2004-09-07
Things Worth Updating About
Life has been going pretty well lately. Of course there are always things like hurricanes, illnesses, and runaway couches, but sometimes the not so great things enhance the good things in life.
Today is my day off. I worked Saturday with James, Tim, and Bryan, setting up for a wedding reception. Instead of getting paid in cash, this time we got paid in sushi and getting taken to see Hero (which was pretty good). Sunday I worked at Javaology from noon until 8:00, and made $8 in tips. Monday I worked from 9:30 until 5:30, and made $16 in tips. Since we've only been open for four days now, I think that's pretty impressive. The thing is, we haven't even had our 'hard opening' yet. Employees were brought in to train, and people passing by on the streets saw people inside the shop, and wanted to come in. Since we're not a chain, but a neighborhood coffeeshop, we couldn't exactly turn people away, and as as result we have been open for four days now, without a grand opening or anything.
I really like love Javaology. Everything I thought Dakota Coffee Works should have done differently, Javaology already does. The prices are decent, and the coffee is done the right way. For instance, if you order a cappuccino, you're not going to receive a latte with a little extra foam. You're also not going to get Starbuck's version. You're going to receive a bonafide cappuccino, dry, with a lot of foam and not much milk. It's perfect. And everyone there is so great, and not snobby at all.
It amuses me that I'm the only white coffee girl there (also making me the only white female barista in the entire Historic Atlanta District), and there's a white Rivers Cuomo type guy that works there also. It doesn't bother me at all, it just tickles me. I really like my coworkers. The owners are Willis and his wife _____ (will fill in later) and Morgan and his wife Jennifer. I've found a lot of people I work with live in my apartment complex. There's a woman named Sharon who's a healer, and she'll be moving in the floor beneath me on Thursday. She has gorgeous little granddaughters named Ejipt and Imanna. There's a guy in his early/mid twenties from London named Lee that lives on the floor above me, and he's incredibly funny and friendly. There's a woman a few years older than me named Natasha who lives in the building behind me, and a man whose name escapes me at the moment who also lives in our complex. There's this guy Cameron, who doesn't live in my apartment complex, but down the street from me. Cameron is my age, and I immediately liked him upon meeting him. He's so relaxed, and I feel so comfortable around him. He's majoring in Black Studies at Georgia State University. Those are the people I know so far.
When I was introduced to Lee, the first thing he said to me was, "Don't you live in my apartment building?" I thought he looked familiar, but there are sooo many people in our apartment complex that I really can't keep up. I told him maybe, but I wasn't sure. Later he explained how he took notice of me and remembered who I was. "I had come downstairs and you were checking your mail, and some guy came up to you and told you he liked your style . . . " Basically, he had witnessed the entire scene I talked about in my last entry. It was pretty funny. I'd seen Lee around before, but thought that he was this big, black tough American guy that was pretty quiet, and might be mean. After talking to him yesterday when he dropped by, I saw I was completely wrong. For starters, he's from London. He's a self-described "pussy" (dissolving my tough guy theory), and one of the friendliest people I've ever met. I absolutely love his sense of humor, too. It's very British, and he has a very charming accent. He asked me if I went to MJQ, which initially surprised me (thank you, friends of mine who have me thinking in a sterotyping mindset), and told me that he really liked going there.
It turns out we have a lot in common, and we exchanged numbers to hang out sometime. When I was pulling up to the apartments after work, I saw him leaving, apparently walking to pick up some cigarettes. I turned around and offered him a ride to the gas station. When we came back, we hung out on the roof until the wind and rain were too much to handle, and I hung out with him for a while at his apartment. Mostly, we talked about music (he was almost moved to tears when he found out that he's not the only person that likes Seal) and his roomate. It was so easy hanging out with him (no uncomfortable blank silences, etc.) that I was up there for two hours before I noticed the time, and headed home.
Today I made up for not getting much sleep lately. The hurricane is in town, and the power went out this morning at 4, and was not turned back on until 4 this afternoon. I'd wanted to play Crystal Chronicles and do a little cleaning, but with the power off, I could do neither and therefore slept all day. When we got up, I persuaded James into letting me take him somewhere for lunch. I'm very proud that I now have money of my own, money James did not give me, money I earned, and wanted to celebrate the fact by buying us lunch/dinner. At first James was very grumpy about it, but finally saw things from my p.o.v. and relented. We went to Popeyes at James' request and my delight, and dropped by Kroger to get medicine for both of us (antacid for James' stomach; migraine medicine for myself). As we were driving into the apartment complex, we spotted Lee with a couple of guys, slowed down and waved. He asked if we would mind taking him to work, and of course we agreed, as it was raining and I know he doesn't have a car. He was going to get a ride with his roomate and their friend, but would rather not be around his roomate much longer, due to the fact that his roomate is a true douchebag.
Upon arriving at Javaology, I ran inside to ask if I was needed to work tomorrow, and was told I would be working from 6 pm to close with Liberty. Liberty is a really sweet girl, and she's the first fellow employee I met. Morgan told me I will be showing Liberty the ropes tomorrow evening. It impressed me that Morgan is that comfortable and thinks enough of me to qualify me for that. I also met Jarod, the guy with the Rivers Cuomo frames. He seems to be pretty nice.
It's so refreshing to meet people who aren't assholes, like the people I originally hung out with when I moved here. I haven't cut ties with them, I've just quit hanging out with them as much.
When we dropped Lee off, I told him that if it was still raining when he got off work, that I would pick him up. I mean, it's only a block away so it's not really going to interfere with my gas mileage. Tonight the three of us (Lee, James, and I) might hang out, provided Lee isn't too tired. I'm so glad I met him.
Now for the other, non work-related news of this week . . . My cousin Lloyd told me that his cousin Allison had some furniture she needed to get rid of, since she's moving. She was going to give us a couch. Due to the fact that James and I have been working with one vehicle right now, and he hasn't been feeling well lately anyway, it hasn't really worked out with Lloyd's schedule to pick the couch up. Finally, we decided that the best time to arrange it would be Monday morning. I had to be at work then, but Lloyd could pick up James, and they could go pick up the couch. However, when Monday morning rolled around, we were in for a surprise. I was running late for work, but Lloyd told me to wait because he had something to tell me. Knowing that my grandmother's health is in bad condition right now, I immediately thought he was going to tell me she'd died. However, it turns out that Allison's mother already gave the couch away to somebody else. I was a little disappointed (okay, the only furniture we have right now is my antique table cabinet that Liger has been using as a chew toy, a small table with chairs that Lloyd lent us, and we're sleeping on a mattress and boxspring, without a bed frame), but he promised he'd find us another couch, as well as an entertainment center and some other things.
If you've noticed, I've been updating less than usual. I've decided to update only about things that are really noteworthy and interesting. Plus, I just don't have that much spare time anymore. So if you were wondering, now you know.
Time to pick Lee up from work.
aigre-douce at 7:41 p.m.