Oh that Starbucks!

Today I opened the River Road Starbucks for my Liz. She's so sweet, but I felt that she was working too hard in her classes to fail because of her constant opening shifts. I worked until 10, where she came in and finished the shift (seeing as I am now sitting in my Shakespeare class talking about Falstaff in Henry 4th part 1, instead of aerating milk).

I forgot how fun an open can be. I'm one of those guys that people hate in the mornings: once I wake up, I'm fully ready to embrace the day. I work on my own energy (until the Iced Coffee is prepped) and then I just keep on moving. Plus, the shifts in the morning go by quicker because there's always a customer and so you don't stop moving. I LOVE it!

The River Road Starbucks where Liz works is a polar opposite of the one that I work at. Funny how these things happen. Liz's Bux has the rich elitist culture of Richmond. They know what they want (almost ALWAYS some complicated drink of nothingness [decaf, sugar-free, & nonfat]) and theywant it NOW! No putting it off, if it comes out after two minutes have past, they think for some odd reason that the drink is "cold" and must be "remade immediately, because I have somewhere important to go". Thanks buddy, you basically told me that where I work is not an important place. Wow, I feel like a plebian...

My store however is somewhat bohemian. Mostly everyone owns a Mac, rides their bike, lives in the Fan, and has some job with a non-profit organization (my type of people). They also resemble more of what I think America is: a hodgepodge of cultures. I have, so far, learned how to say hello, goodbye, and thank you in over 7 different languages and it's still rising thanks to our customers. If the drink is different, it's "no worries" and a kind "take your time". I love them, and I tend to be reminded of how cool they are based on working at Liz's store.

Hometeam tonight for the US national soccer game and then many, many, many hours of sleep to recuperate.