....until I pick up Tiberius and bring him home to stay with me for good.  I am so excited!!!!  And he loves to sleep on beds so at least he will enjoy my queen bed unlike Misty, who never liked it.

Of course, I really should be in bed right now but I got excited when I saw some videos posted to a certain site and so now I'm like wide awake and being hopping bunny like.  I really want to get up at nine so I can vacuum this entire house, including the stairs.  I know that will wear me out some but it needs to be done, especially with Maxine's episode with worms again.  So I need to get Tiberius into the vet when I can but have no fear, he's going to be staying in my room for a few days so that I know he will be okay.  Plus, he's a kitty and I know he's going to get into things.  He won't be out of my sight and if I have to leave the house, he will be in my room.  I just hope Maxine will be okay with him.

Things are starting to look better on the career end.  If things go well on Thursday, I will explain in due time.  And I am going to interview for TKH at BBW again, but not for my store, the one across the street.  So we shall see.  Stay tuned.

Giants better win today.  That's all I gotta say about that.

Best save of the year so far!

Yes, I am here, alive, trying to get through life.  Trying to find answers to problems, working as much as I possibly can and trying to get the house ready for TIBERIUS, my new boy kitty I will be getting hopefully next week.

But I am alive.  I think I need to watch that save and interview again.  :)

Life catches up with you.  I've talked about crossroads for a while and well, it's here.  And it's still sinking in almost two weeks later.

I have some tough choices to make, I have to let some sleeping dogs lie, I have to look for something I deserve.

You win some, you lose some, and sometimes the world still has its way of finding room on your shoulders to make itself snuggly and comfortable.

And I have some amazing friends in my life and for that, I am blessed.

And still 30 years later, I have moments where I need to get used to myself in my own skin.

And at the very core of my heart, I still hold onto the belief that dreams come true.  It would be nice if they could come my way every so often.

But I'm hanging in there.

I consider myself a person that goes with the flow.  I'm almost too much of a yes woman.  Like today when I came in early for the mid shift because his allergies were bothering him and the meds he took were making him drowsy.  Then on top of that, my closing barista called me and begged me to pick up some cheesy beef burritos from Taco Bell (he'll pay me back on Monday).  I have to also mention the fact that my car needs work done on it (the brakes worn light comes on a lot and it needed an inspection anyways) so I took the other car to work.  It's not too often I get to drive Zippy so when I do, I'm kind of stoked.

So I got into work a little irritated but hey it was slightly extra money.  But then my frustration began to build.  Now, I don't know what it is about my closes.  I'm very very particular and the fact EcoSure has still not hit my store, it's imperative that I not miss a single thing.  Plus, my manager is opening this morning so I knew we had to be spot on.  I hadn't even been in the store an hour and I had to get iced venti cups from another store because I didn't want to get the third degree for not addressing that (because the world ends at my store without iced venti cups).  Then when I got back, my mom called to tell me that she forgot to tell me that my aunt finally left for Washington (my cousin is close to giving birth to her son).  So after the close, I had to go to my aunt's house and take care of her cats, which meant I wasn't going to be home until well after midnight.  Annoyed was simply not an apt term.

I would have liked keeping my princess until 9 but we were slow and hadn't even cracked 2 grand on the day so I had to send her home.  It was just going to be me and Noel the rest of the way.  And we were doing okay.  Until we had this rush a quarter after 9.  A big group of kids, which was irritating in itself because they were ordering a plethora of creme frappucinos and I knew I was going to have to make more creme base (because lord knows I wasn't going to tolerate the news of--you didn't fill the sureshot, blah blah blah).  But it wasn't just that prep we had to make.  We needed to make another mocha, we needed to fill the coffee base frappucino side and the whipped creams.  I don't understand why closers have to make whipped creams at night.  I really don't.  On top of all the other shit we have to do, are whipped creams all THAT necessary?

