June 27, 2008
Well... in the wonderful world of work, I have had a lot of major changes happen lately. You already know about the fun firings going on. ANd I've had a few of my key partners tell me that they are going down to super part time. BOO. But you know what? It sucks, but at least they gave me a heads up. And they're not abandoning me-- they were offered better (higher paying) positions that they love. So... it's good for them, not so good for me. But I have to be supportive. If not, then I will just be that horrible sharky person that I hope to never be. I have enough of a mean streak as it is. Let's not pave my way to hell while we're at it.

So yes, work has consumed my life in the past couple of weeks. I can't help it. I'm a fixer. And I'm a damn hard worker. It's not a bad thing. But when it comes down to it, I'm doing what I love to do, and that's what matters. Hopefully down the line it translates to a much fatter paycheck to be able to support my family and buy a house and live a comfortable lifestyle... but for now, it pays the bills and helps put away for a rainy day.

I've learned that things come in three. And with this third firing, then hopefully I'm done for a while with all that madness. I've already had 2 partners get offered great positions and give up some hours, but hopefully the third won't be as much of a loss as these two. But we all know how Murphy's Law works.

At least it give me a chance for some fresh faces. I have been doing a few interviews here and there, and found a couple of people I want to bring on. Unfortunately, they all have the same availability, and their upcoming availability for fall is not exactly what I'm looking for. It's okay tho. Things will work out eventually. I just have to really buckle down next week and make a few solid decisions.

Tonight I blow off some steam. WOO HOO! Trust me.. I really really really need it! With the Padres doing HORRIBLE during interleague play and all the stress at work... I just need to let it all go and start clean again.


June 25, 2008
SO, I had someone no-call,no-show today. HOORAY, I get to fire another person. Do you sense the sarcasm? If not, it's because there was just enough for you to really second guess it. I still haven't decided whether it's a good thing or a bad thing. Good thing because he wasn't performing very well and he didn't really grasp a lot of the concepts or pick up anything very fast. Bad because I'm understaffed as it is, and I really really really don't feel like working another 7 day work week with 5 of those days being 12-hour days. Cuz that's just no fun. Especially since it's the week that I get Kalani all to myself. (Haha! I just had to throw that in there. IDK why)

Instead of grubbin on pizza with my favorite boys I'll be sitting on my ass doing nothing. Why? Because of some bullshit. Whatever. I don't really care that much. Yes, yes I do. But still. Whatevs. I'm torn between going to see them all at work (very very far away) or sitting on my ass feeling sorry for myself and watching the Padres game.

Then again... Padres trump everything in my life, eh? Pane has recently come to the realization that baseball comes first. How sad. It's sad because he was warned when we first met, but never really took it into consideration. He didn't believe me. And now he's dealing with it. But hey- at least I was up front. So there is no fault on my part.

And don't give me that "he's your husband, he should come first" crap. If he was in an accident and I had to take him to the ER during a game, then yes, I would take him. If he had to make an appearance and I had to be there, then yes, I would go. But if he makes me choose between going to bed or watching the game, you better believe that I will be parked on my ass watching the stupid little dots that appear whenever a pitch is made. I'm committed, damnit.

I really should go be a good friend tho.

But how well do you know me? I'm not feeling social anymore, so screw it.


June 24, 2008
I won the Yardhouse dealio. Money in my pocket.. HOLLER! Ya know what tho? That whole thing really made me watch my money. Amazing how one little mistake makes such a huge difference.

Which is a great segue to my next dealio. Today I fired my second person. On th 15th, two of my baristas went at it in the lobby in front of a customer. So they both got canned. So I went from a very happy place as far as staffing, to a very unhappy place. I'm strapped for people. That's the problem with stability in such a low volume store--one person leaving makes such a dramatic difference in store morale and scheduling.

As much as it sucked to let those two go, it has made people come out of the woodworks. People are volunteering to work when they usually don't want to work. And it seems like there has been a weight lifted from their shoulders. Not that the two that were fired were bad people-- they just weren't stable enough. Weren't "Starbucks" enough.

In any case, Miguel and I are both in a staffing crunch. Which is odd that it happened simultaneously. We got each others' backs tho. GO TEAM!

