What's your day job?

[bigdeals.etc]

If any?

I was a Civil Engineer. But that was decades ago.

[chapeau-noir]

You probably remember Billpoint!

[uncseniorsportsfan]

Billpoint, checks, money orders, and cash...   My largest sale on eBay was paid with two money orders, and shipped to someone other than the buyer.  

[evry1nositswindy]

@ztams Music Teacher--so that is Leif Garrett, right? Oh so dreamy in the 70's but not as cute as Shaun Cassidy!!

[moondogblues]

That's awesome! I started writing poetry when I was MUCH younger, actually had 2 published. One was in (don't laugh) True Confessions and it paid an astonishing 35 bucks, big money for the 70's. The 2nd one I got some copies of the 'zine...woo.

The short story I sold was only the 2nd I'd written (and then re-wrote twice before sending it off to an anthology)...and it sold! I got 500.00 dollars for that, 25 cents a word. Got good reviews too, and then the horror market dried up and I went into terminal writer's block. Oh well, it was great fun while it lasted. But music is just as great and really my first love. I'll never get rich for it but I do get applause.

[moondogblues]

"occasional freelancer / part-time retail wage slave / eBay seller / crafter."

I think a lot of ua are like that, mine (I've had a ton of jobs and vocations) are technician/network engineer
implementation/provisioning (phone co)/cook (2 eateries)/server/ticket sales and ride operator (carnival 3 seasons really!)/antique store owner/beauty shop owner/book dealer (here)/artist and craftsperson/designer/writer and musician...sheesh. I'm sure there's more, years of high tech computer type jobs. Oh and Walgreens (photo dept) and Burger King. I'm making myself laugh.

I used to tell people I'm trying to live all my nine lives at once.

[moondogblues]

"He's 66 but his wife is 55 . I don't know if 66 years old is considered elderly or elderly enough . I think honestly he's afraid of upsetting her so he just keeps taking the abuse .Calling for help may cause another violent outbreak if she found out . Two of their grown kids still live at home but when they're not at work they make themselves as scarce as possible . We feel terrible for him but other than offering him phone numbers to call for help , we feel like our hands are tied . Thank you for the advice ,, I'll tell him. Tulips "

I may be way off base here, but she sounds like she needs a brain scan. It could be a tumor that is causing the huge change in her actions. Not sure how her husband would get her to the doctor but she really needs help. I feel for them both.

[moondogblues]

"sea sickness and threw up a few times in the middle of my rendition of “My heart will go on” by Celine Dion. "

Omg, that made me laugh so hard. I have stage fright to the point where I self medicate on the way to a gig. Chardonnay in a 7-Up bottle works. (I don't drive). I also get sea sick.

My fave songs to sing are At Last and Still Got the Blues.

I forgot to add to that ridiculous list that I was also a full time single mom since 1975...baby is grown now. And never calls...

[chapeau-noir]

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@uncseniorsportsfan wrote:

Billpoint, checks, money orders, and cash...   My largest sale on eBay was paid with two money orders, and shipped to someone other than the buyer.  

---

My first sale ever on eBay was paid for with $95 in cash wrapped up in a tiny package and shipped in an envelope - a pair of black patent leather coffin-heeled boots going to a great buyer in Hawaii - she also sent me a nice note!

I've only fiction I've had published was a satire I wrote in the 80s that's long been out of print, and a couple of parody poems (also out of print).  The rest is non-fiction, chiefly boxing history and articles for a cycling magazine that are still floating around.  Writing a novel seems like skeery stuff to me.

[moondogblues]

"Writing a novel seems like skeery stuff to me."

I tried to write a novel (my Mom was a writer and wrote historical fiction) and it was a GREAT idea, if I must say so myself. I was seeing a fellow writer (a semi-famous one who will remain nameless). He ran my idea past his agent who was very interested. Got about 3 chapters into it and realized that I didn't really want to write it, I wanted to read it!

I still have a couple of good ideas, but they will stay that way. Songs are way easier to write. Hubby plays the tune on his guitar and the words start to flow. Most of the time...lol.

I agree with who ever said this is a great thread...it's so positive. I think we all need some of that right now.

[chapeau-noir]

I don't think I'd do the agent thing or anything, probably just try to publish it on Kindle.  All the book would be is an enlargement on some of the lectures I gave on boxing history.

