If you can't take the buzz, don't drink the coffee!

When I sat down to write the last blog of 2010 (after having taken a lengthy hiatus from writing for my followers), I was under the impression I was going to write a top ten list. Favorite memories or experiences, something light-hearted and funny. However, when I think about the impact that this job has had on my heart, mind, and soul…I want to go in a different direction.

Starbucks is far from a holy place…even though for some, drinking coffee is akin to a spiritual experience. The company even goes so far as to FORBID the handing out of religious tracts or the hanging up of any religious paraphernalia on the community bulletin board.

Suffice it to say, I once had to tell a girl of no more than 8 years old that she couldn’t advertise her choir’s performance at a local church because it had the name God in it…I tried to explain that if we advertised her choir’s performance, we would have to advertise EVERY choir’s performance, even the ones that worship Satan…and from the look on her face, I don’t think I fooled her one bit because I have to admit, to this day, I’ve never heard of a church choir singing praise songs to the devil (unless you count sitting on a tack something good)…

So, the café experience isn’t one that is “designed” to be holy…but that’s the amazing thing about God. He can take a place like Starbucks and not only use it for the number one location for online dating first dates, but also make it an exciting get-away for Bible study groups or one-on-one uplifting conversations…it’s the place we meet when we need a place to meet. It’s a haven, a safe house, and at the same time, it possesses an element of adventure (outside the house) amidst the comforting smells and décor.

The people and the reasons for their being there are as varied as the population of our great planet. From mammals of the canine, four-legged variety to islanders visiting from the Philippines…from homeless to Hollywood…from the construction worker to the former CEO of Starbucks, I have met every type of person under the sun… The crazy thing is the memories that stick with me…

The lady that came in one Sunday afternoon, smiling from ear to ear, eyes slightly closed, she was humming…and why? I immediately detested her happiness and peace but I smiled and asked her what she wanted…and she just practically sang her answer, and I finally had to ask, “Why are you so happy today?” and she said the worship in church was so uplifting. It brings tears to my eyes that I could have been wearing my emotional baggage so tackily on my exterior that I almost missed the opportunity to experience this woman’s warmth and love. She was radiating God’s love and I was acting so pious in my “realist” point of view because I felt like this woman didn’t know what it was like to really have my life experiences…the truth was just the opposite, I was the one missing out. Spending time in worship of God was exactly what my soul and heart and mind needed, and I could do it right then and there.
It is moments like this in the coffeeshop that have floored me, spiritually. Watching people pore over their well-worn Bibles in the corner of the café, searching for God’s message among the pages, searching for more of God’s revelation.

People, fervently, studying the Word like it contains the secret to unlock the next plot for Indiana Jones and the Final Final Crusade Once and For All… I find myself staring at these people, wondering what they are reading and what God is revealing to their hearts. Were they coming across a verse that they had read a million times but never understood?

That loving God, like John Piper says, is cherishing Him, making Him an “experience of our affections, not mere thoughts or behaviors.” Seeing that God is “compellingly beautiful…” in life’s greatest (and worst) experiences. As I would lean on the broom or mop, in sheer and austere oblivious curiosity, I would watch these devoted followers of God who were using our coffeeshop to further the kingdom of heaven and I would think about all the lives I needed to help encourage and change through my writing or spiritual discoveries and I would imagine myself calling friends and family RIGHT THEN, even though it was 7 in the morning to explain to them that JESUS COULD COME BACK TODAY- START LIVING RIGHT…even though I am WELL AWARE that hearing something over the phone from an overzealous Christian friend while driving in the rain in traffic on the way to work is about as real as Santa Claus. Mainly because I know how I feel when someone walks up to the counter during a rush and tells me they see a “spiritual calling” on my life because they have been watching me when I am rushing through grinding coffee, restocking the pastry case, and talking to the customers in line. To the actual guy that said this, I replied, “Well, spiritual callings sure don’t pay much per hour!” I was mainly joking, but the “reality” is that it is hard to combine the spiritual encounters to the worldly experiences without sometimes seeming a little out-of-whack or like I mentioned earlier “overzealous.”

When the real world collides with the spiritual world, there is an amazing explosion that I like to consider the Big Bang and the rubble that is left at our feet oftentimes leaves us tiptoeing around, looking for the small treasures that have been salvaged- what we are left realizing is that the “items” that we may have “worshipped” are melted plastic and metal and paper…while the true treasures are what could not be destroyed in even the strongest of blazes or explosions. I see these Big Bangs all the time at Starbucks…and they bring me to one conclusion for 2010.

The “rubble” at our feet is not worth even half the pennies we waste on it. Just like the expensive coffee and food we sell at Starbucks- it’s good, but it burns in the flame. What we value the most is the experiences and the life-changing relationships that are fostered and rejuvenated and DEEPENED through memories made at places like the coffeeshop.

I have mentioned several times that I try to treat everyone that comes in Starbucks like they are my family. Meaning, I treat them how I want my family to be treated. It has been a paramount discovery how much more patience I can have with someone when I am imagining my mother standing at the counter or my father trying to decide what he wants to drink. I suddenly become engaging and playful, I want to help and I want to encourage.

For 2010, my time with my family has been more precious than the rarest of jewels or the most expensive, exotic trip overseas. Our families are the people that are part of our infrastructure, our understanding of the world, our DNA, these people will always be “in” us. My love for my family, for the memories I get to make with them, and for the memories I get to think about, it propels me on, to another day of fighting the “good fight” for the Father of us all. My ability to cherish my family extends to all the Christian brothers and sisters that I come into contact with every day.

The beginning of a new year is just that- a fresh start to the same life. A mental renewing that allows us to say, I am going to BE that potential that I’ve always had. God would want nothing less for us. And Starbucks doesn’t tolerate second-rate!

The Return of the Espresso Jedi...

I couldn’t think of a better day to re-begin my blogging as I have taken a much needed hiatus due to school and work…not that I haven’t had stories to tell about oversteamed lattes and angry patrons, and not that people haven’t touched my life on a daily basis with their kindness and caring words of encouragement. Today Christmas celebration is officially allowed. All the Bah-humbugs who think that Thanksgiving loses something in the listening to Christmas music early (nothing)…their argument is no longer valid, so we can all blare Christmas music from Bing Crosby to Mariah Carey to Amy Grant as loud as we want!

However, even as a holly-jolly offender myself, I am struck this year by the saturation of holiday paraphernalia that I notice early in the season. I guess working at Starbucks (which is pretty much directly correlated with Christmastime for me) it is hard not to notice the “cheer” and “joy” that is pumped into the head, heart, and soul of America through the red and white snowy decorations from cups to signage, and gift sets wrapped in colorful foil ribbon…not to mention the Christmas tree we’ve had up since November 1st.

Here, at the store, we have practically been advertising this popular December holiday since the beginning of September…while someone like me can’t think of anything better than a prolonged celebration of, literally, the most wonderful time of the year, other people become practically fossilized in their Scroogism and you can see it on their scowl when they observe the large, adorable furry antlers you are wearing via headband and you hear it in their voice when they mumble, “It’s not even Thanksgiving yet…didja forget about that?” and you then you try to slyly slide the headband off while darting your eyes side to side to feign innocence saying, “I didn’t even REALIZE these antlers were in representation of reindeer or anything to do with Christmas…I mean, I despise Christmas as much you…probably…maybe not as MUCH as you…but anyway…please ignore all this red stuff that we have on display…it’s too stupid and cheery…now, can I get you a Peppermint Latte or Christmas blend coffee??”
Haha. I even tried to tell a few chagrined customers that I was wearing antlers as a sign of the deer season that was upon us...ya know, just supporting the cause of mammal crowd control...which got a few chuckles and a few strange looks, but I'm from Oklahoma and most people just chalked my "kill deer" support up to the primitive nature they associate with all Oklahoma people...haha.

Now that Thanksgiving is OV-ER, I can wear my antlers high and my smile can be as cheery as Santa’s sleigh bells…I will share the Good News with excitement and Scrooges be forewarned…no more hiding in the closet of pre-Christmas love shame… My name is Kara and I love Christmas…there, I said it. I would like to meet someone who can listen to the Chipmunks Song of Christmas ("Allllllviiiiin!!") and not smile- that person would have to possess a heart of flint or really hate chipmunks…

Now that the season is in full blast what with the first day of shopping halfway over, Black Friday is upon us and the blossom of what promises to be a full-fledged season of “silent nights” and “decked halls” has reached time to bloom!
Merry Christmas to all…and to all many Venti Peppermint Mochas (until your local Starbucks runs out of Peppermint syrup!)

Stay Thirsty (for coffee) my friends...

So, it was a long morning. And that is okay, as I am working mornings from here on! I labeled myself as a “morning person!” when I got this job and I find myself quickly becoming a morning expert!

Morning people are:
1. Annoyed when you ask for their drink order (as you should know it!)
2. Usually in a hurry
3. Not very talkative
4. Still sleepy, aka- Yawning when they walk in the door
5. Dressed impeccably (and flawless makeup)
6. Very detached from their surroundings (this could have to do with #4)
7. Not wanting conversation

So, all this to say, I have LOVED mornings…I want to crack jokes, be playful, all in a non-threatening environment… And morning people are great fodder for joke-telling. They aren’t expecting much at 5 am, so really, they will laugh at anything! I could say “booga, booga” and they would crack a smile. They aren’t the social butterflies that I am used to in the evening.* They are up because they have work to do and the last thing they want is to have to talk to someone BEFORE they’ve had their coffee…

*Evening people are usually (for the most part) fairly trendy coffeshop type people that are used to insane behavior, and nothing really surprises them…they want to have a conversation and tell you why THEY are COOL…and why you should be PRIVILEGED to serve them…yeah, yeah, heard it all before…

So, I like to consider myself a celebrity in this right… I think the morning people think my eccentricity is a result of their presence, and if they want to think that, then we are all good. Keep those $5 and $20 tips coming our way! Not to mention (but I’m going to anyway), I think I am pretty clever and can offer some witty banter with the best of them.

