A Cafe Mystery: The Floor 17 Cafe, #2

Part I: The Countdown

Entry #89: Countdown to 100

Good afternoon and Happy New Year to everyone in the four towers! Chuck here with another post about my life and the Floor 17 café. We’re at 53,000 followers and I thank you once again for your support of this blog and the café. Sorry it took me a while to get back on here, but after this past Diadios celebration I didn’t think I was going to make it through to the end of the year! This one definitely topped last year’s and if you’ve been following this blog you’ll know why.

As for the title of today’s post, I’ve decided to do something different. We’re just a handful of entries away from entry number 100 and I thought I would do a countdown of entries until we get to that magic number (Yes, I know that we’re counting up but this is my blog, go get your own!). That’s why I’ve numbered it in addition to giving it one of my titles. Yes, I did go back and count all of the previous ones and, fortunately, I came up with this idea prior to the Festival of the Gods celebration. Had I come up with the idea afterwards, I probably wouldn’t have bothered.

What I’m now going to do is post only one entry a week, starting today, and feature a guest blogger for each one. As you know, in the past, I’ve had both Gretchen and Johano fill in for me. So, I thought let’s get some others as well. I won’t tell you who’s going to participate but I have asked everyone, well, almost everyone. I’m two entries short to reach 100 but I guarantee I will have the slots filled in time for the end. I already have someone special lined up for post 99 and it’s a surprise! Don’t go asking who it is. Everyone is in the process of writing their blog entry and I’ll be on each week to introduce them. There are other surprise guests in addition but as I said, I won’t say anything more about it.

Now, I have a request for all of you out there in the worlds of The Askinar Towers. As I stated we are at 53K followers and I’d like to be at 100K by post 100. I know this is a huge request but I also know that we can do it. I’ll have Wally and Max making regular announcements on the radio to remind you of our challenge. That’s Channel 100 on your radio. Incidentally, Gretchen suggested that we have Max and Wally read some of my best entries from the past as a way to gear up to Post 100. I love the idea but I’ll have to run it by Maurice to make sure it’s okay with him. We won’t be reading the comments, just the entries themselves.

Before I go any further with this post, Maurice wanted me to remind you that we no longer sell alcoholic beverages. Yes, I know we’ve been talking about it the past three months; since before Diadios, but he wants me to continue to let you know that the café is now dry. Don’t know how in the four towers we are considered dry; I mean, this is the Tower of Water and the atmosphere is anything but dry. But this is Maurice’s announcement not mine.

Yesterday Chef Roy invented a brand-new burger to feature at our lunch counter. Oh, I forgot to tell you! Maurice has made arrangements to install a lunch counter in the café sometime next month. He wants to utilize the space that’s closer to the kitchen door plus create dishes that will be served exclusively at the lunch counter. I’m not sure if that’s genius or insanity but that’s Uncle Maurice for you.

The burger has a variety of peppers cooked right into the meat and it’s served with a chili pepper relish and a slice of pepper jack/jalapeno cheese. Man, my mouth is on fire just writing about it. He wouldn’t say anything further about the recipe as it’s a secret. Works for me because I have to chug a bottle of water just thinking about it. Excuse me a moment.

Anyways, to feature this new burger, Maurice is holding a contest to give it a name and the only way you can enter is if you eat half of one, to get the proper idea of what the burger tastes like. Thank goodness it wasn’t a whole one as I had trouble just eating the half. Don’t get me wrong, it was very tasty but my eyes were tearing up and my nose was running. Both Gretchen and Johano also participated as did Gainel and Shane. Some of you may not have met Shane yet as he was one of our late-night servers who had been brought on to days when Gretchen recently started working in the gift shop part-time. I’ll let her tell you more about that when she posts.

The burger naming contest runs through this week and I’ll have Johano announce the winner in his post next week. Well, he’ll announce it if he makes it back to work. You see, he’s not used to spicy foods and, although he wanted to be a part of the contest, he barely finished his burger before he ran off in search of a doctor. Fortunately, Serena Katrina had just walked into the café at that moment and Johano begged her for medical attention; she’s a priestess if you don’t recall. It was hilarious watching Johano trying to explain to her what was happening. It was a combination of a weird sign language and some foreign language spoken with his tongue outside his mouth the entire time.

He got Clancy to give him the next two days off to recover and Maurice sent Elaine, a regular server at Windows, to fill in for those two days. Elaine’s a good sport and she’s had her eye on Shane for a couple of weeks now. They first met during Diadios shortly after Shane was moved to days. They have hit it off as friends, but I can tell that Elaine wants more in that relationship.

