place at the wrong time.  The uptick in frequency of these mass shootings is also making me sad and ragey.

  I'm finally starting to feel on a more even keel in my own personal life.  My special project is done and I finally had a relaxing weekend.  My work had been extra stressful this week, but I finished the extra urgent stuff yesterday.  Still busy and more to finish up, but I can be more relaxed about it.

  And, in an unusual twist, I have to keep convincing myself that, "Yes!  It IS Thurs."  It keeps emotionally feeling like I have more work days left for the week.  But I don't, other than finishing today and my half-day Fri. tomorrow.  Phew! 
  

  

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• Jen4948 member

  

  November 2018 edited November 2018

  Yet another shooting. Justice Ginsburg is hospitalized.
  
  Bad night with an editing client who gets defensive and can't handle friendly suggestions meant to help a novel that has no chance of publication as is because it needs so much editing. According to her, it's "clean" (had some major factual inaccuracies) and "everyone" (5 movie directors -- note, this is a novel, not a screenplay) love it and think it's a "great" novel (has the potential to be if publishers don't put it in their slush piles (the publishing industry term for unsolicited manuscripts that often stay there because either they're so badly written that they're unsalvageable or their authors' egos are too big and too fragile)). 
  
  I suggest she break a 32-page chapter into two or three chapters because a commercial publisher is likely to ask for shorter chapters and she goes "I will not do that because essential information will be left out." Doesn't understand that all "break down a chapter" means is have three chapters where you have one now with exactly the same information. Throws a fit. I tell her it's time to get off the phone. She calls me "weird" and we simultaneously hit the end buttons on our phones. About 30 minutes later she sends me a text in which she calls me "weird" and "fiers" me.
  
  This was a revision of a previous manuscript I spent hours fixing for her that didn't need changes at this point, but she felt the need to add a lot of extraneous material about her personal spiritual and mystical beliefs. Let's just say that those beliefs are not mainstream, and she doesn't really integrate them into the story but crams them into the first chapter and leaves the reader to wade through 30 pages of it. I never critiqued her beliefs at all, but I did try to bring to her attention that her use of a specific term in the way she used it had been used in various other contemporary books in the same genre including one that uses that term as the title, and she might be the subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit if she sticks with it. I urged her to use a different name for the concept, but then she tried to convince me that it's "unique." I just proved that It's anything BUT "unique."
  
  She's done this before. On that occasion I merely completed the work and sent it back to her, and wrote back that she LOVED my edits. 
  
  So I will finish the work and send her a bill, terms of net 30. I'll be happy to send it to a collection agency if she doesn't pay, and I'll have plenty of support that I took her work and tried to turn it into something with even a remote shot at getting published, because I always keep copies. She wanted me to do this one manually (she's one step away from being a Luddite), so it's covered with corrections in red pencil. And good luck to her in getting anyone else to edit her manuscript, let alone buy her book.
  
  Best part -- she's a professional shrink. Go figure.
  
  Sorry for this long epic story. I need something good to happen to someone I care about today.

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• 6fsn member

  

  November 2018

  Getting new brakes today.  Between tires and this I'll be sinking $700 into my car within 2 weeks.  Blergh.  Oh well it's still cheaper than a car payment.

  That's really about it.
  

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• missJeanLouise member

  

  November 2018

  My dog died suddenly and unexpectedly today. The vet thinks it might have been a blood clot. DH and I are both a mess.

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• Jen4948 member

  

  November 2018 edited November 2018

  missJeanLouise said:

  My dog died suddenly and unexpectedly today. The vet thinks it might have been a blood clot. DH and I are both a mess.

  I am so sorry. 😢 Big hugs.

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• 6fsn member

  

  November 2018

  I am so sorry @missjeanlouise.  That's awful.  Giant internet hugs.
  

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• CharmedPam member

  

  November 2018

  @Jen4948, fx for you
  @6fsn, sorry your brakes went.  It really sucks
  @MissJeanLouoise, super big hugs to you.  That's so heartbreaking 

  
  

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• Jen4948 member

  

  November 2018 edited November 2018

  6fsn said:

  Getting new brakes today.  Between tires and this I'll be sinking $700 into my car within 2 weeks.  Blergh.  Oh well it's still cheaper than a car payment.

  That's really about it.
  

  I'm sorry you're having car trouble. Hope that after your brakes are fixed, your car is safe to drive and you can recoup your money at least eventually.

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• MNNEBride member

  

  November 2018

  @missJeanLouise, I'm so sorry!
  @6fsn - Adulting sucks when it comes to car repairs and such.
  
  I was out sick yesterday with upper respiratory crud.  I curled up in the recliner and cleared out the dvr.  So I'm now caught up on This is Us and my Housewives. I'm back today but at about 75%.  I just want to crawl under my desk and take a nap (ala George Castanza!)
  
