Happy New Business Year

Yes, I am procrastinating.  I have one more assignment to do before my Kindermusik course is finished, it needs to be done by Sunday and it is the budget assignment.  It will be weird to complete as I have decided not to do Kindermuik at the moment, but they have provided me a good base for setting up a business and how to run a music and movement session, which has been helpful.

Starting up Little Sprout's Music Studio has proven really difficult.  I didn't think it was going to be easy, but I didn't realize how easily I take two steps back before going three steps forward.

There is so much free advertising, but the time it takes a huge amount of time to set it all up, and then, you are just one fish in a sea of millions.  Facebook, Twitter, Meet Up, Linked-In, google places,  etc., not to mention free websites such as Blogger and Wordpress.  And then the loads of sites you can pay for like Facebook, Google Adds and local sites.  I can see why people pay others to build sites and set up their social networks.

I have absolutely no money for my business and there is no way I can get a loan.  At first I was using my job at Costa to supplement some of the starting costs, but then I quit (yes, I finally quit), so I have left myself rather poor.

The ups and downs of starting a business has left me quite a mess.  One minute people are happy to help and talking of ways they can help and saying how great you are and then the next they don't really have the funding or have the funding but need to push you a head of what I am ready for pushing me to make decisions that I regret later.  I was not ready for the roller coaster.

I am still working on getting a space to do a Little Sprout's class.  I have found work with a group called Weeny Boppers at a nursery and I also do one at a children's play centre, but these are not Little Sprout's and so my business isn't getting out there.  I still do the library, but again, they don't really want me advertising paid classes.

I am still pushing on, and have bought some new instruments and other items that would allow me to do a class without having to borrow anything from anyone.  That feels pretty good.

I finally made it, Barista Maestro.  I am a coffee master for Costa Coffee.  It only took 3 years and the change from a corporate Costa to a private Costa chain.

My Barista Maestro course was awesome and completely nerve racking.  After a little introduction to the day and a bit of review of the Costa brand and standards we dove into the practical test.  20 min to set up our space, grind and dose. 10 min to make a perfect latte, espresso, cappuccino, and flat white.  20 min to clean our space.  It was horrible.  Every day I make any combination of those drinks in well less than 10 min, but I almost didn’t complete it.  In the end I went for the understanding that “any drink was better than no drink”.  Our course director was watching everything we did and we got points for everything, as long as the drink got to the table, we got some points.

I was sure that I had not passed, but we still had 6 hours of the class and a written assessment to go.  During the rest of the class we learned what our new post would entail and how we will be successful teachers to the new recruits.  We learned a little about espresso tasting and a bit about taking care of our machines.  The written assessment ended up being a breeze.

So now I get to wear a double bean and will have my diploma on the wall at the store.  I will also get a name tag that will read Jessika, Barista Maestro.  Aw, it all sounds so exciting.  My co worker and I are very excited to get started on the training.  But then you get back to work and remember all the other crap.  The owners who only critisize, that 1% of customers who are rude and mean, and the annoyance of not being able to redo a crap coffee that you just made because the line is out the door and everyone in line is impatient because they are jonesing for their caffine, sugar and fat fix.

Weekly photo challenge: peaceful

This weeks Weekly Photo Challenge over at The Daily Post is about something peaceful.  Although I can think of many things, at the moment this represents peacefulness; an empty Costa Coffee.  We have been absolutely smashed at work and the sight of no line at the shop makes me happy.

Flat white

and

(Look at the shine on that baby!!  Smooth, no bubbles.)

It's taken me over a year, but I can finally do the rosetta pattern for the Flat White each and every time!!!!  Trust me, this is a huge accomplishment.  I finally have what the motion of the milk flowing from the jug at the time the foam starts feels like.  I have had the texture down for ages, it was just the wiggle that was getting me.

Here is the goal:

From: http://www.ratemyrosetta.com

What this means.

Because I have always been good at making the milk and not the execution tells us that I have always felt rushed and not confident in my coffee making.  Now, because I can consistently make the rosetta, even when it is busy, tells us that I am finally confident and controlled in my coffee making.  This is huge.   It might even mean I like my job.

Since I started at the new store, I have been expected to be one of the expert coffee maker, meaning I am constantly on the machine.  Most of the time I am on the coffee machine my whole shift.  At the Bradford shop I didn't get on the machine much, or they let me get away with not wanting to be on the machine.  Now, I would rather be on the machine than the till.

There are tons of cool pictures on the internet (and youtube has some amazing tutorials), however, at Costa, we are not allowed to use instruments like chocolate, toothpicks or spoons, therefore, I wouldn't be able to do many of the patterns at work.  Now if I had a machine at home...

If you want a complicated explanation of how to make a rosetta go here.

Here is a video 

All about updates

The year is winding down and so I thought I should give you a few updates.

It is snowing again after almost a week of warm 40 degree F weather.  Miki loves watching the snow.  I wonder what is going on in her head.

