Mochas, and Lattes, and Crickets- OH MY!!

I’m going to go a little “Hollywood” in this blog, and by Hollywood, I mean a little bit between Cinderella and Indiana Jones (the last crusade one with Sean Connery, not the one with the weird chanting or strange voodoo doll), and maybe a dash of Sleepless in Seattle and While You Were Sleeping thrown in for good measure. And since I’m covering my romantic comedy bases, I have to throw One Fine Day out there even though I didn’t like Michelle Phieffer, George Clooney swooned his caesar hair-cutted way into my heart with that film and I will find a way to reference it today.

So, once upon a time, that time being today, this morning, I started upon doing some early morning tasks outside the store. I was assessing the front of the building, the signage and the tables and chairs outside. I went to get the umbrellas to roll them into their perspective spots on the patio when LO AND BEHOLD, what should I find but masses and masses of CRICKETS guarding the base of the umbrella with their little black-shiny-metal-looking-armored bodies. They were starting at me all beady-eyed and prepared to pounce at the first sign of movement. I could hear it in their chirping, they were sending messages back and forth like warp speed morse-code, I just knew they were saying, “imposter alert, big tall monster kill us will she…step on us, monster will…” (I don’t know why the crickets talk like Yoda, but it seemed fitting). I know people would wonder why don’t I just step on these little guys, just kill them and put them out of MY misery…well, it’s like the scene in Indiana Jones where Indy has to go into the snakes and he says, “Snakes…it’s ALWAYS snakes…” and if I killed the crickets:
1. I wouldn’t be able to say this line everytime I see them and I LOVE that line because the word “snakes” can be replaced with ANYTHING, like, if it starts raining on a busy day, one could say, “Rain…it’s ALWAYS rain…” haha! Or, if someone JUST got their car washed and a bird poops, “Poop…it’s ALWAYS poop…” See, isn’t it great?!?!
2. I am SERIOUSLY, cripplingly afraid of them. It’s the same with roaches…not only can I NOT kill them, I can’t even get CLOSE enough to them to shoo them away. That whole saying about “they are more scared of you than you are of them…” whoever said that nonsense probably never was chased by a roach…and that is some SCARY crazy stuff that a person can never forget, I would imagine, at least.

My dilemma was made worse by the fact that I wasn’t even working on the clock yet. So, here I was, sacrificing my life among this army of morse-code talking crickets and I wasn’t even getting paid for this! I was just assessing how the “open” went before I took over the shift at 6 a.m. and it so happens that the chairs and umbrellas weren’t set up yet so out of the goodness of my heart, I was risking my well-being and my sanity fighting for the rights of the Starbucks umbrellas (aka- the beasts, as they two of the hardest monstrosities to maneuver) all while basically VOLUNTEERING my time.

I left well enough alone. It was too hot for customers to sit outside anyway, and I could send the barista, a young girl who doesn’t know to be afraid of crickets just yet, to set the umbrellas up later as I had more “important” manager duties to do, like restock the straws or something safe like that, haha.

Anyway, the other Hollywood things I was mulling today occurred because a very handsome (married) cop came in and said that his buddies were asking him about me (because he spends a lot of time on his patrol around our store). His buddies had been in several times, but they don’t work in the area, so I had never really chatted with them as I had with him before. I told him to “hook a sister up” (aka, introduce me sometime).

When I am working behind the counter, I’m always waiting for that amazing, God-inspired moment like from “While You Were Sleeping” to happen. And I don’t mean in a way of I’m waiting for God to bless me with some kind of miracle, not that I DON’T expect that, but like I’ve said before, I know that we are often the product of the decisions we make and I have been amazingly blessed with opportunity, but partly because of my own selfishness and blindness to the truth, I had let some things slip away in my life and even in other instances hurt people that were important to me, but I think we have all done this to some degree at different times in our lives, and if we turn our hearts inward or our heads away from possible blessings in the future, we may miss what God is wanting us to see.

All that to say, I’d love to just have some movie character moment where I can jump into the subway and save the life of the brother of the man of my dreams (While You Were Sleeping)…or maybe meet someone who is Sleepless in Dallas because I served them too much coffee! Haha. Or maybe, I can have One Fine Day that George Clooney comes in to order an Iced Coffee with cold half and half and Splenda and I can say, “That’s MY favorite drink, too!” and he can say, “When’s your next break…? Because I’d like to steal you away…” and I can say, “You already stole my heart…” Okay, hopefully it won’t be that corny, but meeting him would rock.

Most of the great romantic comedies and even adventure movies, these Hollywood fairyish tales start with the female being in some compromising situation. My job isn’t exactly “compromising,” unless, of course, we take into consideration the crickets. But, I think that I can still anticipate my Cinderella Happily Ever Cricket-free After. I may even get a "get out of jail free" for traffic tickets if I play my cards right! Between working at a hot spot for "chance meetings" and attending church on Saturday (singles) night, I think I stand a pretty good shot at my Happy Ending.

"BEAN me up, Scotty!"

Aaahhhh, the espresso machine. It’s the birthplace of all things “atte” and “atto” and “ccino!” Meaning, all drinks starts with that little machine…pulling the perfect shots of espresso to brew up the drinks. I have fought with it already many times…and yes…it won. The milk steamer, particularly…she’s a nasty little beast and all of us have the scars on our fingers and wrists to prove it. Baristas are easy to spot because they suffer the wrath of the milk steamer on a daily basis. Now it’s probably obvious why I like to work the register, ahem. The cash doesn’t bite…nor does it spit hot milk or steam at random moments simply because it’s backed up. There is a little digital screen that explains what is going on with the espresso machine and it lights up randomly- sometimes it says, “Fill Hopper” and that always makes me laugh because 1. It sounds funny and 2. The fact that the coffee bean holder is called a hopper just seems so fitting. There are many stories to come about the espresso machine. I thought I would just give it a little blog love, as I did suffer a nasty hiss from her yesterday when I was watching Charlie clean the machine before we closed for the night. I think the machine knows that I am avoiding it…and it is just waiting for the next opportunity that I venture near so that I can get burned…keep your enemies closer, and I’ve got my eye on her, that’s for sure.

On a different tangent, there’s a phenomenon called Reactance Theory. I haven’t done a ton of research on it, but I saw it used somewhere in a newspaper article and I read up a little on it…and I realized the more I learned about it, there are varying levels of it that I perceive every day in my line of work, especially on days when it’s just me and a barista and the barista is on break and I have more of a opportunity to really get one-on-one time to visit with our guests and how much “brighter” they become simply by receiving their Starbucks fix for the day.
This theory is just a simple, summed up version of “The grass is greener” combined with “forbidden fruit is sweeter” with a dash of “reverse psychology.” Together, the cause and effect of these themes form this Reactance theory. It’s a phenomenon of the brain that implicates people under pressure are more likely to make a decision that they have been told to NOT make, (aka, the reverse psychology, “DON’T you dare clean your room, you better leave that room a MESS!”) but only if under pressure from a source that also the power to entice a consequence. Basically, this theory kind of sounds like something that a lawyer came up to help with the insanity plea for criminals that committed a really stupid crime and needed a major cop-out to explain their actions…

Strangely enough, why this theory has even piqued my interest is because I equate many brain phenomenon to coffee, as it is a mood enhancer or stimulant. I am sure that caffeine has had its day in court (who can forget the McDonald’s case where the lady got burned on her hand! I mean, seriously! Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! She’s gonna sue for hot coffee and I get yelled at every day by people that ARE BEGGING for their milk to be at 180 degrees!)…but I don’t think that we have really tapped into the full use of all that caffeine has to offer. The simple, basic coffee bean is such a concentrated little burst of energy, full of antioxidants and flavor! To sit and enjoy, to SAVOR slowly, the taste and abundant richness of coffee is an art form.

I do not take lightly the ability of a simple cup of coffee (that I drink for free now) to brighten my day. I have become more relaxed, laid-back, comfortable with myself, and downright happy since I took this job. Aside from the personal reasons that I enjoy my work, and enjoy being a shift manager, I attribute the simplicity of a cup of coffee to be something that I look forward to every day. I LIKE sinking into a chair, on my break or a couple minutes before my shift starts, and letting my taste buds soak up the rich, black coffee, sipping it to fully appreciate the complexity of the flavor. It is a great environment…I am so grateful at my dad for encouraging me to stick with this job, even if I thought it might not be what I wanted at first. I couldn’t have made a better decision. Starbucks has been like a small slice of home for me, it feels like a wonderful fit, like an old pair of tennis shoes…but without the stinky tennis shoe smell.

Sometimes, I think we forget to thank God for the things that work the way they are supposed to. Like when our car starts just like it is supposed to…and when our house is air-conditioned just the way it is supposed to be…and when our arms and legs feel good and our head doesn’t ache and our heart beats strong… These are all things that happen every day just like they are supposed to…and I never want to be so busy with other brain phenomenon like “reacting” to the world and all its craziness that I forget to look towards heaven and thank God for the little bitty simple things. For a God that is PHENOMENALLY huge, He calls us to use the simple abilities with which we’ve been blessed to bless others in HUGE ways.