Tomorrow is dindin with my favorite boys. Two of them are going out of the country to tour Europe for 3 weeks. YIKES! Good for them, tho. =) And Friday night is QT with 8-11 =)


June 14, 2008
SO. On top of the stupid Yardhouse fiasco, I also called the Hartford to see what was going on with my reimbursement check, and they apparently sent it to my old insurance company. WHY?!?!? Why would they do that, when I told them specifically that I paid for my rental out of my own pocket? AND THEY KNEW THAT! Stupid girl. So that's gonna be on a lag as well. Because now I have to wait for 21st century to cut me a check. Which we all know will probably take another few months. BAH!

But enough of that. This dream I had yesterday/last night has been freakin me out and it needs to be vented.

So I've been hanging out with NickiePoo a lot lately. Okay... not necessarily a lot, just... consistently, I guess. And last night I had a dream that we were at work (back in the same store together, but this time it was a super busy drive-thru/car wash-- why it was also a car wash, I don't understand). Anyhoo... we were working together and it was the same ole thing. But when we were both off (we closed with like 3 other people), and we just finished mopping the floors or cleaning out the Verissmos and he looked around, looked at me, then kissed me. It was awkward. I was confused. Then I had a few moments to process it while he stood there and just gave me that Nick-look. And I decided at that moment that it was okay. So I smiled. We finished closing the store. And we left to get pizza (?) with our other friends, and he did it again. And the second time, it wasn't awkward. It was great. It felt right.

And therein lies the rub. It wasn't supposed to feel right. I wasn't supposed to crave it again. I was supposed to feel awkward about it when I woke up, but I didn't. It's been bothering me all day because it just felt so good. I need to see him in person again soon so that I can squash everything that I'm feeling.

BLEH. This is exactly what happened when I had that dream with K-dog. Last summer when we used to work together all the time, I had a dream that I cheated on Pane with him. But not like a one night stand cheat-- it was a full-on relationship cheat. And I couldn't shake it off for weeks. Then when I was finally able to shake that dream and those thoughts, I found out that he was crushin on me the whole time. So. It was a bit awkward. Luckily, I was moved out shortly after.

Maybe I'm just transferring feelings because I have nowhere else to direct them. Because I know that Pane is pretty much a lost cause. He can be showered with attention or given none, and he wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

So anyhoo... I should be gettin to bed. Hooray for early mornings!


June 13, 2008
WELL... update time! I'm a little peeved at this point, but I know that it was all out of drunkenness, and I only really have ... well... let's not play the blame game at this point. I spoke to the accountant at Yardhouse today. They have to get authorization from corporate to reverse the charge. BUT... first they have to find the slip that I SIGNED that night. Which I stupidly did. BUT they also charged for the tab TWICE. Which I think is ethically wrong. Regardless of the inebriated state of your customers, you don't do that kind of shit to them. That's just wrong. So we have to wait for corporate to get back about it. Then she'll call me back about it. Worst case scenario, I have to dispute the charge with my bank. Which- I covered my ass because I reported my card lost or stolen the morning after. So hopefully, things will pan out in the right direction. Here's to hoping. Because that's one hell of an expensive lesson from alcohol. I've already had an expensive lesson from it (ref: January '06).

Anyhoo... I should really be getting ready for work, but at this moment, I have no motivation. I haven't had a real day off in weeks. It's really time for a vacation!


June 10, 2008
"Interesting" doesn't even cut it when it comes to describing Friday night. Lots of alcohol, plus lots of old livers, toss in an ex-step-dad of an ex-boyfriend and a very obliging (aka served alcohol to minors) server equals quite a punch! It was definitely not one of David and I's finer moments, but definitely a first for the both of us. That being: that we were both too drunk to enjoy getting each other too drunk. That, and neither of us really recall the Ass-ity that was our attitudes. Apparently, everyone had a good ole time. ANd the bill was paid for twice. I discovered that $280 mistake this morning when I checked my checking account balance.

In case you were wondering, I called Yardhouse this morning and spoke to the AGM and am in the process of getting the charge reversed. That's one hell of a tip on a $268 tab.

The night after, it was me and my favorite boys hanging out in my hotel room complaining about how our stomachs hurt and the daze that was the entire day of work after a lot of drinking and mixing alcohols. As skanky as it sounds, Pane was in the next room sleeping away the drunkness that he brought upon himself.