It was this morning, EARLY, that I hit a snafu and met a worthy verbal foe. This guy kept coming back at me with jabs, he backed me into a corner, and I had nothing to say, I stood there for a second, had even thought of a good comeback (it was too late at this point) and right as he started to smile a triumphant smile, I began to quote, from the first line, the movie “Aladdin.” People stared at me until I finished the impressive monologue from the opening credits of the movie. The guy shook his head and said, “I’m going to defer to you on this one, blondie…mainly because I can’t think of anything to top that…and I need a couple minutes to figure out why it is you saw fit to memorize those lines…”

Those movie lines are my “go-to,” but now that I’ve used them, I think I might need a new “go-to.” I guess I could just yell, “Objection. Sustained. Case closed.” when I am at a loss for words.

It all started, me being in a weird mood today, when I was opening…I went to get the umbrella to set up, and I noticed, never fail, a cricket…thinking, (sarcastic) “Great.” And this cricket was small, but he looked very threatening… and it was at that moment, at closer scrutiny, it wasn’t a cricket, it was a small black GRASSHOPPER…which is even worse because those little yahoos can fly!

And so, when the grasshopper made eye contact with me, I immediately ducked because I knew he was going to pull a kamikaze…and sure enough, true to form (at least true to form that I saw of grasshoppers in the movie “Antz”), he came flying at my head. I know better than to scream, because then he flies in my mouth and I become part grasshopper and part human…like Grasswoman or Hopperhuman or something insane like that. Akin to what Batman experienced when he confronted his fears.

So, the little guy jumps around, hits the pillar behind me, then makes another go of it. But I am larger (by many lbs) in what I lack in agility and jumping ability compared to him, so I “woman up” and swat at him, immediately shaking my hand in case he tries to gecko grab my skin and infect me with grasshopper juices. I watch him hit the pavement of the parking lot and limp away, defeated. Haha. If you’ve never seen a grasshopper “walk,” it’s worth the effort. Grasshopper 0, Kara 2 (I get an extra point for also facing my fear).
Objection? Overruled.

"Cheers!" (Where everybody knows your name!)

Oh today was ruthless…RUTHLESS I tell you… It was exhilarating in the way that only a true athlete can appreciate. I felt spent and adrenalized at the time of my departure. After 8 grueling hours, 8 HOURS of what felt like playing catch-up with a cheetah I left the store victorious. I had won. Everyone had been served and it wasn’t until the last five minutes, literally, that I even faced so much as a snafu.

Right before I oozed through the door, a puddle of exhaustion, a man walked in, and said, “I’m back!” I raised my eyebrows quizzically as if to say, “Riddle me this- when were you ever here in the first place?” Anyway, he wanted a Bold brew…which was no longer brewing on the drip machine and would have to be performed as a pour-over, no big deal, two minutes TOPS, I tell him. Nothing doing, he says, “No, it’s not strong enough…” and I was too tired and detached at this point to even explain that the taste was no different…and he said, “Pike is TOO strong…” and at this point, I had to interject, even though someone else was ringing him up on the register, “Sir, Pike is our MILD blend…” (aka- it’s the least strong we brew)…he looked at me as if I had just told him we were out of coffee…then he proceeded to inform me, “Okay, missy [it has to be noted here, he did say “missy” and I am not making this up…], I know you think people don’t know coffee, but I KNOW bold and strong coffees and beans…” And I started to say, “Yeah, well? Tell them I said Hello next time you see them…” instead I said, “Okay, boys and girls- peace out! I’m off the clock!” And I made eye contact with the other shift manager and said, “Good luck with this bozo, sweetie!”
I did realize something as I was driving away…today had been so out of the ordinary, what with all our OU fans coming into the store…the mood was electric all morning…and although it wasn’t sunshine and rainbows the whole time we were in there, like when we ran out of cups and lids and 2% milk simultaneously (okay, not really, but it felt like it!), for the most part, people were patient and genuinely happy to be indulging in Starbucks coffee on a cold Fall morning. It felt like F-A-L-L…and my heart was full and radiating with warmth. I got a little distant for about 30 minutes and it was during this time that a woman came in and ordered, “A delicious, yummy scone…mmmmMmm…” (and she made all these noises and sound effects and she was super cheery and smiley…). At the moment, the annoyance factor in me was already extremely high…so I kind of couldn’t stand her bubble gum happiness exuding all over the counter. I kind of looked her…and her radiance wouldn’t be dimmed…so I had to ask- “What the deal with the joy down in your heart?” and the minute I said it…it dawned on me- she had just gotten done worshipping God. I stood there and listened to her say, “I just came from church and had the best time praising God. And right now- I’m thanking Him for people like you who work on Sunday to serve people like me who want coffee on Sunday…” I looked at her for a second like an out of body experience. I told her sometimes I feel judged for working on Sunday…but it’s probably just me…I think people are happy for the most part for having Starbucks available on Sunday…

She said, “Well, I am sure you have a delightful relationship with God and that He’s happy you are serving Him in any capacity…”

I stuck my bottom lip out for a second (as that is my “ponder face”…) and I told her, “You know what- I think our paths were supposed to cross today…thanks for making my day much better with your presence!”

You never know what God can have in store for a caffeine seeking voyager and the supplier of said voyage. I felt almost oracle-like after she left, “Go in harmony, little grasshopper…may that soy pumpkin spice latte promote into you the many addictions of caffeine...and may the joy of God’s blessing of coffee make you ever mindful of insomnia and alert living forevermore and more…Amen and bottoms up!”

Facing the Music...and coming out smelling like coffee!

I always like surprises at work. And today was no exception. Let me explain…

At Starbucks, I usually know what to anticipate while working the closing shift. It’s a nice ebb and flow of people who need an afternoon and evening treat to make their day a little brighter…or maybe they need a quaint place to use the WIFI to do some “work” on their computers…either way, it’s a good crowd of interesting people that make the café a fun place to work. But it’s usually not the biggest “tipping” crowd as these aren’t the kind of people that are exactly expecting exceptional service, they just want their drinks delicious and their service quick.

Well, we had a couple of random rushes due to some large orders from individuals (which always causes a back-up of drinks and a “slight” panic in the barista on duty…mainly because it causes the shift to jump over to the bar, literally, in my case as I like to “jump” while I am on the job…jump meaning wreck chaotic havoc on the bar supplies and create a mess…). So, the barista is hurrying away on drinks and thinking in her head, “Great. Kara is going to ‘hop’ over here and start messing with all the drinks…in order to offer her ‘help’” and true to form, I did! I tried NOT to meddle too much in the already busy barista’s order of precision, but I offered a couple random quotes about efficiency that I felt were adequate given the circumstances, some of which included, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” And “To be or not to be…that is the question that is never asked.”

Needless to say, the customers must have noticed the tornado that I was causing behind the bar on their behalf and when I came back over to the register area, I noticed that on both occasions of busy-ness, two very large bills had been left in our tip jar. And by very large, I mean, large enough to know that people were greatly rewarding our work! Or at least they were entertained by the scene we were creating to keep them distracted!

Now, while tips aren’t a HUGE thing (to make a living off of, I mean, as they are divied up between us all), they are a good indication of satisfied customers, and that’s the key at Starbucks…if people are happy, the “store” in general is a happy place to work! And it means that they received above and beyond service! I couldn’t have done good work without good co-workers and tonight, I had two of the more “fun” baristas with which to perform above and beyond service! It always makes for a good day to know that people were entertained and, maybe even, enlightened about what great customer service really entails!

Even though we did have one guy that wanted the music turned down…I just assume it’s because he wanted to better hear my singing that was going on behind the bar…as I do a great Louis Armstrong “What a Wonderful World” rendition complete with scratchy bass voice followed by, “Thanks and I will be here all week…”

On that note, I’m hitting the sack for the day...a couple large bills richer! haha.

A game of chicken with a computer geek.

A few interesting things have happened since I last posted. I will try to be brief while recounting these instances; however, be patient, as I am greatly inspired after standing on my balcony inhaling the cool fall air. I stood out there tonight, pondering the arrival of autumn…I looked into the dark, September evening sky…the air was brisk in a way that only an author can appreciate, full of smells like damp dirt and the smokiness that cookouts bring, the aroma of barbequed sacrifices offered by hamburger devouring carnivores…

I love this time of year. I love to stand on my balcony and realize that I am living in the heart of one of America’s greatest cities, I am “in the mix” and living in an exciting time- a time amongst a generation of movers and shakers, when people have lofty ambitions and high goals of successes to change the world.

On a different note, a much less ambitious note- Last night, when the barista and I were trying to close the store, there was a lady that had been at Starbucks for about five hours using the wireless internet. She was on her computer in the corner. She had purchased a tall drip coffee and had been nursing that same coffee for the past five hours (which had to be slightly disgusting and cold at the point of store closing time).

I politely asked her to leave with about 1 minute left until 9pm…this is after having told her 30 minutes ago that we were closing in 35 minutes. She hadn’t budged a muscle…nor had she made any indication that she was closer to leaving than when she arrived 5 hours before. In fact, even after I told her she had a minute…she motioned with her hand that she had heard me, but STILL didn’t pick up her belongings or turn off her computer. Finally, right before I went to collect the outdoor furniture, I walked towards her table to pull up the blinds, I looked towards her computer screen. She was playing a GAME on her computer…some bejeweled game that I think I have seen my mother play, but I am not going to make any accusations, as I don’t want my mother categorized with this woman. Anyway, I become frustrated that she was holding ME up from cleaning tables, but I couldn’t really “kick” her out, so I once again, forcefully said, “Ma’am, we are CLOSED. I am picking up the furniture outside, then I locking the door. You need to leave as soon as possible…” (like five minutes ago).

As I was picking up the furniture, I kept glancing at the lady and then at the barista (who was also watching the lady) and then I would make eye contact at the barista and we would both laugh. This was CRAZY!! I mouthed, “She’s playing a GAME!” and then we laughed even harder. I was delirious at this point. And I couldn’t believe this lady was so enthralled with this game, she couldn’t even speak. I wanted to tell her, “Lady, you don’t WANT me to take off this apron and get REAL on you…because if the apron comes off, the beast comes out…” haha…not really, but that’s how I felt.

