Dear Shell,
Well I did it. I signed up for the Nanowrimo Challenge. What is the Nanowrimo Challenge you ask? Well, it's a commitment to write a novel in one month. 50,000 words minimum. The challenge starts on November 1st, and participates cannot start writing on the novel until that day. We can figure out characters, plot, outline, but cannot actually start writing the novel until Nov 1st.
Participates have until November 30th at midnight to hit 50,000 words. If I understood it correctly, winners receive a logo they can use on their stationary/etc from Dec 1st until Oct 31st the next year.
No editing is to be done through the month of November, just write, write, write. Editing comes after the November 30th deadline when the challenge is done.
I have a storyline figured out I think. I have character names and some descriptions started, the plot mostly figured out and a synopsis done. It's in the fantasy genre, and we'll see how it goes. J said that he would help with figuring out any battle scenes that I decide to put in (ideas, etc).
Wish me luck!
Shell
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
How Much Do You Tip?
Dear Shell,
I just read an article and it's accompanying comments, about waitstaff at a restaurant and tips left by customers. It seems the standard acceptable tip for decent service is now 20%. It used to be 15-18% was for decent service and 20%+ was for exceptional.
I normally leave a 15-18% tip for 'regular' service. They seat you, give you a menu, give you time to look at said menu, take your order, and bring it out the way you ordered it. No excessive chit-chat or hovering, maybe i need to flag him/her down for something but for the most part, it's a 'order food, bring food, bring bill' type deal.
10% or less is reserved for those that just really tick me off with their service. Have I been sitting there for 20 minutes, with a folded up menu still sitting on the end of my table as I wait (now impatiently) for my waiter/waitress? Did I have to request, 3 times or more, for something and STILL didn't get it? Was my food wrong, even after the third time of sending it back?
It's very, very rare that I've had what I would consider bad service. Sometimes the service is slow, but if you study your waitperson, you may see they are rushing around trying to take care of half the tables in the restaurant. A quick question of "Did someone not come in to work today?" can usually help you find out that yes, 2 waiters didn't show up and now the people who are there are working their asses off trying to cover. Or, is your waitperson new? Maybe they have only been working a week or two and are still learning the ropes. Don't jump to assumptions that they suck or are treating you bad, they might be overworked or still learning.
BUT, if you are one of the only customers there, and it's still taking forever to get service, and your order is wrong repeatedly... then yes, the tip gets smaller and smaller as the night goes on.
So then the question becomes, what is exceptional service? What do I consider to be worthy of 20% or more? Exceptional service is where your waitperson is there when you need him/her, takes the time to answer your questions, brings your food out in a timely manner so it's not cold, offers take-out containers if you are finished and still have food left, is polite and friendly but not hovering over you, and seems to care about you as a person and customer.
I've had what i would consider truly exceptional service once. Service where, if I had been footing the bill, she would have received close to 25% as a tip. J and I were with a friend going to a restaurant about 45 min from us. The waitress we had was friendly and polite, answered our questions and offered suggestions. When I mentioned a couple food allergies that I had (one of which is life-threatening), she was very helpful in going through the menu. She also notified the kitchen so they could make sure the food was kept separate. The biggest thing though, was almost 2 hours later, when we were done with appetizers, dinner, drinks and chatting. She asked if we would like dessert, we said yes so she brought over the dessert tray. Now mind you, this is almost 2 hours after I had mentioned my allergies, and it was a very busy night at the restaurant. She still remembered my allergy and pointed out which desserts to avoid and which one was safe if i requested the second item to be left off the dish.
A waitress that is polite, friendly, does her job, AND remembers her customers after several hours of being busy? That's truly exceptional.
Shell
I just read an article and it's accompanying comments, about waitstaff at a restaurant and tips left by customers. It seems the standard acceptable tip for decent service is now 20%. It used to be 15-18% was for decent service and 20%+ was for exceptional.
