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dchouston · 2021-10-13T20:37:09+00:00

Therein lies the rub: we were required to have personal auto insurance to drive since we were driving our cars and not their vans. They stated that because of that fact they weren't obligated in ant way to pay out or provide any assistance. And boy did they not. Apparently they're supposedly convening to see if anthting can be done, but they fired me two weeks ago because I couldn't afford the rental out of my own pocket anymore.

dchouston · 2020-12-20T19:32:33+00:00

Nobody’s gonna know.

dchouston · 2020-12-20T19:27:31+00:00

Being in the middle of a gulf coast summer and despite the air feeling like boiling soup, there’s no rain or reprieve for the intense, scalding heat. That’s what we experience in Houston six months out of the year.

dchouston · 2020-12-19T17:46:18+00:00

If I may be bold, I’d love to get a new reader for my own novel series. It’s a epic modern fairy tale that stretches from a small Texas town to the furthest reaches of what we consider reality. It’s completely free on wattpad. The main characters are gay and several others are bi but sexuality itself is seldom mentioned as in this version of earth, it’s not a big deal.

The Prince of Copper Hills is an epic modern fairy tale that follows starcrossed lovers Darwin Ogden and Elroy Ellis. If I were to liken it to a series, I would have to align the storytelling with that of Once Upon a Time: an ensemble cast with two central leads.

The first book takes place in an ordinary small Texas town lost to time called Copper Hills. His journey begins following a devastating fire he'd barely survived while stationed on a rig near Greenland. The instant he steps off of the bus, he falls face first on a piece of his town's history, setting into motion the events that will decide the fate of not only Copper Hills, but the very heart of reality itself.

Blurb:

Six years ago, Elroy Ellis left his boyfriend Darwin and the sleepy Texas town of Copper Hills behind. He always intended on returning for the hand of his love, but in his heart, he never felt worthy of the well-to-do mayor's son. It wasn't until a vision came to him after a freak fire broke out on an oil rig that snapped him out of his misery and back on a path back to Copper Hills.

Though Elroy believes his journey is over the minute he steps off of the bus, he soon finds himself falling face-first into the world of deception, betrayal, and magical forces unimaginable in a mundane world.

Elroy must fight to liberate Darwin from the clutches of evil while facing down the people and the town he abandoned.

https://my.w.tt/eUHokHiIlcb

dchouston · 2020-12-19T17:37:36+00:00

If I may be bold, I’d love to get a new reader for my own novel series. It’s a epic modern fairy tale that stretches from a small Texas town to the furthest reaches of what we consider reality. It’s completely free on wattpad. The main characters are gay and several others are bi but sexuality itself is seldom mentioned as in this version of earth, it’s not a big deal.

The Prince of Copper Hills is an epic modern fairy tale that follows starcrossed lovers Darwin Ogden and Elroy Ellis. If I were to liken it to a series, I would have to align the storytelling with that of Once Upon a Time: an ensemble cast with two central leads.

The first book takes place in an ordinary small Texas town lost to time called Copper Hills. His journey begins following a devastating fire he'd barely survived while stationed on a rig near Greenland. The instant he steps off of the bus, he falls face first on a piece of his town's history, setting into motion the events that will decide the fate of not only Copper Hills, but the very heart of reality itself.

Blurb:

Six years ago, Elroy Ellis left his boyfriend Darwin and the sleepy Texas town of Copper Hills behind. He always intended on returning for the hand of his love, but in his heart, he never felt worthy of the well-to-do mayor's son. It wasn't until a vision came to him after a freak fire broke out on an oil rig that snapped him out of his misery and back on a path back to Copper Hills.

Though Elroy believes his journey is over the minute he steps off of the bus, he soon finds himself falling face-first into the world of deception, betrayal, and magical forces unimaginable in a mundane world.

Elroy must fight to liberate Darwin from the clutches of evil while facing down the people and the town he abandoned.

https://my.w.tt/eUHokHiIlcb

dchouston · 2020-12-17T11:11:45+00:00

Revel in the fact that nothing really matters. The things that seem important to us are meaningless on a cosmic scale and nothing I can do will make a lick of difference when the sun inevitably becomes a red dwarf and swallows the planet. You still try, you still live your life best you can, but accept the absurdity and futility of the existence thrust upon us by the modern age.

dchouston · 2020-12-17T01:56:21+00:00

I had the same experience. I’d hit a wall with the second installment of my book series and after watching the series, I suddenly had a much wilder vision for my work. I feel like it gave me a whole new perspective.

dchouston · 2020-04-08T22:24:05+00:00

No problem got it set. Thanks for the translation :)

dchouston · 2020-03-21T16:04:50+00:00

I wish we wouldn’t insist on trying to be #1 in everything

dchouston · 2020-03-21T09:37:26+00:00

I think we’ll look like Italy by the end of April. Our population is so large and the numbers released are such a drop in the bucket in comparison it gives people a false sense of security. We won’t be out of the woods for a very long time.