Finally, when I was done gathering furniture and about to lock the door, the lady had stood up at this point, but was still on her computer. I said, out loud, “This is getting a little ridiculous…ma’am, you can get the wireless if you park your car outside our store…” And, FINALLY, she offered, “Well, I can’t just SHUT it down…” and I wanted to say something about, “You could have shut it down 30 minutes ago!” but I didn’t, I just said, “Welp, I’ll hold the door open for you and you can walk out the door right about now…” and the barista was cracking up behind the bar while she was quickly trying to do all her cleaning duties. She didn’t want to miss this spectacle though…it was a stand-off and I was losing.
As the lady gathered her stuff into her arms…I stood in the doorway, holding the door, shaking my head. 9:15 and I was just locking the door so some 40 year old lady didn’t lose her standing in a bejeweled game…heaven forbid I have a life outside of Starbucks. Not that my life is incredibly EXCITING but seriously…a little respect for my time would be nice. Maybe I want to go home and play computer games. haha.

Today, I had a nice surprise…my parents stopped by the store and caught me in some good rush action. I was whipping out drinks (after a full day of working on the bar and getting in some good practice on our drink making routine!) and I had just enough time to make them two of our newest and most special drinks. There’s not a greater feeling than serving two of the people who have been gracious enough to give of their entire lives to make mine better. I try to always remember that when I am making drinks- serve every customer like I am serving my parents. And when I made those two drinks today, you better believe, I made Starbucks standards as proud as they could be- the whip cream couldn’t have been twirled better and the caramel was drizzled to perfection. What a nice treat to serve two of the coolest people I know- my parents! (and that comment reminds me of an SNL skit where a girl was at a high school dance and kept standing by her mom, who was the chaperone, and talking about how "cool" her mom was...she was the dorky kid...) Great. I'm the dorky kid. Now back to my computer games.

Spills Happen...

Not many people know that over 50 words exist in the English language as an equivalent for “walk.”

Saunter, stroll, barrel, swagger, totter, amble, and so on... In contrast, in Portugese, there are only 3 words for walk.

This is similar to the coffee phenomenon at Starbucks. For the most part, the available choices for coffee are: decaf and regular. Unleaded or leaded.
Not at Starbucks. The choices here are limitless…I think my dad told me once that he researched and found that over 7 million different combinations exist for drink choices at Starbucks. Okay, so I’m exaggerating, but I forgot the exact amount and I know it had a 7 in it.

The point is, a person can get a drink made with regular drip coffee, with espresso shots, decaf, extra-hot, with milk (2%, whole, soy, nonfat…), tea (green, black, or passion), blended….shaken…stirred or all three and served in a cup size bigger than the drink so that we can put in extra ice! It’s a wonder that someone can even make a decision when they walk, saunter, stroll, or RUN through the door!

I bring this up because in class the other night we were talking about words for “walk” and someone made that point about Portugese. I thought it must be overwhelming for people who don’t frequent Starbucks when they see the menu.

When we did the event at the assisted living center again yesterday, I was told by one of the ladies in attendance that my “cookies” were hard and cooked too long (they were biscotti, so hardness is a desirable feature)…and when I was telling the women about the pastry selection that we served, one of them said, “I thought you just served coffee…” and I really didn’t feel like going into the whole “7 millionish” combinations of drinks explanation with her, so I just said, “Yes, we do serve some other food…” and she said, holding up the “hard” biscotti cookie, “Well, tell them, don’t quit their day job, this food isn’t gonna make you famous…” Always good for a laugh, that place.

Moving Mountains with a Coffee Bean...

I’m a believer. A believer in miracles, that is. I know that God works small miracles every single day, I’m not a skeptic …just since Jesus left the Earth doesn’t mean that God doesn’t heal a wound, multiple a couple fish, or cause the blind to see anymore. We don’t always do a great job of celebrating His miracles, but they are there.

Today, for example, I had a small miracle occur. It was more a chance for me to slow down and remember that I don’t have to control everything, and asking for help is usually the best alternative when we feel a heavy burden.

I’m not being melodramatic, as a Starbucks rush is as good a place as any for a “writing on the wall” miracle, but I was healed today, at Starbucks. I was working register, and the barista was busting her tail, whipping out drinks during a rush (a rush constitutes four or more people in line as that is four or more drinks that have to be made by one person…since there were only two of us, that meant I was taking names aka money, and the barista was doing the drinks- steaming milk, espresso…and I was watching coffee brewer status, condiment bar, café area, pastry case, etc…). In other words, we were busy and I didn’t have time to much less think about anything outside of the present moment. Disaster struck…tiny disaster…I obtained a small scrape when I was cutting open a 5 lb bag of espresso beans and I inevitably started to bleed.

As per Starbucks- if we have a cut, we are supposed to gracefully “bow out” of our duties to take care of said injury (and we are required to wear not just a band-aid but plastic gloves which is akin to wearing a white t-shirt with a scarlet letter B for Blood on it…might as well be written in blood because who wants to give their money to someone with plastic GLOVES on their hand?? I mean a BANDAID is bad enough…basically screams GERMS!!! And someone making drinks with gloves on is not allowed because that is a fire hazard waiting to happen…as I am picturing plastic melting from the steam wands and having boiling milk and plastic all over myself and my pristine apron…)
So, I am contempla
ting this dire situation while the barista is slaving away…I take a very QUICK inventory of the situation in the back room and I pray, “God, I don’t need you to part the sea of coffee, but I need a quick healing of my finger…I need to not be bleeding and I need to REALLY not have a cut on my hand…I need Your Power to stop the blood flow in my body, not to the point I am dead, but just from flowing so fast to my extremities…because these Sunday church people will be incensed with the spirit that is NOT of You if they don’t have their coffee” (Okay, so my prayer wasn’t that long, but you get the gist…)

And when I walked to the front, I was blood free, a small band-aid had rescued the cut that was not even visible to the naked eye from harming any customers. I was healed…and coffee was served. Church was attended by all…and people were awake with the spirit of God…and caffeine.

This evening, I had the pleasure of watching an incredibly interesting show that consists of CEOs of major corporations (7Eleven, Hooters, etc…) to step down and join their “workers” undercover in the field… They basically monitor the everyday happenings of their companies from the bottom up. It was fascinating because they discovered some great (and not-so-great) facts about their usually hard-working employees. In one situation, a manager was later reprimanded for doing a horrible job with his morale in the store…in other situation a factory worker was given a promotion and money to buy a franchise. How cool is that to know that just by doing a good job, great dividends can transpire?

It makes me want to change everyone that comes through those doors at Starbucks. I know I have said that I try to make everyone feel special and I get especially frustrated when someone leaves unhappy or not completely satisfied with their experience. I know that not everyone comes in there to be welcomed or to even have to chat with the workers, but I feel like if I can pull something out of them that makes them smile or makes them appreciate their day or their situation (or plight) in life, then I have done a good job.

I know that I don’t have a lot to offer. I say this humbly, not self-consciously. I am very confident of my gifts and abilities only because I know what lies underneath the surface is a foundation built in Faith in God for small and big miracles and built in a good company and good co-workers. If I was working in a bitter environment, I would be probably become a bitter employee. But I work with employees that I would love to see blessed by a CEO with some big gift. I get teary eyed (much easily in my older age) as I think about lives being changed by the more fortunate. I work with a couple single moms…and to think that one day someone would come in and tell them- we are paying for your child’s college or we are buying you a new car or we are building you a house or we are giving you a check. It makes my heart explode with happiness for them. I work side by side with some of the most amazingly kind people.

Watching the CEOs get “down and dirty” tugged at my heart because they were seeing the small, mundane tasks that are done (for the most part) without grumbling by some of the most underappreciated people. It made me happy to be a part of a good team. A team that is blessed by the accolades of a lot of appreciative customers! Touché, baristas…touché.

"Would you like that super-sized??"

Today was funny on every level. Not just “this job is fun” level but on “people are FUNNY” level.

I had a great “I don’t know what’s worse” conversation with two customers- driving while caffeinated or driving while NOT caffeinated. Unfortunately, the McDonald’s “I-got-burned” customer lawsuit ruined the “normalcy” of drinking a hot beverage in a car by throwing a not-so-private tantrum at her own idiocy (dropping hot coffee on her lap and burning herself). Now, it feels like a felony to drink coffee in a car with all the “alerts” and “cautions” and “at your own risk” warnings on the lids of these beverages. One would think they’re about to take a sip of liquid nitrogen…I’d venture to guess for most of our consumers the risk is worth the effort, as coffee sales are doing just fine. With the sleeve covers and splash sticks and all the precautions we take to protect the delicacy of human error, it’s a shock that people STILL get burned on a daily basis. I mean, are these people just THAT clumsy or is it God’s way of showing them that maybe they need to try our ICED beverages.

Seriously, WE baristas are the ones risking our life and limb by steaming the milk to Hades-like temperatures (with steam blowing on everything from our hands to our legs to our faces…) and handling the metal pieces that brew that hot coffee. Not to mention, the coffee that is passed to the customer is stored in a cardboard blend, wax-lined cup and wrapped in a sleeve that is double layer thick, yet I still encounter grown men who act like I am trying to hand them a small fireball if I forget to put on a sleeve. They jerk their hand away and I want to say, “it’s really not going to cause any permanent damage, princess…” (which would probably be a Starbucks lawsuit waiting to happen…so I just bite my tongue and put the coffee in a sleeve…nevermind that I’ve been holding the cup the WHOLE time WITHOUT a sleeve…)

Something that is making me laugh today every time I think of it: I had a guy come in, he was Indian. No matter how I knew he was Indian, just trust me that it’s akin to if someone had a conversation with me they would probably come to the (correct) assumption that I am American. Plus, I think we discussed that one of my roommates in college was Indian once when we were talking about the origin of his name… He is a TI guy…Texas Instruments…I have talked about our TI people in a previous blog for you newbies…

Anyway, he was looking up at the menu and taking his sweet time. I kind of wanted to encourage him to make a quick decision, so I suggested a drink that a guy had ordered just a few minutes earlier. I suggested an earl gray tea latte.
“It’s very good, especially with a little sweetener,” I said nicely to him.
He crinkled up his nose and made a gagging face by sticking his tongue out…
He said, incredulously, “Yuck…isn’t that like tea with milk?!?”

