The Not Happy Thread

Thanks, lady. I'm really hoping that just keeping it splinted will help, because I don't have insurance to go to the doctor and get it set...

 

I hope that helps too.

 

I resign to that all the time. But I've decided it'll be okay because I'll just bury myself in my cottage, in the middle of nowhere, that are filled with books and read and write all the time. And I'll have a cat, maybe more than one.

But don't give up hope yet. It sucks she was married though.

Go out there and find someone to ask on a date. I don't know people personally, but in another forum I'm in there's loads who haven't dated and they're over 40 I think. But hey, you're never too old to date.

Hopefully it's not broken.

 

I really want to jump in a pool of ice right now. I'm very unhappy at the fact that it is over 90 degrees in my house and outside, it is over 100. We have fans on as well as the air...and I'm still roasting. I hate the fact there are no trees around my house for shade. We are right in the sun.

 

Uh yeah, I'm a bit north of you in Dayton, Ohio, and the heat index is literally 105. The air is smoldering. And it's overcast. And it's supposed to thunderstorm and possibly hail this evening.

Anyone who hasn't lived in the Midwest has no idea how literally menopausal our weather is.

 

LOL...it's been getting up to like 115 here. And we've actually had humidity. Suuuuucks.

 

Greetings, no happy thread. I guess you're my new home for a while. The thing is, I were working on a project with a cop in Dallas, and we had a great work-thing going on. Skip ahead a year and a half, and we have finished one book (not published yet, though) and were doing quite well on two others. Then for reasons I don't know, she started acting like a complete b*tch. I tried talkign to her, discussing with her, reasoning with her and even arguing with her, but nothing works. She decided I'm an a-hole (no idea why), stole the work and refuse to let me take any part in it. I finally gave up and said she could keep the damn thing, but I didn't want anything to do with her or the work. But guess what? She still intend on putting my name on it next to hers, even though I practically demanded she'd leave it out. It's gone so far that I threatened to sue her if she publishes it, but I doubt she'll listen to even that. (of course I won't sue her, but sometimes you'll do anything to make people listen.)

What can I do about it? I live in Norway, and she's in Dallas. And a cop, on top of it. I've suggested we split the stories between us (we had an idea about a Book or Sin & Virtue, with one story based on each deadly sin and one on each corresponding virtue.) But she obviously wouldn't listen to that either. I've blocked her e-mail address as junk mail, and she won't even try to act serious about anything. (let's just say she compared my e-mail to herpes. No shit.)

Don't get me wrong, I don't need the stories. I don't even want them. But giving up and letting her take everything? Sigh... right now I hate her so much it's a good thing we live on different continents. I know things about her that her bosses might want to know. Let's just say no every cop should have been one.

 

Menopausal- good term!! And I agree! I'm over and down here in Oklahoma and... Yes, menopausal is right on the money. Daily high of 102+, nightly low of (Yay?) 78, and 45% thunder/rain storms all in one week? Sometimes one day..? FOR REAL?! AGH!

Dude that sucks so bad! I'm 3hrs from Dallas... I'm not above helping someone out...


On another Not Happy note- My kid got a sinus infection from daycare and brought it home to Mommy! Yay me... stuffy nose, dry/sore throat, coughing, achiness in shoulders neck and head, AND watery eyes. Combined with the stellar heat index that is Oklahoma, and GEEZ I'm miserable. Pity party is me

Sorry, just had to get that out... can't complain to the husband or I get to hear all about how he can't get a full nights sleep (As if I do, but you know, men )

 

I was pushing carts today at work and the humidity made me dizzy. I ended up having to go home early, and my shift was 3 hours. I'm working the same amount of time tomorrow though, and I want to stay there.

 

Did you guys have some kind of written agreement for the collaboration?

No bueno. Drink lots of water!!

 

I've been, and it does help, but I hate the fact that I missed work.

 

Yeah, I always hated missing work. Have you tried drinking something like Gatorade to see if that helps? Sorry you're not feeling well.

 

I agree with you and everyone else about the menopausal term. It is right on the dot.

During this entire summer, I've been very moody and exhausted during the day due to the intense heat, etc. I yearn for the moment night approaches because my house cools down so much and it is a lot more relaxing, and I tend to become more active. lol. I hate being lazy during the day, but I can't handle the heat! I wish I lived in a state where it stayed in between (temperatures resembling that of Autumn, also being my favorite season) and I not have to worry about being too hot or too cold. lol.

I tend to get dizzy very easily during the heat. I usually get dizzy often without the heat, but it's worse during instense weather. I know how you feel. The exhaustion and the dizzy/weak feeling is enough to make you mad about having to stop what you're doing. It's quite aggravating. Try to be careful and keep a water bottle handy.

 

Depends what you mean. No, we never wrote a contract or anything like that, but I have plenty of drafts starting from the early idea plotting and e-mails going from the initial meeting to having a finished story. In other words, plenty of proof that I've been a co-writer since day one, and thus plenty of stuff that should be interesting for the publisher to read if she tries to steal the work.

 

You know that feeling when you think someone's going to be somewhere and it'll be awkward? Yep. That's what I'm feeling now. I really hope we don't fall out again if she is there.

 

Play it cool Dante. Think of Jim Carrey putting out the vibe at the bar in Dumb and Dumber

 

Just don't be like the guy in "There's Something About Mary" and you'll be fine.

 

I'm not a lawyer so obviously I don't know anything official, but I have a feeling that without some kind of written contract, proof that you were helping co-write won't get you very far, unfortunately.

Good luck! I hope it wasn't awkward.

 

Can work both ways. Copyright vests in the author at the moment a work is created, and can only be transferred via a written instrument. So the absence of a written agreement means that the person who stole the work can't claim that copyright was transferred to her.

Also, if the name goes on the finished product without permission, there might be a claim there as well.

Being in another country and having to bring suit against someone in Texas is probably the biggest hurdle.

 

Yeah, I know, and I have no hopes of anything to bring to court. But let's say she finishes the stories on her own and publishes them on her own. What do you think the publishers will say if I give her proof (e-mails, early drafts etc) proving I've been a part of the project all along? In best case, it will make her look embarrased. In worst case, the book could be removed from the marked until we've settled our difference. In theory, they might even drop her name to other publishers, so she will have a problem publishing there too. But don't get me wrong, I really don't want that to happen. All I wanted was to keep writing with her, and when that wasn't possible, I wanted to share the stories between us. She wouldn't even do that, so I said I didn't want anything to do with her or the stories. Nor surprisingly she doesn't even read the e-mails I send. She just breeze through them quickly to get to the 'good parts' she can use to insult me.

 

Was this her plan all along or was there some kind of falling out?

 

Heh. We didn't fall out. Makes a change. Looks like we may see a fair bit of each other this summer as well (me going to Scotland notwithstanding).

 

So it went well? I'm happy for you!

 

We're just friends. Honest. And there was a larger group of people. It was just this one lass and the awkwardness of our past history and arguments. Our many dozens of arguments.

 

I realize that. Being friends is often the best you can be. I meant it went well in the sense of no awkwardness!