and the winner is...

Kevin was the first to read my contest blurb.  He's a winner in my books, and my blog.  (Sheesh.  I've got to stop calling this little web of mine a blog, but it scanned nicely just now.)  Kevin's prize was a bottle of chardonnay, and I was happy to give it to him.  I always figured he was smart - after all, he's a geek - but now I know him to be courteous and thoughtful of his colleagues. 
On my first day back at work after I posted the previous blog I trotted right on up to the tech section of the store and pulled up my little web on one of the demo ipads.  Kevin happened to be there, so I told him what I was doing.  I didn't say anything more than I'd ever said to anyone else about having a blog.  No one else had expressed too much interest before - which is why I set up the contest - but Kevin, goddess bless him, walked on over and asked me "What's it about?"  I left quickly without further word, wondering if he'd bother to read it to find out the answer to his question.  Sure enough, he did.  Thanks, Kevin.
And since I'm discussing retail detail here, on the same day Kevin made my day I saw something in the "creative department store" where I work that amused me, so I thought I'd share it with my legion of followers.  Anyone who's read my little web a few times knows that I fancy myself a minimalist, even though it doesn't always show.  That's why it's  rather ironic that part of my job requires me to help other people acquire more stuff.
So there I was, listening to one of the managers giving us a pep talk about all the fabulous new renovations in the store and how it will help increase sales.  The meeting was in the "home" department of the store, and the manager stood right next to a pillow for sale that had the words Collect moments, not things written on it.  Well, I chuckled aloud and shared that particular moment with my manager.  To his credit, he was amused as well.  Now I'm sharing the moment with you, dear reader.
It just goes to show the Universe has a sense of irony, too.
Blessed be.
- G.P.

Apples for Sale

This blurb is a contest.  I'm writing this little bit of silliness to see if any of my colleagues at the store where I work are interested enough in my little web to read it in their spare moments between customers.  We have a new section in our "creative department store," (formerly known as a "cultural department store," and preceded once upon a time by the moniker "bookstore") which sells geeky Apple products, including fabulous, not-so-little but oh-so-sleek ipads.

Every so often I'll trot on over to the geek section of the store and pull up the front page of this little web of mine on a demo and leave it on display for any customers and workers to view.  I'm not doing it because I think I'm suddenly going to become an Internet sensation, but because I love looking at my pretty little web displayed on a sleek, sophisticated techno-tool that plays no part in my prehistoric world.  (I freely admit that I'm a dinosaur - quite old and possessing a puny little brain, digitally speaking.)
Anyway, the test part of this shallow, self-centred blurb you're reading now is specifically addressed to my colleagues at the store.  It will necessitate my visiting the tech section of the store and putting my little web on display a few times a day, but since I do that anyway, it's no big deal.
As for my legion of followers, I beg your indulgence.  Thank you.
The contest is easy:  be the first of my colleagues who read this current blurb (my faithful followers will have noted that I haven't posted anything new for over a month now) and I will buy you a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer, whichever you prefer.  All you have to do is approach me at work, or write a comment in the space provided to tell me you've read this nonsense, and the modest prize I offer is yours.  That's a promise.  And since I've made this such a public declaration, I won't be breaking my word because that's super-bad karma.  Anyone who knows me even slightly knows that I'm all about karma.  Besides, head office and management are always offering contests to customers and employees, so this is my contribution to promoting good collegial relations.
But why, you may well ask, am I putting on this absurd little contest?  Well, mostly because I'm curious to know how often and how many people at my place of employment bother to read my piffle.  I've shown my shining little web on the demo ipads to a number of my co-workers a number of times, and observed that they don't bother to read it.  And if anyone has, they haven't said anything about it, which is probably worse.  So what I say.  It's all about me, and I don't mind admitting it, because let's face it, a blog is basically about the person who writes it.  (There!  I've said it.  I've called my little web a blog.  Yech.)
So there you have it.  I'm putting this inflated bit of wordpuffery out there just to see what happens.
I'll keep you posted.
- G. P.