An epic quest to find a barista, cashier or clerk who can spell my name correctly -- plus all you wanted to know about the name Cheryl, but were afraid to ask. (Reader submissions encouraged.)
Sorry it's been such a long time since the last update. No excuses, but a couple of explanations. I haven't been drinking Starbucks' coffee this summer. There's a great new independent coffee shop just around the corner from my apartment, so I've been supporting local commerce, plus I sold my screenplay "Within the Darkness" back in June, finished a new one, and am nearly done with a third. It's been a very productive summer.
So here we are in fall -- one of my favorite times of year, especially here in Los Angeles, where it's more like summer than summer. I've spent the past couple of days going to horror-related screening and events for the Shriekfest Film Festival (shameless plug: my script, "Evil's Toy" was a semi-finalist in the fest). However, lest I get too uppity, leave it to a studio security guard to put me back in my place with the 26th different spelling of my name.
SHERUL
Check out the Facebook page for "Within the Darkness" to see the first teaser trailer: http://www.facebook.com/WithinTheDarkness -- and "like" if you're the sort who does that sort of thing.
Be patient and try to keep up. This is a bit of stream of consciousness writing here. I zipped over to Veggie Grill on my lunch hour because they were donating 50% of all purchases to Stray Cat Alliance, which is a very special organization to me because my dear little bundle of fur, Peggy Sue, was adopted from a rescuer who works very closely with them. Back last August when I got this very same spelling at Starbucks, I commented that it rhymes with feral. (Stray ---> Feral -- get the connection?)
If you're in the Los Angeles area, go grab dinner there. It's a painless way to help out and you get to chow on some yummy vegan food. (I highly recommend the "All Hail Kale" salad.)
SHERAL still rhymes with FERAL
Below is my beautiful girl. She's been living with me and her boyfriend Owen since December of 2002. Since she was about five or six months old when I adopted her, I suspect it's pretty close to her birthday, so happy birthday, Peggy!
In honor of the impending Apocalypse earthquake and subsequent Rapture that will be rolling across the international dateline in about four hours, I decided to treat myself to a glass of cabernet and some Indian food (palek paneer and veggie samosas). However, along with my yummy spinach and cheese entree, I got an added extra bonus of the 25th different misspelling of my name. I'll cut my server a break. He was non-hipster and English was definitely not his first language.
SHIRLL
As a bonafide heathen, as well as an excommunicated Lutheran, I'm pretty sure I won't be raptured, unless my kindness to animals and ability to say all fifty states in alphabetical order count for some bonus points. It's not that I don't believe Jesus existed. In fact, I'm a big fan of his work, it's just his mega-fanclub I could do without. I'm sure there were just as many Jesuses around back then as there are Jaden/Caden/Aidens being named in the hospitals around the world in this day and age.
I'm actually looking forward to the post-Rapture experience. Imagine a world full of liberals, where gay marriages are authorized and protected in every state in the union, marijuana is legal and taxed to the hilt, racism is a thing of the past and we have a balanced budget, along with subsidized health care for all. **
I believe the proprietors of Electric Lotus are Hindu, as they have a statue of Shiva the Destroyer in the entry way. Regardless, I'm a big fan of the statement on their receipts "LOVE IS LIFE". So whatever happens in the coming hours, I think if we all kept that mantra in mind, the world would be a much better place.
NAMASTE.
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** However, if the chosen start disappearing, everyone else meet me at House of Pies for some coconut cream pie -- carbs and sugar be damned!
And why not enjoy a Blondie classic while you're waiting? (Think they're making a lot of $$$ on iTunes this weekend?)
My friend Deven (check out his blog at www.hungrytigernyc.com) sent this photo to me quite awhile ago, but I'd been saving it until this special day. Now it one thing for a college drop-out at Starbucks to spell a name incorrectly, but if it's someone whose job depends on attention to detail, lest the wrath of the Federal government comes raining down...well, not good.
DEVEN, LIKE SEVEN
I hope everyone got lots of money back and you spent it on something frivolous.
Yes, I know I haven't blogged here since December of last year, but I've mostly been making coffee at home to save a few bucks, or drinking the awful office swill (by the way, I tested the coffee in my own pot at home and it's fine, so it's either the water in Beverly Hills or the the actual coffee maker that makes it bitter and yucky). However, with this 24th different spelling of my name, I felt compelled to write a few sentences.
SHERIL
Yes, this is a variation on previous spellings: Sherill, Sheral and Sherol -- but I'll give him +3 style points for originality and inspiring me to write on this blog again. You may notice I'm drinking ICED COFFEE -- yes, let me rub it in -- it's supposed to be 88 F (31 C) degrees in Los Angeles today.
Also, I believe this is the first time I've been in Starbucks since the rebranding. They're no longer putting their name on the cups and just going with a simplified version of the siren/mermaid logo.
I promise not to be so delinquent in the coming weeks. Many of you have submitted your own wacky misspellings, and I promise to post them soon. Thanks for reading!