I stood there, dumbfounded for a second. Really? Correct me if I’m wrong, but your CULTURE (India) is the one that BIRTHED this drink, brought it to America??? Us Americans are relatively new to this divine creation! What’s your problem…identity crisis? I thought, maybe he needs a reminder…

“It’s like a chai…?” I offered. As though, surely he knew what a chai was! I mean, if he wanted to reject his Eastern culture, that’s fine, but come on! Throw me a bone here…it’s like India’s national drink! I don’t LOVE hamburgers, but I know what they ARE…and I certainly wouldn’t make gagging faces if someone in Burger King offered me one.

He ended up ordering a pumpkin spice latte with caramel syrup… Wow. “Gross,” I wanted to say, but I kept my mouth shut and just mumbled, “Great choice…”.
When he asked to have it double-cupped I just about fell over laughing.

“Sure, princess…”

Et tu, Brute?

Sometimes people can be really predictable…

Let me elaborate- Several of the baristas will claim to know a person’s drink simply by their ethnicity. Now, I don’t want to cause any HR issues, so I am going to steer clear of any stereotyping…but I will say that 3 out of 4 times, we are right when we “predict” their drinks (that’s 8 out 10 for you math majors, not a bad percentage)…haha!

It doesn’t hurt that 95% of our clientele prefers caramel frappuccinos…for good reason, those are the most delicious, decadent treats for which one can use $4. However, I think it goes even further than that… For example- people with kids will usually get the blended beverages or chocolate and vanilla milk…as kids aren’t “supposed” to have caffeine (and we DO have kids that break this rule, see previous posts for verification)…and ladies that wear a lot of jewelry (that come in around noonish) usually opt for the “skinny” beverages…men that have been at work all day (the afternoonish grab and go bunch) usually go for something “heavy” (aka- sweet) to tide them over during rush hour traffic…and workaholics that are on their phone or on their computer in the café (aka- dwellers) will ask for espresso drinks (extra shot of espresso, no room for cream)…

I am sometimes proved wrong when people come in and knock my socks off by ordering by the menu (heaven forbid!!)…but I always like the adventurous people that go for something “seasonal” as that is why we exist! To offer the “get-away” drinks that can’t be purchased anywhere but at the store that started this trend of pumpkin and toffee deliciousity (not a word, don’t google it….)…

Today, a man came in…he usually gets an Americano (a very straightforward drink, simple…) and he ordered a pumpkin spice latte… I asked if he was getting it for someone else…. He said, “nope” and didn’t elaborate… I was confused, but made the drink anyway. He picked it up…and took a sip. He shrugged and said, “I wanted to see what the fuss was about…” and then he asked for an Americano and I told him, “Don’t worry…it’s on us…did you not like the latte?” He said, “yeah, it’s great, but I want to take a nap now…” and I completely understood.
Sometimes people can be really unpredictable…

Free Frappuccino Fridays!!!!

So, my idea for Free Frappuccino Fridays isn’t the best marketing plan for making money, but I’m convinced that alliteration can play a KEY role in getting people to believe that they are getting a good deal. For example, Triple Toffee Mocha Tuesday (where Starbucks could charge triple price for Toffee drinks on Tuesday) might work because people like “specials”… I guarantee everyone reading this has bought something on special, when, in fact, it’s not the “best deal” available. I have news- nothing in life is free. Everything comes at a price…even if it is advertised as free…something is going to be compromised or sacrificed for that “special.” So, if you hear about a special…know that you are being scammed, more than likely…unless of course, you are using a treat receipt from Starbucks, in which case, you are receiving a wonderful deal on a delicious drink. Trust me. I drink coffee, I know things.

Today and yesterday, the focus is kids. Screaming, yelling, “don’t talk to stranger” kids… I love it when a parent comes into Starbucks and is battle weary from their child…they are SO grateful for a couple minutes when we entertain the child, letting them have little cups of whipped cream with caramel swirls or a bite of a cookie…the look on the parent’s face is priceless…almost like they are ENJOYING their child again, proud of the little munchkin for being so in awe of a simple pleasure…oh, the bliss of ignorance, to be a child again with childlike simplicity!
Today’s story occurred when a little boy of about four had his neck tangled on the stretchy seatbelt-like cord that constructs the line formation for Starbucks. I was paying particularly close attention to him because I didn’t need a lawsuit on MY watch…much to my happiness, the mother was also watching him closely and said, “Get away from that noose…” (Pause here to inform reader, there was no such thing as a noose in our Starbucks and I was just as confused as you probably are by the use of the word “noose” by a mother to her toddler son…), “Get away from that noose before you get yourself killed…” (a flair for the dramatic, I guess..) to which the son replied, “Well, I’m just going to DIE anyway if I don’t get a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino soon!” I did a double take to see if that really had come out of the little boy’s mouth! The mom looked at me, looking at him, and said, “Yeah, I know…” (and I thought she would comment on the audacity and drama with which he made the statement) but instead, “Yeah, I know, he drinks a whole Venti by himself!” Who cares about the Venti, lady, this kid has issues…and I think it starts with the one holding the credit card! Haha!

On that subject…it is amazing to me, how many times in the last few days, I have witnessed kids under the age of 10, stand in the line, look up at the menu, and at the prompting of their parents, (“Come on…what do you want??”) order a coffee-based drink.

Now, don’t get me wrong…it keeps me in business…support the cause, start ‘em young and get ‘em hooked! But even I have my limit. Under 10? Ordering espresso drinks?? Not that I think it would do any harm (“it’ll stunt your growth!”)…but I can’t imagine being at home with a child who has been hopped up on caffeine.
The best part is when the mom or dad asks the child what THEY should order… “So, you’re going to have a pumpkin spice latte? What should I get?” or “Do you want to share a Venti White Mocha Frappuccino?” (two conversations of which I overheard…) and I mean, the parents are taking the advice of a child that is, obviously, mind altered by extraneous substances! Haha.

I mean, it’s one thing for a parent to take the advice of a toddler on something like a necktie or necklace. But to start asking your child what YOU should order?!? I can just imagine existing on a diet of Ringpops and bubblegum at the prompting of my five-year-old niece. Because if the kids had their way, parents, I can pretty much assure you, the sugar content in your diet would probably triple.

Hhhhmmm, maybe we need to rethink our marketing team target audience. Forget about alliteration- we need to just start making “Happy meal” type drinks with free little plastic toys aimed at making sure that kids are addicted and addicted hard to our product so that they will badger their parents to drink more Starbucks! Haha!

No bees were harmed in the making of this blog!

I’ve mentioned this before, so obviously, I’m trying to get a point across. I hate to sweep. I do think it is a necessary evil and I like the way swept floors look, but I hate doing it. I think it makes a nice punishment, and come to think of it, I remember, some of the times I was being punished during basketball practice in high school, instead of running, I faintly recall having to push that long broom up and down the court, as it teetered and tottered sideways, impossible with that dirty thing to really establish any kind of level of cleanliness. Basically it was a form of torture…and it worked, because I hate it to this day.

Also, Starbucks is beginning to spoil me as far as cleaning is going. For example, as far as sweeping, the dustpan is attached to a long handle, so that we don’t even have to bend down to pick up the dust and trash. I love that, and I want one for my house now. At home, I get all the dust into a neat, little pile, ready to be picked up, and I just stand there and stare at my short-handled, sorry-excuse-for-a-dustpan…and it’s like a game of chicken, me looking back and forth between the pile of dust and dustpan…a standoff…until I finally give in and bend over to pick it up. I hate losing, but I hate having dirty floors more!

The other thing Starbucks has is premixed water and soap, so that when we’re washing dishes, we just fill the sink with the water and the soap is already in it. It’s like that for the mop bucket, the sanitizer sink, and a lot of the other cleaning supplies. I decided it would be amazing if my shower was like that and all I had to do was push a little button to dispense shampoo, conditioner, or body wash in small increments into the spray of the water. Anyway, just an idea for another invention, for those of you keeping track, that’s three inventions so far in the process of my whole blog. Three inventions and two book ideas. I need to quit my day job and start patenting this stuff.

So, I had class the other night after work. It was amazing and interesting, and I can already tell it’s going to be a great semester. I’ll write more about that later.

The last couple days that I have worked, a problem has occurred. The presence of bees. I tried my best to think of them as fuzzy little pollenaters. I even tried remembering that little bee character that Tom Hanks voiced in the cartoon. But, try as I might, all I could picture was this swarm of stinging, angry, aggressive killers of Macaulay Culkin from My Girl. The bees are everywhere, around the trash cans, around the door, around the outdoor tables… And let me say something about bees- they aren’t one of those animals that your parents tell you, “They are more scared of you than you are of them…” Because these bees sure weren’t scared of me. These bees just attack harder when I swung my arms and legs wildly. I found what works best is to yell. I think the sound waves shake them up, because when I was screaming (as I was being mauled from every direction), they dissipated immediately. So, of course, I was left standing there, screaming at nothing with my arms and legs flailing…officially weird, and definitely not a great “welcome” sight for people walking up to come get coffee.

The funny part of this story is that when a guy noticed me doing this crazy dance screaming and yelling, he came over and started jumping around, too. Haha. I looked at him and said, “okay, funny guy, there WERE like 400 bees over here flying around…” (well, maybe not 400 but those 3 bees were flying really fast, so it looked like there were more…) and then another, older guy that was sitting at a nearby table said, “I remember once, a movie about a boy that was killed by bees because he was allergic…” and I told him, “You’re thinking of My Girl…” and the younger guy said, “That was a great soundtrack…” and I said, “yeah…” and we all stared off into space, remembering what a great soundtrack that was…until a bee landed on the arm of the younger guy and he started screaming like a girl…

Well, hopefully, on my days off, someone else takes care of the bees and I won’t have to deal with them when I get back. Alls well that ends well.

Grounds for your Garden, Grounds for your Heart!!!