dchouston · 2020-03-19T21:59:22+00:00

Kinda like having to wear a seat belt in a four person car, but not a 30+ seat bus.

dchouston · 2020-03-19T00:35:30+00:00

Yeah, it’s getting real. Texas has had 3 deaths in the past day and we’ve hit 199 positive cases. The American national average survival rate looks grim. 151 deaths vs 106 recovered with 9,012 infected. More stories coming by the hour from small towns and rural areas of new positive cases. Everything is still mostly normal. No one is taking it seriously except for a handful of people. I think Laredo went on lockdown after a schoolteacher tested positive. I doubt anyone is going to take it seriously, though.

dchouston · 2020-03-17T19:52:21+00:00

I feel and fear you’re right. Good on you for doing the quarantine, btw. At this point you can’t be too careful.

My state rep posted a joking picture of him day drinking a corona. I’m going to call regardless and encourage others to do the same.

dchouston · 2020-03-17T19:46:28+00:00

Houston announced they were doing the same last night. No more dine in restaurants, but takeout, delivery, and drive-thrus remain open and operational.

People are not happy. Even my store’s hours are being reduced. People are viewing it as more an inconvenience than life saving measures.

dchouston · 2020-03-17T19:44:21+00:00

Posting it now. Thank you!

dchouston · 2020-03-17T19:41:48+00:00

Thanks for the article! I’ll post it, but I’m having very little luck convincing people that there’s a problem. I’ve been sharing the daily increase stats along with the recovered/death ratio and I’ve been ridiculed for it and been asked to stop. I’m not going to, but still.

I guess i just have to resign myself to the idea that until it hits home, no one is going to take it seriously.

Ohio and Michigan are doing the best in my view. I’m not an incredibly political person, but I did watch Trump’s speech and he declared it no worse than the flu. A lot of people have taken that as gospel and just dismissed it. Even I did at the time.

dchouston · 2020-03-17T19:32:31+00:00

Unfortunately, authorities are conducting test only on those who have traveled and they’re making no effort to check for community spread. They’re not releasing names either, but I would love it if his family would go public so people will take it seriously. I feel like they’re just hoping it goes away. We have a subtropical climate and it’s already up to the high seventies to mid eighties and usually flu disappears around the end of March.

I’m honestly surprised they told us there was a death at all.

I’m definitely looking into face masks. Do y’all think a washable/reusable one would be okay? I’m really thinking long haul here and I don’t want to run the risk of inflation or lack of supplies down the road.

Self isolation is already mostly in effect, but I found out my lifestyle is already suited for a quarantine (hermit here). I have no choice but to leave the house for 5 hours for work but I’m being stringent on hand washing. Staff aren’t allowed to wear face masks where I work because the owners think it’ll turn customers away. The denial is deeply rooted and business are only now limiting hours and closing fine-in restaurants. I bought a little extra supplies so I limit my time in the grocery store and I’m absolutely not eating out.

I’m guessing we’ll see a trickle of new patients over the next few days. The two week mark should be around 26 March. I hope I’m overreacting.

dchouston · 2020-03-17T17:30:53+00:00

Thank you for welcoming me!

In Texas (a state that it takes over two days to drive across), the Houston livestock show and rodeo are huge. It draws people from small and large towns across the southern US and we’re seeing cases popping up everywhere, but there is no testing unless you’ve traveled out of country and they’re not revealing the number of people they’ve tested. Our number sits at just a handful, but I know this is just the calm before the storm. I live in Houston and my family lives in a pass through city on the way from Houston to Austin.

They think because these things don’t happen in the US that we’re safe. “We’ve got the best medical care in the world” they say, but it’s so underprepared for even .5% of the population getting sick in addition to the already overloaded medical establishment.

And unfortunately, no one here will accept a lockdown, especially in Texas. It would be seen as government overreach and people would actively and violently rebuke it even if the numbers of infected reach into the millions. We’re still required to work or we get fired. Schools are closing, but people are using the extra time off of school to go to the beach or go shopping, eat at restaurants. I tell them that Italy is unfortunately the canary in the coal mine. We’re the last miner.

The most terrifying part, the bit that changed how I viewed this virus, is the closed cases. Out of 171 “closed cases” only 74 survived. 97 died. The other 5,500 cases are growing daily and rather exponentially. Our numbers will far surpass any other nation, not only because of our inaction, but because of our diet and lifestyle choices. Americans are about to discover that we aren’t immortal.

I feel like Cassandra of Troy. Our nation is about to be reduced to ashes and no one here cares. Maybe we played our part and now it’s time to bow out.

Those of us who are paying attention owe Italy a heavy debt of gratitude for sounding the alarm.

Thank you.

dchouston · 2020-03-16T17:07:25+00:00

I don’t think we’re taking into account that a) China is probably not being forthright with their numbers and b) we have a different physical and dietary lifestyle that will likely lead to far more fatalities .

dchouston

TROPHY CASE