So now that the newsletter needs are off my shoulders I had some time to really look at the results of the survey I posted, okay okay…I looked before now, matter of fact I was damn near compulsive the first day or two, but with deadline breathing down my neck I let myself check, less. Now that I have some real time to look it over, and read the emails from those of you that wanted to see the results, (guess I’m not the only nosey one) I figured it wouldn’t hurt to post the findings. So the one thing I noticed was that many of you opted to fill in the blanks as it were, gotta tell ya…I was pretty touched by some of the things that were said, really touched, don’t know what I did to deserve such praise, would do it again in a second because that felt really damn good. Thank you all for taking the time, it does help and I will be taking some of the suggestions into consideration, (that’s fancy talk for, “thanks for stuffing my suggestion box and I aint gonna change much”) but for the most part it seems like people seem to like this silly blog and for a girl like me, that is a truly heartwarming thing.
I cannot address all of the things posted, like I said most of you opted to fill in the blanks but there were one or two people that pointed out my…um, lack of grammatical understanding, and to that I can only say, “Who the hell are ya tellin?!” I suck dudes, I know. The one thing I will say in my defense is that I was a horrible student that is when I was a student. I was kicked out of Poly High, (source of great pride when I was younger…much less now) in the 10th grade so the last grade I completed was the 9th and even then I rarely went to school. There is a whole world of shit that I never cared to learn, (again much cooler when you are like 16 than now) so those of you that read even though you must be cringing…I adore you for that. I’m not a writer, I’m just some chick that writes her mindless crap, throws it up and for some reason people read it, again I adore you for that.
I have to address the one person that responded to tell me that they read weekly but pretty much have no use for anything I write and would like to run into me, “never” I just have to ask, “Why are you reading?” I’m not upset and appreciate you taking the time to share your displeasure with me and my rambling but, why put yourself through it? Fuck, if I didn’t have to listen to me I wouldn’t and when it comes to reading blogs…you don’t have to. Save yourself, run!
Okay so on to the results…
1) I read Samantha Sans Dosage Because:
Other was the winner here. 45.5% of you opted to add your personal reason, (melted kids, I melted)
Drunk chicks are funny got 30.3% of the votes
Wine reviews got 24.2%
Customer at The Wine Country and HoseMaster tied with 12.1%
I had 2 because she is my soul mate on this one…
2) The one thing I would like to see more of:
Rants & Vetos took first place here with 45.5%
Other got 30.3%
Wine reviews got 18.2%
Personal stories got 6.1%
Wine business news got a big fat donut
Got a few, “More banter with HoseMaster”, got quite a few, “More pictures of Sam” (not happening by the way) Got lots of, “Don’t change a thing” and one request for erotic fiction…
3) I read Samantha Sans Dosage:
Daily got 51.5%
Alerted to new posts got 18.2%
Weekly got 12.1%
Rarely got 3.0%
Other got 15.2 and can I say, I loved the person that said hourly.
4) I don’t comment because:
Other took it here at 57.6%
Don’t know what to say got 30.3%
Other posters got 3.0%
Don’t care got 3.0%
My favorites in the other department, (aside from the total pervy one..and I know who you are!) were, “I’m afraid you might take a swing at me” and “Eh, I’m just not that interesting”
5) I started reading Samantha Sans Dosage because (and yes I am tired of typing my own name now)
She made me laugh got 42.4%
Drunk chicks are funny got 39.4%
I like French wine got 33.3%
I feel like I know her got 30.3%
6) I found Samantha Sans Dosage, (Ugh) through:
Other took it with 39.4% Peter Leim took a few, Wine Country customers took some..
Fermentation took 33.3%
HoseMaster got 13.3%
The Wine Country website got 9.0%
The Pour got 3.0%
7) If I could change one thing about Samantha, (sigh) Sans Dosage:
Other took 54.5 %
More wine porn got 27.3%
Less personal crap got 12.1%
Less photos got 6.1%
Content got a goose egg
My favorite, “other” comments were, “Move her closer to me so we can have lunch”, and I swear I had like 20, “don’t change a thing”…awe, melting…that’s me melting.
8) I am:
A wine lover took it with 63.6%
In the business got 27.3%
Not sure what I’m doing here got 15.2%
Other got 12.1%
Not that into wine but still a reader got 6.1%
Favorite other there had to be the confession to blog reading OCD
9) I think, (here we go again) Samantha Sans Dosage offers:
An interesting voice took it with 57.6%
Other got 21.2%
A giggle got 15.2%
Interesting wine reviews got 6.1%
Favorite others had to be, (again aside from the pervy..and I still know who you are) “A complete view of life, love, wine and friendship” and “A cool, humorous & touching look into the life of someone that has a lot to say”
10) I would like to run into Samantha:
Bar took it at 51.5%
Other got 36.4%
The Wine Country got 21.2%
An alley got 12.1%
Never got that one vote…
Favorite others, (again aside from the not as pervy but not fit for everyone to see) “At a bistro in Beaune” “frequently” that made me laugh my ass off, and there were lots of anywhere and everywhere ones…again, melting.
So there you have it, the results are in and I would once again like to thank everyone that took the time to participate…fascinating really and it was really cool to hear what everyone thinks. It means the world to me that you all read my silly crap, it fills me, pushes me and makes me want to be better at it, for me and for all of you.
