A mere 317 posts later, blogging pays off.

So it looks like I'll be going national ... dare I say international? ... with this blogging thing.

No, not with this blog specifically. Cafe Asteria will remain an intentionally unfocused writer's journal for friends, family and some chick in Calgary.

Here's the deal: I've been asked to be a writer for what I can honestly say is my favorite advertising blog, AdFreak. It's a part-time gig, of course, so it's not like I'm leaving agency life behind.

I think this will be a great opportunity. For one, it's flattering that they approached me with the idea. For two, my boss is cool with it...as long as I hold off starting until we launch our current behemoth of a campaign. For three, I think it builds street cred for my agency to have someone involved with a blog this respected.

So thanks to all of you for keeping me blogging, thanks to Tim at AdFreak for giving me a shot, and thanks to the bookstore for being so understanding when I quit last night.

I'll keep you guys posted on when I actually start up with AdFreak, so that I can start mining you all for good ideas. As I said, it'll be a few weeks. Until then, you should still read it. That way you'll know that, yes, even MTV spots featuring hookers are fair game. I know, I know...when doesn't MTV feature hookers, right?

'Oh, we just use the singles to mop out the mocha bucket.'

I went into a Starbucks yesterday, which has become a relatively rare event since I have pretty good coffee at work now and I get 50% off the Starbucks we sell at the bookstore.

So anyway, I went up to the register and noticed that one of the two full-to-the-brim tip jars was topped with two $20 bills.

Me: "Wow, you have some good customers."

Guy: "Oh, we just have to consolidate it so it all fits in the jars."

Me: *Strangles guy*

I sell the same coffee as this guy and likely make better espresso drinks (because I make them with love, and Starbucks makes them with corporate greed). But I get -- at best -- a buck a night in tips.

Why? Because B&N doesn't allow tip jars. Why? Who knows? I personally think it's so that booksellers don't feel the cafe people get an unfair money-making advantage.

Claypits mentioned yesterday that she never knows whether to tip in places like coffee shops. The answer is a resounding yes, especially if you're at B&N. It's the only place I've worked where a 25-cent tip makes you the best customer of the day.

But if the guy's got two twenties stacked precariously on a wad of bills, you can give him the tip -- of your elbow! Aw yeah.

A nice MySpace coda.

Most of my bookstore co-workers don't know my last name, and they've never seen me with a goatee. That makes for some wariness when they get a MySpace friend request from "Griner" with the same picture I use on this blog (the "Homeless Griner Gets a Meal" photo, as Bill so aptly put it once).

So I enjoyed this response from a guy I work with in the cafe quite a bit:

man it took me a few minutes to realise whos myspace this was. u look like morgan spurlock from super size me in that pic and i didnt know what griner meant. so i was thinkin, morgan spurlock wants feed me ice cream and grind me? what a strange mfker

On that note, have a great Thanksgiving, everybody!