I am striving, every day, to be a BIG BLESSER! Haha. Sounds funny, but I believe that because I am here, at Starbucks, I am supposed to use this forum to change lives. I don’t want to stop until I accomplish that! And lucky for me, the caffeine isn’t running low, so I don’t have to slow down any time soon!!! Fill up that hopper with some coffee beans- it's going to be a LONG ride!!!

No "ifs, ands, or buts" allowed...Unless you have Gold Card, that is...

It didn’t seem fair to come home and not blog again for the second night in a row. Plus, I really do have things to say today. Imagine that. Haha.

As I just mentioned, I obviously have been closing the store lately, working as manager on duty for the second shift of the day which means that all the closing duties fall under my jurisdiction. I have not done a perfect job the last couple nights, but I feel like I am getting my “sea legs” (aka- coffee chops) when it comes to getting everything ready for the openers in the morning.

It’s funny when I call the next morning, and I ask how was the “close” (meaning, was everything stocked, cleaned, prepped for the morning rush, etc…) and they tell me that I forgot to do something, it’s like, “Doh!” Because I will have thought it was perfect when I left and they will have a list of like 7 or 8 things that I will have forgotten! Shameful! Haha. Not really, it’s quite an extensive list to get accomplished in about thirty minutes as far as cleaning, sanitizing EVERYTHING from the bathroom to the espresso bar to the coffee machines to the pastry case, as well as closing down the safe, the registers, etc... I am sure as I get better, the list will be completed much faster! If only I would start doing things earlier in the evening instead of walking around talking to people! Haha! You would think I was trying to run a social club instead of a coffeeshop!

Yesterday and today were fairly focused days for me, as far as work goes. I was pretty in tune to my duties and not as connected to our customers. I do feel like I was making people feel at ease and comfortable, but as the clock gets closer to time to shutting down shop, I can feel my patience wear thin and I think I may not be as genuinely happy to see that big group come strolling in five minutes before we lock the door.

In fact, last night, I was pulling chairs inside and a lady walked up from her car and said she was “astounded” that we were closing so early. I told her we could make her a drink and she said, “No, I am meeting some friends here…sooooo….” As though she wanted me to pull the chairs back outside for her and her friends to stay and chat for a while. I am sorry, we can make exceptions, but staying twenty minutes after close so that some friends can reacquainted is not on my list of reasons to stay late. Seriously, could they not have done their research and met before 9 oclock?!? But I kept my “happy face” on and told her she could go to the Starbucks down the street because it was open an hour later than ours. (Aaahhh, the beauty of working for a business that is, literally, almost on every street corner!) The lady wasn’t happy because she said, “All of my friends are coming here!” and she said it all whiney, as though I was going to let her friends in and we were locking HER out… I told her that her friends would probably see that we were closed as I was turning the lights out in about ten minutes anyway. I mean, we were officially “closed” as it was 9 oclock, and she was stalling me from doing my duties. I continued to drag chairs in while she stood in the parking lot staring at the door, like I was going to say April’s Fool! I was thinking, “You should probably get on the horn and start rallying the troops, sister…” (I mean, isn’t that why they invented cell phones? And I could tell from the looks of this lady that she had a fancy cell phone, probably adorned with diamonds or something…) but I just told her I was very sorry and would she like a drink before we shut down the espresso machine? She told me “No” very snippy and got back in her shiny Caddy-lack and drove away. I laughed to myself because there was nothing else to do. And I pulled in the last of the tables and locked the door.

People can be pretty high maintenance, but places like Starbucks with our “do-it-yourself” Frappuccinos and made-to-order-however-you-want-it drinks have created these monsters, so I guess we must cater to them. I am no exception to the rule, as I probably am the most demanding customer that most of the Starbucks employees have to deal with my customized drinks and picky preferences. After all, I know what goes into making these specialized creations, so why shouldn’t I get exactly what I want…and nothing less. Thank you very much and have a nice day. And yes, I do want that extra espresso shot while you’re at it…it’s going to be a long night. At Starbucks- we leave the light on for you…until it’s closing time, that is. Haha!

Service with a :)

Carrying on about traits, in the fashion of yesterday’s blog…I came to the conclusion, like a dozen light-bulbs going off in my brain all of the sudden…I get my servitude ability from my parents!
This may not seem like much of a revolution, but let me elaborate upon this from the beginning.

I had a training today at the corporate office near downtown Dallas. The trainings are so fun and very informative, and I will be talking about this one more in blogs to come. I posted a picture. I received an abundance of information about the specifics of the company as a whole and impact of Starbucks on the community and the world at large…found out some interesting facts about how to incorporate some of my big ideas into reality starting with the local stores and moving onto bigger avenues of influence…(like TOTAL WORLD DOMINATION…muah-hahaha! That was my Dr.Evil laugh)…

So, later this evening, I was standing in line at WalGreens. The line was very long and at the drugstore, whatever a person is buying is EASILY on display for all to see and since the line wasn’t moving very fast, there was quite an audience of people watching the lone cashier who looked more than ready to go home for the evening (or at least like he wanted to call over "Cindy" the photo shop worker who was simultaneously smacking her gum, flipping through a magazine, and texting, while informing him she was "...on her ten, kid." aka- she's not helping you, buddy).

There was one little Hispanic man in front of me who had two items, batteries and adult male diapers (and I only know this specifically because the man had kind of whispered to the cashier that the newsletter he had for them said they were on sale and they didn’t ring up that way, so naturally I looked to see what the item was…and I saw the specific name of the product “Adult Male Diapers” size medium). Immediately I start to get a nervous feeling in my stomach as the cashier can’t figure out why they won’t ring up…and sure enough, he picks up the “intercom” phone and calls for management…thank heavens he didn’t ask about a price check on them, I’m thinking. However, the whole line starts to get fidgety and they are getting curious about what is going on. I try to think of ways to help my “line” buddy by covering the product, but I am only buying a small package of Neosporin and that isn’t embarrassing and won’t help distract the line. Plus, the cashier is holding it up all high in the air. I hear two guys behind me snicker and I get upset. The Hispanic guy is facing the door like he wants to disappear and he isn’t really understanding what the cashier is saying to him. I think he just wants to grab his batteries and be on his way, but at this point, there are three people at the register trying to fix the price (apparently the guy got the ad from the “Sunday Paper” and the ad didn’t start until tomorrow). I’m looking around for something embarrassing to buy, but there’s nothing around the register except gum and chap stick and weight loss stuff. So, finally, they get it sorted out and the guy leaves, it’s my turn and the cashier kind of looks at me like he thinks we’re all gonna share a laugh about what just happened. The guys behind me are laughing louder now and I just know they are about to say something, so before they can, I open my big mouth and say, “Ya’ll think it is funny or something? People wet their pants. That could be you one day and I hope that people are compassionate enough to not laugh…” And I walked out to more laughing. Which who cares…those jerks.

And all this story-telling to bring me back to my parents…that’s where I get my compassion for people and my passion for serving others. My mother has served our family, selflessly (and without ever receiving ONE tip for it, haha!), for all of my life. She would constantly go out of her way to set up perfect dinners, cook wonderful food, maintain an immaculate house, all because that was her nature. She was a servant to us, her family. She had a deep compassion for putting others before herself. She instilled in my sister and myself the ability to serve others as an outpouring of our hearts. In effect, it is something that I ENJOY immensely. When I see that others are happy, I am pleased.

Now, couple that with my dad’s influence. My dad was a servant in occupation. He TEACHES people how to serve, not just through example, but through practice. My dad serves people in surprising and engaging ways. He taught me how to appeal to people’s needs by actively searching out ways to meet them WHERE THEY ARE. Meaning, he showed me how to serve others by seeking to find creative means to extend assistance and help alleviate hardships of others.
Through these two influences, I have found myself thriving in situations where I get to interact with people that have needs. Whether or not those needs are necessary (education) or just cravings (coffee), I love enlightening people and helping to serve them WHERE THEY ARE.

So, if it’s coffee they are after when they walk into Starbucks, I am proud that I can tell them that we buy our coffee beans from farmers that are being paid higher than any other coffee bean farmers in the world. From the tree, to the roasting plant, to the bag, to the store, our beans are treated like fine jewels and that is why we can guarantee that if people brew our coffee properly, they won’t find a better cup anywhere. The next time you go into a Starbucks, nicely ask the barista to brew you some of the Pike Place blend (or Guatemala Antigua, which are two of my favorite milder blends) in a coffee press and drink it out of a porcelain tasting cup, to truly savor the full aroma, acidity, and body of the coffee. I think you will agree that it’s worth it to sometimes, slow down and stop and smell the coffee-flavored roses.