  Our election results were good with a few disappointments.   
  
  @mrsconn23 and any other Bravo fans - have you caught Play By Play with Jerry O'Connell?  It recorded after a couple of my shows and it was really funny.  Now I don't see it in the line up.
  
  

  

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• short+sassy member

  

  November 2018 edited November 2018

  @Jen4948, It's an interesting story!  I can picture that it is hard for some...maybe to some extent "all"...writers to take constructive criticism from editors.  Especially when it comes to content.  And from your perspective, you're thinking, "OMG, I am telling you obvious things to improve the readability of the story and give you a snowball's chance in hell to maybe have a publishing house give it a second glance.  Yet, you're still not listening to reason."  At any rate, you can only do what you can do within the parameters she wants.

  Edited to add:

  @missJeanLouise, I'm so sorry to hear about your dog!  I think it's always a little harder when it is so unexpected.  ((Hugs))
  

  

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• Ro041 member

  

  November 2018

  Omg @missJeanLouise I am soooo sorry.  How devastating.  I am sending you all the good healing vibes.  Thank you for loving your pup and giving him/her a home and life full of love.

  
  

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• charlotte989875 member

  

  November 2018

  missJeanLouise said:

  My dog died suddenly and unexpectedly today. The vet thinks it might have been a blood clot. DH and I are both a mess.

  Oh MJL I’m so so sorry. That’s awful. 

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• Jen4948 member

  

  November 2018 edited November 2018

  short+sassy said:

  @Jen4948, It's an interesting story!  I can picture that it is hard for some...maybe to some extent "all"...writers to take constructive criticism from editors.  Especially when it comes to content.  And from your perspective, you're thinking, "OMG, I am telling you obvious things to improve the readability of the story and give you a snowball's chance in hell to maybe have a publishing house give it a second glance.  Yet, you're still not listening to reason."  At any rate, you can only do what you can do within the parameters she wants.

  Well, I have some leverage over her, because no agent or publisher is going to "only give her what she wants." If she tries that with anyone else in the editing or publishing world, she can hope their doors don't smack her in the butt too hard on the way out. None of them will put up with the crap that she gave me.
  
  They are concerned with producing, marketing and selling books to target markets, not the personal beliefs and delicate feelings of first-time novelists.
  
  And editors are like other professionals. Just as your plumbers won't let you tell them how to fix your sink, your accountants won't let you tell them how to prepare your tax returns, your lawyers won't let you decide what arguments to make while representing you in court, and your doctors won't let you decide how they should perform your surgery, editors won't put up with clients trying to control how they do their jobs. A client who does that is told "Buh-bye" and shown the door.
  
  I think she's going to learn that the hard way.
  
  

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• levioosa member

  

  November 2018 edited November 2018

  Omg @missJeanLouise I am so sorry. 
  
  
  Seems like a pretty shit day so far for a bunch of people. Hugs to everyone. I can’t (but can) believe about the shooting. And what’s even more sick is that people there survived the Las Vegas shooting a year ago. We’re at the point where people are surviving multiple mass shootings in their life time. That makes me so nauseous. 
  
  I have another paper to do and the house is a god awful mess so I’ll be working on that. I need to set up a schedule for a cleaner again. I hurt my foot/ankle somehow so I’m trying to figure out a game plan there. I’d like to go to the gym but my biggest reason for going are the cardio machines and I probably should be off the foot as much as possible. 
  
  Edit: for some reason I thought LV shooting was two years ago because so much has happened since then. Nope. That’s how fucked up and often mass shootings are now. 
  

  
  

  
  

  

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• climbingsingle member

  

  November 2018

  missJeanLouise said:

  My dog died suddenly and unexpectedly today. The vet thinks it might have been a blood clot. DH and I are both a mess.

  
  Oh my god. I'm so sorry! 

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• sparklepants41 member

  

  November 2018

  @missJeanLouise I am so sorry. You get all the hugs today. 

  

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• short+sassy member

  

  November 2018

  I am going to pick up the Dear Prudie gauntlet, in light of @mrsconn being in TX.
  

  

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• mrsconn23 member

  

  November 2018

  Hugs @missJeanLouise! I am so sorry!  
  
  Adulting sucks 6. 
  
  I need a nap and this day has been long already.  I need to make it about another 12 hours.  Easy peasy. 

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• ei34 member

  

  November 2018

  So sorry @missJeanLouise!  How sad.
  
  John Berman on CNN: “The largest mass shooting in this country in TWELVE DAYS. Let that sink in.”  
  
