All mimsy were the borogoves, and the momeraths outgrabe

There is a shopping center I frequent which is about 15 minutes from my house. Actually, I generally just go to the grocery store there. Occasionally I may stop in at the CVS or Staples, but I go to the grocery store at least twice a week.

I was there today.

As I pulled into a parking spot, I noticed something new.

Starbucks!!
I almost swallowed my gum.

I rarely go to Starbucks anymore, because the closest one is 30 minutes away. But this new one is very conveniently located.

"Oh frabjous day, calooh, calay!" I chortled in my joy.*

I wasn't thirsty, but I went in and bought an Iced Coffee, anyway.
I asked if it was Terrazza. They said it was.
I asked when the store opened. They said today.
No wonder I hadn't noticed it before.

*Not sure what Jabberwocky has to do with this post, but I was an odd kid and had a penchant for memorizing poems from the age of 8 or 9. They still sneak up on me from time to time. So, um... yeah. Beware the Jabberwock, my son.

Feast or famine

When it rains, it pours, folks. I am currently blogging from Starbucks; I start work in half an hour. I signed up with T-mobile last night so that I can use the internet here before work. I did this because: 1) I'm tired of not being connected to the internet at home and accessing it from work is the next best thing. 2) Since I work for Starbucks, it only costs me half of what it costs The Average Joe. 3) I have about two hours between work at my second job and work at Starbucks, and I hate to waste time going home.

My second job? Oh yes, that's right, I haven't told you about my second job because I haven't had time. heh heh heh

I've been struggling to get enough hours at Starbucks for the last couple of months, and finally I decided maybe I should just get a second job. So, I stopped in at Thorbecke's to find out if there were any opportunities for me there. I figured that since they all know me and I worked there for almost 2 years, if they had any openings, they would hire me back. I was right. The Chehalis Thorbecke's has a little café which delivers lunch to local businesses every morning during the week. It's really nice for doctor's offices and places where they can't really get away. So the lunch run shift is from 9:30-12:30 every day. Fifteen hours a week sounded just right for me since I tend to be scheduled for about 25 hours per week at Starbucks. So we planned on me starting when I got back from New Jersey. I started last Thursday and everything is going well so far except for the fact that while I was in NJ, a bunch of people at Sbux quit. So now I'm working 40 hours a week at Sbux and 15 hours a week at Thorbecke's. Ironic, yes? If we get out of work on time, I'm home around 11:30 at night, then I leave the next morning shortly after 9:00. I hope this doesn't last long. Anyone looking for a job at Starbucks?

P.S. Clearly I am experiencing a time of feasting now, rather than famine. In more ways than one- in addition to getting free coffee at Starbucks all the time, I get a free meal every day at the restaraunt...

"Posty post post poster"*

Today I'm off to find a Starbucks. The closest one is about 15 minutes away, so that's not too bad. While the motivation behind my mission may seem obvious, I actually have a few reasons for going:

1) I need some good coffee. Period. That statement needs no explanation.

2) I get a free pound of coffee per week and I haven't picked it up yet this week.

3) I need to become more familiar with the area and be able to find my way around.

4) The kids are gone at camp for over 8 hours and there really isn't that much I need to do while they're gone, so why not?

In other news, I went out with Christin night before last - it was so good to see her! It has been about 3 years since the last time I saw her. She only lives about 20-30 minutes from me, so I'm excited about that.

I guess that's it for now, I don't really have a lot to say but I figured I would post anyway.** Here's the question of the day: If the moon was made of spare ribs, would you eat it?

* Stembokas, Victoria. "Post." I'm Not Really Victoria. 9 July 2006. 9 Aug 2006.
**See Reason #4

Posting of post postponed until post-travel

I typed up this post a couple of days ago when I was hanging out in Gatwick. However, since I was not connected to the internet, I was unable to post it at the time. I'm hoping to post more about my trip in the coming week, but for now, here's Tuesday's post:

It is now 7:26 am of Tuesday, March 28th. I’m sitting in Gatwick airport, twiddling my thumbs. Except for the “twiddling my thumbs“ part... I’m fairly good at avoiding boredom. But I’ve been counting the hours until my flight, and they are many. Luckily, I’ve come well prepared. I’ve been reading Jane Eyre, and I occupied about 3 hours in finishing the book. I’ve got the entire collection of The Office with me (both seasons and the special), so I’ve watched some of my favorite bits as well as the special features (yes - this includes the commentary, and yes - I know I’m a nerd for watching it. It’s actually quite funny, though. Ricky Gervais is ridiculous). I accidentally left one of Kelly’s DVDs in my laptop (oops… sorry about that, Guills, I could mail them to you…), so I spent about 2 hours watching episodes of Arrested Development which I hadn’t seen. I also have a copy of Nicholas Nickleby with me, which I am eager to read. So, I’ve got plenty of supplies to help me while away the hours.

