the original thread is here:
http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=10&t=001902&p= ]

the previous thread is here:

<H2><font color="plum">Cloudy's Cafe</font></H2>

Come in, be welcome, be comfortable, be yourself

Welcome to Cloudy's Cafe, a place to have a cup of coffee or a good
darjeeling and the finest in conversation and camaraderie.

The proprietor asks that you follow a few simple guidelines:

<H3>this is a real conversation zone, not a role-play zone</H3>

* no flaming; if you disagree with a viewpoint expressed by any patron, please do so in a civil manner

* any topic is fair game, but keep posts to the standards that Ziroc has set for the entire forum, please (ie: foul language is not appropriate and things should be suitable for all audiences)
-a side note from Cloudy: I see this as a place for those short
conversations about a new baby or the latest soccer fiasco, not for things that are big enough to warrant their own threads, by all means give those things the space they need and post separately!

* Please, no one word or smiley posts (Ziroc has declared them 'real spam' and the proprietor doesn't want the reputuation of "good spam" to suffer!)

* do feel free to be serious or silly and enjoy the company of others while you are here. By all means POST if you have something to say, even to start another topic , we can handle multiple chats, we're a CAFE!!! But be courteous and don't disrupt a conversation just to disrupt it.

Come on in! The bar is stocked with coffees, teas, juices and waters from around the world. And purple napkins, of course!

<font color="pink">The lighting is low, the golden oak counters and tables glow with inviting warmth. Near the window, the lighting is brighter, as comfy, plush leather armchairs wait for those who'd like to read a book while relaxing to music or just lazily watch the world go by.</font>

[ 05-07-2003, 11:37 AM: Message edited by: Cloudbringer ]

<H1><font color="plum"> PLEASE NOTE </font></H1>

This is a modified reminder that I've posted before in reply to someone asking "can we spam the cafe". It still holds true, so I'm going to repeat it periodically for anyone who hasn't seen it.

Read the first post of the thread, it's NOT a spam zone. If you want to discuss you grades, a problem with a teacher,the weather, your neighbor's new car etc.....etc.. (real life conversations) this is the place. I don't mind a SMALL amount of spam but when the Cafe gets to be 8 pages in one day and it's all one liner pure spam, I have to ask people not to do it because most of the members who would come to talk about their day or things that they want advice or sympathy or cheers on, will not post in that atmosphere. I want you to be comfy here, but not at the expense of other members.

So the answer is NO, I don't want to see page after page of roleplay spam or one liner spamfests that could be done on msn or aim etc. because our goal is to TALK WITH one another , not fill up a cafe in five hours. ;) :D HOWEVER, I'm not gonna jump on anyone for a few of these kinds of things, only if it gets out of hand. :D

First post again. :D

You're on a roll, johnny! :D

Hi all! I'm taking a short break from paperwork. It's a grey day here, we may get rain tonight. Wish Spring would actually ARRIVE and stop teasing us! :D

LOL, spring is here for us...its been a little hot over the past few days...mind you, being in the UK, that probably doesn't say much, but its been hot for me anyway! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Hey.

My mum has a new boyfriend. I have a defective computer, and exams just around the corner. On a positive note, the Matrix 2 is released on the 21st of May, the day before my birthday. As always, that's also the day my very first exam begins.

JOY.

You're having another birthday ???? That's the third this year, isn't it ? :D

I think she's on the rapid-aging plan.
Hi all. Ahhh, love that new cafe smell!!

YEAH!!! It's lunch time, that means I don't have to work, oh wait, I haven't been. I'm a proud graduate of the TL School of Labor Practices, [img]graemlins/deal.gif[/img]

Slicer, weather is probably milder than ours, but I bet you got more sun so far! It was a miserable winter up here. Glad the spring is peeking out, even if it's coming and going every day! :D

Yup, Matrix2 is coming out soon. I'm probably taking my honey to it for his birthday. Hope you get to see it too, Kaltia!

