Dear Cell Phone Guy/Lady,

Seriously? What is so important that you have to talk on the phone at full volume while you are in line and then whisper your order to me, only to return to your conversation while looking at me like you are annoyed because I am asking you to pay?

HTD (here’s the deal). If you are on the phone, step aside and finish your conversation so that the person/people behind you can order. Or better yet, hang up. It’s simple really. Otherwise, your cell phone conversation looks like a big middle finger in my face.

So here’s what I’m going to do as this continues: While you are having your conversation after you order, I am going to call your order to the barista (as required of me) only I will do it at a slightly louder volume than usual. I will also tell you how much you owe me, only again I will do this at a slightly louder (but still courteous) volume. Yes, I realize that this will annoy you, but really, isn’t this what you are doing to me and others?

So Mr/Mrs/Ms Cell Phone user, I ask this of you. Please hang up and order, or let others after you order first.

thank you,

Your Barista – The Brown Kid

…two years too late.

Starbucks announced that they will give money this holiday season to the (red) campaign. Seriously, didn’t this happen already? Isn’t everybody done with the (red) campaign? Of course, it’s a good thing, as St. Arbucks will donate .05 cents from every holiday trio sold (Gingersnap Latte, Peppermint Twist Mocha, and the Eggnog Latte), but what if instead they said they will donate all procedes from the holiday trio sold on one day? I am sure more people would be on board for this. Maybe Uncle Howie should have been on board two years ago when the (red) campaign was relevant.

There were a few closures in Washington, but none of the Bellingham Stores were on “The List”. Click here if you want to see what stores were closed. At a quick glance, I think the most starbucks closed were in Texas. Don’t fret though. As far as we know, Uncle Howie takes care of his employees. The workers are supposed to find work at the Starbucks across the street.

To help me get to know people better at St. Arbucks I work at and for simple team building, I’ve started bringing in CD’s for them to borrow. What happens is that they let me know what they like and I get to listen to their music also. I brought in four CD’s to start it off:

Amos Lee – Amos Lee

Rocky Votolato – Makers

Glen Hansard – The Soundtrack to “Once”

and a Death Cab Mix that I put together.

Well, my new friend Diana (If you ever visit my Starbucks, she is the one with the faux-hawk) brought me a copy of Bon Iver’s “For Emma, Forever ago”. Holy Crap! This CD is great! You need to listen to this. Here is a taste below:

I’ve been meaning to post on this for a while now. Why is it when I heard that somebody was protesting the new Starbucks cup’s image, the first thing that popped into my head was, “they must be christian”. I actually thought it was somebody from the midwest, but when I heard it was in San Diego I was actually surprised. Here is the pic in question…only now the logo comes with the mermaids hair covering her breasteses:

Maybe it’s because I live in the liberal northwest, or maybe because I work at St. Arbucks, but I don’t see anything wrong with the retro cups. I actually like them better myself. Why is it that we Christians seem to protest everything the most as compared to any other group? Gay Marriage? protest. Women in Church Leadership? protest. Offensive Coffee Cups? protest. Yet, we never really see christians protesting war and other forms of injustices.

*sigh*

I guess coffee cups are more important right now.

So, I couldn’t put a picture on here because it is copywritten, but a guy drove through the front window at Bakerviews Starbucks here in Bellingham. 

More Truth Than Fiction?

Starbucks refers to themselves as the thirdplace, and rightfully so, but i think that Starbucks is my second place. I use it as an office in my officeless job. So right now, I am drinking the new Pike Place Roast, listening to the new Gnarles Barkley, and writing up a ministry description for the RCC website on Muse Ministries. It’s been blank for a few months now…I just plain forgot.

I am writing a blog entry right now that is a lot like Brent’s discussion over at InWorship entitled, A Christian Response part 2. Great stuff. A must read.

I have new links up in the Blogroll: Faces of Bellingham and My church’s blog (Baron Miller) check em out.

Have you seen the movie “Once“? What a wonderful love story. I just bought the soundtrack today. If you don’t own it, do. It is the best 9.99 plus tax that you will spend.

One more thing before I go, if you go to texassports.com, my cousin is in the sidebar. He is the face of the catcher on the right hand side. It may switch to other athletes, I don’t know. I do know this though, my cousin Kawika is a longhorn – his life dream. Go Cousin!

peace,

ron

Well, if you read this blog within the last couple of weeks, you know that I was applying to work at St. Arbucks up the road from me. I am happy to say that I am now a part time “partner” with St. Arbucks. If you sent good vibes my way, or in matt’s case spat Holy Water toward me, thank you. Now I must get a health card and conform to wearing Khaki’s and black and white polo shirts to match my green apron.

I had one friend ask me why I would work at Starbucks as opposed to other coffee places throughout Bellingham. Quite simply, they weren’t hiring. I am honestly excited to work somewhere in my neighborhood where I can walk to work and will see people from my neighborhood. I am excited to work for a company that cares for their employees (much like my current job as worship director at Roosevelt Community Church), works to care for the earth by taking steps to be environmentally concious, and finally cares for the community that they are located in. Maybe I’ll get to cash in on that court case in California somehow. Well, the brown kid is growing up finally. Now I am part of the corporate world. So long to the small businesses and hello working stiffs. 

It’s interesting, the difference one little bracelet can make in a day at work.

I rang through to one of the offices at church this morning to be told …

“James is at a meeting … I think its a local church … Saint Arbucks!”