Just. Relax.

This last week feels like it has gone on forever. Yesterday, Thursday, some super super storms hit town early in the morning, sporting crazy wind and a tornado. So as you can imagine, getting to work at 6 a.m. and then dealing with tired, cranky, and downright rude-for-absolutely-no-reason-because-I-am-turning-myself-inside-out-to-please-you customers until 2.pm when I got off was an ORRRRDEAL. I feel that today was just as hectic and I am just now sitting down to actually enjoy myself while I wait for Austin to get home. We are planning to make burgers and watch Avatar. What better way to enjoy a rainy Friday night?

That may be another thing that has been stressful about this week. The rain. The Never. Ending. Rain.

Rereading the first paragraph, I got stuck on a rant about rude customers. It goes something like this:

Dear World,

I am only a barista at one of the many Starbucks in the world, but I would like to take a moment of your time. Someone up in cooperate decided that it would be a great idea to start offering drive-thru service, and that has helped our business immensely. However, it not only helps us. It helps you too. We no longer require you to park your car, get out into whatever weather there may be - heat, cold, snow, rain, ect., walk in the door, stand in line (if there is one), order, stand to the side and wait for your beverage(s), walk back out the door into whatever weather you encountered on the way in, fumble with your keys to unlock the door (unless you have a keyless remote), get back in your car, turn on the ignition, back up - being careful, of course, to not hit anyone else, and go on your way. No, with the convenient drive-thru, you now only have to pull into line, order, pick up your drink at the window, and drive away, all without leaving the comfort of your vehicle! While we don't ask for much gratitude, we certainly deserve it. We are giving you the option of foregoing all the hassle of actually coming inside to get your froofy Double Tall Skinny Vanilla Soy Latte with three Splendas. (Oh you wanted that iced? I'm sorry, you should have actually mentioned that before we handed you the finished hot drink.) So a smile and a "Thank you!" would be so appreciated. Instead of rudely taking your beverage and zooming away, hitting the curb on your way out like so many people do at my store, return the sincere "Thanks! Have a great day!" with a smile, because you didn't even have to worry about the automatic task of taking your keys out the ignition. Don't be rude and yell at us, telling us we should learn how to listen when you are the one mumbling about your Iced Venti Quad Decaf Nonfat No Whip Two Pump White Mocha without bothering to turn down your blaring radio or speak up when we apologize and politely ask you to do so because we could not hear you though our fuzzy headsets. We are the ones providing your the luxury of this service. Please be mindful of others than just yourself.

Thank you for your time,

Your friendly (and sometimes frustrated) neighborhood barista.