You Say Tomato...I say, Ketchup...

So, I’ve never been good at admitting when there are certain qualities in which I may be deficient. Tonight, I realized that despite the fact that I laud “being observant” as something in which I have always excelled, I don’t. Excel, that is. In fact, I’m really not that observant at all.

It’s one of those qualities like “being a good listener” that people always claim (and the “claimers” are always the worst listeners anyway) because being observant isn’t really something that a person can use to describe themselves- meaning, the observing is always going to be relative to them, unless they actually NOTICE something about someone else and that person says, “Wow, you are observant”…

Tonight, I had a couple instances of NON-observance. A customer was very impressed when I remembered his name (he was good looking) and another customer, a female (she was wearing a TON of jewelry), was impressed when I remembered her drink. They both commented on me “being observant” and I was left thinking, “No, that is having a good MEMORY” not actually noticing something outside of what is going on around me. I do have a good memory…that is a quality in which has come in handy for me to make up for deficiencies in other areas, like having a short attention span.

I know that I am not observant outside of my own surroundings because I had to close the store with a barista tonight, and I realized that I hadn’t really been WATCHING what the other shift managers did when they closed to prepare themselves to be ready to shut down shop. In effect, tonight, we got out the door much later than I had anticipated because of my own lack of preparation. It ended up being fine, but I was thinking, all these years that I have “claimed” be observant, I have actually been living a lie. Haha. It was a harsh realization mainly because I had taken great pride in being able to describe myself using this term that I thought was a notable trait. It is with great displeasure that I come to tell all my loyal readers- I am not observant, people. I am disciplined and I am motivated, but I will have to think of another adjective in which to use to describe myself in interviews when a potential employer asks me the “use three adjectives to describe yourself” question.

Last note on Starbucks- consistency does not exist when it comes to coffee cravings. Fridays are supposed to be slow evenings. Today, we did more business in the evening and had more people hanging out in our lobby than I have ever witnessed in our store. It was exhilarating and exhausting all at once, and I will have to remind myself to never request the closing shift on Friday again. My idea about date night (when I am working) will have to be filed under the list of “Give this idea after I have retired.”

My favorite couple that came in- Johnny and June* (*names have been changed to protect the innocent) who were headed to a tango dance hall to practice ballroom dancing. They were dressed impeccably (sarcasm being used here) and they ordered a caramel macchiato with an extra shot and a skinny vanilla latte, respectively. Yeah, Johnny, no amount of extra shots is going to make your tucked in pearl-snap button-down look attractive with those tight jeans.

Furthermore, when I got home and was in my bathroom getting ready for bed, I overhead a commercial for eharmony advertising another “free weekend” of matches and I couldn’t help but laugh because who wants to meet a person they know was checking matches on a “free weekend????” I mean, I want to know that a guy shelled out BIG BUCKS to meet me online, right? I might meet someone like Johnny, otherwise! Right? Are you with me, girls? That’s all I have for this TGIF!!!!

Romancing the "Bean"

Something strange happened this morning. When I woke up, I wanted coffee and I realized I didn’t have any here at my apartment. Hhhmmm, quite a dilemma. And quite ironic. Actually, it’s usually not a big deal because when I work mornings, I stop at 7-Eleven to get my coffee fix on my way to work. Haha, I’m kidding…I don’t do that…anymore.

On a serious note, I have tried not to drink too much coffee outside of work, because I do spend time at work doing tastings and checking shots that come out of the espresso machine. I don’t want my palate to be completely diminished by drinking substandard coffee. Not that 7-Eleven coffee in and of itself is inferior, just the preparation and serving process remain mediocre compared to how we rock the “bean” at Starbucks. We are VERY encouraged to drink our coffee, through different preparation methods (the regular brewers, the coffee press- which is the most pure way to experience coffee in its truest form, the espresso shots, etc…) and to try all the different roasts that we sell. We want to be informed for our customer, to really be able to describe what the coffee “feels” like in our mouth. I have to be honest, I do LOVE coffee, but NOTHING compares to the SMELL of the beans when we open up a new bag of beans. That’s what I was craving this morning. Waking up to Starbucks in my cups. Folger’s who?

Anyway, this morning, I had a little bit of plain cream and some tea that a customer had given me. I like TAZO tea (that Starbucks serves) but a customer came in one day and was talking about the “purity” of certain teas and the next time she came in, she gave me a brand new box of super nice tea bags. So, this morning, I brewed up a batch of hot tea and added some cream to it with a little bit of Splenda. I have been sipping on it all morning, and I will admit while my quiet time was amazing and uplifting and is definitely contributing to my positive feelings…the savoring of this simple tea has also helped me to feel really wonderful. It’s just an Oolong Tea, nothing “special” or necessarily energizing. I guess it was the whole experience of brewing it and then just sitting and enjoying it, no distractions, just me and my prayer journal.

Plus, I will get my fill of coffee beans later in the day. I am the closing shift again today which is what I did yesterday. I like opening the store better, as there is not as much cleaning involved. Plus, I am a morning person. Being closing shift, I find myself wanting to go out in the café and sit with the customers and shoot the breeze. My breaks are never long enough in the evening. Dusk is probably my favorite time of the day, and I’d rather be doing something romantic at dusk… Not that hauling out our trash bin to the dumpster isn't romantic, but it's just not my idea of a perfect evening. Oh well, at this point in my life, a romantic evening needs to be the last of my focuses...I should just be happy that the coffeebean will be consistent and bold in flavor when I need it to be. That's about all the romance I can handle right now! haha!!

After These Messages...We'll Be Riiiiight Back!

I’m not necessarily proud of the fact that I spent my free-time doing this, but I listened to the Fraggle Rock theme today on youtube. ("Throw your cares away...leave them for another day...come to Fraggle Rock!" I was oddly trusting of the Fraggles, even though, to this day, I have no idea what a Fraggle is...). For some reason, I wanted to hear the song out of sheer desire to relive that small part of my childhood to see if I was remembering it correctly. I miss things like cartoon theme songs in the same way that I miss the ignorant innocence of not knowing how unpredictable the world can be. The simplistic awe of a child can bring me right back to a time when cartoon theme songs were the soundtrack of my life. When my sister and brother-in-law came to visit me, my nephews and niece thought that the whole apartment complex was my home. I practically lived in a chateaux in their eyes. I miss having that incorruptibility, the lack of knowledge that contributes to having a dynamic imagination about everything in the world around me. Apartment complexes become palaces and hotels (no matter how ratty tatty) are like amusement parks if they had a pool!

Hearing the Fraggle Rock song reminded me of a time when I would wake up on Saturday morning with the sheer intention of watching cartoons- my whole morning revolving on that axis, on the existence of characters full of life and laughter. Simplicity at its best. Fraggle Rock, Garfield and Friends, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Inspector Gadget, and, on some of the more indulgent mornings- Care Bears or Ducktales. And I wasn't even a TV-watching kid...on Saturday mornings, though, for about an hour and a half, cartoons were my world!

Nowdays, kids don’t even have to watch commercials. Parents can DVR the show and run through the lapses in programming. Who am I kidding? The KIDS can work the DVR just as adeptly as the parents. I should know, I watched my nephews and niece maneuver through the menu on their TV faster than I could say, “Don’t change the channel!”

As I think about the way things “used” to be, even when I was younger, I’m astonished at how fast the world changes and adapts. It makes me nervous in a way that I am glad I have a Faith that isn’t affected by all this change, I stand on a foundation that is firm. Whew- good to know!!

However, we can’t ignore the fact that development exists to help us be more productive individuals, so I have decided to not only embrace change, but also think about ways, at Starbucks, that change or even a revert back to the more simplistic could be more helpful.

1. When people come up the register, the pastry case and the menu are often overwhelming to them, even veterans who know what they want, sometimes people look dejected before they even order, and many times the workers are asked, “What do you suggest?”… People can find themselves just ordering what they always order because they don’t know what else to get and they don’t feel like having to really “think” about it too hard.

Solution: What if people could walk in and say, “I feel like something slightly sweet, cold, with vanilla in it.” And the person at the register, armed with an abundance of information, could offer up a couple of comprehensive suggestions for them. The customer would not only be introduced to new delicious drink alternatives, but they would be given an opportunity for their current craving to be met. It’s really a win-win situation and it puts the “home” feeling back into coffeehouse. I know that the drawbacks are that some people want to be in and out with no personal connection, which is why we invented drive-through and online banking so that we could do everything without having to see another human being as long as we live. Human connection is part of what makes the day enjoyable, otherwise, we are all just moving along in our bubbles, never having any solid interaction or building meaningful relationships. Our days are becoming increasingly devoid of external growth. We are encouraged to become more and more introverted and self-concerned which isn’t always a bad thing, but can lead to an unfulfilling life.

