Back to the Future

its official. In a matter of days I will no longer be working for caribou coffee. For those of you who do not know, I have accepted a position with eq-life. Excited is an understatement. But if I wasn't anxious before.... let me give you a small recap of my last couple of days:

For starters, I opened the store yesterday. Another day started bright and early--sometime around the hour of four. After scraping myself off of my pillow, and stumbling into the shower, I found myself setting up the store for our wonderful caffeine addicted customers.

"I have to leave by 12...." one of my sup's started to tell me. After an explanation somewhat drawn out, knowing that I would be in the store even though I wasn't scheduled to be, we came to the conclusion that it would be okay if she left 3 hours early.
"What a weird shift.... ....but i'm off by 10..." another supervisor proclaimed out loud an hour later. "Huh? ...you're here until one!" I fired back. We both made a bee-line to the schedule. After realizing she was incorrect, she explained to me her circumstance based around the shift she thought she worked, we came to the same conclusion of the previous situation.

In my head I'm thinking it will be fine. We really only need two people here anyway, and they might as well leave since I'm here. Well, it turns out, that everything that I had expected to get done, didn't. And on top of it.... I had to re-train a team member on how to make drinks in the middle of a rush because of customer disapoints. Without going into great detail on the rest of the day, my 'easy-day-in-the-back-room-allowing-me-to-get-some-things-done' quickly turned into a crazy, stressful, long twelve hour day.

Which brings me to today....

As I'm rubbing my eyes, wondering why I'm hearing smooth criminal at ten after five, I answer my phone. Someone is late... my shift is asking if its okay to go in. Of course I'm going to say yes. As I tell her to go look at the schedule and make the appropriate phone call, I'm already anticipating re-entering the dream I was pulled out of so quickly.

"...I'm beginning to hate this song" I think as I roll over 20 minutes later. "yeah" I say almost as if I'm expecting the call. What is the purpose of a phone call to the store manager at 5:40 in the morning to communicate that a machine might be broke. I don't get it...

I know I love this song, but now its starting to feel a little over played! Why?!? Why are they calling me so much this morning? This time, its another person. Telling me he's sick and can't find anyone. my response: if your sick... gotta take care of yourself... do what you need to do..." I hang up. As I crawl out of the shower, I notice I've missed yet another call. There is a message... this one is saying that I don't need to come in, someone has agreed to come in. I crawl back in bed.

Next thing I know its sometime after eight. I finish getting ready and go into work. I get there to find out that the person covering can't be there for the entire shift. I also realize that if I hadn't hired someone yesterday, we'd be in worse shape. Needless to say, more training today... and another long one in the books.

As I slide into the drivers seat I think to myself: November 6, can't come soon enough.