Good Morning and Welcome to Bliss

That place where everybody knows your name and knows your morning cup of joy, Starbucks. I have worked for the company for over 2 years now, been a supervisor for 1 year and absolutely love it. It's amazing to see people walk in looking tired and angry, and leaving with a smile on their face because the person that welcomed you by name and already has your cup of sanity being made, has a smile on their face first. The store I previously worked at is close to the airport and is also surrounded by housing subdivisions, so I had my regular customers and people from around the U.S. and the world come in. We've had customers travel to different places around the world and send us post cards and bring us back gifts. The best one I've gotten so far is a pearl necklace from a lovely woman that had went to China. Different partners have been given Coach purses, jewelry, clothing, and the most popular, food. Customers will come in with a box of donuts or a bag of breakfast taco's to help get our morning started. At night, we'll be brought BBQ, soup, cakes, and other homemade goods. Christmas is the most unhealthy time for partners due to boxes and boxes of Christmas cookies and goodies that come in everyday from our Starbucks family.

Don't get me wrong, Starbucks can be stressful, especially when people are snapping at you wondering why their drink isn't in their hand as soon as they ordered, or if there wasn't extra whipped cream on their skinny latte. Random fact, Starbucks whipped cream has over 700 calories in it; don't even bother with the skinny. People can be rude and disgustingly mean, but we learn to shake it off and move on. Since I've been at my currant store, I've realized customers there are much more, vocal. Not only in the sense of being rude, but other customers are quick to come to our aid and have gotten in arguments defending us.

All in all, it's a great job that has taught me a few things about business, people, family, and how I should treat others in the customer service industry.

Psychiatry and Brain Development - Why the large following?

            I am tired of psychiatry, tired of  hearing about it all of the time. I have an eating disorder, I am obsessive compulsive, I’m somewhat autistic that’s why I can’t control my temper! Give me a break. A study where you generalize any reaction in the human brain is in my opinion (not factual, but a vote of common sense) asinine. I mean common sense tells me you put a person on the planet, each brain engineers itself differently, as each and every person has different experiences, and on top of those different experiences they have different personalities that make them view those different experiences completely different then does other people. So every single brain in the world is completely different, sort of like fingerprints, only even more so, as fingerprints are born different and never change, and a brain you are born with, and through millions of different big and small situations becomes different. Psychology is everywhere, this idea I don’t believe in, and it drives me crazy. Here is a hypothetical situation: Just the other day I turned in a paper, and instead of a constructive response that corresponds to English class someone analyzed me and I quote (hypothetically of course), “The entire paper feels like you have a lot of anger still towards your mother. Maybe work on a balance of blame, Marriage is tough.” Granted marriage is tuff, but why would this hypothetical person psycho analyze me, and on top of that why not at least be in the ballpark, I wasn’t talking about marriage, I was talking about divorce. Marriage is a two part system, divorce more often then not is one person calling it quits, and a bunch more people being devastated by that act. On top of that my father and I don’t even talk, and I have a close relationship with my mother. I said that to say, psychiatry is generalizations, most people react this way to this certain situation, but when one reacts differently we must “tweek” their character  so they can be more normal. Sure there are some extremes where psychiatry is relevant, but now at all these lower levels such as: I cant eat a steak, I just cant put it in my mouth, not possible? I mean people need to learn to control their mind, do things because they know is what needs to be done, and if their first reaction says no, well who’s the boss? My summation of psychology: Prescribe pills and lower level disorders so that people will not have to overcome the “disorder” themselves, and in doing so give them an excuse not to build character. Lastly and most importantly, this is the single-minded opinion of a person choosing to live against the grain, not a summation of book and science driven facts, I mean no offense and hope none will be taken.
Link for more info:  http://www.ruthlesscriticism.com/gegenpsych.htm

Driving Your Four Wheel Drive

            Driving your four wheel drive truck takes experience and a whole lot more guts.  There are so many different factors in making it safely back home.   Trusting your friends or spotters, as we sometimes refer to each other, is key.  Having a second or even third set of eyes for additional help in an obstacle is a tremendous help.

            When my friends and I go riding the trails or want to hit a few mud pits, we are gather at a pre determined location.  Everyone meets in their respected rig, or truck.  The first thing we do is check to make sure we have the proper recovery gear.  Airing down your tires is also a veteran trick to doing better on the trail.  Once everyone has inspected his or her truck, the ride is on.  We head out in a single file line to the trail.  As we come up to first obstacles, your passenger will get out and inspect it to make sure it is safe to attempt.  Even if it does not seem that safe, we still give it a go.

             The point is to challenge yourself and your rig.  We like to say, “If it ain’t broke, you didn’t try hard enough.”  As the day goes by many crazy and interesting things will happen.  Trucks break, they get stuck, motors fail; you name it, it can happen.  At the end of the day, everyone has a great time and we can not wait to fix everything and do it all over!    

http://www.4x4abc.com/jeep101/index.html

Confessions of a Bassaholic

My name is Fred* and I am a Bassaholic. My cell phones ring tone is Robert Earl King “Five Pound Bass.” My boat (a Ranger of course) cost more than most people would spend on their vehicle and it as every necessary amenity. My handcrafted fishing lures are so realistic you would think they could jump out of the tackle box. I have a custom designed rod for each type of lure. You just cannot cast spinning bait with a worm rod. I store these necessary things in my fishing closet. I do not have too much just the necessities: 56 boxes of bait, 29 rods and 16 spool of line.

Being a Bassaholic I must fish or I will die. The weather is not always sunny so you need to have proper attire. I have artic rated suits for winter, buy sunscreen by the gallons, and have 49 summer outfits. Fishing does allow a fast dip to cool off in the summer.

I found a song that pretty much sums up my relationships “I’m going to miss her.” I just cannot understand why women have such a hard time with my sport. It requires my every free moment. Tournaments are a Bassaholic equivalent to crack or cocaine. The high is amazing. Where else can you get up before dawn, fish all day, and win money! I am Fred, I am a Bassaholic, and oh, I think I just saw a five-pound bass.

 If you or someone you know is a Bassaholic please contact: www.Bassaholics.org

*Fred is an alias to protect the identity