Confession: I found out today that I didn’t win a contest in which I was entered. While I shouldn’t have cared because it wasn’t my idea in the first place, I was still disappointed in a way that mentally highlighted my deficiencies. I began to realize that, wow, we are such delicate creatures that teeter on a balance between resilience and resignation.

One day, I may feel like no one can touch me and my childlike wonder fills me with the limitless possibility of potential and imagination, and other days, I feel like one bad encounter can cripple my mental capacity to do ANYTHING worthy or valuable. Losing is losing is losing. Losing a contest, losing a relationship, losing a job- it’s all the same, it leaves a void, even if it is a good thing that we needed to “lose.” Ironically enough, my devotion this morning was about loss. It’s how we view our loss that will ultimately determine how we deal with our loss. We should view our loss as a gain of a new opportunity to put something good back into our life.

The fact that I took this job at Starbucks, as a result of a couple of different losses in my life, has been a perfect example of being “better off” than I was with the things that I “lost.” I lost a relationship and a job, but I gained a whole new lease on my future. I leaned on God harder than I had in a long time, and, as always, He proved steadfast and true. He provided me with a job where I flourish, and where I get to play “mad scientist” with coffee and chocolate and whipped cream all day. Not bad, not bad at all.

Bueller...? Bueller...? Bueller...?

There is some age old advice about public speaking- picture people in their underwear. My new job does not include public speaking, but it does include a type of public entertainment that requires the ability to perform for a crowd.
I like to call it functional diversion. The key to a success Starbucks is speed of service. 1. Get the people in the door. 2. Get the drinks in their hands. 3. Get them out the door. All the while providing service that leaves them with an impression of welcoming and satisfaction, wanting to come back for more, and more, and more… The way to measure speed of service is by customer feedback. If the customer NEVER realizes that they have waited in a really long line for a little cup of coffee, then they will be satisfied with the service, mission accomplished.

But not without a little functional diversion. This is where I will shine, and I have a good reason to be confident of this.

I don’t use the old wives tale of picturing people in their underwear (I wouldn’t have to work at that too hard because sometimes people come in wearing their pajamas which could count as underwear), but I do use another tactic to help me relax and engage even the hardest to reach customer. I picture them as junior high school kids. I think that junior high kids are at their most awkward age, an age that requires sensitivity and empathy and humor. I was never lacking in the confidence department when I was a young child, so I had no trouble making friends. I had a very enjoyable childhood in regards to how I felt about myself. But I also recognize now that as an adolescent, I appreciated adults that were relaxed and honest and open when communicating with me, instead of regarding me like a “child.”

So, in order to create my diversion, I convert people to junior high kids, I put them back in their awkward pre-teen years and suddenly, not only am I endeared to them, but I find myself catering to their needs with more urgency and care because of their delicate emotional state. And, oddly enough, even the toughest executives and sassiest housewives are putty in my hands. Men in suits become zit faced, braces wearing, self-conscious wanna-be macho little thirteen year old boys and my kind smile and conversation starters full of compliments immediately draw them in just enough to "push" them away with a sense of belonging and tenderness. I don’t really think people are putty in my hands, but I do think they appreciate my attentiveness to them while using my functional diversion.

We interrupt this message to announce an important announcement (from the department of redundancy department, haha…that was pretty funny, the redundancy line, I got it from a tshirt at urban outfitters, giving credit, just in case it’s copyrighted).

BING, BING, BING (that’s the sound of the announcement thing)- “Starbucks certified a new shift manager today and her name is Kara,” celebrating tonight for me!

Let me just say, “I want to thank my mom and dad. And of course, God, for making me amazing.” I’m kidding people, but I do, from the bottom of my heart offer those thanks on a daily basis, as God has provided me with a platform to be a part of people’s days in a way that allows me to serve and to showcase the love of God in surprising ways. And, of course, I am forever thankful for my incredible parents.

Surprising things about interaction- People are shocked by a kind word, by a genuine smile, and, amazingly enough, by EYE CONTACT.

I looked at a guy today and said, “One of your eyes is green and the other one is brownish” and guess what he said?? He told me, “You’d be shocked at how many people NEVER notice that!” Wow. I mean, this guy wasn’t, like, good-looking or anything, and I doubt that too many people even give him a second glance (and I don’t mean that in a rude way, it’s just reality…I mean, in a way, it’s rude to stare, but you know, eye contact is polite, I think when you are serving a person), but to think how many people go around and never really FOCUS on the people around them. We miss so many great stories by ignoring people and opportunities to learn about the differences that make everyone unique.

For example, this job just drops "opportunity to learn new things" every day- Today a lady asked for a Starbucks double shot breve (half and half) with whipped cream and caramel drizzle on top. I was watching it be made in the bar (practicing “managing” by observation of the baristas who are actually more knowledgeable on making some of the drinks than me still). I remember kind of going, “eeww” when the drink was ordered, but then, I ordered one at a Starbucks later this afternoon, and guess what? It was good. (the drink is basically two shots of espresso over ice, shaken, put in a cup, half and half poured over it, whipped cream and caramel syrup on top…good stuff…not better than a green tea frappcuccino but a good stand-by when I’m all matcha-powdered out).

Something else funny happened today before I left, after being CERTIFIED (in case anyone forgot about that)… Earlier in the day was a drink on the bar that was unclaimed…the barista KEPT yelling it out like in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" when the teacher keeps calling out his name...“Decaf Double Tall Extra Hot Skinny Vanilla Latte at the bar" (wait 30 seconds, then repeat)... Now imagine that being yelled about six times, while the drink sat there, untaken. Well, this happened about three times today. Another was, “Venti Two-Pump Extra Dry Hazelnut Cappuccino at the bar!” And I remember these drinks because they are so specific and we said them about eight times total from order to finish. Finally, when it happened a third time a drink left unclaimed, during a period we were kind of crowded, I thought, after yelling the drink out about four times and no one standing up to get it, I said for all to hear- “Blond-haired, blue eyed, educated, Christian, single white female at the bar with an iced triple grande soy cinnamon dulce latte!!”

Still no takers. Dang. What’s a girl got to do to get a date in this town? Haha! Oh well, at least I got a latte out of the deal.

Have (Coffee) Passport, Will Travel...

Okay, so I worked the early shift and I was done this morning, and I am just now posting my blog because I have a confession to make- I have become LAZY. In my own life, I mean. Doesn’t that happen when we start a new job that is t-i-r-i-n-g? I mean, suddenly, my own cleanliness habits at home, such as washing dishes, have taken on a “work” type feeling. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not living in squalor, I AM my mother’s (white glove) daughter, haha, but I don’t have the luxury of wanting to scrub every crumb and dust every speck after picking up for people I don’t even know all day at Starbucks. Yes, the dishes that I used to NOT mind doing at all have suddenly taken on an “I guess I will do these even though I have been up to my ELBOWS in sink water all day” (not really, but you get the idea). Oddly enough, sweeping the floor used to my least favorite activity (I was an expert “foot pusher” of dirt or drop the Lysol wipe on the floor and scrub away with my bare feet) and now I am sweeping about 10 times a day, even when I get home, just to keep up the habit, my hardwood floors have never looked better!

This evening, among my laziness, to get motivation, I was taking a stroll around the perimeter inside my apartment pool area, which allows me to hear the various conversations taking place on the balconies of my 1st and 2nd floor neighbors (3rd floor is out of earshot making me glad to be on the 4th floor and well away from eavesdropping walk-bys such as myself)…and I allowed myself the indulgence of taking bits of the conversations, four of which were phone conversations (the best kind because they are one-sided and I can just use my imagination when trying to piece together a semblance of what might be being said on the other end). Tidbits of what I overhead on my journey of eavesdropping: (discretion being key, I might misquote as I didn’t want to loiter for fear of seeming stalkerish): “…and that is why I DON’T want to be involved because you always skew what I say…no…I didn’t EVEN mean it that way…” (this was said by a 20something male). “She TOLD me exactly that same thing…but I still want to go because if I don’t go then they will think I am trying to NOT be there because HE is there…” (this was said by a 30something female and is probably the best quote of the evening as she was dressed up to go out and I would have loved to have “been there” when she ran into “him” haha!). “Mmsmphshshmmm…shhmsmsphdhn” (this was a guy whose voice was too deep to understand anything he was saying and I don’t think it was any more clear to the person to whom he was speaking as there were many gaps in the conversations…and lots of silence on his end except for the random mumblings).

A note on Starbucks- I am becoming increasingly defensive of my company the longer I am invested in the work at the store. Like a mother hen, I regard Starbucks as an upstanding coffee producing shop that delivers quality and customer service better than any place like it. Our coffee is good for a reason, because we take great care in providing the best. For many reasons. The people that do not like Starbucks (and there ARE still skeptics out there…I know them…and I know their names and where they live…haha) are either 1. Intimidated by the choices they cannot pronounce or 2. Not aware of the beverage offerings of the company. We have something for everyone. And for those people that make fun of the expensive coffee that we serve do not know the quality with which we handle this product from start to finish.

