Thursday on a Friday... Again.

CATCHING UP. THURSDAY ON A FRIDAY.


Thursday on a Friday again.

Why?

No real reason except I've worked more this week (at the paying job) and I made a little commissioned quilt and we have had snow which somehow takes up time.
How does snow take up time? Well, you have to brush the snow off the cars before you can even get into them to start them. Then the car likes a good 10 minutes to warm up and help melt the ice off. The decks need shoveling. The walk needs shoveling. Driving is slower and my 7 minute drive to work takes 15 minutes. Stuff like that.

The cars have looked like this all week.

Anyway, so I'm a day late. Not the end of the world. 

And because I have been doing these other things, I totally have come to a standstill on my 60 by 60 challenges. That will change, but not in the next few weeks. 

In the meantime, I did order some calligraphy supplies and am anxious to get to work practicing some letters.

New toys. Yay!

And work has been a blast. Who knew that I would love making coffee?
I barely drink coffee myself!

And maybe it isn't the actual coffee making but the people I'm making it for that I enjoy so much. 

On Wednesday I had a nice looking gentleman, maybe 65ish, come in. He was a true cowboy, originally from Wyoming. Chatty as so many people that come in are. (Or is it that I'm chatty and we just engage? Not sure.) I've never before worked at a place where people come in and introduce themselves.
"Hi! I'm So and So. You a local?" 

Anyway Mr. Cowboy ordered a latte plus some ice cream for himself. Then he also ordered a kid's cup of ice cream for his Golden Retriever who was cooling his heels out in the truck. Mr. Cowboy had Butter Pecan in a cone. Sutter, the Golden, stuck with Vanilla.

Now it just happened that I had read the Pioneer Woman's blog Wednesday morning about how happy she is to be married to a cowboy. How cowboys are helpful and resourceful and if you have a flat tire, one will be there to change it-no complaining, no matter the time of day or night.
Which reminded me of Bunny saying how nice it was the guys in our little area of Colorado were so resourceful. These guys know how to change tires, jump start cars, build fires, shoot guns...things that are not so common for the boys back in our part of Texas.  Texas has plenty of cowboys but not necessarily where we live.  So this is a new concept for my girlies.

Pioneer Woman's cowboys. 

Photo by Ree Drummond.

As I was scooping the ice cream , I relayed to Mr. Cowboy Bunny's thoughts on the local guys versus the Texas big city guys and he perked up. Asked my daughter's age and when I mentioned I had two of them, he really got bright eyed. 

Turns out Mr. Cowboy has a neighbor who is also a cowboy, 21 years old, and owns outright 60 head of cattle.  Sells the calves and invests the money. Doing quite well for himself. But they live in a really rural area and "it's slim pickin's for girls" where they live. Maybe my older daughter would be interested? 

I had to break it to Mr. Cowboy that both of my girls have friend boys already. 

Not pimping those girls out yet. 

Then, because it was quiet in the store, I went out and met Sutter who was the sweetest most gigantic Golden Retriever I'd seen in a while.

One of my favorite pics of our Golden Retriever, Jake, with Bunny.

Bone cancer took his back right leg but he never seemed to notice. 

Then bone cancer took his life. We noticed. 

And I get paid for this. 

Life is good. 

Do You Hear What I Hear????

Do You Hear What I Hear ????  
An Exercise in Listening


One of my favorite blogs, Hollywood Housewife, has been on a challenge a month for 2014. Each month she challenges herself to really do ONE thing and do it well. It's a concept I like. Haven't tried it, but I like it in theory.

The Hollywood Housewife. 

She's originally from Oklahoma which makes me wonder.

What is it about Oklahoma that breeds these great bloggers? 

Anyway, her November challenge to herself was to listen. Just listen. That's all. Not throw in her perspective. Not share what happened to her. Just listen. It's a hard thing for most of us to do. We want to share. We want to hear ourselves talk. We want to throw in how the same thing happened to us.

And of course she found it hard (that's why it's called a challenge) but overall it was worth it and enlightening and all those good things that should come from completing a challenge.

Which got me to thinking about Bunny and her new job. She is a waitress at a sports bar and she told me one night that a guy came in and mentioned his cat had died. This was right after our Maxy Cat had passed away and I asked if she had shared that with him. She said No. In training they were taught to not share. People don't want to hear about her, they want to be heard. Which is very true and also probably why she does very well in tips. And why the chain she works for is very successful.

Sweet Maxy Cat.

May he rest in peace.

And then I started my new job which also came with the same policy. Listen.  No need to share, outdo, or one up the customer. Please don't share opinions on religion, the government, politics of any kind, or anything else beyond the weather.

Of course, people ask questions and conversations get started but I'm working hard at remembering to listen, not talk.

It's a challenge but it is also great training.

Because part of my job is being a barista.

And if you walk into Starbucks or wherever you regularly get your caffeine fix, what do you do? Probably the same thing I do.
Rattle off your request mindlessly in one breath.
"A largenonfatvanillalattewithsoymilk, please."
Or something along those lines.
So I am learning to really concentrate on the response to "what can I get you?"
Because honestly, the first few times I asked that, I was still on "large" while the customer was getting out their money and looking expectantly at me for their drink.

All those coffee options...

please order slowly. 

Thanks.

Listen.
Can you hear what I hear?

Perseverance

Perseverance: I Think I Can, I Think I Can

Back in October I wrote about "doing it like I mean it" and looking for a job.

I kept looking for jobs, had a couple of interviews and basically accomplished nothing.

Then about five weeks ago a little coffee/decor shop opened up about 5 miles down the road from the cabin. I had watched this building being renovated and set my sights on working there.

The very first week they opened, I went in, ordered a mocha espresso and told the owner that I wanted to work there.   She looked at me like I had two heads.

This machine makes a lot of noise.

It's scary.

But I persevered.

The next week I went in and the owner's son was there. I repeated my request. I want to work here.
He looked slightly more interested, but no jobs available, they were just getting started.  He told me to maybe call his mom.

The following week, another employee was there and I told her I wanted to work there because  "don't you want to take some days off?".  I left my name and number, again.

Again the next week. Declaring my intentions, leaving my name and number.

I pretty much had given up.

BUT.... Hope springs eternal.

I went in last week and the owner's son said "O! I was going to call you today. Can you come in on Wednesday?"

Hallelujah!!!

I've worked one day. I made espressos and chai teas and sold some coffee mugs. Business is slow to start- this is a seasonal area. But the ski area opens Thanksgiving weekend so possibly things will pick up.

The grinder for these guys is also scary.

But I still have my fingers!

I go back on this Wednesday.

It was fun, I learned something new, I persevered.

Hey! Isn't that the entire premise behind Project Sixty by Sixty?
Yep.