Soggy

You know the minute you walk in through the doors - and determine just how long the line is - what 'crew' is on at my Starbucks. This morning was deceptive - the line was not at all long. Yet, the crew was all men.

I've got nothing against men. They are wonderful. But an 'all guy' crew does not bode well. And this morning was proof of that.

I live with three men. My teens are just blundering buffoons sometimes - they can't just open a door. They have to OPEN THE DOOR. They thunder through things - not caring if it's loud, or leaving scuff marks. Or wrestling with door handles so much that they loosen them from the door over time - requiring adding 'tighten door handles' to the running list of 'things to do' around our homestead.

An all guy crew in Starbucks is just like that. Add to that another trait I notice in my own men - lack of attention to detail. As witnessed by this:

The great guy at the register takes my order. He seems distracted - he ALWAYS seems distracted. He looks like he's afraid of all the people about to fire off orders to him - and I think that's probably true. Ordering at Starbucks is an 'art' - you know what you want, you know how to order it so the barista knows what to write - this wonderfully kind, sweet man looks at me like I'm speaking Greek. I order my usual 'two venti black iced teas, 4 Splenda in each'. I leave out the 'no water and no need to shake', 'cuz I know that will be too much for him to handle. I also add 'and a brown sugar oatmeal'. He writes the tea order onto the cups and sets them aside for the barista to fill them. He asks 'what kind of oatmeal'? 'Brown sugar'. He proceeds to make the oatmeal. I can't see what he's doing but my cup of oats and the paper bag with the brown sugar and spoon appear at the counter. I ask for a handle bag because I will be carrying two drinks also and the cup is not something easily balanced. First hurdle done. Breakfast in hand (chastising myself for spending $2.20 cents on oatmeal that I could have made at home for 30 cents - but had no time to do), I head over to pick up my drinks.

The barista guy is making them - there's no Splenda handy so he leisurely strolls over to the counter where the stuff is for coffee . Puts the Splenda's into the cups, adds the tea concentrate and water. Shakes them. He's doing the 'martini shake' thing as if that is his calling in life - much bravado and gusto. Did you know they are trained to shake 10 times? They are. He shakes 10 plus 1, just to be sure, I guess. He puts the tea into the plastic cups and puts on DOME lids - they are out of the flat lids. Next thing I know - and I honestly am not sure what happened but I can guess - in his usual 'bravado', showy way - he sort of slides the cup onto the counter - and it spills and sprays 3 feet. Across the counter, all over my shoes, narrowly missing my shirt. I got 'splashed' but not soaked. He apologizes - and the ONE GIRL in the store (who was cleaning tables) rushes over to clean it up. He makes me another one and this time, I say 'you can just skip the whole shaking show. I don't care about it being shaken.'

I leave with my soggy shoes, splattered, damp shirt, drinks and oatmeal in a handle bag. I get to work and decide 'better eat now'. I mention this because yesterday, I also 'splurged' on oatmeal (because again, I was too rushed to grab something at home and knew I would be starving by 10) - only I didn't eat THAT oatmeal until ONE O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON . So, I start today off 'better' by reminding myself to eat. I open the little bag with all the brown sugar, spoon and napkin - and find not only brown sugar, but nuts and dried fruit, too. And somehow, that little paper bag is mysteriously filled with water. Everything in it is soggy. Not a problem for the fruit and nuts - but the brown sugar is pretty wet. I manage to scrape it out of the package and into the oatmeal - and add the fruit and nuts, too. That poor guy - who had already asked me twice what 'kind' of oatmeal I wanted - had decided he'd just give me one of everything - no risk my order wasn't 'right' 'cuz I had one of all three kinds of 'adds' to the oatmeal...but not good for SB's profit margin. And when I open the oatmeal to eat it, it's got way too much water in it - it's like soup. I don't like soupy oatmeal - I like thick, custard-like oatmeal. It was OK - and the 'extra adds' sure did help offset the soupiness.

Maybe I shouldn't worry about their profit when they can get me to pay $2.20 (after 10% gold card discount) for a 30 cent bowl of oatmeal? And then spend $$ on iced tea and/or coffee EVERY DAY....

By the time I left the store, the line was approaching 'out the door', as it usually is when there's an 'all-guy' crew. Sorry, guys - but you're just not 'good' at all the things that make a great SB team. Multi-tasking, attention to detail, etc. ....girls beat you hands down on all that stuff.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping for the 'girl crew' - they know my name, remember my order and have everything well under control. No repeating orders. No spilled drinks. No soupy oatmeal. The girls at my Starbucks ROCK !! Andrea, Carol and Pearl are the BEST baristas EVER!!