I have finally emerged from my cocoon of fuzzyheadedness and can now think semi-coherent thoughts. Woot! Now, back to business...
Sunday was my last shift at Sbux. I opened, as I usually do. But since the shift that I usually opened with on Sundays (my friend Jess) had recently transferred to another store, I was left to work my last shift at Sbux with my boss, the store manager. Fine. I don't hate her like some people do at the store. Sure, she's not the best boss/manager in the world...but she's ok. We went about our open, setting things up and whatnot. We were ridiculously slow for a Sunday, but that was okay with me since I wasn't feeling well!
Then, at 8am, when the third morning person showed up I was surprised to see one of our male employees who am not particularly fond of (not because he's a guy, but because he's a young, arrogant guy who talks too loudly and thinks he's the shit when he's really not!). See, I was disappointed because I had been expecting to see the bright, shining face of my friend Liz (but apparently her and the Douche had to switch schedules for some reason). She was basically my equal, my clone at Sbux. We both had the same skill set, we made drinks with the same accuracy and speed and we both cleaned like mad women. I was somewhat anal-retentive when it came to cleaning the bar...and so was Liz; therefore we had a mutual appreciation for the others thoroughness! Only difference between the two of us, she's so ridiculously adorable it makes you sick (seriously, she's one of those young girls who can roll out of bed and without even trying look absolutely flawless) and she swears like a sailor (a very dirty, vulgar sailor). So yeah, I was a little bummed by the line up. The dude was being majorly annoying and barely anyone was coming in to distract me from his endless chattering!
But, on the plus side, while I was on one of my ten minute breaks one of the sweetest and loveliest ladies that works in the morning, Amy, came in to bring me a card, some tulips, and give me a big hug goodbye! All of a sudden I was feeling thousands of times better and I was able to tune out the nonsense coming from the 19 year old annoyance a couple feet away from me. As my shift was coming to an end I looked down at the very end of the line near our retail section and saw a familiar face. Another friend with gifts to wish me farewell. This time it was Vanessa, my closest friend at Sbux who I closed with two days during the week, every week, since probably November! We have the same sense of humor and since she started at Sbux, Vanessa and I have been pretty good friends! She had brought me a box of cupcakes she had decorated herself (she works part time at a local bakery) with frosting bows and edible gold dust, all tied together with a balloon. Don't ask me why the balloon said "It's A Girl" (that's Vanessa for you), but everyone got a kick out of it, including me! Vanessa's goodbye gifts and hugs made a somewhat sour last day a little more meaningful.
While I'm glad to be done with Sbux, to only have one job...I'll still miss it! But while it feels weird not to have to go there anymore, not to see the regulars, or my dear friends...it's been nice to just be home (especially since I've been so ill lately). Monday was the first Monday in what seems like forever that I didn't go to Sbux to work after my day job. And since I always worked Mondays and Wednesdays, tonight will probably feel just as weird. It's a strange feeling to quit something that you've been doing every week for over three years. It's strange to not have to go to that job that you've had for so long, to see those faces that you saw several times a week. I guess it's a bittersweet feeling. I know I will come to like it, especially when the weather gets nice and I can spend quality time outside with Antoine or Cheese or friends, but right now it feels like there's a slight emptiness inside me. Like I've lost a little bit of something that's been my routine for the last three years.
And while I love my day job, Sbux put me in close contact with people my own age who were on the same level I was. At the library, everyone is older than me by about ten years, except for the students (but I'm technically their superior, so it's not the same). I'm someone who doesn't make friends easily. I'm not one to start up a conversation with people, even if I want to, but at Sbux I had to come out of my shell a little bit. Where at the library I can be the recluse you know and love (hell, I work in a flippin' basement...we're basically the hermits of the library down here), Sbux made me be more social! It compelled me to gossip (in a store of almost all women), it forced me to make small talk, and the people there were, for the most part, social people who wanted to get to know me. Instead of coworkers, most of the people at Sbux were friends! When I started dating Antoine I remember going into Sbux and telling people like Amy and my boss about it. In fact, I remember working at Sbux the morning of my first date with Antoine...and telling those who were working how nervous I was, but also how excited. I will miss the memories I had there, but I won't miss the people...because I've made a pact to myself and with others like Vanessa and Amy that this isn't the last they will see of me! Just because I'm not longer working there doesn't mean I have to say goodbye completely! I've made such good friends over the years that that is just not an option.
So, goodbye second job! Hello, free time to appreciate the things I care about: Antoine, our house, our creatures, beautiful weather (when it comes) and all the great friends that I have!
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