It reminds me of something akin to making fun of a sibling. If someone EVER made fun of my sister, I would knock them off their rocker. Now, my sister isn’t one to be made fun of anyway…if anyone was going to make fun, it would be at MY expense, as I am the more “make-fun-able” one of the two of us, and my sister would jump to my defense even if I didn’t need it (as I can hold my own in a fight…I think…not that I have been in many fights…if the moment called for it, I am sure I could throw a punch or two…or maybe a tae-kwon-do kick of some sort at least…).

Starbucks doesn’t need me to defend it, but if the times calls for a defense- I am ready. I have my coffee-tasting “passport" and I’m not afraid to use it. I have sampled our coffees and I know my business inside and out and I have the caffeine jitters to prove it and the eye twitch to boot! haha!

Now, do you want a Cranberry Orange scone with that Hazelnut Latte or am I going to have to pull out the big guns?

Chunky Monkey

Continuation on observations...see yesterday's blog for reference:

People love to hate children...when they are loud, people cringe as if they are expected to be annoyed. People are embarrassed by children because they are unpredictable but they also relish in that same recklessness that allows children to say things that they can only think.

For example (you knew the example was coming!), a lady came in today with two little boys. The boys were very rambunctious and wanted to “help” their mother from the moment she entered the store. One of them immediately grabbed a bag of chips from the basket by the checkout line and said, “Look mom! You like these chips! You eat these chips all the time…” and the mother nodded absentmindedly as she was staring at the drink menu above the counter. The little boy handed me the chips and I kind of held them up for the mom to see, she shook her head “no” discreetly and I slid them back under the counter. I think she was trying to act like the boys weren't "with" her in case she needed to pull an "emergency exit" type of thing, like if one of them blurted something horribly "honest" about someone else (like, one of those politically incorrect statements that people may THINK but are NEVER allowed to voice out loud)...these two boys seemed PRIMED to say something along those lines...

By this time, the older of the two boys had found the empty thermos bottles that we sell and he said, “Mom. You melted the other one in the dishwasher, why don’t you get this blue one?” The mom looked at me and said, “I had a red one and ya’ll don’t make them anymore…” then to the boy, “I don’t want a blue one, honey.”

At this point, both boys were right up on the counter, ready to order their drinks, when the little one said, “There was a girl that said Spanish last time to us…” and he stared at me expectantly.

“I know PigLatin…but no Espanol, buddy.” He started laughing uncontrollably like only children can in public. There's something about words like "poop," or "toot" or "pig" (and "latin" I guess) that just hit a kid's funny bone in a way that makes me jealous of the time when the world was so simple that I could laugh for hours when I heard a taboo word like "toot."

He told me he wanted that drink without “coffee black” in it. I didn’t know that ANY of our drinks had “coffee black” in them but I said “In lieu of my observations of you and your sibling, I am not altogether shocked that your mom disapproves of your consumption of an excessive amount of coffee black…” It was his mom’s turn to laugh uncontrollably and his turn to look at me like I had just spoken Spanish…

Unfazed, the other boy told me, “My mom will only order the skinny drinks here because there are too many sugar and fat in your drinks.” (Notice, in MY drinks, like I am PERSONALLY trying to make his mother FAT by serving her sugar filled drinks…not only am I monolingual but I am a triglyceride-giving bad bad person)

Luckily, there were no other people in line, but suddenly the mom was in such a rush you would have thought that someone had told her that her she didn't have a shirt on or something…maybe that’s what it is like all the time in public with children- a constant showing of undergarments or a waving of the dirty laundry. Because what are children but a mini-me reflection of their parents...?

Either way, she ordered her skinny vanilla latte (“But go ahead and put at least ONE pump of regular vanilla syrup in there…” haha, of course…anything for my dallas divas!) and they were gone, having left the counter in a whirlwind of thermos bottles, straw wrappers (who had even noticed that they had pulled straws off the bar area), and chip bags…I think the littlest boy had even eaten a chocolate graham while standing in line…haha. Oh well, I guess that’s life with the little ones…haphazard and awkward- America’s Funniest Home Videos waiting to happen...
In a moment, they were off to terrorize some other business with their dirty laundry and high pitched giggling!

Monkey See, Monkey Do...

Today was about people observation…observation of the people that visit Starbucks.

One funny thing is how different people are even just a couple hundred miles apart. Houston people and Dallas people, for example, as I have lived in both cities at this point and since I was born in Fort Worth and I chose to live in Houston for 10 years, I am, for the most part unbiased as I offer up the following suppositions.

People in Houston are Texan from a sense that they live in Texas and their football team is called the Texans, but heaven forbid you call them “country” or “cowboyish,” or tell them they have an accent. They will suddenly start talking all proper and sounding like they are from the north. Houstonians take great pride in their individuality and very little pride in their heritage of being from a state of a "lone star." They are refined in a sense of you would never find a Houstonian as a character on the old “Dallas” tv show.

Whereas Dallas people, from what I have observed, can’t wait to show you their newest pair of cowboy boots and let you hear their drawling accent, and they certainly take GREAT pride in the fact that they ARE not only representatives of the lone star state, but they have an NFL team that has a LONE STAR on their helmet. On a daily basis, I have people come up to me in Starbucks and use a vocabulary that can only be described as Dallasunciation.

For example, a lady was telling me she liked my earrings, and she said it like this: “Ayyy. Luuuve. Those. Earrangs. They. Are. So. Cute. Wher-er. Did. You. Get. Tham.?”

Things to notice- every word is its own sentence. She. Talked. THAT. Slow. And the word, “Where” that should only be one syllable was actually almost three syllables when she said it. By the time the whole sentence was completed, I was practically already getting senior citizen benefits. Haha.

The other thing I notice about Dallas people, they are more image conscious, but also more indulgent and likely to splurge. Let me give a Starbucks example: a couple of 50-something ladies wearing $700 jeans and those tattoo type shirts with the tight sleeves and crazy skull and heart designs all over it will come in and order a skinny vanilla latte and a caramel frappuccino light (“but go ahead and put on a tiny bit of whipped cream”) and to celebrate their “light” drinks, they will both get a piece of “low-fat” very berry coffee cake upon my suggestion as it’s the tastiest pastry we serve and it has “low-fat” in the name… They are basically contradictions in terms. That's what makes them hilarious. Well, that and the fact that they are wearing clothes that make them look like 14-year-olds.

I love these ladies that come in with their sparkly cell phones and glittering jewelry. And I love them, not in a “haha” I’m laughing at you way, but in a way that has me wanting a “Real Housewives of Dallas” tv show because it would be a fascinatingly Texas diva type sitcom. And Texas divas are the best kinds of divas. As maddeningly demanding as they are at Starbucks, they are slowly becoming my favorite customers. They provide limitless entertainment from the moment they enter the store in a rush of perfume and fanfare to the moment they leave with a flourish of their scarves and a sweep of their hands through their hair.

I love that Starbucks allows me opportunities to realize that THIS is the future that I have to look forward to- becoming one of these divas.

Refunds, Exchanges, and Customer Service with a Smile!!

Not every day can be a walk in the park and some days feel like long dives off short cliffs (when we hear ourselves tell someone to “Have a date gray! I mean, a GREAT DAY!”…and sometimes, we have to experience the darkness to appreciate the light. We have to experience the bitter to savor the sweet.

Today was tough. I left work feeling ragged and worn, not quite as energized as I have left in the last couple weeks. And as I sit here and type, I realized that today was hard for many reasons. One of which was that I experienced some “darkness”…I saw humanity in its most raw form. Basically, we had something bad happen at our store, the everyday stuff that can happen anywhere. It wasn’t enjoyable, it wasn’t fun, but it was the business of the most fundamental sort. The human spirit isn’t always a positive experience. Sometimes, people aren’t at their best…sometimes, they are at their worst. It affects everyone involved in a different way. For me, it is emotionally exhausting. It’s like when I was a teacher and I felt like no matter what I said or did, my message wasn’t getting through to the students, like I wasn’t “teaching” anything, not doing my job.

Tonight, after a long, demanding day, I reflect on the people in my life. My family and my friends are good people. They are encouraging and uplifting. When I talk to my family or friends, I am strengthened in my spirit. That’s what good people do- they give us a boost in our soul. Even if we feel discouraged, they have something positive to offer us.

Work is sometimes work, challenging and treacherous. Any work can feel this way when we are tired emotionally. I think that it’s even more tiring when we “put on” a happy face for those around us. Everyone at work today was putting on a happy face for the well-being of our store which is what makes me know today was a success in the big scheme of things. It is why we continue to push upward and onward when we face setbacks, because we know that the good can overcome the bad. The “light” can creep into the darkest corners and expose the shadows.

