The Michael Swayne Story V: King of his Castle

I don't know if that is great, or lame, or what. Let's just go with great. Yeah, great is well...great!

Dad drove me to work today. It was raining, and he offered to just as I was about to head outside to my bike. After he dropped me off, I went to the store on my bike and bought some stuff I needed. Laundry soap, toothpaste (almost out), deodorant (almost out), and some carpet spray. The office still smells like skunk, and so the spray was purchased to help get rid of it. While I was looking for everything, a teenage Amish guy came up to me and asked if I knew where "the jams and jellies" were. I tried to help him; but since I don't buy food from this particular store, I couldn't help much.

Sidestory: There are three main groups of Amish people in our area, and you can distinguish them by their accents. I only know where one group is located, because my family would always go there during the summer to purchase their pies and desserts. These people have sort of a Swedish accent. They live to the North of us. The second group, are called the "Non-Amish" Amish. They speak like the rest of us, er, at least like how I speak. Without an accent. I can't say much for the rest of us in the area. My own family speak with varying degrees of accents. Anyway. The third group, speak with a Southern accent, and most have a slow drawl along with it. And that is the three main groups of Amish people in our area.

Moving on...

I began to work on the menu as soon as I returned from the store. And for the most part, it is done. All the ads look nice and neat. I still have to finish tidying the menu items (the ones on the inside of the menu, the ones on the outside are already finished), and find a nice color scheme for the menu. I was thinking of maybe like a picnic table cloth pattern, but that didn't look nice. Red and white, blue and white, purple and white; it all looked off. Since the restaurant is called 'After The Game', Iris suggest maybe like a football play chalkboard pattern. It is a good idea, but difficult to find. At least difficult to find one that leaves room in the center for the title of the restaurant.

Today we also had a meeting. Basically, the meeting was to throw some ideas around about the coming week's issues. Along with the wellness section, we are having a special Super Bowl section. Personally, I think it is putting a lot of work on myself. To have to design not one, but two themed sections on top of having to hurry to complete the menu. Then there were talks of Valentine's day sections, and spring specialty products (which I still have no clue what to make of it). The result of the meeting was that our sales staff will be selling and selling, and I have to somehow make beauty from it all. I'll manage, I always do.

When I came home today, the power was out. I called the neighbors to see if it was the whole neighborhood or just us. It was everybody. So, I went to go check the mail. In it, there was a letter from a publisher in Oregon. It was odd seeing a letter from a publisher, since I haven't written anything in quite a while. Anyway, this person went to all the top publishers and asked for recommendations on who to bring together to make a compilation book. Lavender Aurora, a publisher I worked with back in 2005 gave my name. The letter asked me to give permission to use my work.

So, I am going to do it. I posted the news as soon as the power came back on. I have some work ahead of me, deciding what to use. Some of it has been posted here, so if you want, read what I've written and suggest I pick what you like. I am not sure if I am going to print an announcement in the paper with the news. It wouldn't cost me anything, since I build the paper and put whatever I want in it (within reason, of course). But I think it would not feel right to promote myself in that way.

Anyway...

I am really tired, so I think I will call it a night. I have to build the paper tomorrow, and also maybe possible finalize the menu. So, I hope to see you all around the forums, and until I do...

Later!

Michael

PS, if you think you might want a copy of the book, get in touch with me. I get a special deal when they come out. Later!