I normally leave a 15-18% tip for 'regular' service. They seat you, give you a menu, give you time to look at said menu, take your order, and bring it out the way you ordered it. No excessive chit-chat or hovering, maybe i need to flag him/her down for something but for the most part, it's a 'order food, bring food, bring bill' type deal.
10% or less is reserved for those that just really tick me off with their service. Have I been sitting there for 20 minutes, with a folded up menu still sitting on the end of my table as I wait (now impatiently) for my waiter/waitress? Did I have to request, 3 times or more, for something and STILL didn't get it? Was my food wrong, even after the third time of sending it back?
It's very, very rare that I've had what I would consider bad service. Sometimes the service is slow, but if you study your waitperson, you may see they are rushing around trying to take care of half the tables in the restaurant. A quick question of "Did someone not come in to work today?" can usually help you find out that yes, 2 waiters didn't show up and now the people who are there are working their asses off trying to cover. Or, is your waitperson new? Maybe they have only been working a week or two and are still learning the ropes. Don't jump to assumptions that they suck or are treating you bad, they might be overworked or still learning.
BUT, if you are one of the only customers there, and it's still taking forever to get service, and your order is wrong repeatedly... then yes, the tip gets smaller and smaller as the night goes on.
So then the question becomes, what is exceptional service? What do I consider to be worthy of 20% or more? Exceptional service is where your waitperson is there when you need him/her, takes the time to answer your questions, brings your food out in a timely manner so it's not cold, offers take-out containers if you are finished and still have food left, is polite and friendly but not hovering over you, and seems to care about you as a person and customer.
I've had what i would consider truly exceptional service once. Service where, if I had been footing the bill, she would have received close to 25% as a tip. J and I were with a friend going to a restaurant about 45 min from us. The waitress we had was friendly and polite, answered our questions and offered suggestions. When I mentioned a couple food allergies that I had (one of which is life-threatening), she was very helpful in going through the menu. She also notified the kitchen so they could make sure the food was kept separate. The biggest thing though, was almost 2 hours later, when we were done with appetizers, dinner, drinks and chatting. She asked if we would like dessert, we said yes so she brought over the dessert tray. Now mind you, this is almost 2 hours after I had mentioned my allergies, and it was a very busy night at the restaurant. She still remembered my allergy and pointed out which desserts to avoid and which one was safe if i requested the second item to be left off the dish.
A waitress that is polite, friendly, does her job, AND remembers her customers after several hours of being busy? That's truly exceptional.
Shell
Friday, October 17, 2008
The Cabin
Dear Shell,
The cars straggled in one by one, pulling up to the side of the 3 story cabin. Road-weary bodies tumbled out of the cars, stretching sore muscles and staring in disdain at the torture devices they had been trapped in for hours. They gazed up at the wood-sided Tennessee cabin where they would rest their tired bodies for the next four days. Grabbing their bags and various other items, they struggled up the stairs to the main entrance of the building.
Opening the front door, they stared at the huge open room before them. To the left was a long dining room table that could seat 10 of them, with another smaller table nearby for another 4 people. To the right of the door, in front of the tall windows, was a small living area with two soft couches and a fireplace. The back of the main room held a kitchen with counters that made the women dream of everything they could create upon them.
Two bedrooms were off the sides of the main room, with king sized beds and jacuzzi bathrooms. Stairs leading upstairs took the visitors to three more bedrooms, one of which was open to look down upon the main room below. Another set of stairs led them downstairs, to a couple more bedrooms and a large game room complete with pool table and air hockey table, plus a couple arcade machines.
The first day was mostly spent figuring out who would sleep where, what food still needed to be purchased, and setting up the various laptops that had been brought, because this crew, a crew of people who are called 'Gamers', could not travel anywhere without their electronics. Late that night, they gathered together on the the covered upper deck to exchange stories and tales of adventures they have had together within their online gaming community. They teased each other about things that had happened the previous year when they had gathered in Orlando, Florida.
This crew of people, these gamers, these individuals from all over the United States, came together within their online game to accomplish various quests and objectives. This teamwork led to in-game friendship, then has since led to a friendship that has extended beyond the boundaries of the game. We are no longer just gamers. We are friends, we are family.