I don’t mean to make today seem like the worst circumstance anyone can face, it just makes me reflect on all those days that feel really arduous, almost like, “what next?” I sometimes appreciate these days because the littlest thing, like lighting a good-smelling candle at home and inhaling my favorite fragrance can make me smile and sigh happily, knowing that I will sleep soundly and wake up tomorrow ready to face anything.

It’s a difficult day that makes me dig down deep and see what I am made of- my inner fibers feel tougher, more honed and ready for any battle that I may need to face. I buckle down and say, “bring it on, world! I am ready…I have coffee and I will serve you this coffee with a smile.” (Even if I want to pour it over your head sometimes…)

Vous voulez un café?

Let’s see…I feel overwhelmed today. It was the busiest day I have ever worked at the store. We had several “rushes” of traffic, one particular rush lasted the last three hours I was at work. I, literally, feel like the rest of the world was standing still and we were moving 90 to nothing in that store. Sometimes I get that sensation, like, I’m surprised when I find out the rest of the world has stuff going on, things that MATTER besides our coffee cadence. I mean, in my opinion- “it’s Sunday morning, if you’re not in church, then what else do you have going on that so IMPORTANT in your life?” Seriously…if you can answer that question with something that is more important than God, then I’d like to hear from you.

Anyway, so, today since I’m still doing shift manager training, instead of being at church, I was at “work,” I was serving coffee, which although some people DO idolize the drink, it’s not really in the category of worship of the Almighty King of Kings. Haha. I kind of would like to see THAT conversation in Heaven, “So, yeah, LORD, I was brewing up premier Pike Place blend and making Frappuccinos for the coffee-starved patrons of Starbucks…I’m what you might want to call St.Mocha…that’s why I wasn’t in church.” And I’m sure God would gracefully nod his head and say, “Oh, little St.Mocha, I know your heart better than you do…” Whew! That’s always good to know!

I drove home to Burkburnett this afternoon in silent revelry, and as today was such a bustling, busy day, I had a ton of stories to tell my mom and dad. I can’t believe the traffic we had on a Sunday, especially when the day started so slow. One of the best stories actually happened in the first wee hours of the morning, around 6:30 am before we really got busy. A guy came in wearing a Dublin shirt…and we started talking about Ireland. There was only one other person in the store that had already been served, so this guy stayed up at the bar and began to tell stories about being in Dublin…he talked about how important the Guinness family was to the commerce in that area. He said the museum in the middle of the city in honor of Guinness was amazing. He said it had the history of the Guinness book of world records, and more importantly, the brewery for the beer. He said there was a 360 degree bar at the top of the museum that overlooked the city where everyone could drink original Guinness from the motherload… I didn’t make up that phrase “from the motherload…” The guy actually said that phrase…I remember specifically because it made me laugh and I told him he reminded me of someone….and it rhymes with “malcoholic.” Haha! He laughed, and wasn’t mad. I said it would be like me visiting Seattle and drinking a latte at the original Starbucks. We get some of those crazies, too, who have to-go cups they use and will only drink their coffee from these cups because they came from the “original” store… I kid you not.

As we were talking about how other countries, like France or Switzerland or the Czech Republic (three that I have visited, as well) enjoyed their drinks, be they biers or cafes, I realized that I have had a lot of exposure to a lot of different places in the world. I am very fortunate to have seen life being lived across the pond, so to say. It makes a place like Starbucks seem luxurious and indulgent in a fantastic way, in a way to be relished slowly like dark chocolate or jelly beans...enjoying little luxuries slowly like the people do overseas. A place where we can delight in genuine and profound fellowship…just like Sunday worship!

I'm attaching two pictures…in the first one, the barista had trouble getting the “bunny ears,” so she apparently snapped another of these so called bunny ears…the jury is still out on whether those can be constituted as bunny ears or not. I’m going to say, probably not. Haha.

Two for the price of one!!!

Today was a most splendid day! This was a day that didn’t feel like work at all. I realized something that made my job smooth as butter. I am a “good guy” in this profession. No matter who comes through that door- cops, blue collar workers, businessman, soccer moms, missionaries, church goers, children, teenagers, etc…they all like me (not just me, Kara, but me, in the green apron who serves them coffee).

When I got to work earlier than expected, I sat at one of the tables and finished up my quiet time. This consisted of doing some writing in my prayer journal. It was very early and still dark outside. Two of my favorite songs came on the overhead speakers and I just knew it was going to be a red-letter day!

It was almost one of those days that left me waiting for something bad to happen…but aside from the usual syrup on my wrist (and very occasional coffee splatter from the Frappuccino base which can be disasterous on my more aggressive days when I really give the pump extra hard pushes and I am wearing a white shirt)...aside from these small things, it was an accident-free day!

One super funny incident occurred when a large group walked in together. They were a strange assortment of people that were all kind of talking to one another (some dressed kind of “funky,” others a little more conservative and they ranged from what appeared to be around 19 years old to in their 50s) and there seemed to be about 8 of them. They began to order and I was working register and quickly repeating the orders to Ayen who was banging the drinks out lightning fast! The first two guys walked on over to the bar area to pick up their drinks when Ayen called their names and the lady behind them gave a drink order of two drinks and said, “I’ll come back to pay for it all” walked back to the end of the group because she wanted to look at the pastries. When the next four people walked through, they all ordered Frappaccinos, and one of the girls was going to pay for the Frappes, and I said to the girls and the one man left in line, “Oh no, the lady right there said she is going to pay for you all” and I motioned to the lady at the pastry counter. They nodded and said, “Okay, cool!” and then the man behind them ordered a regular coffee and said, “That was so nice of her…” and he walked out the door with his coffee.

After the lady decided she wanted a cranberry scone, I got it, and told her the total- $36. Her eyes bugged out and she said, “How much is that scone???” I suddenly had a weird feeling in my stomach and I quickly glanced at the bar area- the girls were already gone with the Frappuccinos, but the two guys at the front of the line were headed back to the register. They said, “We both thought that the other one paid!” Haha. Okay, that’s all good and fine, but what about the girls and guy who thought that the lady had paid for them! I explained to the lady what had happened. She laughed about it and actually offered to pay for them! I told her no way, that it would really be okay in the big melting pot of Starbucks profits. I probably waste that much Frappuccino mix on the ones that I mess up anyway.

I asked them what the big idea was walking in the door all close together like that, as if they knew one another and the lady said, "That's exactly what we were discussing- how we all ended up at the door at the same time!" Well, they fooled me!

So, everyone left smiling about that little mishap today. No wonder I get such big tips, how many free drinks have I given away??

By the way- I'm posting a picture today. Me in my apron!
Coming tomorrow- Matches Made in Coffeebean Heaven Part Dos.

I like long walks on the beach and decaffeinated dreams!!!!

I was a closer last night, which means it was a late night. No need to prolong my beauty sleep to try and post a blog that would probably be on the incoherent side anyway. Actually, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write about when I got home as I had about five different ideas swirling in my head. I need to keep my little sketch pad in my pocket so I can jot down stories as they happen and that way I don’t get them all confused in the evening.

The weirdest thing happened as I was drifting off to sleep last night. I kept repeating drinks in my head. I am not kidding. I had the HARDEST time reaching my REM cycle…I was thinking “Decaf Soy Light Foam Grande Caramel Macchiato, start the milk, brew the espresso…DANG…DECAF espresso, wait on the shot, pour it out, start again, DECAF this time…milk’s done…vanilla syrup in the bottom of the cup, add the milk, add the DECAF shot, grande gets one shot not two, add the light foam…person’s watching, tells me LIGHT foam can you scrap some off? Yes, scraping off…add the caramel drizzle…add the lid, foam squirts through lid on cup, double cup so it doesn’t get on their hand… Next drink, Mocha Frappe…add the coffee base, add the milk…” on and on and on until the actual THOUGHT of all the coffee was caffeinating my dreams enough to keep me awake…

It was like when we would go on a skiing vacation and I would lay down after skiing all day and I would still feel my body moving in a downward trajectory… That was last night minus the downward trajectory.

The day at work- I noticed something of a phenomenon. Starbucks is like a match.com or eharmony commercial in real life. We witness relationships in the making all the time. Well, sometimes the relationships are merely business professional, but I like to think that for every ten encounters and meetings that happen at our Starbucks, nine of them started online, and of those nine, eight were “matches reviewed for free and guaranteed to be chemistry balanced based on deep levels of compatibility.” (I’ve seen too many commercials! Haha!)