I’ll try to be unbiased as I write this evening. I will think about sweet things, like cupcakes, ponies, flowers, cute puppies that don’t poop indoors. I will take a deep breath and I will think about that moment in the day when I thought it couldn’t get any worse. Then I will think about the moment when I finally got in my car to go home, stopped by the WalMart in the good part of town, mainly because I didn’t feel like being on pins and needles, on edge like the bad neighborhood WalMart can make me feel, in fact, for the sake of reference, I'll call it the off-the-WalMart because it’s one of those locations that just seems like someone could go crazy at any given moment, like hold someone hostage with a banana in the produce section.

So, I think about that moment at WalMart when I was approached by not ONE but TWO people asking for directions to certain parts of the store…and the sad part of this little story is that I didn’t realize what was going on until the second unassuming WalMart patron proclaimed, excitedly, “I didn’t even KNOW there was a Starbucks in here!” Really, Kara? You wore your APRON into the WalMart?!? It was that kind of day… But it gets even better, because I started looking around and said to the guy about Starbucks, “For real...Where is it?!” (I mean, we ARE in the good part of town) and then the lightbulb went off as I looked down at my familiar green apron…I had forgotten to take it off when I left in a haste and I was advertising shamelessly. I untied it and was carrying it wadded in my hand in such a guilty fashion that the lady at the checkout, after scanning my folders, glanced at it suspiciously, until I told her, “No, I came in with this…I know it doesn’t have a smiley face sticker on it…but…long day, long story…” and she just laughed…she got it. She works with crazy customer demands all day.

It wasn’t just the customer demands today. It was ME. I was making lists from the “get-go” of the day at 4:30a.m., and I’m not a list maker. I don’t like lists because they are a time waster- case in point. Don’t make the list, eliminate a step. (ah-ha, another book idea, “Less List Construction, More Production!” Okay, so I will work on that title…) But my point is- I was doomed for a chaotic day because I knew I was going to accomplish very little of my list.

This kind of thing happens in a customer satisfaction industry. They call it the tyranny of the urgent, aka- customer comes first. Fall decorations, school preparation, inventory stocking, all of that takes a backseat to that next guy in line that is ordering drinks that sound like something from outer space. Sometimes, when a young kid comes in and orders a “Venti Solo Extra Caramel One Shot Mocha No Whip Caramel Frappuccino” I want to say to him/her, “What would your grandmother say about that?!” haha. Mainly because our generations are becoming so accustomed to these personalized customer demands that THEY are forgetting about the important part, the part that was created to be ENJOYED. Not just the delicious, creamy, foamy blended drink, but the human aspect of it all. I mean, at what point do we stop and say to ourselves, “Has this indulgent part of our day become an INTEGRAL part of our day?”

I think that is why I still have a soft spot for the small town Starbucks. Small town people have to make an EVENT of going to Starbucks. When I see a family walk into our store, a travel beaten weary family, I am always SO HAPPY to make their experience “neat” or “special” which are some of the terms that I have heard them say that make the job so much more rewarding. Not that I don’t like the regulars that come in every day, because for the most part, they are the easiest and most pleasant customers, which is why they keep coming back. It’s the “Joe cools” and the “Too Diva for your Time” peeps that spout off their order and make comments like, “MY STARBUCKS does it better…” or, between phone texts, “This tastes gross” (insert wave of the hand, a slight swirl of the fingers, starbucks sign language for make it again, RIGHT this time! And this actually happened today with a lady that was on her phone and wouldn’t ONCE look up to make eye contact, or to see the sympathetic look I was trying to offer her. My sympathy quickly turned to apathy and all I wanted was to get her the perfect drink and get her walking perfectly out the door.) Behind this bubbly exterior, despite the fact that we remain highly caffeinated, we have feelings, too!!! Haha.

The Fall decorations are up, halfway, in our store. We are beginning to look a lot like an Autumn Jubilee. I am sure my spirits will soon be soaring for all the wonderful new aromas that will be floating around the store, and the cheer that will infect my soul because of the closeness of the holidays, with the evidence encasing every smiling face, every school spirit clad customer, every student that comes in to order shots of espresso to stay up studying late for exams…

Yes, this evening, right now, I am not focusing on that moment at the espresso bar when I was ready to put my head in my hands and cry because we were out of supplies, I was being reprimanded by a customer who was dissatisfied, and I felt like my list had long ago given up on me and walked next door to CVS to check out the make-up or anything that would be more productive than to wait on me to start checking things off…

Today was not about lists that didn’t get accomplished, it was about comprehending the coming and going of seasons. A new season is upon me…and with a new season comes the shedding of the old to make room for the new. People come in all the time to get the old grounds from our espresso machines to use as fertilizer for their gardens. I love this idea of growth, of being fertilized from someone’s white mocha (extra hot, no foam)…haha. What a simple concept, using all our resources to fertilize our future. Using our experiences to ENRICH our next steps in life. Duh, Kara, like looking down at the apron I’ve been wearing all along, thanking God that He has given me this life opportunity to be the best ME possible. Taking every talent, quirk, capability, and blessing to do something AMAZING tomorrow. Lightbulb! “There is a time for everything…and a season for everything under Heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1

The Grinch May Have Stolen Christmas, But He Loves Pumpkin Lattes!!

There’s a romance element to Starbucks. Some people sense this when they walk into the door, whereas some people walk right through the lovely fog, never even realizing that they have been misted with the romance of the bean. (If not the element of romance, then at least know that if enough time is spent in the store, the coffee bean smell will stay in one’s hair, clothes, fingernails, nostrils, even shoelaces if Febreeze is not brought into the matter immediately upon arriving home…Let me tell say this- after having worked there for a couple months, I can vouch for the fact that the coffee bean smell is something to be reckoned with. I know why they were sleepless in Seattle…being THAT close to the birthplace of Starbucks can’t be good for much except insomnia…)

The romance of Starbucks is something that HAPPENS to us. And sometimes it is hard to “feel” it…the romance gets forced when there are distractions…

Maybe life is just too “real” for me right now. It’s hard to let my imagination run rampant with the idea of romance when I am thinking about school, schedule correspondence, new fall merchandise, bills, etc… I lose myself in the every day and I am forgetting about the every minute in every day. Not wasting a minute! Not wasting a moment of life to the mundane. Not forgetting that God gave me RIGHT NOW just like He gave me duties which to accomplish. But, inevitably the RIGHT NOW is a gift. I can sip my coffee and let the bean soak into my nose hairs and warp my sense of smell to the extent that if I don’t smell coffee, I don’t smell. Kind of like a near-sighted person. I need “glasses” but for my nose…like, nostrils, or something…where everything I smell goes through a little coffee filter that is holding grounds of beans. Okay, I have wasted way too much brain activity thinking about that and I should be embarrassed. (But it is a good idea- inventions.com- call me!)

Anyway, more about the romance…and about aside from invention ideas…I do have the desire to fill my time with passion and love and creativity! I am bursting with longing for noise and stillness at the same time- that unattainable, unchartered territory of the “in-between” (a creative and spiritual balance…and I’m not talking about any weird new age hooey)…

How do we hold on to those moments that stop us in our “life” tracks? A perfect conversation with a guy we like…lots of laughter, some teasing…30 minutes with our family, just being together…chillaxin, safe and healthy and happy. Maybe that in-between moment that tries so hard to slip between our fingers is a break, a holiday from the madness. Like me- putting up the Pumpkin Spice and Toffee Nut signs, all the fall decorations…knowing, that with the colors of red, yellow, orange, and brown and the pictures of falling leaves will come a time of reflection, Thanksgiving, and my birthday in October. Haha. I’m kidding. But, on a side note, we do have all the new drinks coming out this next week, so go in and try a Salted Caramel Mocha or Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate…or if caramel isn’t your favorite, try a Toffee Mocha Latte or Pumpkin Spice Latte. All for those who like to drink the Thanksgiving colors in a cup. These new drinks are absolutely delectable…and one of each will suffice for me for the whole season. I have had my fill of Pumpkin today, now comes the Pepto!

What comes with the romance of fall…aside from pepto? The courting of Christmas, the cool air that draws us outside, breathing a little deeper and walking a little taller. Sports, family get-togethers, holidays! Christmas is just around the corner…and I know it frustrates my dad to no end when I start celebrating early, I think it’s important to remember that Jesus’ may have been born in December, but He’s Alive EVERY day in our hearts!! Amen and light up the Tree!!!

The Hills are Alive...with the sounds of Archie comics!

There are several things about Starbucks that I love. One of the main reasons that I enjoy the company is because I am proud of the environment that we create. I’ll talk more about this in a second, but first, since I am sitting in the café, listening to some killer bluegrass tunes over the Starbucks stereo (that’s code for good music), I want to bring up a topic that I haven’t talked much about in my blog- the Starbucks Music…

Ahhhhh, sweet music …it’s like the peanut to my butter…aka, I love music. It’s also a HUGE part of the Starbucks culture…we practically INVENTED coffeehouse music (which is now a setting on such things as Sirus and XM Radio…they call it coffeehouse music because it’s music inspired by Starbucks). Music has an entire link from the website AND furthermore, Starbucks has it’s own tab in ITUNES which is a branch of Apple (being recognized as a music inspiration by Apple is a pretty big deal).

All this to say, I don’t like ALL the music we play in our store, but I understand the importance of harmonic diversity. Who am I to change the playlist every time a song comes on that I don’t like…? Good music is like a relationship. It can brighten a mood, lift a spirit, and offer condolences in the gentlest and the most tender of ways. Music is like a voice that touches the inmost parts of our soul.
Okay, so I am being melodramatic…but music MOVES me, and BAD music moves me in a negative way. Sometimes I wish I could tell people that walk into the store, “Hey, I didn’t CHOOSE this song to be playing…” (especially if it sounds like elevator music) and other times, when Johnny Cash is on, people are lucky enough to hear me belting out lines from “I fell innnnto a BURNIN’ Ring of Firrrrrrre! I went down, down, down, as the flames went higher…..!!!!!!” And then I like to follow it up with, “And I’ll be here all week, people…allllll week! And I do take requests and dedications…”

The other thing about Starbucks culture- the donations. Starbucks GIVES BACK! I knew, working for a company like this, if I presented a good idea, it would be approved and supported by the higher ups.