Little by little I was starting to crack.  I didn't want to be at work anymore.  I didn't want to do any more prep.  I didn't want to serve any more customers.  I just wanted to come home, kick it with my girls and watch some Giants baseball.  But I did the prep.  Me and Noel clocked out a minute late (and whoop doo, a freaking minute late).  That was the best close I could give and I don't want to hear any complaints at all.  None.  Zero.  Nada.  Zip.  Everything asked of closers to do we did.  I'm just a little pissed so much is placed on the closers.  I tried to hold my composure on the floor but I was bitching.  But I still let a weekend regular come in to get his drink, even though he didn't think I would remember him or his drink, but I did.  That was okay but everything else was FML territory.

I just don't know how closers get out early.  It blows my fucking mind.  I don't know why with my closes, people linger in that 10 minute rule period.  I don't know why I always feel like I'm running behind.

Whatever.  Giants won, Brian got his first save.  Thank God for that!

So wouldn't you know I'm up here in Roseville and my dad is having problems.  He's been having issues with mucus and the like for a while now.  The doctor gave him stuff for it but he wasn't keeping food down that well at all. 

My mom is with him at the hopsital right now.  They think he might have pneumonia but they don't know.

I need to get some sleep but I don't really feel like sleeping. I know I have a super long day tomorrow but that doesn't concern me as of right now.

And I can't really text anyone because in my sister's neighborhood in Roseville, it's a dead area.

Fail fail fail.

Where is the win?

Okay, so, clearly I'm still alive here.  My life is work, work, and more work, obligatory household chores, paying bills, work, work.  Eating, sleeping are sprinkled in there somewhere.

I just don't always feel like rehashing work.  Sometimes it feels like the same story every single day.  I mostly close and closes are hard.  EcoSure still has not hit my store so it's up to me to keep the store as clean as I can.  Markouts are still an issue (okay, the thing is I understand this completely and as far as I'm concerned, I keep up with all the markouts on my shifts and yes, I do realize that my store has one more shift than it needs).  Pressure is everywhere and it won't stop any time too. 

My Friday and Saturday are going to be a mess.  Well, just being bounced around from one place to another.  I'm taking a state test on Saturday in Sac.  The rub is that I work on Saturday.  So this test starts at 8 am and I need to be back in the city by 1 pm for my shift.  And I don't want to lose my hours so time management is going to be key.  My mom didn't find out about this test until last Thursday and it stressed me out.  I signed up for it Friday but had a few issues and bitched at my mom.  I know it wasn't her fault but with everything at work and just life in general, I'd come to a point where I had to vent.  But I signed up for the test.  Of course I apologized to my mom.  The thing that sucks is that I have to drive to Roseville after my shift on Friday evening, which means I'm going to miss the game and then of course do all the driving in the morning.  I'm not looking forward to it but again, I don't have much of a choice.  My mom told me last night she couldn't take me in so yeah, it's all me.

I know I'm kind of rambling in general and that's why I've not been better about my LJ.  Work and other things I just don't really care to not talk about.

But thank God the Giants are back and there is some happy in my life.  I will take it.

We all need a little of this.

I really need to get better about updating this thing.  I usually know that when I stray for periods of time from not updating, a lot is on my mind.  I just don't feel like always writing it down.

I'm actually not dealing with a clouded mindset, I just have a lot of things to accomplish.  Considering that we got cited today by the police for having our garbage and recycling cans on the side of the house, yeah, things need to get done.  To preface this whole thing, there are douchebags in our neighborhood that have been uppity assholes for quite a long time.  They have written letters to us before about our garbage cans.  But lately it's been more about our front lawn.  Look, I would do these things if we hadn't let our neighbor use our lawnmower and I guess the blades need to be sharpened.  Anyway, it's hard to do yard stuff when I don't have the tools and oh, I don't know, close a lot.  I think if I saw these fucktards, I would give them a piece of my mind and tell them to mind their own fucking business.  My house is not a slum, assholes.

My father's help around here is nonexistent.  His daily routine is sitting in his chair all day on his laptop, sleeping intermittently, and watching his TV at an ungodly volume.  That's all he does.  Nothing else.  My mom is the breadwinner in this household, I'm merely a right hand man.  I need to do more, I know and I have to because hearing my mom upset on the phone this evening while I was at work kind of hit me in the chest.  I don't do enough around here.  I need to do more.  I told her I will do my part but my dad can't sit on his ass all day, he has to pull his weight too.  We'll see on his part.  My part will have to wait until Sunday because I have an 8 hour close tomorrow and I'm going up to Roseville on Saturday to see my niece and my sister, since her birthday is Sunday. 