For example, there might be a man or woman walk in alone, look around awkwardly, at which point I will have my radar on high alert for matchmaking observation overload. More than likely, being the social butterflies that we are trained to be, a Starbucks partner will have greeted them loudly with a shout so that everyone will turn and look at the door to isolate them even more in the spotlight and now they feel completely detached from their environment; however, they will more than likely have this look of indifference on their face as they assess the other people in the coffeeshop, taking stock of their potential future mate among the ravenous horde of jittery coffee drinking singles…who might be the mother or father of their future children? The best part of the movie, I mean, experience is when eye contact is made with someone who may hold the key to their heart, a slight head turn of…maybe…recognition? They think, “Should I point with my palm facing up to say, ‘Are you the girl/guy that I have been emailing all my private thoughts and dreams to?’ or should I just assume and walk over and hug?” The weird handshake/hug is always funny to witness and then the walk to the line to order their drinks before they get down to the nitty-gritty conversation part of the date.

The drink orders tell us a lot about the how the date is going to go. If the couple orders both hot drinks, then they are digging one another and are probably going to sit and SIP for a while. If they both order cold drinks, then they are more than likely not interested in something serious and definitely don’t want to sit and chat for a prolonged period, but will have a fun date nevertheless. If one orders hot and the other orders cold, then it is definitely not a match.com made in “deep compatible” heaven and it remains doubtful that they met on a website that is very “e-harmonic.” That’s just my observation up to this point. I’ve been wrong before but never that I can ever remember.

I should start my own dating website. The first rule would be describe yourself as a Starbucks drink and keep in mind the person that has to make it needs to get her REM level sleep so- K.I.S.S!! (Keep It Simple Stupid!!)

Two Skinny Vanilla Lattes to Go!!!!

Yesterday was interesting because I had an opportunity to go to a “job fair” at another area Starbucks and do some recruiting. I met many of the other managers from the North Dallas locations and I realized something- people that work at Starbucks come from ALL walks of life (including the side streets and alleyways!)

I met a couple people from other parts of the country, which is always cool, hearing stories about what brought them to Dallas. I even met a guy who used to be a “dancer” (and in his words, “not the kind of dancer that would make your mom put a picture of you in your outfit up on the refrigerator”…). Just when I was about to ask him how he puts that on his resume, turns out, this Starbucks manager was also a “jokester” in his former life and he told us all that he was kidding. (I, personally, don’t think he was joking, but the look of horror on all our faces made him change his story…haha!)

These stories prompted me to reflect on my own journey of hills and valleys that has led me to Starbucks (no dancing in my past…except that kind that did get pictures passed out to aunts and uncles of me in my little red shiny penguin outfit that my mom won’t let me live down even to today…I think I have burned all the evidence, but I’m sure she has hidden pictures of me posing in that horrific outfit from when I tried my hand at jazz and tap at the young and ambitious age of 13.)

The last couple years have been especially interesting in my life. And by “interesting” I mean volatile, arbitrary, capricious, and, most importantly- blessed. This morning, I was MOST inspired to find this verse, waiting for me, in my daily devotion-

“The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope.” Colossians 1:5 (The Message). The devotion continued to read- “[Hope] refuses to extrapolate either desire or anxiety into the future, but instead believes that God’s promise give the proper content to it.” Wow!!! Anxiety and desire have driven a lot of decision I made in the past couple years…I wasn’t relying on God to just provide me with the direction and clarity that I needed to make my decisions based on the faith that I knew He would put me in the right place at the right time. I was trying to control my own destiny and I didn’t have the HOPE that I used to have when my dreams were evident and filled every part of my heart.

Just like when I was visiting with the other managers- we were talking about our past dreams, what we “wanted to be” when we grew up… And we were all laughing at how those dreams are changed and shaped based on our circumstances or external things that happen to us. I was a person of BIG dreams, and when my dreams took a shot in the heart, they were dead to me, and in my confusion and frustration, I lashed out at the one person who could help me reshape and restructure new and BETTER dreams- God.

Now, I know that the HOPE for which I live is in Him alone, not in my own power or control. He has put me in a wonderful position to talk to people all day, to change lives doing something fun. I am surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses,” and I am, spiritually, in a place of humility so that I can (as my mom reminded me yesterday) live “free” under that daily Grace that I am saved by!!

Oh the blessings that God can bestow when we allow Him! I am blessed to have a family that never says “quit!” and that has taught me that the “lines of purpose in my life never grow slack!” My purpose is clear, and today it is:
“Would you like whipped cream on that?”

Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right!

Two wrongs DON’T make a right…
I debated today on which story to share…mainly because I don’t want to monopolize the time of my followers. I don’t expect anyone to devote more than a couple minutes a day to reading my stories (this is the part where I imagine everyone saying, “aw shucks, Kara, share what you need to share…even if takes up more of our time, we’ll read it!”). Reality check- if people get impatient standing in line for decadent, whipped-cream topped caffeinated delishocity (a made-up word by yours-truly) then I know that they will get impatient reading stories about said people.

Okay, so the story I choose for today is the one about the homeless guy. A homeless guy walked into the coffeeshop (no, this isn’t the start of a bad joke), and he stood at the bar side of the counter. Now, most seasoned Starbucks attendees know where to go for their order, they go to the register. Some of them, they don’t have to order because we know what they want, but they still have to pay, even the regulars know that. Maybe, once in a blue moon, if no one else is in line or in the store, we won’t make the regulars pay because they come in once, sometimes twice, a day; so we think they deserve a free treat now and then.

The homeless guy, he stands at the bar as I am “assessing” the bar and this is a never-ending task (there is always milk to be restocked, cups to be refilled, counters to be wiped, containers to be refilled, tea to be re-brewed, etc…) so I am busy, but not so busy that I haven’t been noticing this guy wandering around our store, inside, outside (looking through the trash), he’s been around the block (literally) for the past two hours. So, when he walks up to the bar, I am not surprised, nor do I remind him to place his order at the register because I knew he wasn’t “ordering” anything.

I don’t mean to be unsympathetic or pitiless by not offering him something free but the first thing he mentioned when I made eye contact with him was that someone had stolen his Starbucks card and it had $6 on it. Now, I give him credit for making the story more credible by not saying it had some lucrative amount like $300 on it but I know he is fishing for a free drink. I fill up a cup with ice and water and I give him a little sample cup of passion tea. However, I don’t entertain his conversation about the stolen card even as he continues to lean on the bar. Plus, just like with an animal, I don’t want him to expect free stuff every time he walks in the store.
Finally, he gives up as I start making a drink for the next “paying” customer, and I (feeling sorry) watch him as he goes over to the condiment section as he pours the sample of passion tea into the ice water, adding about 30 sugar and honey packets. Resourceful little booger, I think, as I shake my head. I get a little bit teary when I look at his too-small muscle tank basketball shirt and dress shorts. I get slightly wistful for a second and think about the movie the Blindside and how much it can mean to just ONE if we are willing to help change their life.

Anyway, the day went on, hours went by, and right before the GM left for the day, she was at the register and who should walk up but old passion tea himself. Before I can warn her (and TRUST ME, I am trying to stare daggers at her as in we have ALREADY been down this road with him…he has been back in 3 times since I helped him and he has mooched off of everyone), he starts in about the card. Well, our GM, she’s a savory gal, she didn’t waste any time- she gave him the number to corporate, said if the card was registered then they could stop the card and send him a new one. Well, he didn’t like that because of course the “card” (it was a $4 card now instead of $6 like earlier, so he must have had some premonition that the perpetrator spent $2 that day on drinks) wasn’t registered…shocker.

He argued and yelled a couple times, loudly, about how we KEPT telling him about this registration and what-all…and in keeping with policy…neither of us said anything back except that we were extremely sorry and that he was right. He was right…even though he was wrong. Arguments with someone homeless aren’t won even if they are won. Arguments with customers aren’t won if they are won. Arguing is lose-lose when dealing with customer complaints, or in this case, noncustomer complaints.

So, he storms out amidst much staring and gawking…things of which I am sure are forms of admiration for him…I guess he finally got what he wanted. To be heard, seen, felt. I think today, passion tea man just wanted to be experienced. He accomplished that for sure!

Did I Catch a Niner in there???

One of mine and my sister’s favorite movie lines is from Tommy Boy (I haven’t even seen the whole movie through, I just know the line). The line occurs when Chris Farley is giving a number over the phone and doesn’t really know the number so he just mumbles and David Spade calls him out and says, “…you’re trailing off…did I catch a NINER in there?”

It reminds me of something (probably) all of us do every day. I know I am certainly no exception, even since I have been at Starbucks. I “dumb things down,” play situations down to a level that I expect them to go, I pull a "niner" now and then. I don’t give each encounter with another person the benefit of the doubt. I think that everyone does this because of our own “busyness,” not necessarily on purpose or that we think we are more important, but we miss out on the real important message of each day because we fill our days with “niners.”

Today, I am writing a preface to my actual work-day (in regards to working hours) because I want to start my day looking for opportunities to “play up” each encounter- to get the most from everyone that I meet today. I have met some amazing people by “chance,” by God’s timing, and they have been influential relationships that have changed me and my perspective on life.

