tricky jack

check this out!!!!!




pardon my high-pitched giggles right next to the camera's mic. i was so giddy because this was one of the first times i'd seen him do this. i just think it's ADORABLE! =D

monsters vs. aliens

"guys, this is a code brown, because i need to change my pants."

funny movie! we saw it on easter with my cousins =)

my bday at the national zoo

i had the best birthday yesterday.

daniel sent me out to get a pedicure in the morning, and then we left for an afternoon at the national zoo! it was soo much fun! and it was so cool because so many times, when we walked up, the animals started moving around and stuff. like the hippo came inside, the lions got up from their nap, the sea lions started playing... it was incredible.

the lions were beautiful.














thirsty...














the sea lions were hysterical... especially with daniel's commentary =)



this hippo was ENORMOUS!!!














this baby panda was very very hungry. and cute.




























i have, of course, dozens more pictures, but i'll spare you a blog post of that length. suffice it to say that we had a FANTASTIC time, and we want to go back again and see the flamingos and the cheetah conservation thing.















bye!

a few of my "favorite" things

disclaimer: this post is not meant as a rant or a whining session. i'm just poking fun at my job. =)

i love when you're making drinks at the bar, and you have about 8 cups waiting in line for you, and a crowd of customers gathered around watching, when all of a sudden, you hear, "i didn't get whipped cream on mine!" you look up to find a face as distraught as someone who was just told that their life is in danger and they must evacuate the building. you paste on a smile and politely as which drink is theirs. "white mocha, fat free, venti, no whip." you glance down at the venti, upside-down, extra caramel, with whip, carmel macchiato that you're finishing up. clearly not a match. scanning down the cup line-up you find that hers is still 6 cups away. "i'm sorry, ma'am; this is not your drink." "OH!" she replies, as though it has never occured to her that you might be making a drink for someone other than her. wow.

i love when people call whipped cream, "cool whip"

i love that everyone who orders a grande coffee waits around for their change: three pennies. really? three pennies? you couldn't spare that for the tip jar?

i love when people tell you about all the things that corporate should change. as if you, a barista, can do something about it, right then, in that moment. sorry, sir.

i love when people get REALLY upset when you make a mistake on the job. manners? they are out the window. it's almost as if i have purposely screwed up their order, as a personal affront toward them. do i come to your work and tell you you're doing a bad job? nope.

i love when people walk up to the counter, set their travel mug down and stare at you expectantly. didn't you know that mind-reading was an integral part of the job description?

i love when people in the drive-through make me hoist my upper body over the window sill, because they're too lazy to extend their arm out their window.

i love when people don't stop at the menu board and speaker to order. just pull right up to the window. "oh, i didn't see it. i didn't know you had one of those." really? well have you ever been to any drive-through ever in your life before? and have you ever ordered at the window? no. now the drinks are out of order and everyone behind you in line has to wait, because we haven't had time to start your drink ahead of time. thanks.

what i really DO love is my co-workers. ashley paired me up with a girl named kat for my training and said right off the bat, "you guys are going to be bff." =)

lastly, i love all the myriad pronunciations of "carmel macchiato" (mah-kee-ya-toh). my all-time fav, so far, is "muh-cheeto."

i lied. one more. i love the words "extra carmel." i think i have heard them about 157,982 times since i started at starbucks in february.