HAHAHAHA....hey Harly, have you trademarked that phrase? LOL psst! Hurry before attalus or TL do...you'll lose the revenue! ;) :D

Afternoon, all. The heck with Spring, I think Summer is upon us, here. 84 degrees, clear, and HUMID. That's because of the thunderstorm last night.

Well, was going to add the trademark to the message, but the edit feature says that I've passed the time limit. Is that new?
SO, I hereby trademark "TL's School of Labor" and if you argue that Trademark with me I will pummel you with the Willow Stick and then sick one of LK's gibbies on you. If that doesn't finish you off, I'll send in Kat's tiger :D

Summer is almost here fo rus her in Sunny Florida, Humidity of 80 - 95%
temps in the high 80's to low 90's I love, walk outside and poof my cloths stick to me, oh what a feeling ;)

So how is everyone round here on this fine HUMP DAY ?
:D

12th POST! :D

'allo everyone. [img]smile.gif[/img]

*jumps and bonces on the couch happily* :D

ROTFL! Well done missy, well done. :D

Good afternoon people. Just finished todays baking. It smells divine in here now. [img]smile.gif[/img] And I´m on my 5th slice of bread as well. Better put these in the freezer soon or there won´t be anything left.

Hello Romelet and JuliNesslet!...teehee! :D

How the heck are you two? Long time no read! I'm at work...can't wait to be NOT at work! Then I have to wait a few hours for my sweetie to get home. He gets a ride most nights so I don't have to go home, feed the cats and run back out to get him soon afterwards....I'm ignoring the fact that his ride home is with a svelte blonde female colleague in her twenties, though! [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/biglaugh.gif[/img]

Heya Cloudy. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Feels good to *be* back. ;)

Ah! At first, I came into the Cafe to the fine smell of <font color=deeppink>Willow's bread,</font> but it has been superceded by the smell of [img]graemlins/spam3.gif[/img] .

Heya Clouds, Willow, Att. :D [img]graemlins/wavey.gif[/img] Attalus... what are you talking about? Must be imagining something... [img]graemlins/littleangel.gif[/img]

I'm excellent, Cloudy, thanks. [img]smile.gif[/img]

*jumps on the Simba on the couch* who d'you think you are, huh, on my couch?? ;) hmph... well maybe, I'll let you stay... there's a five cookie rent due though... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Aaah, the lovely predictable British weather: the predicatable thibg is you can never preduct it!
By the way Cloudy, why did you start Cloudy's cafe? It's a good idea, but what gave you the insparation for it?
And can I order a coffee please?

[ 05-07-2003, 03:16 PM: Message edited by: Dragonshadow ]

Dragonshadow: The first cafe was June 17th, 2001 I believe, or somewhere around there. [img]smile.gif[/img] Cloudy had her own ulterior motives for starting a spam zone... :D ;)

One coffee coming up. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 05-07-2003, 03:18 PM: Message edited by: Lioness ]

It all started two years ago, back in those days Cloudy was a raging alcoholic, who spent all her time in bars. Of course you can't go to bars when you're online, so that's how the whole idea came up.

Later when she kicked the habit, alcohol got banned from the cafe, and now she acts like this all never happened.

Then came Johnny to IW, and smuggled sixpacks into the Cafe on a regular basis, to add some flavour to the place again.

Anyway, that's my story, and i'm sticking to it. :D

Cheers for the coffee.
okay. Great story you guys. Maybe I'll be hanging around the cafe more, and try to follow the conversation (I've been suffering from being invisable latly, and I might go *pop* any minute now into thin air. Or a thick ear. Depends.
*drinks coffee and takes anti-madness pills*

Yeah, Kaltia, my exams start in that week too...on the wednesday is my first, but that the only one! Yipee! And I'm gonna see the Matrix 2 on friday...aaah, life is good at the mo... :D

Welcome back, by the way, glad you've decided to pop back in now and then. [img]smile.gif[/img] (Kaltia)

*snicker* I knew I shouldn't leave you guys alone here! [img]graemlins/biglaugh.gif[/img]