So, after some coordinating and emailing back and forth with a marketing director, today was the first of what will be monthly visits to an assisted living center in our neighborhood. And let me just say, it was an ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC experience!!
My GM and I were off today, so we prepped the pastries that we were bringing, and the morning barista crew prepared our coffee and off we went! We were going to serve Starbucks VERONA blend coffee in to-go Starbucks coffee cups and hand out pastries and talk about the company and even give out some door prizes to people who could answer some trivia about Starbucks.

We had about 35 senior citizens (and center workers) attend our little get-together. A couple of them had gone online and done research about the company and EVERY SINGLE one of them had either heard of Starbucks or tried it before. And several of them had been to a Starbucks shop with their families.
We let them tell us stories, and we tried to keep the focus on the company and what we try to do to help the community and how we set ourselves apart from other companies.

There were a couple instances that made me laugh from the bottom of my soul! One occurred when we were quizzing them. I was standing over towards the back as the GM was asking some questions, and when we asked them to tell us what kind of coffee we had served today (I had discussed the coffee, Verona, earlier to them, about the region from which it came and what it tastes good with) and one of the ladies raised her hand, and shouted out- “Veronica!” and then one of the guys next to her said, “That’s not it! It’s VERONA! VeroniCA, that’s a character from the ARCHIE comics, you stupid old lady!” I started laughing so hard! Some of the side conversations going on were so funny, I wish I had recorded them all!

The last thing, right before we left- a couple walked in as we were cleaning up the mess. The man was kind of looking me up and down, not even trying to hide that he was checking me out. I kind of laughed because my GM noticed it, too. The woman was oblivious to his staring, she just wanted me to get him his coffee and pastry. He finally said to me, “Just beautiful you are….just beautiful…but why do you dress like a boy??” We started laughing so hard as he continued to stare at me, waiting on an answer.

I told him, “well, sir, I’m in dress code…we have to wear shirts like this…” I really wasn’t dressed very tomboyish today, I sure thought my necklaces and bracelets lent me a perception of girlishness. It was classic because he just shook his head when I handed him his coffee and said, “What a waste…” and walked away…
The things kids say… haha. All in all, it was a great day! A lot of fun and I can’t wait to do it again!

Don't Worry! Drink Coffee!!

I’m not necessarily in the mood to make “lists,” but after working mornings at Starbucks, it’s hard not to. By this, I mean, I have communicated all morning in such a short, succinct manner, that any extraneous words seem indulgent and unnecessary. I have said things like "Iced Grande Unsweet with room Iced Coffee" or "Decaf Tall Nonfat 5 pump Hazelnut Latte." I forget how to communicate in normal terms and end up saying things like "Take. Trash. Outside. Now." Oh yeah, "Please. Thanks."
Let me elaborate. Picture an fairly “empty” Starbucks (customer wise), give or take three people sitting casually in the café, enjoying their already made drinks and offering occasional chitchat to the workers (who are frantically dumping old grounds, emptying trash cans, cleaning the condiment bar, brewing coffee, cleaning the espresso bar, and sorting the pastry case, all while simultaneously watching the door like snipers ready to drop EVERYTHING in lieu of seeing a customer and greeting aforementioned customer with a personalized and heartfelt greeting…)…so, picture that…the workers doing their thing, I’m doing the money stuff…the inventory…the big stuff that really is just the same grunt work as the baristas…and I usually end up helping them more in their work as they have more to do than I do anyway…

So, the environment is electric for a “rush” and true to form…in the morning…in walks two, three, four, five…no wait, SIX people. All at once. I am immediately in crisis mode. Let me define crisis mode. It means- stop everything I am doing, get to the register, BE CHARMING, take orders, and get payment on EVERY single drink, get cups marked for EVERY single drink, and get my tail over to the bar to help the barista get those people OUT THE DOOR. A. S. A. P. For real. (which is ASAPFR…not a word, but a state of mind…my mind)

In the morning, the rushes are different. The conversations are SHORT because the people are. Not in stature but in time. They want to get in and out. Literally, in and out, as fast as they can and they could care less that YOUR fee t are hurting or that one espresso machine is OUT for the count because of a plumbing malfunction or that you are running low on grande ice cups and are calling around frantic to find some before the noon rush and have to send your extra barista to pick them up asap so now YOU are the fallback man on the espresso bar and you are STILL not 100% positive if a Grande Americano gets 2 shots of espresso or 3. So you put 3 to be on the safe side (after all, it’s morning after all and who COULDN’T use a little kick in the pants.)

So, yeah, mornings are tough. Tough in a mental sense of- I’m GOING to look at the glass half full and smile and talk with EVERYONE that walks through that door. Can’t lie, though…one or two slip through the cracks. Let’s say, after a “rush” a ASAP-for-real rush…I am spent…I feel like I have given it my all, been charming and nice and GENUINALLY interested in conversation, and in comes someone…someone kind of generic…you know, her name could be Jessica or his name could be Mike. He or She could be wearing something very nondescript. They could be very ordinary. I would probably say the “company line” which I usually don’t say…and I could probably NOT be singing along to the radio and I could probably NOT ask them where they got their cool watch or their interesting necklace… I wouldn’t ask them where they worked, what they did… And you know what? I feel like I missed out. I will look back on the interaction and know that I didn’t give them ANYTHING to better their lives. I didn’t make their day any better except by giving them a little caffeinated boost of delicious-ocity that they could have bought from 7-Eleven for a lot cheaper. I feel bad about it, too. Because if ANYONE considers themselves to be an “entertainer,” it is me. I feel like I make “connections” like I make carbon dioxide (isn’t that what we produce when we breath?? If not, disregard that last statement…)…

So, today…I’m glad that I get to go home early when I work mornings…I am home by 2ish p.m. in the afternoon…even though I was up at 4 a.m., it is still good to get to enjoy the afternoon.

I like working closings better, though…because people have a slower pace of life…they are more apt to stay and visit for a while, to “care,” if that is possible, about what is going in life…as opposed to in the mornings when Starbucks is just a necessary pit stop in life…it is a choice in the evening to spend time at the coffeeshop...

Don't get me wrong- the morning people are interesting in their own, quirky, grumpy, weird way…but the evening people are precious jewels, like a breath of fresh air in a stuffy room- they help remind us why we love our jobs.

It’s not the storm of chaos that lights of the fire of doing a good job at my job…it’s the flower that survives that storm and brightens the whole garden!!

ESPRESSO Yourself!!!

What Does Not Belong in This Starbucks Picture?

A. Woman with two purses because she said, laughing, that one wasn’t big enough for all her stuff. At least they didn’t clash with one another. (Survey says, “Time to downsize baggage, lady!”)

B. Man wearing a puma t-shirt under a very nice suit jacket and pants. The suit was NICE, seriously, I saw it up close, not tattered or worn out, and he was wearing nice shoes, too! It was one of those moments where he got dressed, with the t-shirt and thought that it looked edgy and cool, that it lent him an air of “hip and young…” But, I mean, he WAS wearing a cowboy hat with it all, so it was a mess from the get-go! (Survey says, “Tax free weekend, buddy, go buy a button-down shirt and dress your age...!)

C. Teenage girl wearing boots and a hoodie…and black jeans…and fingerless gloves. I mean, I understand goth and emo to an extent…but unless she works in the artic tundra, she needs to shed some layers in this weather(Survey says, “Less is more…and it's not labor day yet, so a little white wouldn't hurt!)

D. Four ladies sitting at one of the big tables in the store, knitting. Yes, they are knitting. They meet here every Friday and knit to their hearts content…I’m expecting a new hat and mittens by Christmastime! (Survey is speechless…)

Drinking Komodo Bold with the Pope...

So, no, I didn’t fall off the face of the Starbucks planet…I am still employed by the fine coffee-brewing establishment and my loyal readers need not worry, I am in FULL GREEN APRON form, as always!

Today was my off day, and I should have posted earlier, as I was on a hot rant after visiting the neighborhood Starbucks location by my apartment. But now, I have calmed down considerably, after a day full of errands and relaxation, and I am opting to let my frustration fly into the winds of inconsequence...

[because this morning doesn’t really matter…that I had my laptop, my “for there” coffee mug, and a backpack full of heavy things and every single chair, table, outlet was being used…even an empty table for four, the outlet had two things plugged into it…and to top it off, a man walks out of the bathroom just at the moment I’m eyeing the table, sits down and proceeds to talk on the phone while reading the paper (must have been a FASCINATING conversation)…and, NNNNOOOO, man-sitting-by-yourself, don’t bother getting up from that table for FOUR or letting me borrow the outlet where you’re CHARGING YOUR PHONE and IPOD simultaneously…we have HOMES for that, by the way…and even after I POLITELY say I don’t need to plug in my computer, but I’d like to sit down to use the “desk” space since that table is big enough for us both including his HUGE ego…he said, into the phone (that is plugged into the wall, mind you…I hope he gets zapped for talking on a phone that is plugged in…), “Just a sec…” and to me, “What was that, again?” and when I repeat my question, he says tentatively, “Well, if you just need to log on real quick…” as he eyes my backpack…because OBVIOUSLY I wasn’t there to just “log on” real quick…I wanted to use the coffeehouse to be INSPIRED since I write a BLOG about it…and my BLOG readers NEED me to WRITE!

So, I sigh, loud enough for the people in Oklahoma to hear me…and then I just smile real big and goofy like and before I walk off, I say, “I bet you don’t tip well either…” Just kidding, I don’t say that, but I did tell him, “Your fly is unzipped” because it was…

And then I had to walk back into the store, after I had walked out so triumphantly, because the coffee mug wasn’t mine…]

But, nope, I’m not going to vent about rude people tonight. Haha. Too late for that!

When I am working, I like to consider these rude, weird people as high-maintenance. I know, now having worked a couple different customer service jobs, that it’s not a personal attack when people are rude. Also, I know that I, myself, am demanding, and there are probably more than a couple places that dread seeing me walk in the door. I always have “special requests,” like extra sauce or extra dressing or no bacon bits or “on the side.” And very rarely do I want to have to wait in a line.

So, I get it when people seem rude or weird at Starbucks. There is oftentimes a short line or a wait. So, I’m glad that the kind people outweigh, in importance and numbers, the rude ones!