Shell
The cars straggled in one by one, pulling up to the side of the 3 story cabin. Road-weary bodies tumbled out of the cars, stretching sore muscles and staring in disdain at the torture devices they had been trapped in for hours. They gazed up at the wood-sided Tennessee cabin where they would rest their tired bodies for the next four days. Grabbing their bags and various other items, they struggled up the stairs to the main entrance of the building.
Opening the front door, they stared at the huge open room before them. To the left was a long dining room table that could seat 10 of them, with another smaller table nearby for another 4 people. To the right of the door, in front of the tall windows, was a small living area with two soft couches and a fireplace. The back of the main room held a kitchen with counters that made the women dream of everything they could create upon them.
Two bedrooms were off the sides of the main room, with king sized beds and jacuzzi bathrooms. Stairs leading upstairs took the visitors to three more bedrooms, one of which was open to look down upon the main room below. Another set of stairs led them downstairs, to a couple more bedrooms and a large game room complete with pool table and air hockey table, plus a couple arcade machines.
The first day was mostly spent figuring out who would sleep where, what food still needed to be purchased, and setting up the various laptops that had been brought, because this crew, a crew of people who are called 'Gamers', could not travel anywhere without their electronics. Late that night, they gathered together on the the covered upper deck to exchange stories and tales of adventures they have had together within their online gaming community. They teased each other about things that had happened the previous year when they had gathered in Orlando, Florida.
This crew of people, these gamers, these individuals from all over the United States, came together within their online game to accomplish various quests and objectives. This teamwork led to in-game friendship, then has since led to a friendship that has extended beyond the boundaries of the game. We are no longer just gamers. We are friends, we are family.
Shell
Monday, October 13, 2008
Chemo sucks
Dear Shell,
As I mentioned earlier, my Grandma started Chemo again. They ended up putting in a port to make it easier to do the Chemo, since they were having issues with sticking needles in her veins. I talked to mom tonight, and she said that Grandma is getting real sick again from the Chemo. The first time she was on Chemo, she ended up in the hospital because she was so sick from it. She couldn't eat anything and her mouth was raw. I'm scared she's going to end up in the hospital again.
I went to see her when she was in the hospital the first time, and at my first glance, it looked like an empty bed, then I saw her face nestled into the curve of the pillow. Even as sick as she was, she knew who I was right away and even managed to do a small wave with her hand. I visited her again about a week later when she was starting to feel better and her skin was healthier looking. Still very pale, but she didn't look like a ghost anymore.
I haven't visited her since she's been home from the hospital. With her being so sick and going through the chemo, she can't have any germs brought around her if at all possible. And since I'm sick a lot myself, I haven't wanted to risk bringing germs over to her home and making her worse. It's driving me crazy not being able to go see her, but I don't want to put her life at more risk by stopping by.
She's a very strong woman. She was diagnosed with Kidney cancer back in the spring, and she is still fighting. She's not giving up like so many other people do. Her and Grandpa even have plans for going back to Florida once this latest round of Chemo is done. I don't know if she'll put herself through more Chemo after this round, it depends on how successful it is at beating back the cancer. But she's definitely someone to admire, for her strength and her courage in this battle.
I know she doesn't read this, but I'll say it here anyway. I love you and admire you Grandma.
Shell
As I mentioned earlier, my Grandma started Chemo again. They ended up putting in a port to make it easier to do the Chemo, since they were having issues with sticking needles in her veins. I talked to mom tonight, and she said that Grandma is getting real sick again from the Chemo. The first time she was on Chemo, she ended up in the hospital because she was so sick from it. She couldn't eat anything and her mouth was raw. I'm scared she's going to end up in the hospital again.
I went to see her when she was in the hospital the first time, and at my first glance, it looked like an empty bed, then I saw her face nestled into the curve of the pillow. Even as sick as she was, she knew who I was right away and even managed to do a small wave with her hand. I visited her again about a week later when she was starting to feel better and her skin was healthier looking. Still very pale, but she didn't look like a ghost anymore.