The Sprout is a full fledged bipedal tiny human.  He has a kinda zombie walk as he toddles (and it really is toddeling) around.  Every once and awhile he makes his car noises as he walks along...so cute.  He doesn't crawl much, because he found out he can carry things if he walks (and also swing things around).

I am going to try a little of the "cry it out" method for the Sprout.  In the past, I have been deeply opposed (in a personal sense, if anyone else wants to do it, go for it), but I feel that he is old enough for it now.  The past two days got me trying it for the morning nap time.  In the days of nursing, morning nap time was automatic, in the past couple of months he has fallen asleep on his own for the morning nap, but the past two days, he has decided not to nap eventhough he had fallen asleep in my arms.  Upon transfur to the crib, he wakes up.  This gets me sooooo annoyed.  I thought "fine, that's it.  You are so tired that you are asleep, it is the act of being put down that you don't like.  Well tough."  I place him in the crib and quickly leave the room.  It only takes about 15 minutes before he has SCREAMED and whimpered himself to sleep.  I don't know what the big deal is?  He knows we are only doing boring things.  But since I started work, he has been more clingy to both Richard and me.  It annoys me to all ends, so for now, if he falls asleep but wakes upon me droping him in the crib, he gets to cry.

Another problem we have been having is night time waking.  I am thinking of applying the "cry it out" for this too.  At first we moved him into our room, if anything just to make it easier for me to get him, because he was waking up screaming (it was a scary screaming).  Having him in our room has not resolved the problem.  So I think we are going to move him back into his room and when he wakes up, just let him get himself back to sleep.  However, this would result in the total weaning from nursing, since I only nurse him at night.

The Sprout has 5 teeth now.  3 on the bottom and 2 on top.

I finally went back to work at the end of November.  I have been getting along really well.  My back has actually been allot better.  It is nice to have something else to do, and as long as I don't get too involved in the workings of the place, I will be happy.

We are going to have Christmas Eve at our house.  We are going to have a free range chicken dinner and hopefully a flaming Christmas pudding with the song for dessert.  We will open our presents and watch "It's a Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Story."  In the morning we will open our stockings and Santa presents and have a full English Breakfast before heading over to Richard's parent's house.

Moving, 11 months and work

Putting up shelves

Moving


I will never move into a new house that needs work and has no carpet with a baby,and no help again!!!! It ends up only being one person doing the move. It was horrible, it doesn't help that Richard is an even worse procrastinator than I am (I didn't think that was possible). Richard's parents went to Turkey 3 days after we got the house, so it was up to Richard and I to paint the whole thing on our own. E had some time off so she served as a nanny a couple of times, that was a huge help. We had no carpets until 3 days before we moved in so we had no where to put the Sprout, he doesn't do well confined so he wouldn't stay in the playpen without screaming. I cannot think when he is screaming. Because he crawls, he was everywhere, putting everything in his mouth. I now know for sure that I am anything but an overprotective parent, he must have his own carpet floating around in his tummy, not to mention a whole wall of wallpaper and dry board.

The only time we were able to paint together was at night, and we had to have the Sprout asleep at the new house to do that, and I had to stay awake past 9, needless to say that didn't happen often. It is hard to paint at night because you can't see what you are doing.

The carpets came a day early and we weren't ready for them, so there are allot of second coats that still need doing. Luckily we got the Sprout's room mostly done and I love it, I want every room to be like his (will put up picture soon).


We were lucky enough to have Richard's parent's van, but I had a horrible time driving it because I can't park parallel whilst driving on the wrong side of someone else's car, especially in a residential area where people either park to close or just far enough away that you have to have a PhD in parallel parking to get into the space. The night before we were supposed to be out of number 12, there were no spaces out front and Richard ended up running boxes back and forth on foot. Luckily E came and drove the van for me for a day while Richard's brother helped Richard carry heavy items.

Once all the boxes were here we had to make sure they were out of little arms reach or the contents would be unpacked by the Sprout (who doesn't know where any of it goes), which is ok unless it contains items that are unsuitable for little one's mouth or is something you want to keep. We still don't have anywhere to put stuff as I can't decide where to put shelves that will be out of baby's reach.

Don't know where this raccoon came from

On the plus side, the Sprout is so excited about the carpet and the amount of space he has to crawl around in. I like knowing that he can explore alone and not get into anything, he pretty much has the whole upstairs to run around in and he has fun closing doors and chasing the cat, who has been very patient and I think even likes it because she comes back and hangs with us all day.


The Sprout at the end of a year!


The Sprout is developing new talents every day!  He is an experienced Raspberry (Zerbit) blower. If you are lying down, he will come over, lift your shirt and blow...funniest thing ever, I was not aware that his father had taught him this.


He is really good at the ball hitting game

the Zerbit

His 2 lower 1st incisors are coming in, they are poking their cute little crowns up.


He had his first ginger cookie yesterday and was very pleased.


He stopped crying at nursery.