Interestingly enough, yesterday I went to a training at our corporate office. It was about coaching new partners, baristas, and basically, the training sums up as- being uniform. Not being IN uniform, but being consistent. Making each drink the SAME, to the specifications, ultimately, of the drinker, so that they know what they are getting every time they visit a Starbucks. We can provide the witty banter, the fun conversations, the “warm welcoming environment,” but the drink has to TASTE the SAME…so the coaching in making the drink has to be very specific. If the drink can be like clockwork for the barista, then they can eventually be comfortable enough to engage the customer…and they can help create a different environment for the customer than any other “drink” establishment.

I take that part of my job seriously- the engaging part. I don’t care about the drink part. I KNOW that I will make the customer a good drink, one that they will enjoy because I will make it until it is right. And I believe in our product enough to know that Starbucks drinks take care of themselves- they are addicting to a fault, trust me…I am addicted. But it is in the LISTENING that I learn about how to create a satisfied customer, a REPEAT customer.

Our store went to Six Flags the other day, as a prize and team building, all the workers except like two. And, guess what? The people I work with are amazingly NICE people. They are easy to be around because they, too, like people. They are kind and thoughtful. Talk about an easy work environment in which to be successful at customer service.

One more thing, in the class at the corporate office, we had to answer a question, “Who would we like to have coffee with (dead or alive) and what would they drink??” I love these kinds of questions…and there were some great answers at the class…one guy said, “Winston Churchill” and he’d had tea…another person said “Jesus and he’d had Sumatra…” I mean, really? Would Jesus like Sumatra? Whatever, just thought it was funny, that’s one of our boldest coffees. Drinking Sumatra with the J.C. (sounds like a bad title to a book…would make an interesting devotional… “Building a Bold Faith, one Sumatra at a Time”)

I got to thinking about it…and since I can still have coffee with those people that are living, and I consider it a blessing when I get to spend time doing that, I’d choose two people who aren’t living. I know they both drank coffee, don’t know what kind they would necessarily enjoy, but I’d have coffee with my grandpa (my mom’s dad) and my granny (my dad’s mom) and we’d have a coffee misto which is regular brewed coffee with steamed milk. I’d grind up Organic Shade Grown blend (it’s my favorite right now) and brew it in a press so we could get the prime flavors, then I would steam up some half-and-half which makes a rich, thick foam, pour a little on the coffee, and top it all off with some cinnamon. That’s how I drink it when I’m in the store, on break. We’d talk and hang out and just enjoy the coffee and the company. I think we would have the best time! I’m sure they’d like anything I brewed them.

Life imitates art imitates coffee

To know what inspires people is to understand where they want to go in life. Since I’ve never been much of a “small talker,” I usually delve right into serious questions to avoid banter that is a waste of time when interacting with people throughout the day. I know that small talk has a time and place, for example, at work, if I don’t have a couple minutes to visit with a person that is standing in line, I don’t need to ask them a question about who is their hero today (even though I have gotten several interesting answers to that question including, “You, if you get me my coffee quick…” haha! True story).

For the most part, I small talk as a means to an end, simply for customer service reasons, it’s good to be “nice” and to ask questions about “How are you?” and “Can you believe this weather…?!” Even if I don’t really want to know the answer. It’s easy to appear to interested in small talk because it takes no investment.

As I sit here today, in the coffeeshop, about to go on my shift, I am listening to two girls have a conversation about a relationship. One girl just said, “Allow yourself to be human, but surround yourself with people who point you towards Christ…” Hmmm, good advice…but the girl giving the advice seems bossy (and appears to be single by the clues she is giving to her own personal journey), and myself and the man sitting at the table by me have been listening to her for the past twenty minutes as she is not exactly whispering her advice. At least she is giving decent advice…and it’s good to know that other people have relationship issues, too. This is actually the second relationship conversation I have overheard in the past week, so it must be an epidemic. Haha.

In addition to the girls and the man and myself, there is one other couple in the cafe that appears fairly “normal” (a guy and a girl) at a larger of our tables…they have been walking back and forth to each other’s computers, giving advice, pointers, with books and papers strewn about all over the table. Apparently, I find out from the other M.O.D that their internet is down at home and they are doing “work” from Starbucks today. When I go on my shift, I notice something- the guy has a prosthetic leg. Literally, his whole “leg” is a skinny metal brace that fits into a fake ankle and a matching tennis shoe. I would have NEVER known if the guy wasn’t wearing shorts. The couple stays doing their work until we lock the door, at which point they move to the tables outside to sit until I go outside to gather the outdoor furniture so I can bring it in to secure it for the night. I watched them throughout the day, on my shift, as I swept or wiped down the tables, asking a couple times if they wanted refills or pastries. As they leave, after I apologize for our early closing on the weekend, I watch the guy walk off with the girl, thinking, “He never once gave any indication of the inconvenience of the prosthetic,” and I was extremely grateful all the sudden for my working body parts. For everything. For not having to go home at night and deal with something so HUGELY different from the rest of the human population. A fake leg. A prosthetic.

My mom recently had surgery and has a bandage on her right hand. She has had to alter her life because of this recent handicap. What if we had to go through life with a handicap? I would be unprepared for anything that stopped me from living a normal life, but what if? It’s always good to come across someone who lives a life “inspired” that is different.

I am inspired by people that live through adversity. Adversity is something very inspiring because it comes in many different forms and it helps us to be more aware of our surroundings in a sense of gratefulness and thankfulness for simple things. I am so grateful for my abilities. I suddenly want to go climb a mountain, just because I can. But maybe I should just make the next the cup of coffee for a customer and be thankful that I have two legs on which I can stand and two hands of which I can grasp together and offer up a prayer of thanks for a “normal” life- whatever that might be!
By the way- this is a picture of me being "fierce!"

If life hands you lemons, make COFFEE!

Sorry, peeps, I know I have been a little hit and miss lately. Now that I am “bona-fide” (haha, code for I actually know what I am doing), my hours are a little more extended and I am even working at other locations around Dallas. Well, okay, one other location…and I haven’t even worked it yet, but after tomorrow, I will be able to make that statement backed by complete truth.

The other day, I drove up to visit my sister and her family, it was a great break away from the job, even though I visited Starbucks twice to “treat” my niece and nephew to the addictive power of coffee (kidding- I got them vanilla bean frappuccinos with coloring to make them fun)… On my long drive, I was able to assess how my job has been going, what I am doing well, what I need to improve.

I went over my strengths, of which are many and this blog is not long enough to list them all… If you know me, you know I am not kidding when I make that statement and that I truly believe this blog is not long enough to list them all. Haha. However, I am not so proud to admit that even more so, my weaknesses would fill up a list just as long if not longer. I know that I can be moody and short sometimes, especially if I'm making mistakes consistently, like mismarking cups or wrong orders (a biggie that is SO FRUSTRATING!)…my short temper usually doesn’t last but for a second and I can mask my aggravation, for the most part, by just becoming rather introverted and quiet, but that, in turn is a very “boring” Kara experience, I mean, Starbucks experience, for the customer. Ha!

I also realized that I must have learned my communication skills from Survey 101 because I find myself asking every other customer, in my attempt to make conversations, “Are you having an above average day?” or I’ll tell them, “On a scale of one to ten, my day is a quickly rising eight…” and I will mentally beg them to ask me why…just so I can give them some off-the-wall answer like, “I finally found the matching sock to one of my favorite pairs this morning!” or “The apartment maintenance finally came and got the crocodile out of my closet!” and I can usually make people laugh pretty hard with the stuff I will come up with to say. I want to leave them with an impression that will not easily be forgotten and it usually works. Usually.

There was one lady today that I had never seen before, mid-forties, looked nervous, when we were very busy with a long line stretching way to the back of the store. She was trying to tell me her drink order in a strange, thick, and VERY QUIET accent. She was talking so quiet and I was all the way on the other side of the pastry case…I even walked down to be closer to her and nada…I couldn’t catch any of it…I can’t think of too many things more annoying than someone that is a whisperer and expects people to be able to hear them over a music playing, people talking incessantly, milk steamers steaming, coffee beans grinding, (and a partridge in a pear tree), and even after being prompted to “Please repeat that, ma’am, I couldn’t hear you…” twice, she still doesn’t raise her voice ONE IOTA. I mean, even talks quieter this time and kind of waves her hands. She even points at the line behind her. My face probably showed some annoyance because I was THINKING, “Yeah! There is a long line behind you, and you are causing everyone behind you to wait because no one understands what you are saying…” and I was increasingly getting more angry, so instead of taking it out on her or being impatient, I checked myself, thought, “If this was one of MY family members, I would want someone to be AS PATIENT AS possible and to take every necessary step to offer the best service no matter what and to GET THIS ORDER STARTED RIGHT!”

So, by default, I went into survey mode and said, “If you could raise your voice, maybe six decibels then I may be able to get your drink order started…” [which I have no idea what decibels are or even if raising a voice six decibels is humanly possible or if that’s like getting into dog hearing range…but it sounded good at the moment and it calmed me down and I wasn’t showing stress]. Right then, the lady pointed, lucky for me, I’m tall, I was able to reach up to our menu sign, touching each one as she shook her head…finally at “Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino,” she nodded excitedly. Right then, I notice a person had walked from a table at the end of the line where the lady had motioned to earlier and was standing next to her.
A light bulb went off and I touched my chin with my fingertips and dropped them down towards the lady, which is “Thank you” in sign language and the only thing I know. Her face ERUPTED into a smile. She was deaf. She hadn’t heard a word I said in the first place. I looked at her translator and told her I was sorry, and the translator said that SHE was sorry but she had been on her phone and yet she hadn’t wanted them to lose their place in line. I spelled my name in sign language and T-I-N-A spelled hers back.
It was a humbling moment and not one that I will forget soon, because I just about had BLOWN it and it would’ve taken a while to get over doing something that stupid and irreversible. An opportunity that led to me getting to visit with them for a second could have been me making that poor lady feel stupid and neglected. All because of my moodiness and desire to “keep the line” moving…

Thank the Lord that I knew better than to let my circumstances dictate my attitude. If there is one thing that I have learned the last couple years, it is that life is 80% what happens to us and 20% how we respond. Controlling our own little “checks and balances” emotionally helps our outlook positively affect our output!