I haven't visited her since she's been home from the hospital. With her being so sick and going through the chemo, she can't have any germs brought around her if at all possible. And since I'm sick a lot myself, I haven't wanted to risk bringing germs over to her home and making her worse. It's driving me crazy not being able to go see her, but I don't want to put her life at more risk by stopping by.
She's a very strong woman. She was diagnosed with Kidney cancer back in the spring, and she is still fighting. She's not giving up like so many other people do. Her and Grandpa even have plans for going back to Florida once this latest round of Chemo is done. I don't know if she'll put herself through more Chemo after this round, it depends on how successful it is at beating back the cancer. But she's definitely someone to admire, for her strength and her courage in this battle.
I know she doesn't read this, but I'll say it here anyway. I love you and admire you Grandma.
Shell
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
2nd Letter of the day
Dear Shell,
You're lucky today, you get two letters! Writers Digest had a new writing prompt today, and I couldn't resist it. This is another of the 500 words or less challenges.
You're lucky today, you get two letters! Writers Digest had a new writing prompt today, and I couldn't resist it. This is another of the 500 words or less challenges.
After 42 years with your company, the day has finally arrived: your last day of work. Your coworkers throw you a lunch retirement party. After cake, one coworker asks you to reflect on your years with the company. So you do—and you hold nothing back.
“Lunchtime!” Mary called out as she glanced into our department. “Joanna, make sure you’re at the lunchroom on time today!” she took off running down to the next department.
I closed the program I was working on, grabbed my purse and headed toward the lunchroom. My co-workers thought they were surprising me with a party, but none of them was capable of keeping a secret, unlike me. Oh well, I’ll pretend to be surprised to make them happy.
I turned the corner and opened the door to the lunchroom. “SURPRISE!” I jumped back, put my hand to my heart and opened my eyes wide. “Are you trying to give an old woman a heart attack?”
“Old woman, my ass,” Jack grinned at me as he handed me a plate. They had gone all out on this luncheon; they ordered sandwiches and salads from the deli across the street, and someone baked a cake.
I finished my sandwich and headed straight for that cake. Cutting a generous slice, I stood next to the table and slowly ate the delicious treat.
“So Joanna, you were here for a very long time. Can you tell us about how the company’s changed over the years, or things you really liked?” Connie asked.
I thought for a few moments, after all, 42 years is a long time. “I hired in at age 18 and I was just an office drone at first. I filed papers, I made phone calls. And I worked my way up through the offices to my current position. I helped push to get a 401K program for the employees, and was on the campaign for better health care. Actually, I’m surprised they didn’t fire me a few times for all the fuss I raised.” I paused for a moment to collect my thoughts.
“The 401K program has only been active in the company for the last 10 years. That’s not a lot of time to build up a retirement fund. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Connie looked at me, worry crossing her face.
“Yes I’ll be fine, I knew long before we got that program that I needed to save what I could. I’ve been saving for a long time.” I answered her question. I continued reflecting on my years at the company “This is a very good company to work for. They’ve always treated their employees fairly, and they are not constantly looking over people’s shoulders to see what they are doing. People are able to just do their work and go home, without feeling like they are watched all the time.”
Connie still didn’t look convinced. “Joanna, I’m just worried about you. Our economy is so bad right now, what little you would have had in your 401K is even smaller now. And savings accounts never make much in interest.”
I just smiled at her, because I knew how much I had saved. I’m an accountant. I was very, very good at my job.
(498 words)
Thanks,
Shell
Vacation
Dear Shell,
J and I are getting ready to go on vacation soon. We are meeting up with about 15 of our friends in Tennessee for a 3 night, 4 day vacation. We rented a 7 bedroom cabin that is halfway up a mountain, without any other cabins nearby from the looks of it. Looking at the pictures, the view is amazing. It looks out over a large valley over to another mountain. You can also look out a side window to see the forest, or another side window to see an old logging road winding its way up the mountain.
