Jay doesn't paddle, so sat in the bow of the boat, in her regalness, while I paddled for both of us.

Ummm…Duh! As I’ve had the honor of meeting Lady Jay, I’d say she deserves royal treatment. 🥰

Gym session kicked my butt and now I’m trying to motivate myself to do something productive. It’s gonna be one of those days where my ADHD has me bouncing around like a pinball starting a bunch of stuff and not necessarily finishing anything. Maybe some caffeine would help. Coke Zero, Bearkeep! Please and thanks.

Peeking in for a cuppa to go. I have about half of my comp story done. I am not sure it’s a contender, but I’m liking the story so far. We shall see how it goes.

It’s been raining for three days with a few breaks here and there when it looks like it will clear up, then BAM! Thunder and lightning and downpour, oh my!

I have plenty to keep me busy indoors but I have friends in town on vacation and they are a little over this rain. 🌧️ ⚡️🌩️⛈️

I haven’t successfully paddled a canoe. But I have managed to paddle in a two person kayak and lived to tell about it. 😘🤣

Quote by fillelapine

It sounds like you do a lot more than most people would do. Hugs. Thoughts are just thoughts.

Thanks! Hugs right back. I do my best to keep my impatience hidden. Most of the time I’m successful. It’s hard when a cognitively impaired person who is also deaf says he understands something, but really doesn’t. 😘

Quote by KimmiBeGood

I’ve felt that way about Mom and Dad. Then someone will tell me that I’m doing the best I can and that my life and happiness are important, too. So, I’m telling you that now. ❤️😘

Thank you! I needed to hear that. ❤️😘

Bearkeep! Kimmi and I need refills on our Moscatos, por favor!

I try really hard to be a good sister. But the day before he goes back to Michigan, I always feel like I'm securing my reservation to go to hell in a handbasket for some of the impatient thoughts I have. 😕

Quote by KimmiBeGood

He’s happy again.. for the moment. The casino found a translator to explain to the Spanish-speaking cook how to fry Dad an egg. He was grumbling about them only having scrambled eggs on the menu.

Big fun when your parents live long enough to revert to toddlers. 🙄

Sorry, I’m complaining. It’s been a long seven years with Mom and now him and Alzheimers.

The only words my mom remembered at the end were swear words. 😳🤪

Another Coke Zero please… on second thought make mine a Moscato. My brother is so excited about going back to Michigan that he’s been A LOT the past two days. I just keep reminding myself to be patient.

Poking my head in between church and swim. Just a Coke Zero to go s'il te plaît!

I’ll be working on my Obsession story later. 😎

I just finished up my Forbidden Series: Techgoddess's Story Series Forbidden.

The next part of Boardrooms and Boudoirs will be available soon.

So, now I am working on my entry for the Obsessions competition. 😎

Forbidden Pleasure - Forbidden Part Three is the exciting conclusion to this erotic Celtic tale.

Forbidden Desire - Forbidden Part Two delves deeper into the folklore that influences Quinn.

Quote by utterchaos

Heeeey! I'll take a cocktail please.

I've just got home, super hyped up from my local Pride 🌈 Spent the entire day singing and dancing, with beautiful people 🥰 Too tired for the after party but it's been a fantastic day.

Looking forward to Pride in Atlanta this fall, the weekend after my youngest girl gets married. 😎

Quote by KimmiBeGood

Aww, thank you, Kat! 😘 I’m really hoping I can get a story out of me that I like. I always loved entering comps here. I look forward to your entry!!!

I am obsessed with the theme. Lol.

Quote by KimmiBeGood

Bearkeep, I need a stiff drink, please! I’ll be in my corner trying to scribble some rough man-on-man fuckin’ for my comp entry.

This theme speaks to me, so setting my family-friendly scribbles aside for the moment.

Kimmi’s stiff drinks are on my tab tonight. I can't wait to see what she comes up with! (after I finish my story of course) 😈💋

Quote by KimmiBeGood

Hi, Rumpies

Been a hard day. Was already stressed from complicated last-minute changes before this weekend’s test run at work and then walked into chiropractor’s office to find the most pained man in the waiting room. He had a knee cart but with great difficulty sat on the floor and kinda rolled around trying to find comfortable position. It immediately affected me. I couldn’t quit watching his face and had a massive anxiety attach, escaped into the office part, telling receptionist I needed a vacant room where I shook all over and cried. My chiro is amazing in all ways and helped me calm down. Damn, it’s hard to be me sometimes. That man’s pain was fierce and I couldn’t separate from it. 😢

I’ll be in my corner. Drink, please. I would love to join y’all in the comp, but don’t know if I can write a hot story or not. I have an idea and working title “Now, That’s Fucked Up.” Ha! And it is a fucked up story, if I can write it.

Hugs! I struggle with my empathetic tendencies, so I feel your pain (literally). My father was the same way. I seem to be the only one of his seven children that was blessed/cursed with this trait. I tend to show up right on time for a doc appointment because I don't want to sit in the waiting room and end up having to explain that my high blood pressure isn't a health concern (my doc now takes it at the end of our visits). I actually have a script for Zofran because my stomach l gets so tied up in knots when I internalize the pain of others. Fortunately my NP gets me.

I am missing my cat intensely this week with hubby traveling. The bed is empty and it makes it hard to sleep. He doesn't travel as often as he used to but when he does I have always had my little furball, Chessie, to keep me company. But since her crossing over the rainbow bridge, I don't have my cuddle buddy. 😿

I am editing both the next part of Boardrooms & Boudoirs and Part 2 of Forbidden.

Once I have those both squared away, I plan to work on a story for the Obsession comp. 😎

That is, unless I take my laptop with me...