I even taught Tina how to ask for extra whipped cream, well, actually, we kind of made up a signal for it but at least I’ll know it when she comes back next time.
When Tina and her translator moved on, the guy behind her said, “Actually, six decibels wouldn’t have helped you a whole lot, just for future reference." When he saw my skeptic look, he continued, "I used to study noise reduction techniques…”

Go figure…nothing surprises me anymore.

1+1 (always)= 2

I was reading a book by an author that I really enjoy. I noticed something about his writing that I particularly love is his ability to seamlessly weave his old memories with his present life condition. He never specifically notes that this is an effect he uses to emphasize certain emotions or highlight his reaction at any given moment, but as a reader, it’s easy to get caught up in reliving his memories as vivid interactions with his future.

I think that every encounter I have during the day is some sort of nostalgia for who I’ve been in the past or people I knew in the past. I am all for “shedding the skin” of yesteryear…but on the same token, this is one reason that I believe we all strive to have higher callings for our lives, each and every day, because today is simply going to build upon that foundation of who we have been in the days leading up to today, the decisions we make, they all culminate into our immediate reality.

The reason I bring this up is because I noticed some strange behaviors yesterday at work that play out this actualization. I am not talking run-of-the-mill strange things that are the epitome of social differences or quirky weird “I-can’t-make-eye-contact-because-I-haven’t-had-my-coffee” strange, I am talking strange in a sense of social trend that is so ordinary and common it’s almost indecipherable. I can’t believe I haven’t spent more time thinking about this.

We have a lot of TI (Texas Instrument) employees come in to get drinks or after lunch snacks as we are the closest Starbucks to their plant. These employees range from warehouse to security detail to corporate executives in suits and ties, it’s a gigantic corporation. Imagine the characters that play the staff on the TV hit, The Office, but on a much huger scale.

The TI technology people that come in, ALWAYS in groups, never alone, faceless, nameless “groups” with their nametag ids dangling down on necklaces decorated with flair, declaring them to be “so and so” from “so and so” technical department…I imagine them as middle schoolers, grade schoolers, high schoolers…and I think, as they talk about the encryption this or decode that, in their little clique language that is full of inside jokes that sound sidesplitingly boring. I only say this because they strike me as the kind of people that were kids that weren’t big enough for sports as a teenager and not social savvy enough to have been the class clown or helpful “geek for a day” best friend to the pretty cheerleader. They were probably the kid that got ignored, not even unique enough to have been made fun of… These were the kids that skated by, maintaining good enough grades and an intact enough self-esteem to make something fairly interesting and successful of themselves as adults. Having survived by never taking chances too risky or complex, as they wanted to stay just mainstream enough to never really do anything but blend in. These people are exactly like they were in high school, but legal now. Not that it would matter.
Not only do they not get speeding tickets (not that I would know anything about that), but they probably never scored a basket or ran in a touchdown to the cheers of hundreds of people. They probably never walked into a room to have everyone look at them and envy the clothes they wore or their fashion sense. They probably never dated the quarterback or cheerleader. They probably never won a contest except one of those Coca-colas with the winning lids for a free Coke that they never even redeemed because they forgot about it and it expired.

Their lives have been celebrated for normalcy.

I like my TI people because of this- they don’t change their drinks. They drink what we fix them. They don’t ask for frills or extra shots or caramel drizzle or dry foam or 180 degree milk… They are simple for Starbucks workers. Even if we never remember their drink, because the drink, like them, is very forgettable. I don’t know how many times I have asked (insert generic male name here) what his drink is (insert generic Starbucks drink here, as is on menu, nothing added) and then gone, “OH yeah! How could I forget?!? You’ve told me a hundred times!” and he says, “Maybe one-hundred and one.”

Oops.

Even if my TI people live life with a safety net, I still like them. They tip big and always smile. I can depend on them, even if they do kind of freak me out with their robotic like consistency. They are a lot like the calculators they manufacture at the plant- dependable, and useful on the SAT.

You Want Crazy? We Have An APP For That!

We are a coffeeshop, not an IHOP. But, I get it. Now that I have had a few days to think about it, I get it. People want to come in and sit down and enjoy their coffee, just as I encourage them to (just as I like to do), and somewhere between the four dollars they shell out for the coffee and the comfy chairs they sink into, they lose sight of the fact that we are not an all-night diner or 24 hour pancake joint. As much as I would love to stay another 12 hours so that all people (weary travelers and homeless panhandlers alike) could be ensured fantastic coffee at any hour of the day or night, I, too have places to go and people to see. So, while I now “get it,” the hard truth of our early closing hour that must be painful for some customers to swallow along with their smooth blend of arabica bean coffee that we serve, it does not excuse childlike behavior when I tell them they must leave our store because we are closed for the night.

The other night, after an ARDUOUS day…and I am not being facetious in that way of, “Oh, yeah, really tough day serving cup after cup of coffee…” No, this day was arduous for more reasons than finicky customers, 104 degree heat, and panhandling psychos. It was full of adventure, the kind reminiscent of villains and malevolence, not the kind of adventure of which Disney movies are made, unless you just count the scary parts, like when Mufasa dies on Lion King or when that horrible witch shows up in Snow White to offer the apple, a scene which in and of itself should have put the apple industry out of business for the rest of all time. So, yeah, the day was drawn out into a compilation of events that were a little less than fairytale, but it was almost over, and I was going to be driving home to see my parents, some fun in the sun, two good days of vacation, and I was feeling positive about the close, that all would go well. I would get on the road in good time!

The store had been pretty full all day, and the evening was no exception. We had about six people in the store, which doesn’t sound like many but is practically like a little army when I going around trying to straighten up and sweep, etc. I had the broom and was making “obvious” signs that we were winding down the minutes until it was “push em out the door” time. Everyone was gathering their stuff, unplugging computers, etc… One particular, inconsiderate lady was sitting at a table, punching furiously on the little keys on her phone. She wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. She had just come up to the counter and gotten a refill, so I already knew she was going to be a tough case to crack. Sitting, typing, sipping, typing, thinking, sipping, typing. She “sounded” mad, if one can sound mad while typing. Her purse was on the floor, and I was trying to sweep up the huge pile of crumbs she had created on the floor (I was wondering if ANY of that scone had ended up in her mouth or if the whole thing was crumbled on the floor). She glanced down to watch me sweep near her purse, telling me with her look that if I get my ratty broom so much as ONE INCH closer to her purse, she just might say something to me. We both eye the purse, in a standoff, I’m holding the broom (a much mightier weapon than her dinky cell phone, I might add) and I continue to maneuver dangerously close to the purse, getting every last crumb from around the chair and table legs. I am suddenly uninterested in the rest of the café and I want to get this area completely spotless. The lady, tap-tap-tap-tap, on her cell phone and my assumption is that she is writing about my careless sweeping as I can see her watching me through the corner of her eye. She then takes her right hand and in a flourish, she wipes the remaining crumbs off her table ONTO THE FLOOR. She looks at me, covers the mouthpiece of her phone (I guess out of habit because whoever she is TEXTING can’t HEAR her), and says, “Here…I’ll help.”

Nice, thanks lady. I look at her, and say SWEETLY, “Don’t worry about it. We have people we PAY to do that. Like me… By the way, we closed three minutes ago…” (So, if you can pick up your dirty purse from my clean floor, I can finish cleaning up after you…tap that in a message to your friends) haha. I’m kidding, but not about the story. People get so offended, and I just think it’s funny. I try to be lighthearted about it, because like I said, there have been times when I wanted to hang out somewhere and it’s closed, but that’s usually when I am visiting with my family or with friends. I can’t say that I ever get too mad if I am by myself or just on my phone. That’s what a residence is for…? Right? I guess when we create that inviting of an environment, it’s just hard to let go! Anyway, she left in huff, typing the whole way out the door.

Earlier that day, another homeless lady came in to try and get some money from us. I have a whole, elaborate story about her. I’m going to spare the details because I have told the story about six times, and despite the fact that it makes me laugh every time, the part that I keep remembering, even today, is what she said as she was walking off.

After all was said and done, I wouldn’t give her money (I was standing behind the counter with a long of customers and she had a whole big scheme), and she was gathering her bags to leave the store, she had to have one last hurrah, she proclaimed to the whole line of people, as if we had MADE her come in the store, “You act like this is the MOST IMPORTANT thing I am doing today…I have a LOT of more important things to do today.”

And by making that statement, out loud, without being prompted, she let’s everyone know, that IS the important thing she did that day. She wanted us to know that she was important, she was “busy,” she had a life to live somewhere else doing “important” people things. She watched people come and go, all day, into the store, most of them walking quickly, most of them in a hurry to complete all their tasks for the day, oblivious to the world around them. She had observed people doing that exact thing that on one of her “busy” days sitting outside our store.

What she doesn’t know or doesn’t realize is that I can guarantee that not ONE person would ever utter, “This is not the most important part of the day for me” when they buy their coffee (for a lot of them, it is the most important part of the day, as most addictions go). But, a small part of me, as I watched her walked out, literally waddling out of the store, balancing all those bags full of stuff panhandled from various businesses or pulled out of trash cans, “Good for you…”

And I realized that this was the second time in as many days that I had watched a homeless-type person walking out of the store, me staring at their back, daydreaming for a few seconds, wondering about the human condition and its delicacy- The fine line between crazy and normal and the spectrum of all the stages in the middle. How we can lose ourselves on the completion of the mundane, everyday tasks that make us function as a part of society and how we sometimes find ourselves crippled by the authenticity of real emotion when something grips us or changes our lives in a way we weren’t expecting. As much as we sometimes want to separate ourselves from the crazy people, it doesn’t hurt take a good long look at the person in the mirror and think about the things that help us achieve that amazing balance of living and surviving and thriving. It’s a blessing to know that God controls it all. I just have to trust that truth, and thank Him for the family and friends I have to keep ME from being crazy! Haha!

I turned to the next customer to get his order and he says, “Well, I bet you don’t see THAT every day…”
I said to him, smiling, “Speak for yourself…”