always something new to learn

Word of the day: usufruct. 1. the legal right of using and enjoying the fruits or profits of something belonging to another. 2. the right to use or enjoy something. (MW 11)

Obvious once you break it down, no?

One of the things I love best about being an editor is the constant exposure to new ideas, and, believe it or not, to new jargon and new ways of using common words. Between fighting the that vs. which battle and putting “only” where it really belongs in the sentence, I reach for the dictionary at least per chapter/article. Sometimes I’m just confirming what I already know, but many times I’m looking up something new to me. You’d think that would become less common over time, but after sixteen (!) years as a professional editor, it has become even more frequent. Granted, the majority of my work is for academic books and journals, which lend themselves to having to look things up. So many words, so little time.

spot on

One of the most succinct pieces I’ve ever read about race in Hawaii is here.

just another day in northeast Ohio

Less than 24 hours ago, it was sunny and almost 80 degrees. I met a friend at the wine bar and sat outside in my open-toed shoes.

Today, right now, it is snowing. I’m not kidding. My sinuses hate me.

oh well

If someone had to screw up my final four and my shot at March Madness glory, it might as well be the team Wendy and Jill are rooting for.

how to cement my loyalty as a customer

First and foremost, provide a high-quality product at a reasonable price.

Have clear, detailed photos and full and accurate product descriptions on your website.

Promptly answer any questions I have, whether about the product itself or placing a backorder.

When I order nine hundred spacer beads, include a few extras to compensate for the few that will inevitably be malformed.

Use high-quality packets and clearly label each one with the store name, quantity, item description, and item number to make it easy for me to reorder.

Offer a small discount on large orders, but avoid constant mega-sales. (Stores that offer 50% off everything every other week only make me wonder how overpriced their goods are to start with.)

Throw in a little something extra with a large order — nothing very valuable, just a little treat. You never know, I may love it so much that I’ll order more.

Package the order securely but simply, and ship it promptly. Give me the option of low-cost shipping. Better yet, offer free shipping via first-class mail for something that weighs next to nothing. Send me an e-mail when my order ships so I know to look for the package.

Thank you, Artbeads.com, for more than a year of stellar service. I’m looking forward to many more.

%&^*ing spammers

I’ve turned on comment moderation, which I hope will stop the comment spam. Sorry for the inconvenience.

how not to win my business

Be one of the two hotels likely to be decent based on brand name that are close to my home. Answer your phone with a mumble. Listen to my explanation about wanting to see a room this afternoon and to possibly put in a block request for a wedding, then transfer me to sales, where I have to repeat my explanation. Tell me that someone else in sales handles those requests and that you’ll transfer me to their extension. Do not mention that said person is out of town and won’t call me back until the next day, even though I clearly stated that I need to deal with this that day. Be unconcerned that the transferer didn’t mention your out-of-townness and failed to handle the request herself or at least hand it off to someone who was physically there. Mention that you checked your messages yesterday afternoon but couldn’t be bothered to call me back until this morning. Validate the pretty bad online reviews of your hotel (which, in retrospect, I should have checked before even calling). Make me glad I didn’t even have a chance to see a room or have to contemplate sending a nice chunk of business your way.

Police, baby!

My super-secret Ticketmaster location has paid off again. I got there at quarter to ten, joined the line with six or seven people in front of me, and left with two mid-priced tickets at 10:10. Had there not been presales for both Best Buy members and Police fan club members, who took all of the good tickets, I probably could have scored some great seats. (Nothing will ever beat the second-row center seats I got for Sting, though — also obtained by standing in line, although not at that particular Ticketmaster.)

Now, if I get in to the St. John Westshore Festival of the Arts, that will make for one hell of a mid-July.

brava

I just love Helen Mirren, and I’m thrilled that she won the Best Actress Oscar. I can only hope to be that lovely and poised when I grow up.

walloped by the storm

Have I mentioned yet how grateful I am that I no longer commute to the East Side?

Dinner with friends last night was cancelled, and my dentist’s office called this morning to reschedule today’s appointment, so I’m enjoying another day of not having to leave the house. I have my turtleneck, my chunky British wool sweater, a fuzzy blanket, unlimited tea, soup for lunch, a great view of the crazy snowdrifts outside, and plenty of projects to keep me busy. Sounds like a good day to me.