My sister.  She wants me to stay up there in Roseville and while it might actually do me some good, I probably will have to decline the offer.  I need to help my mom, and not just financially.

I just don't have much of a life right now.  And I may want one with all I have, it's just not going to happen right now.  My happiness is on hold to uphold my obligations to my family.  It just is.

Giants Baseball is my happy and I need it right now.  I can't wait for the season to start.  Wasn't Jeremy hot tonight when they interviewed him?  Wow.  Hawt.

But back to reality now.  Gotta do what I gotta do.

I had to get up earlier today than usual because I had a true mid shift.  Of course, wouldn't you know that the day I needed to get up early, I got woken up earlier than I wanted to (thanks pest control man). 

Anyways, that was the smoothest shift I've had in a while.  It was steady and I had to maintain the course the whole time, since EcoSure still has not come but I managed to do it.  It was just really good for me to have that shift.  The closes lately I've had have really started to hinder my performance so I'm hoping to take the good from this shift and put it into my closes.

Of course, because I'm closing the next two nights, it means I will miss the Giants ST game tomorrow but I will record it.  But to me, I love to sit here and hsit talk, yeah I said hsit talk with mah girl, rimhanga33.  We have the best times together on here, win or lose.  Hopefully, we will get to see our desired.  That would be nice.

And because I'm full of content and sushi (NUMMY!), I will leave with this wonderful gem.  If you guys have never watched Kids In The Hall, this is one of their most classic skits.  Enjoy!

So EcoSure was in our area today but didn't hit our store.  I've talked about them before but essentially EcoSure is the private company Starbucks hired to ensure we are complying with health standards and to ensure we pass health inspections.  They are amazingly strict and there's just so much we have to account for. 

But they didn't hit our store today and I don't want them to tomorrow or Saturday or next Wednesday.  I want none of it.  The past two years, I've been there for them and I want someone else to go through that hell.  It's already pressure packed enough on each daily shift of mine that I don't want to deal with them.  Someone else can experience it for a change.

So basically tonight we fell behind after being ahead for the most part.  I don't know how we fell behind, no more than I understand why people like frappucinos.  And there are certain things my opener likes and so we had to do those things for her.  I have to say, there were so many things not done for me when I opened a lot but I never said anything.  I don't get that same courtesy.  Yeah, whatever.  And just because, it's always so fun to count money with a calculator that is dead. 

I just wish people during the day would clean as they went along because it leaves everything for the closers to do.  But I think that falls on deaf ears sometimes.  It's not that hard, it really isn't.

And a shout out to customers that want water only.  I make the drinks for my PAYING customers FIRST.   You have to wait.  And don't leer at me.  And thanks for making the patio a mess.  Appreciate it.  But you still have to WAIT.  Suck it.  Bite me.

Now one of the things about Starbucks is that legendary service is mandatory.  We eat, live, and breathe the philosophy.  Being that I am a shift supervisor, it is even more expected of me.

The ironic thing about today is that I had to spend some time writing out my self reflections of my performance the past 6 months (oh yes, it's review time for me).  Anyways, so I was doing that a little bit during my breaks, though I won't be able to finish it until Thursday since I'm off tomorrow.

Anyways, I bring up legendary service today because I encountered a serious what the fuck moment.  Frappucino season is in full swing again.  These two girls and a guy came in an ordered frappucinos.  The first girl ordered a tall mocha frappucino with extra mocha.  While I was using the sureshot to get the base, she wanted an added shot of espresso.  No biggie, I dumped the base back into the sureshot, pulled a shot of espresso and was on my way.  The guy ordered a tall white mocha frappucino and the second girl wanted to try what I had left over from it.  No big, since there were sample cups at the bar.  I handed out the drinks and they seemed happy.  So the second girl decided she wanted a grande white mocha frappucino also with mocha sauce.  So I made that.  It all seemed harmless and easy.  Wrong.