My plane was scheduled to arrive at 10:15 pm last night, but it was delayed and did not arrive until 11:45 pm. I didn’t mind, that just meant less time that I had to hang out here at Gatwick. My flight today is not until 2:00 pm, but I am over halfway there. Consequently, with all of my provisions and the amount of time that has already passed, I’ve been feeling quite optimistic, if a little tired.

I haven’t slept, because I don’t want to risk any of my things getting stolen. I’m not really that tired, though, and in a bit I’ll go buy some coffee at Starbucks - on second thought, that could be a bit risky. Last time I went to the Gatwick Airport Starbucks, I ordered an Iced Caramel Macchiato and the barista put steamed milk in it instead of cold milk… Hmm… I wonder if they’d let me make my own drink? Yeah, probably not.

Anyway, back to my optimism. I was just contemplating the fact that the time has gone by relatively quickly and it shouldn’t be too hard to get through the next few hours. Then I looked at my itinerary. I have a total of 15 hours of flying ahead of me today plus a 3 ½ hour layover in Atlanta. Fun times. Well, at least I should be able to get a little sleep on the plane. Maybe I’ll get lucky and they’ll upgrade me to first class. I definitely need to get as much sleep as possible, because I don’t get in until almost 11:30 pm tonight, and I have class tomorrow morning - my first day of classes in my last quarter at the UW. Technically, the first day of classes for spring quarter was on Monday. Obviously, I didn’t go…

I think I’m going to close here. Someone just walked by carrying Starbucks coffee and the sight of it made me conscious of the necessity of a caramel machiatto. One of the annoying things about traveling alone is that I can’t just run down, get some coffee, and bring it back - I have to pack up all of my stuff and drag it down to Starbucks. But that is of little consequence, I desperately require a caramel machiatto. Now. I am convinced that oversight of the requirement of this critical, life-giving manna would lead to certain death. Hence, I must bid you farewell.

Random side note: If you’re looking for a song with some cowbell, “The Undeveloped Story,” by Anberlin is a great one.

The honeymoon's over, baby

Now I know you may be thinking, "How can the honeymoon be over? You're not even married." Duh. I'm trying to use a metaphor here. Work with me, people, would you? *exaggerated sigh* Okay, back to my point...

I believe that I may be reaching the end of the honeymoon stage at work. I still enjoy my job, don't get me wrong, but sometimes the days drag by even when I'm busy. For one thing, I've developed a love-hate relationship with the drive-thru in my store. When I'm at work, I like to be busy. It makes the time go by faster. The drive-thru is always busier than the cafe, but the downside is that the customers tend to be snobbier, too. I must say, I was completely shocked at the percentage of customers that come through talking on their cellphones. Most of them do not even stop talking long enough to pay and get their drinks, they just hold out their money and keep talking. After a while, it starts to get to you. Then there are the customers who, although they are not on cell phones, just ignore you anyway. They pull up to the window and stare straight ahead the whole time. They don't talk. They just hold out their money until you take it, then keep their hand there until you put a drink in it. I'm not exaggerating - people really do this.

It's not all bad, though. We have a lot of nice customers who come through the drive-thru, too. Today one of the drive-thru customers asked me what my name was. She told me that she has been going to Starbucks regularly for five years and I'm her favorite, that I'm the only one who always gets her drink right. That made my day. Especially since I have only been working there a month.

It's nice to be settled in and know my way around, too. I've begun figuring out some of the stuff that they don't teach you during training. For example: the walkie-talkie function on the drive-thru headsets. Oh, sure, it's there to make our jobs easier and enable us to provide better customer service- but hey, it's just like a walkie-talkie! The possibilities are endless. We have a customer that comes in every day and orders some sort of alcoholic drink. I'm sure some people found it funny the first time, maybe even the second, but enough is enough. I've only worked there a month; I don't even know how long he's been doing it. Dude needs a new joke. When he came in today, he asked if it was happy hour. Then he asked if he could get a couple shots of tequila. After he finally ordered his actual drink, he asked if he could get an extra shot of jagermeister in it. As I went to the back room to get some ice, I couldn't resist making a sarcastic comment about the novelty of the joke in my handy-dandy walkie-talkie. I know, not very nice, but I'm sure that's what the walkie-talkie function was truly intended for. Sarcasm.

Classes start on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to the classes, but not to the commute. What would be a 20 minute drive(if traffic wasn't too bad) will end up being a minimum 45 minute bus ride - but that's only if I take an express bus. The last one leaves at 7:30 am every day. I intentionally arranged my schedule so that my first class doesn't start until 10:30. It doesn't seem to have paid off. So now I can either take the 7:30 bus and go work out at the University gym before class, wait and take a bus at 9:00 for a longer commute, or find someone to carpool with. Knowing me, I'll probably plan on taking the 7:30 bus to school every day and actually take it about once a week. The other days I'll press the snooze bar eleventy-billion times and take the 9 am bus. So the 2-part question of the day is: What is the longest you've had to commute for school/work? Do you prefer to drive, carpool, or take public transport?

