RT @DaveRamsey: Helping others with your money is a Christian value, You helping others with MY money is Socialism. #epicfail
2:03 PM February 3rd via TweetDeck
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RT @BlondHousewife: Going to need a large milk carton to advertise the 1.2 Million workers that disappeared from the labor force. http:/ ...
9:56 AM February 3rd via TweetDeck
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RT @JeepWorld: #Jeep door theft on the rise? http://t.co/GNTFbh9O Not cool! Has this happened to any of you?
9:55 AM February 3rd via TweetDeck
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What a great plane! RT @airandspace Today in 1974: first flight of General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. Cockpit: http://t.co/Vjs5JXpW
11:19 PM February 2nd via TweetDeck

Day 21 - Project 366

My Faith In Humanity

In the mail yesterday we received a pink envelope. It seemed innocuous but hid a secret. A secret sender. Upon hearing that we had fallen victim to the theft of Emma's car seats an anonymous benefactor went out of their way to send us a sympathetic card and gift.

I am clueless as to whom our mysterious gifter might be, they state only that they love our family and adore Hannah (who doesn't ;-D) and that they hope their contribution helps relieve the sting of the situation.

Forgive me as I get a little misty eyed and offer a sincere Thank You.

Two halves make a hole.

A customer just gave me 2 split dollar bill's - without their second halves. She gave me 2 pieces and apologized, then said "they should work out to a dollar somehow". I thought to myself "with some tape I'm sure they will" and thanked her for the tip. When I started dropping my cash in the safe at the store I realized what I had been handed. It wasn't as simple as "this paper should be worth a dollar."

I hope I can get someone to honor these, if I can, then I actually got more than this customer originally intended to give. Anyone know if there is a standard for accepting damaged bills?

Update: 6/25/2008 18:40
Here is the information I dug up from the Federal Reserve website about the value of damaged currency:

Redeeming Damaged Money
Paper money that has been mutilated or partially destroyed may in some cases be redeemable at full face value. Any badly soiled, defaced, torn, or worn-out currency that is clearly more than half of the original note can be exchanged at a commercial bank, which processes the note through a Federal Reserve Bank. More seriously damaged notes—those with clearly less than half of the original surface or those requiring special examination to determine their value—must be sent to the Department of the Treasury for redemption.
From Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Emphasis added.

A City In China

It was November 21, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and I arrived for my job delivering pizza at 11:00 AM. Day time orders are usually pretty dismal, but today was different, several orders right off the bat. In fact, while delivering my first few orders an ABC News item on the radio reported that the day before Thanksgiving is usually the busiest for pizzerias citing Domino's specifically saying they planned to deliver billions (duh.)

Of course a surge in business means taking orders from people who are not regular customers and it was evident to me straight away that many of my customers fell into that category. My tips were dismal. The folks who order pizza regularly either expect or at least accept that tipping someone for doing work they otherwise would do themselves is customary. It seems there are still folks out there that don't share that view, or would rather not accept it.

So on the busiest delivery day of the year, I drove almost three times the miles of any shift I've worked in my four months but made only about as much as on a typical Saturday Night. What about the delivery charge you say? Well, I get about nine cents of that $1.50 delivery charge you pay. Without a tip, I'm only making minimum wage which doesn't go far at $2.90 per gallon. So I implore you, please tip your drivers. If you feel you can't afford the extra couple bucks, may I respectfully suggest you consider picking the pizza up at the restaurant.

How much gratuity is reasonable you ask? Allow me to share my personal guide for acceptable pizza delivery tips:

1. 15-20% of the order total should be considered the minimum.
2. Add an extra 2-5% for each mile you live from the pizzeria.
3. Consider adding an extra 2-5% for an unusual delivery
   (Large orders necessitating a solo run, delivery to a station other than the front door, etc.)
4. Remember that the driver has little control over when orders leave, pizza quality or accuracy of the order. Negotiating price is never an option, call the store with concerns.
   
5. If you leave money for the kids, or encourage them to handle the exchange at the door, please ensure they know how much gratuity you intended to share.

The great thing about this job is that most people are grateful to have someone who can swoop in and save the day or make a regular meal a special occasion. It's heart warming, as a father, to be so anxiously anticipated by the kids and gratifying to see people enjoy a product I helped create. Thanks for helping me pay for the opportunity to lean to fly and to take care of my little family. Call me next time you want a pizza.

Would you like more insights into the life of a delivery driver? Wondering what the standard gratuity is for other professions? I recommend these sites:

• TipThePizzaGuy.com
• Tip20.com
  
• Discussing the art of tipping on NPR. (Hey, your taxes are paying for it, might as well get something from it.)
  

We Spiked It

A quick update to the Utah Quarters story:

The "Transcontinental Railroad" quarter was indeed selected as Utah's entry to the commemorative quarters series as a blog visitor "awesome sauce" predicted. We're all thrilled of course. Check out the full story:

deseretnews.com | Utahns pick railroad quarter

Driving a spike through commemorative quarters

May 8th is apparently a popular day for closing off public opinion. I've recently become familiar with survey conducted by the Utah Arts Council regarding Utah's submission to the commemorative quarters program. They're offering the public the chance to vote for their favorite of three final designs. The voting will close on May 8th and Governor Huntsman will make the final choice before announcing the selection on May 10th.

I feel that by far the Golden Spike design is the best. The first design "Winter Sport" may be a view of Utah shared by many and an economic advantage to the state, but this image, to me, does not adequately project the grandeur of the Utah wilderness nor the sports played there. In fact I do not believe any single image can achieve this. Furthermore, the "Winter Sport" image lacks timelessness. It seems to be dated and directed at a narrow demographic.

The "Beehive" design would be my second favorite design, but is relatively, umm... Boring. In my opinion, those quarters that have depicted naught but a states flower or seal have been less impressive than those which can lay out in a beautiful scene part of the states wealth of resources or events which cement that states importance on the national scene. For this reason I feel the "Golden Spike" or "Crossroads of the West" design is the best.

Not only does "Golden Spike" provide the most interesting and visually stunning design, but it identifies Utah as a central participant in the building of a nation and the focal point of a grand story of American enterprise and industry (two virtues at the heart of the Utah's image.)

I hope you'll take the time to stop by the Utah Arts Council's Utah Commemorative Quarter Survey and vote for your favorite design. I also hope "Golden Spike" will be the design you vote for.