The Green Siren: Just one

Yesterday, I was so proud of myself for using only one small coffee cup.  I used it for three partner beverages; one when I arrived at 6am, and the second and third uses were on my two breaks.  I made my Mom her triple decaf soy mocha.  Iced.  

Oh, see, Bri?  Iced.  Said it at the end.  I do get frustrated with customers when they don’t say iced until after I’ve repeated the drink back to them, because sometimes I’ve written the cup already.  But clearly, it’s easy to forget as you spout off your order.  If you don’t initially remember that’s fine, but when I repeat your order two and three times, or if you come to my window and tell me it’s iced as you arrive, or if I’m handing you a beverage and you look at it with that sharp-breath-in ‘Oooh’ face as your hands fly to your mouth and your eyebrows crinkle and you say with a chuckle if you’re friendly or with a huff if you’re  not, ‘It was supposed to be iced.’  

Hey, it happens.  If you’re okay with it, that means more time for us to chat.  That’s part of what I love about my job so much.  I see the same people every day, but only for a snippet.  You come through, we share a few moments that are perhaps meaningful, perhaps comical, perhaps refreshing, perhaps loving.  Sometimes, unfortunately, our exchanges aren’t always positive.  Maybe you’re in a hurry, or it’s the middle of a big rush and I’m stressed.  For the most part, I strive to make my exchanges with people positive, and that gives me something to look forward to in going to work every day.  I get to see people I’ve come to know in a certain context and care about. 

 And I also get to exercise my care for things greater than me.  And that’s a bit more challenging.

After a successful day yesterday of reusing one cup, I realized today that I should be taking partner beverages in porcelain mugs.  We have them, and they’re so rarely used I forget.  It’s funny, the things that our eyes pass over, even when we’re so focused on the concept.  I try to be aware of myself at work.  Don’t just toss cups when I mark them incorrectly.  I tried today clarifying hot or iced beverage with the customer before they began their order at the counter.  That might be harder to do on drive, but we’ll see how it goes.  Today, though, it worked well; didn’t throw one out. 

I did bring my personal cup into work this morning, but still used a plastic cup for my three espresso shots at 4:15.  I was parched when I woke up this morning at 3:30ad and drank a full cup of water before I got to work, then refilled it as soon as I got there.  When Emily offerred to make me a drink as I hustled to finishing putting together the pastry case I was still so thirsty I wanted a water cup and a coffee.  I thought about going without the coffee, but it was super early and not having had coffee would have caught up with me later on in the morning.

And nothing’s worse than a scowling barista.

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