Just two days ago, I was at a gas station and my starter went out, just flat went out…my car wouldn’t start. The guy behind me in a pick-up was a mechanic on classic cars and said that maybe he could try to help even though he didn’t know much about electric engines. I was on my way to meet my grandfather, so I had to call him and tell him to drive on to Dallas, that I’d be late. Well, this old boy starts looking in my engine, says it was my starter, said if we could go get a starter at Autozone he could put it in the engine. He stays there with me while I wait on my grandfather, waits while we go get the part, replaces the starter, and absolutely refuses to take one dime for his services. He was more than rough around the edges and he had lived a pretty hard life, but his benevolence saved the day and made me realize that acts of kindness are the simplest form of human connection. They draw a line between hearts that can showcase love on every level, in any situation.

I hope that in some way, I am able to repay Willie for his kindness by spreading my own compassion to someone else- even if it is simply through a smile and unexpected excellent service in a world of “niners.”

Excuse me, Ma'am, but Your Scrubs are Showing!!

For some reason, I feel the need to put everyone in a social circle. I like having categories. It makes everything easier to understand as far as how the world works. Oddly enough, I get the opportunity to do this compartmentalization all day at Starbucks. This morning was no exception. However, I have to make a strong note that not everyone thinks like I do, and again, this morning was no exception.

I noticed, during the early shift, that we were getting a lot of hospital workers all wearing a very recognizable shade of blue scrubs (residents, nurses, surgeons, etc…). At one point, I was at the register when a lady in the now familiar blue shade of scrubs came up to order. I decided to put my social circle skill to work. I told her, “Hey, you would be shocked at how many of you all from the same hospital come in on Saturday morning…you should start a little morning group meeting…that’d be cool.”

She looked at me like I had just told her that I was her illegitimate child. You would have thought I had tried to mug her. I thought I was doing her a favor…you know, giving her a chance to make friends…maybe meet a man or something, I mean, she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring or anything (which doesn’t mean she wasn’t married because maybe she took it off for work or maybe she doesn’t want to be married…but it’s not like I said, “get a date, lady…” or something rude like that…I just made a suggestion).

Well, she proceeded to say, “I don’t work at a hospital…I mean, can a person not just wear scrubs?” and I’m thinking, No, not really. I mean, I guess she CAN wear scrubs, but the obvious person is going to think she does something medical. And I didn’t ask her to perform surgery on me or anything, I just made a very reasonable assumption that scrubs aren’t exactly an outfit that a person would pick out of their closet to wear by choice. If I was wearing a Starbucks green apron in public, I wouldn’t exactly be offended or even surprised if someone asked me if I worked at Starbucks. And if I ever wear my apron in public, it probably means that something is wrong with me. Haha.

So, at this point, I just have a sappy grin pasted on my face and I start jabbering about the community board on the wall behind her and how we have all kinds of things that can be posted on the board, including signs for any causes she may support as long as they aren’t blatantly prejudice against any ethnic or religious group (I was babbling at this point, trying to reign her back in from the “angry place” she had gone…). Whew…I think I just ended up making her think that I was a “special” person that had somehow landed a job at a coffeeshop. I am sure she felt sorry for me. She gave me her order real slow and I just nodded and kept smiling that sappy smile. Oh wow. No more compartmentalization except in my internal dialogue…which I will keep to myself from now on. Haha.

The day ended great as I clocked out at 12:30 and met my grandfather for a late lunch in celebration of Independence Day! It was a wonderful time of fellowship with one of my favorite men in the world- I love my papa!

I hope that the fireworks shows are able to take place tonight despite the drizzling rain! Seems like I have my own fireworks in some way or another every day at work! Happy 4th Everyone!

Blend, Whip, Frappe...Liquefy...

I wasn’t going to do this…on my blog…I wasn’t going to get on a soapbox, but I just have to. It will be a little one.
It’s my blog, so give me my soapbox moment.

I was going to go to an interview this morning at another business. It was a good job opportunity initially, meaning, more money and a little less responsibility. Also, there was the chance that I would be able to move up in the company quickly. After some deliberation and some Godly counsel from my father, I decided not to go…much to the happiness of all the readers that are vicariously receiving their mocha frappuccino fix from my blog. Plus, the culture at Starbucks for management is wonderful and I think that my opportunities here are going to be really exciting, as well.

So, instead, this morning, I went to my neighborhood Starbucks (ironically enough, it’s not the same one where I work). I went to Starbucks for the same reason that most people go- for the ambience, the people watching, the contemplation of something greater than me. I didn’t go to be alone (which I don’t know why people do that anyway and act annoyed when there are actually other people around...I mean, it’s a public place- shocker!)…if I wanted to be alone, I’d have gone home. No, I wanted some chatter (not to be confused with cheddar which we do sell on the “protein plate”) and some spontaneity (which is available with every person that walks in the door as I overheard someone singing opera this morning).

I was sitting at a table, looking at a paper and listening to the workers banter back and forth. Ahhh, feels so familiar. I started reflecting on my devotional from this morning. I couldn’t help but be stuck on the word irrevocably. In the devotion, it said, “When we think seriously about what it will cost if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He doesn’t know what our obedience will mean…” and then the author of the devotion basically said, “Get over yourself- He DOES know.” I mean, He invented obedience, right? “God doesn’t tell us what He is going to do, He reveals to us Who He is!” and every morning we have a new chance to “build our confidence” in Him and His Will.

Back to irrevocable- I kept hearing the blender for the frappuccino machine and I think, on a personal level (and I am sure that most everyone can relate to this in some way), God has walked me through some crisis in my life, I have been through the blender of crisis…meaning, He has been with me through these times, not that He pushed me into them. I did that myself. However, just as sometimes crisis are unavoidable, our Faith in God is irrevocable (unchangeable, unalterable, irreversible, and most importantly- PERMANENT). When I have been poured out of the blender of crisis, I am a mix of experiences that God can use to make me into a delicious drink. Our times in the blender can be a little disorienting, but we now have all these ingredients in our life that point to the Grace and Wonderful Mercy of God that has saved us. Irrevocably.

Anyway, that’s my soapbox. Liquefied for God .

Do Not Try This At Home, I Am A Professional Coffee-Maker

I didn’t blog yesterday, and I apologize for my laziness. It was my first time to “close” which means it was a late night…actually later than anticipated as SOMEONE was completing the last task of the evening for closing shop which is to empty the mop bucket into the drain (a task so easy that my 6 year old nephew could do it) and SOMEONE pulled the handle up as hard as she could and caused the whole shindig to tip over onto the JUST shined floor of the back storage room. In effect, causing a all-hands-on-deck new cleaning of the back room and everything that got soaked by the dirty water from the bucket (which included MY….I mean HER…pants)… Yes, confession time for a clear conscience, it was me that tipped the bucket (as if you didn’t know) which caused us all to leave about thirty minutes later than necessary.

In the evening shift, I made a discovery- a smile can go a lot further in the evening than it does in the morning or rush hour of afternoon. In the morning, people are too distracted, too many “to do’s” on the invisible list in their brain to really want to pay attention to someone that they are giving orders to. And in the afternoon, people are irritable and often don’t even CARE that you are smiling. But in the evening, people are in this “floating” stage of the day…they are usually more casual and personal with conversation and they notice little things. Everyone seems to have a “chillaxed” vibe in the evening. I like it a lot.

Today was just a normal afternoon shift. I had a lot of time to look over my shift manager information. I even explored a little bit on the world portal for Starbucks on our computer. It is so vast, I am just barely even touching on the knowledge that I can possess from this company. I still have so much to learn about the coffee and the general effect of Starbucks on the local community. You think I’m crazy, but there is a reason that Starbucks is so successful. Once I get to the bottom of it all, I will be extremely jittery from all the coffee, but business savvy beyond belief!!!!

A funny story- I wore a watch for the first time today. It doesn’t work, but it looks great with my outfit. When I pump syrup into a flavored latte, for some reason or lack of skill, I always get a little bit on my wrist. I noticed this the first day when I got home, I had quite a collection of vanilla syrup (the most popular), along with some caramel and cinnamon dolce caked up just above my palm. It’s too high up on my wrist to get cleaned when I wash my hands (and I do wash my hands religiously because I heard a rumor that the coffee beans will stain my fingernails for life and it’s like the whole “your eyes are gonna get stuck like that” thing parent tell kids that cross their eyes).

So, I was on my break, sitting at a table and talking on the phone. I noticed that my watch had goop all over it, and I knew it was syrup, so I licked it. I licked my watch. I thought it was no big deal until I looked over at the table next to mine and this lady was STARING at me like I was crazy. I mean, she was, literally, staring at me because she had seen me lick my watch. Instead of saying, “I spilled syrup on my watch and it’s good tasting” like the a crazy person she already thought I was. I said, “Flavored watches, what next...?” And then I took off because she looked like the kind of woman that would have a kid the age that would want a flavored watch to lick and I didn’t feel like having to make up a store where I got it. That was today. In a nutshell.