The End of an (Employment) Era

Today was my last day at Starbucks.  


I started there 25 months ago.  Matt had recently changed jobs, I had not been working at all for a year and a half to be home with our babies.  We were starting to get buried under the first stack of legal bills.  I was desperate to not have to arrange formal childcare.  I was looking for something that I could do early or late to minimize my time away from the girls.  Starbucks seemed the perfect fit.  I started most of my shifts at 5 AM, and I tried to work only mornings and weekends.  As of late I have been working evenings and Sundays. 


While this was as ideal a situation as I could ask for in a work schedule, it left a few things to be desired.  Namely: time with Matt (that guy works a lot of Saturdays), the ability to go to church, being able to spend time as a family and not just parents switching shifts at home, and the fact that getting up at four something in the morning is not awesome.


This summer a part time position doing administrative things at the same organization Matt works for became available.  I applied and got the position.  I will now be spending a mere ten hours a week working in a place I love, with people I love, doing things I love.  


I loved my friends at Starbucks.  I have spent a lot of shifts laughing until my sides hurt.  I was able to go to work there and totally check out of my real life.  However, I am looking forward to moving on and pursuing work that I am passionate about.  Additionaly, my new schedule will let me see so much more of Harper and Matt.  Finally, I hold that khaki pants and polo shirts are no woman's friends.  I am goodwill-ing them with relish.  Win win win.


As a courtesy to any members of the general public that happen upon this blog and as a courtesy to my amazing work friends, I would like to share a list of behavior Starbucks employees frown upon:


* pantslessness -- even if you park in the garage at home and are going through the drive through, I can see into your car.  Don't come through in your underwear.  Put pants on.  This applies to men and women.


* rudeness -- if you're on your cell phone you can at least give a genuine smile and say thank you.  Also, if you are put out by the chipperness of the employees, drink your coffee at home.  We get paid an hourly wage to make your drinks.  Part of our job is to be nice to you.  If you are too crabby for that, please enjoy some Folgers in your kitchen.  Where pants and manners are optional.


*bizarre behavior -- yesterday someone was cutting their toe nails while waiting for us to hand out their drink after they paid.  No one wants to see that.  We also don't want to feed your dog whipped cream (I have been asked to do just that), listen to your three year old order a long list of drinks at the speaker box because you think it's cute, make three separate cups of whipped creams for dogs in your car only to be told they are not right and have to re-do them, break $100 bills for an order that is $1.63, or try to guess what the modifiers are on your drink that you order once every 2 weeks but assume we know because it is your "usual."


*licking -- please don't lick whipped cream out of your cup in front of us or eat a cake pop before you pay.  It's gross.  Enough said.


A final word: it is not the brightest move to be unkind to people making your coffee.  They might just give you decaf drinks instead.  It's never happened at my store.  I'm just saying it could potentially happen.  Wink.


Thanks for reading.  I don't label my posts, but if I did this one would go under 
jobs, random, soap box, and I'm really lucky you're reading anything I write if this is what you find when you come to this blog.  


Love,
Molly