Things are pretty quiet in here as they were last year at this time. Both Mucky Meyers and Henry Gunny are here having lunch. I can sense that they will be the first customers of the new lunch counter as they have been talking about it for a couple of days now. We have Henry to thank for fixing the antenna for the radio station. If you recall, it somehow broke off two weeks ago at the height of the festival activities. Since they were the ones to install it in the first place, they knew how to get up there and fix it. Due to some torrent weather, it took them a little longer to reinstall it. If you want to read more, check out the post called, Stormy Weather.

Before I close, I want to let you know that Veronica DelMassey, a fourth-year student from the Academy of the Seven Spires, will be here this weekend to perform. I was told that not only does she sing but she does some amazing things with knives. Should be a fun weekend. Once again, thanks so much for your support over the last year and a half; your comments, your patronage, and your friendship. Here’s to 100 posts, upcoming, and to at least 100 more thereafter.

Happy to serve,

Chuck

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COMMENTS:

GrovesGardens: Hi all, Bud here. Just wanted to let you know we are having a clearance sale on our Diadios Blackberry bushes. If you plant them now, they should be good for next year’s festival.

Maury2005:  Thanks to everyone who participated in our burger naming contest!

Gains914:  I don’t know what the big deal is about this burger. It’s not that thrilling.

Shanester: Happy to be coming in earlier. Now I can get to the library afterwards.

Brenda10: You sure spend a lot of time here in the library. But we’re always happy to help you!

LanieBear: Poor Johano. I’ll do my best to fill in for him but not too well to take his job away.

Clancy33:  Lassie, his job is secure. Just don’t splash in the puddles again, please.

Toby2150: Hey guys! Been a while. I left the siege business and am now working in retail for Supermart Deluxe. I should be up tomorrow for lunch!

SuperStud2000:  That’s great Manitoba! Devan’s been by recently and wants to make amends with you and the former group.

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Entry #90: Burger Contest Winner

Good Friday Afternoon everyone in The Askinar Towers! Chuck here with our first guest post as we journey to Entry 100. Thanks to everyone who came out to see Veronica DelMassey’s debut. When I was told she did some amazing things with knives, no one told me she was a knife thrower and that I was volunteered to be her assistant! She is an excellent marksman and I didn’t get hurt at all! She’ll be here again this weekend and then next month another fourth-year student will come up.

Something new is going to take place this coming Sunday and every week thereafter. As you know we’ve had a radio studio on the 18th Floor with access via a spiral staircase from here in the cafe. They’ve been broadcasting music, on Channel 100, from there for the café as well as all over the four towers of Askinar. Glenda, our former owner, has expanded the floor above into a full radio station! Actually, it’s more like multiple stations in one as there are several studios for various programs. Incidentally, she’s now owner and operator of the radio stations. She’s still looking for her daughter, Meghan, so if you know her whereabouts, we’d appreciate any help on that.

This Sunday they are debuting a series of radio programs in a two-hour block called Thin Dime Novel Theatre. There will be four different programs; 30 minutes each, and will feature a variety of characters including the space adventurer, Ray Gunn. More on that later on. One of the main reasons for this is to entice people to stop by the café on Sundays as that is our slowest day of the week. You’ll definitely want to come on Sunday to hear these new programs. It’s Channel 110 on your radio. Check your local listings on the internet for time adjustment. The series is exclusively sponsored by 1776: Authentic American Cuisine restaurant, owned by Frankie Williams, and located on Floor 85 in the Tower of Earth. It’s right next to Coffee and Crullers to Go. Both establishments are new and available for takeout or dine-in. It’s a husband and wife team!

Last week I said that Johano would be on here this week but something tragic happened recently. He and his girlfriend, Brynn, broke up! Before you ask, he said I could share this bit of information as he wants to distance himself from the café and this blog for several days. With Maurice’s permission, he’ll be assigned up at Windows for that time to heal his broken heart and Elaine will be down here in his place. I won’t say anything more as I want to get to our guest post. I chose Gretchen for this week and she’ll tell you why. And now, here she is!

Hello everyone from the Floor 17 Café located on the 17th Floor here in the Tower of Water. Chuck asked me to go first and so I had to adjust a few things that I had already written to update on the latest here. I primarily wrote a post; looking back on the last year and a half since this blog first began and I’ll share that with you in just a little bit.

Chuck talked about the burger contest we had last week and I must say that although I’m a fan of spicy food, this burger was a bit of a challenge for me. Let me share with you what everyone had named it and then tell you who won. Chuck called it, The Firehouse Burger; Johano called it, Heartburn on a Bun (you know why if you read last week’s post ☺); I called it, The Four Alarm Fire Burger; and Shane called it, Satan’s Armpit. Not sure who this Satan person is but to name it Armpit is just gross!