I’ve always said that I’m not about the coco, berries and cherries. North facing slopes and drainage mean dick to me…I can speak it when need be, but it’s not what moves me. It’s the human side of wine, the way it feels in your mouth, the way a smell in a wine can stimulate a long lost memory, the way the back of your neck gets warm after the 3rd glass and the way people come together, share pink faced confessions over one too many glasses, that is what gets me going, lights that fire in my belly and keeps my thumping away at my wheezing little laptop…knowing that at least a few other people can find a kinship, something funny or at the very least interesting in that…stuns me, inspires me and makes me unbelievably grateful, thank you from the bottom of my wine soaked heart.
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12 comments:
Sam,
Hope you didn't take it personal, but I never take surveys. It's my personal ick thing, having once been in the business of corporate communications...
If it's worth anything, I think you have the voice of a writer but of course not the training. The voice is more important than the training, but the latter is necessary for strengthening the craft.
If you don't want to be a writer, however, then you don't need the training just the voice for as blog.
How much simpler can things get?
I still think you use the fuck word too much--did I say that???
Thomas,
I would not have taken it personal but had no idea, (with a couple of exceptions) who took it and who didn't..some were a little obvious and one person wrote, "This is______" in their final comment. It was fun for me to hear people say what they think and have the freedom to do so under the cloak of anonymity...but my dear, very supportive friend, I would never want to ick you out. Kind of sweet that you cared enough to tell me why you didn't take it though.
You, (along with many others) have always said the kindest things about my, "voice" and I simply cannot tell you what that means, so thank you once again. Not sure what it is I want to do when and if I grow up, for now I'm just a chick that works in a wine store, loves her job, has a serious passion for wine and all that it is capable of making you feel, and I write a silly blog, that seems to have a pretty good following. For now, well for now that is enough to make me really happy, how could I not be...I've made some really cool friends that send me wine, letters, visit me and take the time to tell me they think I drop the, "f-bomb" too much! Thank you again Thomas, your praise and suggestions really do mean something to this wine slinger...with a dirty mouth, (wink).
Sam
My Gorgeous Samantha,
I like it when you say fuck. But that's just me. I like it when you say, just sayin'. I love it when you say, "No, not yet."
You inspire loyalty and passion in your readers because you are so Samantha, so straightforward and passionate. Punctuation and grammar are the hobgoblins of small minds. It's the eloquence of what you say that shines, the glimpse of the heart that feels what you feel that is addictive.
You should see the crap that gets slung at me. But I deserve it. You deserve all your accolades, and much more.
But, yes, fans, Samantha and I are definitely going to continue to flirt, fall in love, and swap blog buddies.
I love you!
Your HoseMaster
Sam,
Think of a writer's voice as you would a wine's terroir.
Writing is an expression of the origins of the writer's thoughts and feelings.
Components, the way the words follow, the cadence, the depth of thought behind them, and the turning of phrases to make subtle points bring to the writing the experiences of the writer and what those experiences taught.
Just like so many winemakers obscure the wine's sense of place, many people can't fully express themselves through writing.
Ron My Love,
You take the number 1 spot in turning my cheeks red! Damn, (I was going to say, fuck but I'm working on my poty mouth) the things you say. Not sure if I am more embarrassed by the things you say or what others are thinking about the things you say...either way, I adore you.
Thank you as always for your unyielding support and love, I'm addicted to it so you are stuck with me now kid. Don't you dare try and get away, I'll have to pull out the chains again...
Thomas,
Perfect analogy, you must be like a writer or something.
You don't care about drainage??? Gasp! I wonder who else doesn't care about drainage that I speak about drainage to....... sigh.
Kidding. Thanks for posting your results. Fun, fun survey.
Nancy,
You're adorable so people probably love to hear you talk drainage, just sayin'. Thanks for playing, glad you are still reading, seeing as you were the one that MADE me start this blog thing and all.
Thomas,
Would have added one more between "made" and "sense" but I see what you're getting at, it doesn't sound like you. But the thing is darlin', this "voice" of mine...it sometimes uses naughty words, I don't mean to offend and I now know that I will think, "Um, Thomas is not going to like this" before I type it but it is me, my voice. There is a lot of, "life" that came before this blog, that life has added a bunch of texture, some good and some bad...but it all got me here, alive, happy, having fun and living out loud in the life I have now...cannot forget, will not and don't want to forget what it took to get me here. Never meant to offend, just the way I speak. Hugs?
Thomas,
Shit suits you much better! I missed the mark, wasn't you...that whole comprehension thing, clearly another defect, dammit. I hear you now, you know now that you like spelled it out and stuff...thanks dralin.
My pleasure, Sam, but what's a dralin???
Thomas,
What?! You don't speak retard?! Sheesh do I have to spell everything out for you, (sigh)...means Darling or in the southern, "darlin"...shit
Sam,
Kudos to you for having the courage to open up and quiz your readers. As for the negative stuff, frankly, haters gotta hate. It's in their blood.
But sometimes they can still be loyal followers. I apologize for the length, but this bit from Howard Stern's Private Parts is telling:
Researcher: The average radio listener listens for eighteen minutes. The average Howard Stern fan listens for - are you ready for this? - an hour and twenty minutes.
Pig Vomit: How can that be?
Researcher: Answer most commonly given? "I want to see what he'll say next."
Pig Vomit: Okay, fine. But what about the people who hate Stern?
Researcher: Good point. The average Stern hater listens for two and a half hours a day.
Pig Vomit: But... if they hate him, why do they listen?
Researcher: Most common answer? "I want to see what he'll say next."
Benito,
Thanks for that. I have to say for the most part people were really sweet, even the person that didn't much care for the blog, (or me for that matter) wasn't really mean or anything, just frank and honest...can't complain about that. The people that pointed out my many errors did so in a very gentle, "I adore you and most of the time it doesn't bug me but...." kind of way. So all in all it was very cool. Thanks as always for posting My Dear!
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