Though if I do, I know my wife will keep telling me that I'm obsessed! 🤣

That would make for a great story!

Tea for me, please as I switch from workout clothes to a swimsuit. Its just my brother and me this morning. My neighbor who usually swims with us has an appointment.

I'm also excited about the comp. Its a great theme and a generous word limit. 😎

Quote by Seeker4

At least you can go for a dip to cool off. And yeah, I had the "stepping into a sauna" feeling when I left for work this morning.

Yes, I can! The joy of being retired and living on a beach. I can't really get a job since I take care of my brother a good portion of the year.

Quote by Seeker4

The scary thing is that I am on a board where most members are Europeans and they complaining about the heat too. Similar temps to here or worse. Is the whole Northern Hemisphere under a heat wave?

It's hot AF here. Yesterday was a smidge cooler, but this morning I opened my front door at 7 am to go to the gym and it felt like I opened the oven or a sauna. 🔥😓

But it's hard to beat my view here.

Quote by pinkysurprise

I have a handful of stories with more than 30k views, but they're all from 2015-2017 era.

I have one story with 75k that I keep an eye on with the dream of getting that million view badge, but the number doesn't seem to go up (probably just because it's an older story that most people wouldn't stumble across unless they were viewing my profile).

Last year, I started taking my writing more seriously, and I found that I was averaging 50-100 flames on a new piece, but the drop-off after the initial few days of activity is really steep. Even when I got a recommended read, or posted my most popular stories, I never managed to to crack the top stories or top authors list, though.

Some of my best stories barely hit 50 flames. Which is why that isn't a metric that can accurately measure the quality of a story. I can pen a 100-word microfiction piece and snag over 100 🔥in a day. And I can also spend hours researching for a seduction story, spend a couple of days vigorously editing it till I am happy with it, get an RR and a bunch of really lovely comments, and get 23 🔥 in that same amount of time.

This being an erotic story site, I realize that stories with depth are not going to be fan favorites. But I don't care. I love when I write a piece that I have poured my soul into and a couple of handfuls of readers tell me how much they enjoy it. 😇

Quote by Seeker4

Geez, you Floridians are so aggressive sometimes. Attacking poor,. innocent drawers. ,,🤪

Good afternoon (here, at least). Still cowering from the heat but might improve a bit tomorrow.

We are a ruthless bunch! 🤣🤣🤣

Gym session? ✔️

Take my brother to the pool for a Swim? ✔️

Online shopping w/my bestie by the pool? ✔️

Fix lunch for my brother?✔️

Mod Kimmi’s lovely microfiction piece? ✔️

And all of that before noon! I'm feeling very productive today. Not bad for 3 hours of sleep 🥱

Popping in for a Coke Zero to keep me vertical for the list of chores this afternoon holds for me. Hoping to have time for more writing and modding later. But first, I must attack the drawers in my bathroom. With a lil help from some Amazon purchases, I'm hoping to reorganize a bit. 😎

Quote by wxt55uk

I agree with you, WW, but in a way, that is my point.

Maybe, there should be a badge for writing a popular series, and we leave the quality to one side, as it is too time-consuming to judge. It's just a different way of looking at it, and I suggest it, as I think it will attract members.

The problem with awarding a badge for popularity is that there are some authors who consistently score 300-500 flames 🔥 per story. And others who don't have that kind of following who are really strong writers but barely break 50-75 flames.

While I won't lie and say I don't enjoy recognition for my efforts, I am always more excited when I get comments from people who really like what I've written and not just clicked the like button.

I am not sure we want to value popularity over really good writing. 🤷‍♀️

The monthly top author and top story list already address the popularity of an author and/or a story in my opinion. People who land in the top three spots get a badge for that. 😎

These are just my opinions of course. What do I know? 🤣🤣🤣

Quote by wxt55uk

Here are a couple of questions on badges which I am asking for a friend 🙄...

Famous Story:

I have a story that just recently crossed over the 30K mark that was written after the switch.

Series Award: An author of an outstanding chapter story.

The problem with the OS Award was that a series with more than two parts wouldn't be considered because it required too much of a time commitment to read all of the chapters. I'm not sure that I would consider two-part stories as being a series. So, I can see why it might not be something that comes back.

My take on your questions above. 😘

Sneaking in late to gobble up a couple of those yummy cuppycakes...and washing them down with Coke Zero, of course!

And to shamelessly plug my newest story: Forbidden Seduction - Forbidden Part One.

It's different than my usual story as it mixes fantasy and seduction. Many thanks in advance to those who decide to give it a look. And put Milik's drinks on my tab since he was the first to read it besides the story moderator. 😘

I dipped into the folklore pond with my latest story:

Forbidden Seduction - Forbidden Part One

My mother-of-the-bride shoes! 🥰

Quote by kistinspencil

"Page Not Found"

Seriously? Something is wonky then. Grrrr...

Quote by MycroftHolmes

our help page here: http://www.lushstories.com/help.aspx

And

https://www.lushstories.com/support/faq

DO NOT GO ANYWHERE

Try my link: https://www.lushstories.com/support/faq

It worked for me just now.

Quote by sprite

at least you had one. i never did.

A mutual friend of ours said that Mods' Avatars should throb. LOL.

Quote by Klaus_B_Renner

Badges. Yes. I don't want to be that guy, but I decided to be anyway. I didn't want to start yet another topic on badges, so I just thought I'd pop in here. I believe my entry for the Island Getaway competition should have earned me a Runners-Up badge, but I have yet to receive one.

I believe it's actually the Competition Top Ten badge you should have received since you placed 7th. Runners-Up badges are awarded to 2nd and 3rd place. You can raise a ticket here.