The cabin has 7 bedrooms as I mentioned, plus a game room with a pool table and air hockey table. It has several living room type areas, a large kitchen and dining area, and a 2 story deck. The upper deck has a charcoal grill plus picnic tables so we can sit out at night and grill hot dogs and hamburgers. The lower deck has chairs and a swing, for just relaxing. I'm going to take my notebooks with me and take some time to sit on the lower deck, relax, and see what comes to mind.
Most of the people who are coming are people we've known at least 5 years, although J has known some of them almost 10 years now. We met them through an online game called Everquest. About 2 years ago, we all decided to try a new game and moved over to World of Warcraft. Last year, we decided, "Hey, we've known each other through the game for this long, we talk daily through internet voice chat, we know each other's lives... lets meet!" So last October, we all met down in Florida in Orlando for a week. One of our friends has a Time Share down there and they were able to get 2 extra condo units for the week. We all had a blast meeting each other, and it's really strengthened our in-game friendships as well.
So here it is, almost time for another 'meet'. In a little over a week, we will all be together again having fun. We have bedrooms assigned, meals are mostly planned, and some touristy ideas are on the table but we don't know who plans on actually going out and being a tourist and who plans on just chilling at the cabin.
I most likely will not 'send' any letters while we are on vacation, although we are taking the laptop with us. I plan on just relaxing and having fun.
But do expect a letter or two afterwards, describing the cabin and the view, and talking about the fun we all had.
Well it's time to go do the dreaded chore called grocery shopping. /sigh.
Shell
J and I are getting ready to go on vacation soon. We are meeting up with about 15 of our friends in Tennessee for a 3 night, 4 day vacation. We rented a 7 bedroom cabin that is halfway up a mountain, without any other cabins nearby from the looks of it. Looking at the pictures, the view is amazing. It looks out over a large valley over to another mountain. You can also look out a side window to see the forest, or another side window to see an old logging road winding its way up the mountain.
The cabin has 7 bedrooms as I mentioned, plus a game room with a pool table and air hockey table. It has several living room type areas, a large kitchen and dining area, and a 2 story deck. The upper deck has a charcoal grill plus picnic tables so we can sit out at night and grill hot dogs and hamburgers. The lower deck has chairs and a swing, for just relaxing. I'm going to take my notebooks with me and take some time to sit on the lower deck, relax, and see what comes to mind.
Most of the people who are coming are people we've known at least 5 years, although J has known some of them almost 10 years now. We met them through an online game called Everquest. About 2 years ago, we all decided to try a new game and moved over to World of Warcraft. Last year, we decided, "Hey, we've known each other through the game for this long, we talk daily through internet voice chat, we know each other's lives... lets meet!" So last October, we all met down in Florida in Orlando for a week. One of our friends has a Time Share down there and they were able to get 2 extra condo units for the week. We all had a blast meeting each other, and it's really strengthened our in-game friendships as well.
So here it is, almost time for another 'meet'. In a little over a week, we will all be together again having fun. We have bedrooms assigned, meals are mostly planned, and some touristy ideas are on the table but we don't know who plans on actually going out and being a tourist and who plans on just chilling at the cabin.
I most likely will not 'send' any letters while we are on vacation, although we are taking the laptop with us. I plan on just relaxing and having fun.
But do expect a letter or two afterwards, describing the cabin and the view, and talking about the fun we all had.
Well it's time to go do the dreaded chore called grocery shopping. /sigh.
Shell
Friday, October 3, 2008
Writers Digest
Dear Shell,
I recently started visiting the Writer's Digest forums again. I had forgotten how much information, and advice, could be found on the forums. Writers can share what they've written, for others to critique, plus you can critique what they have written. There is also information on getting published, dealing with rejection letters, and more.
Writer's Digest also has something called Writing Prompts, which is similar to the 'Write two pages on..' assignments I've been doing. The difference is that they give you a scenario, and you have to write about what happens, in 500 words or less.
I decided to try one last night.
Scenario: "After years of leading a normal life, you discover you have a special ability. Afraid to share this information with anyone, you confide only in your closest friend. To your surprise, your friend shares some information with you - he also has a super power."