See, when I make frappucinos, I'm used to people wanting extra caramel sauce and/or mocha sauce.  I am generous when I do this, mainly because I don't want to make peoples drinks over again and I want them happy when they leave the store.  So when I made the second girl's frappucino and I poured it in her cup, she saw the sauce on her cup and was like, oh no, that is way to much mocha, I can't have that much chocolate, it makes me sick.  And not in a nice way.  And if too much chocolate makes you sick, why the heck are you ordering chocolate frappucinos?  So much sense.  I offered to make it over but she had to take the frappucino because otherwise I was going to dump it.  The other thing that sucked about all of this is that we were low on frappucino and so I hated having to make another one but I had to.  So I remade it and she was happier.  They left the store.  In the process, she had not only left her straw wrapper on the counter but also a napkin and her sample cup.  So as you can all see, I'm a barista maid supervisor all in one.

Five minutes later the girls come back in and the first girl is not happy with her drink, saying it was too much mocha on the cup.  And I explained to both, this is how I make these drinks for customers.  Most want the mocha coating their cups and if they want it lightly, then next time they need to let us know.  And the second girl was like, we didn't order this with extra syrup.  Well, that's what the extra mocha is sweetie but of course I didn't say that.  I remade the drink and they were back on their merry little way.

These girls clearly had no idea what they were ordering.  I gave them legendary service and they pissed all over it.  I didn't understand.  Then later on this one guy ordered a venti vanilla bean frappucino with extra mocha sauce and he was happy about the way I made it.

Fucking frappucino season.  It's only going to ger worse from here on in.

And just add, before work, while I was driving, I was at the light around the high school that is like three blocks away from my store.  A private school.  In front of me was a truck of teenage boys and the light was green but they were too busy yapping it up to other boys waiting for the light so they could cross.  They caused me to miss the light, because they didn't go anywhere and then their friends all hitched a ride in the back of the truck.  So when we could go again, I followed and when there was another group of boys they passed, they slowed down and I'm guessing wanting to make a u-turn to pick them up.  By then, I was really tempted to honk my horn because they deserved it.  These boys are the furture.  Frankly, I find no comfort in this at all.  None.

Young people really are disappointing these days.  I'm seeing it far too much.  *shakes head*

I maintained my composure as best as I could but I had never encountered such rudeness and over something.

Tell me if this makes any bit of sense.

Giants and A's ST game was on Comcast California yesterday.  I got it fine, Sara did not.  I had no worries about today's game while Sara was.

Today, right now, I am getting nothing but a farce of a black screen saying the Giants game today is blacked out in my area.

This is unacceptable and I will not stop until I get answers.  Just because people have different digital providers doesn't mean they should be excluded from watching games, even if they are meaningless right now.  The regular season is not that far away.

So Comcast, you and me right now, it's on.

ETA as of 2:37 (and maybe a little before, probably so)  I HAVE GIANTS SPRING TRAINING ON MY TV.

Yep, I made my point, Comcast.  Thank you for listening!

Not going to lie, I gasped when I saw these tonight.  I have been waiting for these babies and oh my god, Christmas present delivery indeed.  Oh Brian, all of your pictures are golden.  I miss your soul patch but your beautiful eyes have mesmerized me.

Sorry for the lack of updating.  Many closes.  Working as much as I can.  Everyone but me has gotten sick.  Long story short, my mom went to Roseville and my niece was sick.  My sister got sick, my brother in law got sick.  My mom got sick last night and this morning my dad got sick.  So I've been the screwed pooch and my poor hands are suffering but otherwise I am okay.

I hope to be better about updating.  Maybe when games start being on TV on a regular basis.  Don't forget the Giants Season Preview on CSBA tonight at 7:30!  Don't forget!

It's not about love in my life, that is for sure.

It's work, as per usual.  My manager texted me shortly after I got up to ask me to come in at 2 and I honestly thought I started at two anyways.  Then she texted me back she wants me to start at 1:30 now, with an hour lunch.  We must really be suffering with a lack of coverage.  Too many sick baristas.

I wanted to help my mom out with the garbage but it doesn't look like that will happen now.  Oh well.

So this is what happens when I believe something and it really does happen.

Now could this happen for my love life?  Please?  Don't make me beg.....

Sorry for the caps but literally I was freaking the hell out.  Okay, so as I said in my last entry, I got water on Sage (again!).  Thankfully Sage came back to like shortly before 2am.  So I went to bed thinking all would be well.