All in all, a very interesting weekend. It made me realize who my friends were out here, and definitely some potential with others.


June 5, 2008
I'm so excited and I just can't hide it! It's been a while since I've hung out with the handful of people that I actually like to spend time with out here. Not that I don't enjoy spending time with everyone out here (actually, that might be the case)... I just miss hanging out with these certain people that I will be hanging out with tomorrow. They have actually seen me in my moments and have not judged me for it. And with this crowd, there isn't a watchful eye or a judgmental stare. There isn't any animosity towards anyone that I enjoy associating with. Bottom line... the people I will be with tomorrow are fun-loving, laid back, and there are no awkward moments. WOO!

Okay, I may have lied about the awkward moment thing. But the difference is, that the awkward moments aren't because of somebody making a malicious comment, they come about because one of us has done something ridiculous and out of character. Those moments are awkward at first, but usually result in massive laughter and lettin some peep out. They're good. Trust me.

Since my move, I've felt so out of touch with these people. Even though I've seen them in and out of work for the past two weeks, it's not the same. We don't have the same back and forth banter that we used to, and now that I'm not in the store anymore, there has been an increase in drama and the gap between the shifts.

You probably have no idea what I'm talking about. But in a workplace, when everything is dependent on what each other does and how each other performs, it is absolutely vital that everyone gets along and wants the entire team to succeed. At Starbucks, it is definitely a team effort to make things go right. If there is one weak link, the others have to fix it. If there is one small argument, it needs to be squashed quickly, otherwise it snowballs into a massive problem in a matter of days, and that chink in the team will essentially be the death of it. So... I havent been there to squash it. And now there's this massive gap between the shifts and they're no longer "One team, one purpose." Which-- from what I've seen in the past, just becomes disastrous for everyone.

It makes me sad because I put my heart and soul into making that team work seamlessly. And for it to fall apart like it has been.... well... it takes its toll.

In any case, I am working on building a team spirit in my own store right now. As much as I don't want my previous team to be on the backburner, that's where they are at the moment.


June 4, 2008
OOOOH. Retail therapy feels sooooooo GOOOOOOOD!!!!!! I almost don't feel guilty for spending too much. The only sucky part is that I was unable to find graduation gifts for my lil sis and my baby brother. I have gifts in mind, but I know it's gonna end up being purchased in San Diego. It's a nightmare to find gifts out here. It's either overpriced or nowhere to be found. Bleh. It's okay. I'll get something good back home. And in the case of my little brother, he's getting money. That's what he always wants anyway-- as impersonal as it sounds, knowing him, I know that it's what he really wants to see in that little envelope.

Anyhoooo.... I'm very not disappointed with the new Weezer album. *WHEW*!!! The first single that was released sounded so recycled that I was discouraged. But you know what? I should have known better. It's the WEEEEZ! I kinda wished they were still as progressive as they were in the past, but hey... in this day, you have to do what sells, eh? Sucks to hear, but that's what it comes down to in the end.

Speaking of work.. (not really. I just couldn't think of an appropriate segue) The staff's true colors are slowly shining through. Now I'm seeing where my efforts need to go and that now I really need to be a ball-buster. Maybe Miguel had it right... I really should just hire females. But that's illegal. We'll see what happens tho. I think I just need to figure out how to tweak this store and weed out the weak. There were some promises that were handed out before I inherited the store, so for now I have to be the bad guy and just squash some of those dreams. Oh well. Whatever happens, right?

At least the place is starting to sparkle. When I came in, it was just dingy and nasty and all the corners had dirt and coffee build up. It's a matter of taking pride in where you work and how clean you keep it. I'm going to be EATING and drinking there pretty often, so I need to know that it's a sanitary place.

At least my raise kicked in. My first 3 paychecks will be used to pay off the furniture that we bought. Then it's time to attack my student loan. And my credit card debt. And then time to bump up my savings for a down payment on a house! That's a ways away, but here's to dreaming! Anyhoo... I'm just on the very very very bottom of the middle income cusp, so I need to really kick the savings in high gear. I know I really need to start investing more in my retirement fund, but.... well.... this economy really sucks.