-----------------------
This was fun. I can even see something like this turning into an actual story at some point. Character finds out she has a power, and she's not alone. has to learn to control it, then use it against.. something, or someone. Maybe against those who gave her the power? Hm.
I've hit a bit of a block on my book. My chapters are fairly short, but I plan on this being more of a novella/short story than a novel. I'm on chapter 10 right now, I'm staring down at the water, and my character won't tell me what's next.
I actually think I have a way to do a 4-in-1 book with this story and 3 others that go with it. But i need to finish the main story first. And my character isn't talking to me right now.
Well, my stomach is telling me that it's way past lunchtime, so I better go get something to eat.
Take care,
Shell
I recently started visiting the Writer's Digest forums again. I had forgotten how much information, and advice, could be found on the forums. Writers can share what they've written, for others to critique, plus you can critique what they have written. There is also information on getting published, dealing with rejection letters, and more.
Writer's Digest also has something called Writing Prompts, which is similar to the 'Write two pages on..' assignments I've been doing. The difference is that they give you a scenario, and you have to write about what happens, in 500 words or less.
I decided to try one last night.
Scenario: "After years of leading a normal life, you discover you have a special ability. Afraid to share this information with anyone, you confide only in your closest friend. To your surprise, your friend shares some information with you - he also has a super power."
I don’t think anyone forgets the day they realize they are different. For me, the moment seems frozen in time. Probably because the moment that I discovered I was different, time really was frozen. It was one of those stressful, chaotic, pull-your-hair-out days. I finally got so fed up, I threw my hands up in the air and yelled for everyone to just stop for a moment. And they did. At first, I thought everyone was joking around, until I realized the cup of coffee that Joe knocked over just as I yelled was just hanging in the air. Time stood still for only a few moments then the chaos continued without anyone seeming to realize that something strange had happened.
I went back to my office, almost closing the door in Joe’s face but he stuck his coffee-soaked shoe into the gap before I managed to close it. He just sat down and looked at me, not saying a word. I looked back him, debating whether or not I should tell him what happened. He was my best friend after all and hopefully would understand.
I looked down at my hands then back up at him. “Joe, something very strange happened out there. I’m not sure how to explain it though.” I paused, looking away. Before I could continue, he spoke up.
“Freezing time would be hard to explain,” he said. I quickly looked back at him and he shrugged, “I can see the future. I do wish you had thought to grab the coffee though before time started back up. Do you know how uncomfortable it’s going to be walking around in coffee-soaked shoes?”
“What is going on? I know I’ve never done that before.” At least, as far as I knew I hadn’t stopped time before. Maybe some of those times that it seemed like I was waiting in like forever were times I had unknowingly stopped time. Nah, customer service is just really slow.
“There are a select few of us that have been given special abilities,” he started to explain.
“Given?” not in the mood to be polite, I interrupted him. “What do you mean given? Are we some kind of government experiment? How did they give me this ability? And who are they who did this to me?” I hate to admit, my voice was getting shrill at the end.
“You don’t need to know who they are. Just know it's because you’re a good person and they know you’ll do good things.”
“Just, just stop,” I flung my hands out in front of me as I said it. Joe froze in place, a rather comical expression on his face.
I got up and went to the window and contemplated throwing him out it. We’re on the ground floor so it’s not like it would actually hurt him.
-----------------------
This was fun. I can even see something like this turning into an actual story at some point. Character finds out she has a power, and she's not alone. has to learn to control it, then use it against.. something, or someone. Maybe against those who gave her the power? Hm.
I've hit a bit of a block on my book. My chapters are fairly short, but I plan on this being more of a novella/short story than a novel. I'm on chapter 10 right now, I'm staring down at the water, and my character won't tell me what's next.
I actually think I have a way to do a 4-in-1 book with this story and 3 others that go with it. But i need to finish the main story first. And my character isn't talking to me right now.
Well, my stomach is telling me that it's way past lunchtime, so I better go get something to eat.
Take care,
Shell
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