Nooootttt exactly.  I woke up and turned on Sage only to find I couldn't properly put my password in, hence I couldn't get the whole system running.  I had no A, I had no 1, I had no caps lock or tab or z or q.  Nothing on the immediate left end.  So I had to put the keyboard function on so I could use my mouse to put in my password.  Success but it meant I couldn't log into anything on here.  And poor Sara had to put up with this kind of verbage:

I cn't use the _ becuse I don't hve the _ key to use.  I hve no ide why becuse wter did not even get on this side of my lptop.

Sara brilliantly suggested to me to copy and paste an A so I could actually type like normal but that was hard to adjust to.  Shortly after midnight, it started working because I did my instinctive reach for the A key and it register.  Of course I went ape shit.

So YES, I have learned my lesson and I should thank my lucky stars everything is now okay.  I even backed up my important files.

I'll just say drive thru stores are not my strongest suit at all.  I did okay tonight and everyone was impressed but man, honestly, I need more training on them.  But I survived.

I see the Giants had their Photo Day today.  Waiting on the BWils entries.  However, I approve of the way they are turning out thus far.

I'm just glad my stomach can relax now.  Now if I can get the mystery as to why the check engine light is coming on in the car, then I will really be in business.

For the moment I am on the PC since I accidentally spilled water on Sage again.  Well more like it spilled in my lap but Sage got a tiny bit of it.

Now I have to wait while she dries and I won't get much sleep tonight probably.

Needless to say, I need to stop eating around Sage or get a table specifically for her while I am eating.  I need to get this point into my thick skull or I will continue to have moments like this. 

ETA:  Sage is OKAY!  I came downstairs a few minutes ago to get my towels for my shower and I noticed she was blinking.  It was due to the way I had left her to dry.  So I tried to see and she TURNED on.  All is well. 

And now I'm taking a shower and going to bed.  And I'm completely relieved.

I love winter for a few things but mostly for the crisp nights. There's really nothing like it. But then there's the downside--dry hands. And my hands are driving me absolutely nutter butter. I can slather on lotion, abuse the hand scrub, and try to salvage what I can by using gel infused gloves.

It simply does not matter. Nothing is working, nothing.

Granted, it doesn't help I'm working long at hours at Starbucks which means I'm constantly washing my hands with the awful soap. By the time I leave work, I just want to replace my hands. So I'm actually going to be happier when the weather warms up. My hands are going to be much happier.

And honestly, I don't know what was wrong with customers today but man, something was seriously up their butts.

No super deep thoughts today. But then there's tomorrow and who knows what that will bring.

ETA:  Maxine just took a chunk of skin off my pinky.  Add insult to insane hands already.  Swell.

From Baggarly's blog today:  blogs.mercurynews.com/extrabaggs/2009/02/14/lowry-hints-at-possible-trade-sanchez-readies-for-wbc/

Back in the press box at Scottsdale Stadium. The sun is shining, birds are singing and Brian Wilson is running around the track. All is right with the world.

Beautiful.

Though I see my relationship status hasn't changed much in a year.

Oh well, MY BOYS ARE BACK!  Can't wait for pics tomorrow!  *SQUEEEEE*

I finally got out of a close early.  It's been a while so I'm pretty pumped about that.  It got really dead after 9 so I was trying to get all the little detail things done.  I don't even set out things for the openers anymore.  I simply get the store as clean as I can.  I did a pretty good job of that tonight.

And it is true there is always a reason for things to happen the way they do.  Last year, almost close to a full year actually, I paneled for ASM.  I was thinking at some point I would be promoted.  But that never came to fruition.  And now, it's a blessing I didn't get promoted.  Why?  Because I would have been let go by the company.  More than 870 ASMs lost their jobs and if I had been promoted, I would have been part of that number.  So right now, I have to thank my lucky stars.  It's something that could have easily cut very close to home.  So it's OBA (operation bust ass) on every shift no matter what, no matter what.

I do that anyways but now it's like really the case.

Okay seriously, can it be Saturday?  Even though I have the shitty ass 10-6 shift.  I NEED MY BASEBALL NOW!  And really this economy just needs to get better soon.