The Nighttime Regulars

So, I typically work the closing shift which has its pros and its cons:

Pro: I don't have to work with the psycho shift-supervisor who almost invariably works opening shifts.  This is reason enough for me to favor closing shifts, yo!
Con: My store stays open till 11:00 pm on weekdays and 11:30 (!!!) on Saturdays (...10:30 on Sundays), so I can't ever watch Vampire Diaries at its normal time. Eff.
Pro: I start work at 3:00.
Con: I can't sleep-in past 8:00 am. Ever. Nuts.
Pro: Most of the nighttime customers are stinkin' awesome!

I like my nighttime regulars a lot.  There's the guy who orders an average of 5 venti nonfat upside-down caramel macchiatos a night. Caffeine much?  There's the guy who orders a grande whole milk earl grey latte and talks to me for a few minutes as he adds the perfect combination of sweeteners and powders - a veritable chemistry lab.  There's the most adorable couple in the world who have found the secret to making their marriage work: nightly trips to their neighborhood coffee shop for a decaf solo macchiato, a tall latte, conversation, and adorableness.  There are the two 'platonic' besties who come in every night for coffee and work on their laptops, even though you can totally tell that this time spent next to each other 'working' and chatting it up is the highlight of their days.  There's that strange old couple who comes in with the most specific order of beverages and food items every.day. And as much as they're a tad frustrating, I love the predictable rhythm they bring to my night.  All of these people with their same orders night-in and night-out bring a steadiness that I find myself craving for my life on a grander scale these days.

I mentioned that I'm barista-ing while searching for other employment: my vocation, my 'calling' if you will.  Last year, I served as an AmeriCorps volunteer with an amazing non-profit organization.  I was given a ton of responsibility, I loved what I did, and it made me feel good and useful.  Since my term of service ended, I've rejoined the leagues of recent-college-grads in job hunt world.  Anyone who's searching for a job right now should be able to empathize with the feeling of a complete lack of control in this arena, just as I've experienced for the past several months now.  Every resume that I send out and get no response back from is another organization who, for some reason or another, I am not right (good enough) for.

I know that in this economy, it's incredibly difficult to find a job, and I am so thankful that I have the coffee shop because it pays the rent in the meantime, while giving me the flexibility to look for something that I truly want to do.  So many people don't have this luxury.

I'm also thankful for my lovely nighttime regulars who, through their steadiness and predictability, have leant me some of that stability that's currently missing from other areas of my life.

Anywho, till next time,

Lise

The Coffee Shop Theory

So...I'm a barista at a major coffee conglomerate (that shall remain nameless due to the repercussions felt by former-barista/creator of The Starbucks Rant Song, for giving the world an all-too-honest glimpse of everything that goes into getting you that 'doubletallnofoamfourpump140degreevanilla' mouthful of a beverage).

In any case, this blog isn't about ripping on my current employer or the patrons of my shop.  True, this stint as a barista that I currently find myself in the middle of wasn't exactly part of my life plan; but alas, I have rent to pay.

This blog is about life. Mine and the lives of all of those who walk through the doors of our shop: to caffeinate on their ways into work, during their lunch breaks, and again on their ways home; to awkwardly meet up with that guy from eharmony who was most definitely being generous when he wrote 5'7" on his profile; to just sit by themselves with a tall coffee at that same table every evening, contentedly taking in the social buzzing all around.

In the few short months that I've been serving you lattes, I've seen you, humanity, at your best and at your worst.  This has lead to the beginnings of something I'll just call 'The Coffee Shop Theory' (clever, I know...but pouring beverages all day isn't quite as intellectually stimulating as you might have guessed. Go figure).

The theory, which at present is in its simplest of forms but shall eventually grow to include sub-points, addendums, annotations, and the like, goes something like this:

1. There are always going to be three (plus or minus two) glorious, wonderful, kind, and good customers who will grace your shop with their presence during the course of your shift.   
1. These kind souls can be recognized initially by their eye-contact and smiles, but you know you've really found one of them because they see you as an actual person (who just happens to be pouring them their beverage).
1. It's just kind of nice, every once in a while, to feel that your worth as a human doesn't depend on your ability to make a cappuccino. 
2. They let you into their lives; you let them into yours. It's a beautiful thing.
2. For these several amazing customers you serve during your shift, you will undoubtedly have to endure the throngs of average patrons for whom we baristas hardly register at all (the lattes just come from the magical latte-fairies of Espresso Island. Duh.) 
1.  But it's like, whatevs. 
3. It's that final group that you have to worry about.  There's always one per shift (oh, and if you escape a shift without an encounter with your allotted due, then just wait till the next time you work - they're savin' em up for ya!) who will treat you like your the dumbest person alive, plus you just kicked his puppy.  
1. I've had a couple encounters with some real gems from this last category, but the tears have yet to officially spill over (knock on wood...)

I guess that this is how life is in general.  It just so happens that when you're serving hundreds of cups of coffee a day, the trends are a bit more noticeable.

Well dudes, this is the basic framework for my little Coffee Shop Theory.  Stay tuned for new insights, some shout-outs to those 'Category 1 Customers,' and some....the opposite of shout-outs (?) to those 'Category 3 Customers.'

Have a Grande. (vomit...did I just say that?)