This past Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I worked at the Starbucks in Harrisonburg.  It's across from JMU.  The parking sucks though.  10am-6pm along with Steve and Trevor.  Tuesday I showed up around 9am and just sat at a table watching people.  I didn't announce myself as actually being one of the trainees till just before 10am.  Then Steve showed up and Trevor shortly there after.  We learned how to make the mocha sauce and coffee / cream bases for frappuccinos.  Also whipped cream, which is the easiest thing to remember.

We let Steve go first at trying to steam milk at the espresso machine.  He managed to spray milk all over himself, so we saw what NOT to do. heheh.  "Good thing you went first, man!"

Fraps are the easiest thing to make, as long as you can remember what drink needs what.   I had a hard time getting the blended mix out of the jar into the cups..    This first day I got to make and try Strawberries and Creme, and Vanilla Bean.  That last one was way too strong for my tastes.

I spent most of the first day shadowing whoever was at the bar, asking questions and taking notes.  Yes I take notes.  I have everyday, even at the interview.

The thing I love about the layout of the Harrisonburg store is that it has a little counter that people can sit at you can basically watch whoever is at the espresso bar and down the whole lane.  You can see everything they do basically.  I'd sit there on break and before and after work.  I never really left right after work and even on the other days  I was really early, reading something and taking notes.

The second day Trevor called out, and Steve mysteriously left around 3pm instead of 6pm.  No clue what happened.   I practiced making the core drinks, trying to get the right weight.  I spent a lot of time steaming milk and rinsing out the metal pitchers to help out who ever was on bar.  Also taking any blended drinks that were ordered.  I managed to not burn myself too often or badly.  I see lots of lotion in my future though to counter all the hand washing.  So far my biggest mess ups are sending part of a blended drink flying thru the air trying to get it to slide out of a jar into a cup.  A customer was like "We saw that!!!!"  to which I could only reply "I know!"  I also manged to dump a massive amount of red sprinkles on a peppermint mocha frap.   As in all the whip cream was covered in red..  We had to spoon it out, and someone else finished the drink up for me.. I didn't touch the sprinkles again -_-  I also did the dishes and managed to be a spaz about the dish machine.  I didn't catch how it worked, but once I got it I didn't have any problems.  I honestly don't know how to work a dishwasher.  If I have to 'do' dishes at home they're done by hand.

Steve didn't show up Thursday, but Trevor did.   She went in the back first on the computer to learn about the register and how it worked and I did quality checks (on the core drinks), and asking more questions in the process.  Most of the time I always felt like I was in someone's way.  It's fascinating to watch someone work the bar, all these people training have been working for Starbucks for at least a few years.  I take so long on the bar my timing sucks.  Calling drinks or even cup marking is way over my head at the moment it's so fast.  I can't really remember it, I get tongue tied.   This is what bothers me the most considering the fact that the Staunton store is opening in a week...

Trevor ended up going home early, she wasn't feeling well.  I have no idea if she even got any practice on the bar, but she was going to work on Friday to make up for Wednesday, so maybe.. And I went on the computer.  I was back there for about 2 1/2 hours.  I took notes on EVERYTHING.  Also the tests at the end were annoying, because some times if you didn't do something in the order they expected, you were wrong anyways.  Now I basically just have more questions for Sue.  I don't actually work again till Monday.   I feel like so much time is being wasted that I could be practing or something.  I do realize that the weekend is probably the busiest but still...  blah.

The Harrisonburg crew was really wonderful.  They were very helpful and nice and didn't belittle me.  I did my best to make sure I thanked them all.  I really have respect for them.  I hope I can do as well as them.

I woke up at 8:30am to get ready and head out for my 10am interview.  It was drizzling out, no biggie.  But As I was on 262 taking the ramp to 81 N I noticed one very big problem.  The lanes were backed up and moving very slowly.  While I realize I only have to go up one exit to reach 64E and zip on over to Waynesboro I had no idea where the blockage, accident, what have you, was coming from.   It wasn't 64. :D  I would have been so late if it was. :(

Before the interview started and Sue came out some of the Partners were giving me pointers / teasing me. Don't worry, relax you'll do fine.  Sue is CRAZY! etc.  I did learn that she has 5-6 more people that she needs to hire.  Better odds right?

I did a lot of prep for this interview.  Ever since Monday I have been looking online for possible questions I might be asked and what I would want to ask her.   I had a lot of notes in my spiral notebook, which I did take to the interview.  Sue started to ask me about my time(s) at Toys 'R Us and off to the side I can hear "You used to work at a toy store?  That's automatic brownie points."
"Oh really and why is that?"
"Because she used to manage one"
Turns out she used to work at KB and I mentioned Pernell <3

She asked me of a time when I was running late and how did I handle it. Best thing I could think of was driving to TRU Harrisonburg in the snow and getting hit.  I was literally just down the road from the store as well.  I called them to let them know the situation and that hopefully it wouldn't take toooo long.   I joked about how bad it would be if I was late to Blockbuster since I live less then a mile from it.

What are your hobbies?   I'm on the computer a lot.  Play a lot of games, etc.  I was able to transition that into how I got my first job.  Back in 1998 I e-mailed Starland's website saying that if they ever wanted help with the website that I'd love to.  Signed my name and everything.  Chris looked at this e-mail and thought what???   So he pulled me up Starland's database.  Member since 1994.  WHO IS THIS GIRL?!!?!  He called me in to talk and I was filling out the paperwork.. :D

Most of the interview went really well.  Did my best to smile when I could but not be fake and also maintain eye contact.  For parts of it I think we really hit it off - On the same wave length about work ethics and mentality.    I asked her a lot of questions as well.  What kind of benefits / insurance.  How long training is?  What other sort of expectations she personally had.  What sort of shifts. The store hours will be 5:30am-9:30pm..  I thought she might say something like 3 (I was thinking Blockbuster sort of terms). She said initially 5-6.  Oh so a lot of overlap?   I even asked what Starbucks had planned for working with the community.  

Sue told me she had more interviews to do but that she would call me around noon and headed to the back.    A few of the Partners asked me how I did..  I felt good, figured I'd get a drink and head home.  I tried to pay for it but they wouldn't have it.  I looked around the store as I waited for my drink.  I got distracted by a TSA sign on the board.  (I was in the TSA  my freshman year at AHS).  By this point Sue was back out front getting ready for her next interview and she called out to me.  She gave me the job on the spot.  She said I didn't have to answer right away, that I could call her cell phone. I told her I'd do that and left.  

It's just as well it went down like that because our home phone line is messed up.  If she had called there would have been no way for me to answer the phone.  So I called her cell phone and left a message with my cell phone number.  I figure I'll try again sometime tomorrow afternoon if I don't hear anything. 

I need to buy clothes and shoes.