I actually started the Cafe threads because we had a lot of people wanting to say hi to one another, ask about their day or see how a new baby/pet/car was doing but they'd do it in threads not related to the topic at all and it would cause the flow of debate/discussion to be messed up, sometimes drawing some heat from the people participating. We need a place to have short 'real life' conversations where nobody cared if they got 'interupted' by other short conversations. [img]smile.gif[/img]

For example, rather than start a whole thread to ask Harly (for instance) how her kitty is doing today, I'd post it here in the Cafe so it wouldn't interrupt other discussions but I could find out what I wanted to know. [img]smile.gif[/img]

It worked out beautifully. :D

One of our members at the time, Rudedawg, encouraged me to go ahead and create the Cafe after I mentioned that I'd thought about it. So here it is, over a year later, still going strong.

Hey! Since when did you have a monopoly on the couch? [img]tongue.gif[/img] *you* own me a home-baked chocolate cake and an apology. ;)

Cloudy's reasons for starting the cafe are incomprehendible by mortal senses. ;) I've always seen her as an evil overlord type figure myself, sitting at her desk and cackling wildly as she watches her spammish tendrils slowly spreading out over the world...

but then, I have an active imagination. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

For those of you counting the days till Summer, or Winter in Wellards case, we have 92F and 90% humidity at the moment. I'm just glad it is still cool, because like they say "it ain't the heat it's the humidity".
I really sympathize with you Kat and slicer. I used to have exam times back in the days of my youth. :D

Huh... I'll make you a cake, and you make me cookies, and we'll both die of horrible food. ;)

*My* cooking has improved leaps and bounds. [img]smile.gif[/img] True, you need a hammer and chisel to eat most of the things I prepare... but it builds strong teeth, I say. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Hiya all! Exams are coming unfortunately but I believe I will survive for another year. What fears me is my German examinations. Although I am very good at writing I cannot speak German at all. I have to think for a while (make this WHILE) to say a simple sentence. Never mind! I have 3 months until then.

Nice to see you around again, Byronas! [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img]

lol, romey, I'm afraid after eating your cooking before I don't have any teeth left to build up strength in... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[ 05-07-2003, 04:25 PM: Message edited by: Lioness ]

Having a German parent is useful... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

On a more serious note, I did not think much of my GCSE's (leaving exams for high school - ones you take at 16) when I did my German ones early in Year 8 (no idea what that is in America...I was 13 at the time). Boy, if I hadn't been so good, my totally carefree manner would have cost me. As it was I got an A*. [img]tongue.gif[/img] So I guess it wasn't bad...but I was never drilled the importance of my GCSE's at that age. Only later, bout year 9-10. Ah well, I survived. Plus I have two less exams to take over study leave. :D

But having two German parents is just hell!

Jerome, it pains me to have to say it, young man, but you were much more handsome the last time I saw you. [img]redface.gif[/img]

Yes, I have to agree with Ramon. That's what retiring from the frontlines of the struggle against Trouser Tyranny will do to you.
Not trying to make you feel guitly of course ;)

Greetings, princess of all spam green, I see you've found the extremely bouncable bench.

Byronas, I can't say how happy I was to learn I'd only have to be able to read German and French to pass my exams, not speak them [img]smile.gif[/img]
Either stick with the simple words or rehearse a very long poem to stun people into thinking you've mastered the language ;)

Hey, a Cafe opening on my birthday, would you look at that? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I wouldn't want to know what having a german parent is like, I can barely stand my german english teacher. She's the all work, no play type which is another reason why I can't stand her class :rolleyes:

Afternoon, all. Antryg, it's only 85, here, but the 90% humidity is not local to Dallas. "Summer is icumen in/lhude sing cucu."

Att, all you need to do to get that extra 5 degrees is surround yourself with miles and miles of concrete and asphalt and put yourself under a glorious smog blanket.

hi peeps! i am in school super fast internet... coooool.. and it's so nice and cold here.. outside it is a frying pan in hell.. take care guys have fun good night to you!

Sorry, out here in East Texas, it is fine and 79 degrees. Asphalt be damned. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Evening all, it's raining heavily right now. I hope it won't rain till night time because I got something to do if you know what I mean. ;)