Sunday 21 October 2012

me and soap


Been a while, eh?  My apologies, but I have been busy travelling, talking, writing, going to school, and ignoring my kids.  This all takes energy.  I have also been practicing my tweeting -- something my publishers are keeen on.  Not that I am making them happy, since their goal is to PROMOTE MY PRODUCT AND BRAND (they actually talk like this) THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA and my goal is TO AMUSE MYSELF AND A FEW OTHERS AND NOT LOOK LIKE A DOUCHE BY SAYING LOOKIT ME LOOKIT ME LOOKIT ME NOW!  AREN'T I GREAT? (this is how I talk) THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA.  


So today's blog is about dish soap.  I have run out, and have to buy a new bottle.  And I glot to thinking about that, and realized that the last time I had to buy some dish soap I was in the middle of writing a book and wondering where I was going to live and listening to Ed drum for hours in the basement of the house in Cobourg and dashing around in my 2-door putt-putting car.  And now, 1 bottle of dish soap later, I am living in the big city with a bike and a book tour and a car with only 1 door.  (Long story involving a too-tight turn and a gentle crunching sound.  The net result is that when my kids join me in the car these days I roll down the passenger side window and they do a General Lee entrance -- see pic below.) 

My point is that time can be measured in numbers -- hours and months and decades -- and also in regular actions and purchases, and these vary as do chronometric units.  To say to someone, I'll see you in a couple of milk cartons would indicate a different time span than, I'll see you in a couple of dentist appointments or In a couple of major home renovations or, going the other way, In a couple of toilet flushes.   For me, dish soap is somewhere in between cereal boxes and bay leaves. 


Now do you understand why my publishers shake their heads at me?  I'm sure I could find something more career-related to talk about, but I don't want to.  I would rather measure out my life in dish soap than tell you about my upcoming book launch. 

5 comments:

Joseph Poirier, Cobourg said...

Well, that explains a lot. The Cobourg dish soap sellers were just saying to some of the locals that certain products were no longer moving this month. Now, with this blog, they are no longer left wondering why key stock is still available.
I am not certain why they are concerned - does soap have a best before date?
At first, the merchants were thinking that perhaps people around here are finding Costco stock quality and prices more affordable in the long run. It is difficult to say for certain but I did have my theories.
Now, with this blog, it is much clearer.
You moved.
I don’t know about everyone else who lives in Cobourg but the town suddenly got smaller.
It was bad enough that you stopped singing in the local choir but now you up and move – how sad.
However, that still leaves us with the extra soap issue. Perhaps the merchants could set up a blog of their own so they could let people know about the virtues of having that extra bottle of dish soap available when you need it. I understand, it is not the same as having beer or pop on hand. It is my experience that when you have perishables such as these, you tend to drink them. Soap – well, that just kind of flows with the food consumption. More drinking and eating, more soap is required to clean the vessels.
Yep, it would seem that maybe some extra branding would help in this case too. Promoting certain brands or product sizes that they carry with some testimonials and a few choice words will move the product you have so thoughtlessly left behind.
Sometimes it really does take a tech-savvy promoter to call to mind the fact that maybe some supplies are getting low and it is negligent of us to let this happen to our family, let alone our utensils and good china.
So I will tell them about the blogging opportunities and the golden opportunities that lie in using social media to promote one’s product.
All kidding aside Richard, it has been a while since I last saw you in town – perhaps three or four dish soap bottles ago. Your son used to hang around my nephew and the two grew up around here (while we never really grew up – I guess).
This community is sorry you have left.
However, my son, who just turned 12, was recently delighted with one of a number of school visits from Shane Peacock promoting Orca Publishing’s Seven (the Series).
Good luck with the transitions and promotions.
As for the social media, blogging and brand promotion…don’t worry; everything will come out in the wash.

Marilyn said...

Dish soap seems to last a long time. You can rely on it to last. You know you won't have to buy another one for quite awhile. We should all appreciate dish soap more.

Richard Scrimger said...

Yeah you get your full time value out of the 1.49 or whatever dish soap costs. You use it almost every day, as opposed to bay leaves which last forever but you only use once a month or so ...

Mireille Messier said...

When I was pregnant, I used to enjoy going to the grocery store, looking at the best before dates and think "I'll be a mom before this turkey bacon goes bad". The closer I got to my due date, the more I could relate to produce with shorter shelf-life. Greek yogourt, cold cuts, potatoes... When my due date was closer than the best before date on bread, I started to panic. Now, I can look at my dish soap and think "I'll be the mom of a tween before this bottle runs out." Geez! Thanks Richard!

Richard Scrimger said...

What about Costco shoppers? When they pick up a giant container of nutmeg, they must think -- My kids will be dead before this is used up!