  The Director of Student Activities is a huge ham so he’s constantly planning faculty performance events.  Faculty Karaoke Challenge, Faculty So You Think Can Dance, etc.  All for the students to watch.  He’s been trying to get a Faculty Talent Show going, even though it wasn’t well received when brought up at the last faculty meeting.  The show is slated for next Friday night but it may not happen since there are only three acts so far (one of which is him and another is a duo-him and another teacher).  The principal loves him and always give his ideas the green light but he’s all pissed at everyone for their lack of enthusiasm. Just sent a passive-aggressive and unfair email saying we don’t get involved with the students after-hours.  (False bc most of us attend the student talent show as well as their concerts, plays, games, etc.)  And 15 minutes ago semi-cornered me in the faculty room saying it was a shame I wouldn’t sign up considering I was the most recent faculty member asking for volunteers (faculty doused the students with colorful powder at the color run I was in charge of).  I tried to say cheering students on from the sidelines of a color run is different than getting on stage.  He walked away saying “oh I’ve been hearing excuses alll day..”.  So I’m in an annoyed place.

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• kvruns member

  

  November 2018

  Oh no sorry MJL

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• levioosa member

  

  November 2018

  Ugh @eileenrob that sounds super annoying. Performing =/= organizing an event. Only hams would think otherwise. Tbh at this stage in my life performing for anything sounds like a nightmare. 

  
  

  
  

  

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• short+sassy member

  

  November 2018

  levioosa said:

  Ugh @eileenrob that sounds super annoying. Performing =/= organizing an event. Only hams would think otherwise. Tbh at this stage in my life performing for anything sounds like a nightmare. 

  
  Agreed!  You have my sympathies @eileenrob.  Many teachers already go far and above their job requirements, in donating their time.  It is such b.s. to get pissy because people don't want to give up their Fri. night for an event that he already knows most people don't want to do.

  

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• Jen4948 member

  

  November 2018

  Sorry to hear that @eileenrob. That does sound extra annoying that this guy is being such a jerk about how you and the other faculty spend their time.

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• short+sassy member

  

  November 2018

  Goodness!  Today has just turned out to be a red letter day for me.  I've had two super rare, but good things happen.  And BOTH of them happened today!  It's just crazy.

  The Big Boss came into my office at lunch time to tell me I'm getting a raise.  Relatively speaking, it's not much.  Nov. is my anniversary month here, so it's really more my annual "cost of living" bump up in pay.  But still good news! 

  And then, for my p/t regular side gig (taking pics of hotel event boards), I got an e-mail earlier today from my scheduler that they are adding 3 more hotels to my route.  That will add up to $60 more a week!  Over the past 2.5 years, they have only added hotels twice.  And, both times, they also took some hotels away.  So I'm only "net one extra" from when I started with the "new" company.  I had a 1/3 more hotels with the previous company I was with...they merged with my current one...and I'm still salty about it sometimes.  Hopefully they won't take any away this time, but I'll at least be happy in the moment. 
  

  

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• VarunaTT member

  

  November 2018

  I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday.  Then Saturday we finally have our big fancy fundraiser party we've been planning for forever.  K's mom is fixing the sleeves on my dress, shoes are bought, jewelry done.  We're getting our hair done starting at 1 on Saturday.  I need an updo and I've found some I like, but I'm pretty tempted just to tell my hair dress to do WTF he wants too.
  
  Today is just a SSDD day.  

  �

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• Jen4948 member

  

  November 2018

  @short+sassy, congratulations! Thanks for sharing your good news. We all needed to hear some today.

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• STARMOON44 member

  

  November 2018

  missJeanLouise said:

  My dog died suddenly and unexpectedly today. The vet thinks it might have been a blood clot. DH and I are both a mess.

  So sorry!

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• OliveOilsMom member

  

  November 2018

  MJL - I'm so sorry for your loss.  That is heartbreaking.

  Eileen - That dude needs to get over himself!  There is a huge difference between cheering students on a various events THEY are in and performing on a stage.  Besides - would the students even show up?  I don't think I would have gone to school to see my teachers perform when I was in HS.

  Today started at the dentist for a cavity to get filled.  It went smoothly and pretty quickly.  While I was perusing FB, a 5 year old black lab named Olive came up from the local shelter.  I told H I needed to have another black lab named Olive in my life!  So we are meeting her tonight, after work! Squeee!  I think as long as she does good with DD (and our current Olive), we will add her to our family!
  

  

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• ShesSoCold mod

  

  November 2018

  Oh, no, MJL. I am so sorry.

  
  

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• ei34 member

  

  November 2018

  Thanks everyone.  What bothers me are that there are some teachers who don’t attend or participate in any after school activities.  Some can’t, some don’t want to.  But many of us, myself included, do. Quite often.  I didn’t perform in talent shows when I was a student myself (partially shy/partially not particularly talented) so it’s just not my thing.  I always attend the one the students put on and I feel like that’s enough for them, seeing their teachers/counselors in the audience. A silly thing to be irked over with everything else going on...but thank you for letting me vent!

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