Anyways the winner is ME! That’s why Chuck has me post this week’s entry to give myself bragging rights for winning this contest. Some of you commented why anyone would order a burger that spicy if no one can finish just half of one. Chef Roy assured us that people will order it primarily for the experience, if not for bragging rights that they had one.

Things are slowly starting to pick up here in the café as well as the gift shop. For those of you who don’t know, I started working part-time in the gift shop towards the end of last month. I missed out on most of the celebration in that I was working the registers down there. The reason I’m working down there is to look for a change. A lot of what transpired last year had to do with my indecision of what I wanted to do with my life. I had joined the Power Lunch Bunch as I like to work with numbers and talk to different people. They offered me the job a few times shortly after I became their regular server and they could tell I was good at what I did. I had always turned them down as I just didn’t want to leave my comfort zone.

When I got all moony-eyed for Chuck during that space pirate incident, I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to work in the café for much longer. Not because he pushed me away but, if we were to become a couple, I didn’t want to work alongside him all of time. To make a long story short, it was Chuck’s wife, Patty, who suggested I work in the gift shop and I must say it’s been a lot of fun. I haven’t fully decided if I want to leave the café altogether but I promised Clancy I would give him notice and not simply quit as I had done before.

My relationship with Finder Nacklenab has been great! In fact, we’ve moved in together in the house that Serena Katrina had. One of the reasons she came down to the café was to announce that she was moving closer to her congregation in Manzana Gran. Anyways, she offered the house to me seeing that Chuck and I were good friends, and I once commented about being available as a babysitter, so I thought, why not? Then I asked Finder to move in with me, seeing that that house was large enough and he eagerly accepted. He’d been living with Evander for the last several months and was happy to get out and on his own, so to speak.

As you will notice I’ve grown as a person over the last year and a half. I think I’ve finally found out who I am and where my life is headed. Gainel and I are still good friends and he sees me more as a sister than a potential girlfriend. That’s good because I’ve loved him like a brother ever since we pulled our first practical joke together.

Look who just walked into the café! It’s Zak and Hector. I love these guys as well. I’ve kind of adopted them as my nephews. Yes, I know Hector is a dog but since he can speak the common language, in addition to French, he’s more of a boy than a dog. They want me to play with them up in the Public Park on Floor 68, so I’ll bring this entry to a close. Keep those comments coming and make sure you share this blog with your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and of course all family. Stop by here in the café and down in the gift shop and say hello.

Your Friendly Server,

Gretchen

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COMMENTS

George53: So glad you’re working in the gift shop now, Gretchen! Any chance you want to have dinner with me?

Gretch2112: George, you know I already have a boyfriend. But it was sweet of you to ask.

Nacklenab150: That’s right, she’s already spoken for!

DeathsCellar: Glad you enjoyed Veronica, Chuck! I had to volunteer myself at the school in order to get her. Lost two inches on my beard though.

Cassie32:  That poor boy. I’ll visit him up in Windows.

SuperStud2000: That’s a good idea, Cassendra! He needs friends right now.

Shanester: Elaine down here for the next couple weeks? Uh, I don’t feel so good.

Clancy33:  Nonsense Mate, no vacation for you. You’ll just have to get used to it.

LanieBear: Yay! I get to work with my Shaneypie!!

Harlan15: I definitely want to come down and try this new burger!

Candy99: Me too! Sounds Dragonfire hot!

Gretch2112: See Shane, you should have called it The Dragonfire Burger instead of Satan’s Armpit. You might have won.

Frankie76: Much obliged by the kind words about my restaurant!

Entry #91: This post has been ZakAttaked!

It’s Friday morning and that must mean it’s time for another guest blog post! Chuck here; your friend from the Floor 17 Café. I’m doing an afternoon shift today so I decided to post this in the morning. I have good news! I have finally filled the two additional slots for my guest bloggers. I won’t say who as they are a surprise and I have other surprises; one of which I’ll talk about in just a little bit.

I just want to let you all know that starting this Monday; construction on the new lunch counter will begin! Don’t worry; we’ll still be open for business as the work will only be at the far end of the café near the kitchen door. Uncle Maurice assures me that it will not hamper the use of the kitchen door in any way so please continue to stop on in.

Business is finally picking up since the conclusion of Diadios and most of our regulars have been returning. If you’ve been avoiding us because of the holiday, you can come on down to the café now. Once again thanks to everyone who stopped by to support Veronica. I’m sure she’ll have a bright future in the entertainment world when she graduates.

In case you missed Sunday’s debut of Thin Dime Novel Theater, you’ll have a chance to hear them again this afternoon at 3pm. Every block on Sunday will be re-broadcasted on Friday afternoon. They can be found on Channel 110 if you don’t want to come to the café to listen. Here are the four shows so you know what to expect should you come down on Sunday or Friday. First up is