What's wrong with this picture?

When my alarm went off this morning, I woke up feeling that something wasn't right. Then I realized what that feeling was: It was 2:30 in the morning and I was getting up. Well, technically I was pressing the snooze bar- but, hey. Today I worked the opening shift at Starbucks and I had to be there at 4:00 am. The Starbucks where I work opens at 4:30 am. I informed my coworkers this morning that that's too early, and we're going to change it to 8 am. Yeah right. Actually, I open again tomorrow. But on the bright side, it means I get to put in a full day and still be off work by 12:30. Still, taking a lunch break at 8:00 am does feel weird.

Today was my first full day actually training on the floor. As with any new job, it seems like there is an overwhelming amount of information that will take about 12 years (or sometimes as much as eleventy billion years - depending on the person) to learn. But most of the customers have been patient and my coworkers have been helpful and I know as time goes by I'll improve. I am enjoying the job and definitely taking advantage of the free beverages. Today, for example, I had two Iced Caramel Macchiatos, a Strawberries and Cream Frappucino, and an Iced Mocha Valencia. Yeah, it sounds like a lot, but it's really just one drink each break and one after work. If it weren't for the fact that I opened, I probably would have had another one before I started work. So in conclusion, it's not that much. Okay, I lied, it's a ton and I'm wigging. Okay, I lied, I'm not really wigging, my body is used to caffeine overload; I'm just weird. I gotta go, though. I went home for a couple days and brought a ton of stuff back with me (I know that seems hard to believe- 2,000 lbs is a lot. But somehow it all fit in my brother's Jeep Cherokee). Because of my work schedule, I haven't had time to put everything away and clean up since I got back. So I think I'm going to go take advantage of the next couple of hours to clean, before I need to go to bed again!

One more thing, I'm going to use my brother's technique for getting feedback. The question of the day is: What is the earliest you have gotten up in the morning for work or some other commitment? The alternative question (I'm listing 2 questions to improve the odds of getting feedback) of the day is: Would you rather work early or late? Why?

I don't feel like coming up with a title today - deal with it.

The past week has definitely been interesting, if nothing else. Saturday I moved up to Renton with the help of my family and a couple of friends. After we had everything unloaded, we got some dinner and then everyone but Jessica and I headed home. Our cousin Jennifer, who lives in California, was in the area for a conference and we were planning on getting together. So Jess and I had about half an hour to get ready before we left. Needless to say, nothing was really unpacked. Well, Jen was in Everett. I knew that was north of Seattle, but I didn't realize how far north it was. Renton is just south of Seattle and it ended up taking us 40 minutes to drive to where the conference was. Ugh. We finally got there, though, and it was really fun to see Jen again. She and her husband were leading worship at the conference, so I got to hold their 3-month-old daughter during the whole service. Yay! After the service was over, Jess and I went to a Denny's nearby with Jen, her husband, their baby, and their band. We hung out there for a little over an hour, then we had to leave to go pick Laura up at the airport. Her plane had been delayed, so she was supposed to be getting in around midnight. The original plan was for us to stay at my place that night and drive to Centralia in the morning. However, since we didn't have time to settle in at all, and I had forgotten a few key items (a shower curtain, for one), we decided it would be better to drive back that night. So after picking up Laura, we went back to my place to grab our stuff, and headed for Centralia. We got there around 2 am. So lots of sleep was had by all. Not.

After church on Sunday, I rushed home to throw my things into the Jeep (I'm driving my brother's Jeep right now) and head to Seattle. I had an interview at Starbucks at 3 and I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to get up there. It was a good thing I did, too. There was a surprising amount of traffic for a Sunday, especially going through Tacoma - it took me about 20 minutes to go 3 miles. Yuck. Unfortunately, the A/C in Jonny's Jeep needs recharged, i.e. it doesn't work. As it was a hot day, the almost-2-hr-ride was therefore Not Fun Times. I got to Starbucks at about 2:45. They gave me a free drink, the interview went well, and I was asked to come back for a second interview on Tuesday. My mom came up later that afternoon with a bunch of stuff that I greatly needed (the aforementioned shower curtain). Then we bought some groceries and came back and watched a movie. She stayed the night with me then left the next morning. Tuesday morning I went in for my interview and got the job! Then I had cable and internet installed that afternoon. The rest of the week has been extremely uneventful. One might even say boring. Yes, that seems to be the appropriate term, boring. I can't wait to start working. Then I will at least have people to talk to. During the last few days, I don't think I've spent more than 10-15 min per day talking to another human being. It's such a weird feeling. I did start talking to myself yesterday, though. That didn't take long. I go in tonight to fill out my new hire paperwork, then I start work tomorrow. And not a moment too soon. You know those people you sometimes see talking to themselves? The ones who sound like they're having a conversation with someone, but as you look around to see who it is, you realize there isn't anyone? Yeah, I know who you mean. I saw one at the mall yesterday. Really? What a coincidence.