Coffee Pits

Cranky at work today. Lots of demands and not quite back to full
health. Frustrated to be in training when I feel I could be doing
other "more important" things. Mostly, though, I feel left out and a
bit guilty to not be helping. Part of my cafe management training
today was to go to a coffee store (not one of ours) and do a "secret
shop" on Borders nickel. Buy a drink, some pastry, observe the
service, cleanliness, taste, etc. We went to a crowded Peet's that
was underwhelming, and then sat in the sun for an hour at Yerba Buena
park and critiqued it.

I haven't been down to the loading dock in a week!

So I "reframe" it. My part IS the cafe and making sure it's a
humdinger. It has an awful lot going for it and SBC is a great
program (although I think I prefer the taste of Starbucks coffee...
or better yet, the stuff I make at home). Instead of fighting and
complaining about the training, my job is to be a damn good cafe
manager.

..................

There's a rumor Bloomies will "soft open" tomorrow and we are just
outside their fourth floor door (barred off) where the view of the
dome is, so if they DO open we'll get lots of face. We'll straighten
up and make that part look very nice...

Meanwhile it's hard to believe the other stores in the centre will be
open in time. Many of them seem like construction sites. More and
more new people are starting but not the crowds it's going to take to
put this show together.

Of course, we had to start early. We have 250,000 books, cd's and
dvd's to put in alphabetical order (and make pretty displays).

Tomorrow I get to sleep in because I don't have to be at work until 7
am!

P.S. Turns out coffee is actually a pit, not a bean.