But say, I used to work for a manuscript prep service (when I was an editor) and OMG the stuff we got in, and the number of wealthy professionals writing on the side who tried to get us to re-write the stuff for them - yeah, right. We edit the stuff, we don't re-write - you want to hire a ghost for that and not for what WE were paid lol.  I was just trained as a tech writer, but one of the guys was a playwright (living on one's writing isn't always easy - everyone had day jobs) and he really suffered reading some of this dreck.  But we also got really great manuscripts, both fiction and nonfiction - one was a physician who was doing an extended study and discussion on pre-death experiences (this was early on in the clinical investigations), another (also a physician) was writing a book about surgeons and music - apparently the talent overlaps quite a bit - another fascinating read.  We got several writers who were writing plays (I live in a big theatre area) and our resident playwright assisted with editing, but the guy who was trying to plagiarize ER - um, no. 

[comics-scifi-collectibles]

This really is an interesting thread 

I was a Sears manager for 10 years.  Then worked in the front office of a dental office for 10 years

Then went on permanent  disability in 99 due to failed back surgery. I've not been able to work since, I did try a couple of times  

Ebay is our way to sell hubby's collection

Hubby is working on writing  a couple of books. 

[moondogblues]

I was a first reader for a Horror Zine for a bit...I also got to read a lot of dreck. But there's always the hope of a rare and wonderful find. I was in a writer's group in the SF Bay Area for a few years...a bunch of us got published so we had very high standards. The dreck got thumbs down right away. I got a scathing analysis on one of my short stories along the lines of 'why did you even write this'. You had to have think skin to be in that group. Most of the time they were right though, darn it.

[ztams]

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@evry1nositswindy wrote:

@ztams Music Teacher--so that is Leif Garrett, right? Oh so dreamy in the 70's but not as cute as Shaun Cassidy!!

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Yes, that's Leif.  Hahahaha!  I thought Shaun was too pretty.  Leif was my guy.

[turquoisetulips]

I may be way off base here, but she sounds like she needs a brain scan. It could be a tumor that is causing the huge change in her actions. Not sure how her husband would get her to the doctor but she really needs help. I feel for them both. moondogblues 

That could be . I was just recently told of another incident . She went to a bingo game at her church . When the man laid down everyone's bingo cards on the table his arm accidently brushed the side of her breast . I know this man and he would have never intentionally done something like that[ father of three police officers]  ,, and she knows this too because she's been friends with their family for years  . Didn't matter  she actually drove over to their house and began  ranting  cursing and  raving at his wife . She told her she was going to knock her husband  out  when she sees him . This happened on their front porch  so I was told . She scared everyone so badly they ran into the house and locked the door.  So you can see the types of things everyone has been dealing with .  I think her husband is in over his head .  Tulips 

[nanbosnan]

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@turquoisetulips wrote:

@vintagecraze50 wrote: Retired Licensed Mental Health Counselor. 20 years in outpatient, inpatient and crisis intervention. Retired when my mother became seriously ill and took care of her until she passed.  vintagecraze ---------------------

I'm not trying to get free mental health advice  either  but I would dearly like to know what to tell a close friend  of ours  . Actually he and his  wife have been very good friends of ours  for nearly 30 years . The trouble is,, his wife has lost her mind . He's devastated over it  and so are their three grown children . Normally she's been a very good hearted , sweet , generous and hospitable person  but something bad has happened to her mind . Now she's enraged all of the time,, sometimes  to the point of committing  violent attacks . She shuts herself up in her bedroom and won't come out for days  unless its to throw a coffee mug  at someone . She's constantly suspicious  of the things people say or do  and accuses them of a hidden agenda  of trying to insult or hurt her in some way. She demonstrates profound jealousy  over the smallest of accomplishments   by anyone she knows  to the point of very brutal verbal attacks  against them . The doctor told her husband there's nothing they can do unless  she becomes a harm to herself or anyone else  . The only hope is to have her hospitalized for evaluation  but she won't go .  At this point nobody knows what to do .  What do people do ?  Any advice would help .

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Not a therapist here but I have some experience that explains my strong opinion on this subject:

I'm not sure how to help her but I am VERY sure that you and your friend have to put your safety first.  It's hard to lose sight of when it's someone you love but our perception gets warped during these times of stress... like the lobster slowly boiling in the pot.  SAFETY FIRST!  Violent attacks are not okay and if this is what you know about as a friend... it's very likely much worse in actuality.  It's human nature to keep the worst of it to ourselves.  Support your friend and let him know that it is okay to move out until the situation becomes better.  SAFETY, SAFETY, SAFETY and if you can't tell... I'm adamant about it.  

Also, it is hard to get help from public sources involved.  And while it's hard to keep your head in the moment, documentation can help get intervention in the future.  Have your friend keep a log, take pictures of damage, even video the rages.  This is not to be exploitative, but it can be persuasive when talking to authorities.  Authorities often minimize what family members say, and with documentation, your friend's voice will be louder and he may be better able to access help for his wife.  

Such a tough situation and I hope you can successfully support your friend.  Secondary PTSD is a real thing (you can google it) and he is at risk (in my  non professional therapist's opinion.)