Act Naturally

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”

— Mark Twain

It’s amazing to me how relevant quotes by this man show up at just the right time in my life. My current boss, a manager at Starbucks, has regularly made me feel belittled. He often brags about how little education he has, yet he’s the one in charge (though, cringe-inducingly, he also says he’s the “stupidest” one there). I tend to think of him as someone who has overcome hardships—something I admire, to a certain extent— but he also says and does small things and acts like a small person when talking to me.

My ambition in the last few months has been to pursue my photography and to finish my Master’s degree. I did the photography thing and loved it, but his distinct lack of interest (despite butting his head into my personal life all the time otherwise) was disappointing. But worse has been the attempt to finish school. I’ve almost felt he has been actively blocking me from working on it. I asked for closer to 30 hours at work, instead of 40. Instead, because I have open availability, I get more hours than most of the other partners at Starbucks. He does nothing but roll his eyes when I bring my laptop to work on papers or study.

To top it off, he makes me feel small by sometimes insinuating that I am stupid. My least favorite thing in the world is when he says, “Y’all are special” in his typically Alabaman accent.

That, among myriad other reasons, is why I am proud to say I have put in my two weeks’ notice and will be done at Starbucks by 12:15PM on Friday May 10.

YAY!

Here’s something random to read for your Monday.

One of the number one reasons I don’t mind staying in my current job is my boss; confusingly, he’s one of the number one reasons I want to leave. Let me get the nice stuff out of the way so I can rail on him. He has offered to pick Joe and me up from Albuquerque before, at 2am. He has driven me to the laundromat when Joe was out of town. He invites Joe out to play basketball and drink beer (in order to help him socialize). He can be complimentary of me without being a creeper.

I try hard to make this job about coffee sometimes, though, and he rolls his eyes at me. Today I went out on a limb and tried a pairing I’d never done before (truffle fries and Sumatra, a dark Asian blend). It didn’t work for him— mainly because he doesn’t like truffle fries OR Sumatra, and he was kind of a dick to me about it. I thought at least I’d get kudos for trying something different; the other guy at the store who actually cares about drinking black coffee (as I do), seemed cool with trying a different pairing and pleased with it. Anyway, my boss tends to spend a lot of time telling us “y’all are special,” meaning he thinks we’re idiots. Sometimes he just says we’re idiots. He makes me feel crummy.

In other news, I went on a run yesterday and today. I much prefer swimming, and I really wish I was one of those healthy, magical people who loves running, but I don’t. I’d rather throw a football, hit a tennis ball, or shoot hoops. My swimming has been improving steadily, but I haven’t been in a few weeks, so I was expecting not to be able to run well yesterday. However! I managed to run probably 70% of my standard run route yesterday (rather than walking, which I usually do about 50% of the time). Today’s run was inspired by yesterday’s, but didn’t go as well. I have a few reasons why I think that’s so: yesterday, I took a two hour nap after work and then went running… today, I went right after work.  Also, my left foot is absolutely killing me these days (due, I think, to work shoes a half-size too small… damn ordering shoes online), and today it was throbbing by the end of my run! And finally, yesterday, I was accompanied by Joe, and today I was solo. Of course, I feel better for having done it, but wish I’d rested before my run.

When I was in undergrad, I was thinner, but I didn’t really exercise. I know that I also didn’t eat well, but I did eat less. I worked at a frozen custard shop, but still didn’t gain that much weight. So I’ve been trying to drum up what has been different since then. I think reproducing whatever diet I had then, in addition to picking up more cardiovascular exercise, will help. What happened?

Well, mainly, I met Joe. I’m not saying I got fat because I got happy (though that was true), but Joe genuinely opened me up to a lot more food. I never drank anything but mixed drinks; he got me into beer and wine, which are consumable on a much more regular basis. So, more alcohol. Also, I started eating more regularly. I would often forget meals back then, because I wasn’t all that hungry after a day of little activity. Joe is active enough that he can insist upon at least three square meals a day. I know I should eat more, smaller meals to improve my metabolism, but I honestly feel better and less disgusting after only two meals a day.

My other main hurdle in weight loss is that I can’t really have fiber in my diet. It’s getting beyond frustrating. I think I need to see a nutritionist.

It’s been really delightful showing off our wedding photos from last weekend. I think I might put a few up here, just for kicks, now that our website and Facebook page have gotten more visible. I am chomping at the bit to take more pictures now. Who will sit for me?

I’m so glad spring is finally here. It took way too long this year. We’ve got buds on the big tree just outside our apartment windows!

Please, I hope I don’t have a shift today where I have to spare a person to put the order away while we’re getting our asses handed to us. Please, I hope we don’t have to do all of the morning’s dishes. Please, I hope we don’t have to make do with FOUR caraffes and 3 whipped creams until 7pm. Please, I hope the safe actually closes today and doesn’t make a high-pitched continual beeping for three hours. Please, I hope I don’t spill the salsa from my dinner all over my pants. Please, let all of my partners be in good health and decent moods. Please, I hope the floor drains work and actually drain. Please, I hope the music works. Because all of that happened yesterday and it can’t happen two days in a row, right?

Dear friends,

I just completed Day Three of eight total days closing, in a row. Day One was difficult because I asked one of our newer partners (and probably the slowest) to close bar, which is an intense experience. It didn’t go well, and we got out VERY late. Days Two and Three were quite nice, in fact, and they were done with the two partners at our store under the age of 18- they are just laid back, and they do the work. It’s no big deal.

Tomorrow I close with a brand new partner (two weeks in) who is fast but very inexperienced, and our pre-closer is a partner who is essentially incompetent at everything except being on register. I don’t know what to do with her. Please, omnipotent being in the sky, help me keep my cool.

I guess the reason I’m telling you all this (other than the fact that it is my blog, after all) is that I will need a pick-me-up tomorrow around 9PM MST. Please have left wonderful posts here on Tumblr, and continue to do so well past that time.

Thank you,

Andrea

This better not be strep throat, as I can’t have anything remotely related to amoxycillin.