Work


I have not been to work because they are assessing my availability and the ability for me to do my job because of my back, so they put me on my 13.5 day vacation that I racked up not working...weird. I am almost certian they are going to fire me...on the plus side, I had an interview with Yorkshire Building Society (like a credit union bank) Friday and I think it went well...I am excited about that. 

What is the best thing that can happen?

What's the best thing that could happen to you right now, and if it did, what's the first song you'd turn up loud and start dancing to?

The best thing that could happen to me right now is getting a new job (or have my student loans mysteriously disappear, just a minute while I wait for this spider to stop crawling over my head).

I start work next Tuesday and although I am a little excited for it simply because it is something different, I hate working for a multinational corporation.  It wouldn't be so bad I suppose if I wasn't a the bottom of the food chain.  I have been trying to see the plus side of working for Costa Coffee for a while now and I have come to the conclusion that I need to look at it from the customer's side.  When I tell people I work at Costa, most people say "I love Costa."  It is kind of the same thing as Starbucks and in most cases people will say that they prefer Costa over Starbucks.  My favourite thing though is when I am working and a customer gets upset and they try to use going to Starbucks as a threat...that is really funny to me.

I have not been to work in over a year, and since then the store has become a completely different place.  Only one girl is still working there that I know.  We have a new manager (whome I have worked with for a short time before at another store).  Our earnings have doubled since we have had this manager.  The store looks great!!!  We have two times the amount of staff.  The best thing of all...we are the only store in Yorkshire to have a security camera!!!  I was so excited to see this, it was something I had been asking for for a while.

Luckily I am on a super low key schedule...Tuesday and Fridays 8 am- 1 pm and an 8 hour shift on a Saturday or Sunday.  It makes childcare cheaper if we do it this way.  Another shift or even another weekday shift and the price of childcare out weighs what I make.

Thankful Anyway Thursday

The past couple of months have been so stressful in the financial area of my life (like most people's). Wednesday finally solved everything! I got my Maternity Allowance go ahead! I was so excited! I will be receiving the same amount as I was when I was working. Finally, we will have the money that we have been missing since the end of June (because I got sick pay all Summer, which amounts to half pay, and I haven't gotten anything for the past month and a half because my managers at work are incompetent). I was also told that I will be finally getting my holiday pay on Friday (after I had to do my manager's job and harass people myself).

I just can't believe everything finally worked out. Even if my holiday pay is screwed up again this week (and I am assuming it will until I see the money in my bank), I have the go ahead on my Maternity Allowance.

To recap my Thankful Anyway:

The last couple of months have been really crap, not knowing where my paycheck was, how much it would be for or if I would be getting any pay at all. I have had to fight with my managers and do their jobs for them.  I have had to be mean to my husband because I wanted to make sure we could pay our bills.

But I am Thankful Anyway because...

It all paid off in the end! Now I know where my pay is coming from and I can accurately assess our finances again. We are going to be back to where we were when I was working (which although is still fraught with debt, we were able to pay our bills and our debts on time without borrowing from anyone). We can also start buying the little things we need to get ready for the Sprout, which is of great comfort to me.

Thankful Anyway Thursday

Ahhh...up at 6 am to see that it is STILL DARK!!!
Let's see...I don't have anything specific because the weeks are going by so fast I don't know what to do with myself.  
The pregnancy:2 months to go!  You heard right! 2 months. 

• I am tired all the time.
• My back and pelvis ache.
• I can't bend over, roll over, stand up or sit down without sounding like an old man (uhhh...ooohhh...grunt!)
• I have to lie when I go to buy vitamins or anything from a drug store, saying what I am buying is for someone else.  Can you believe that?  I can't buy any vitamins at the vitamin store unless they are specifically for pregnant ladies (so different from the US).
• The sides of my stomach feel like they are being stretched by a taffy machine (and are beginning to look like it too).
• I am tired of being kicked from the inside and having the hiccups that aren't my own that last for a half an hour or more.

Thankful anyway:Only 2 months left!  I should be happy that I am being kicked from the inside and not the outside, and if I had the hiccups for a half an hour I would kill myself, so better him and me.
Work and money:Oh work and money...what would I do without you to frusterate my life so?  Since I have been out of work, we had a manager change.  In this manager change, things got really screwed up because my previous manager decided not to fill the new manager in on my situation (or anyone else's for that matter).  He didn't tell her that I had pre-approved holiday that I was supposed to receive before my maternity leave started.  So, the new manager never put it in, and when I was switched over to maternity leave, I was not allowed the pay that the new manager put in to make up for my holiday.So after a small sit in at work the other day...I finally called corporate and dealt with the problem myself and HOPEFULLY it will be all sorted soon.  I have been without pay for 3 weeks now leaving Richard and I completely broke and stressed out.I am totally confused at why I always have to do t he manger's job.
Thankful Anyway:It gave me something to do and cry about.  I was proud of myself for calling corporate myself and dealing with the problem.  I think I could do the manager's job, something for me to think about when I have to return to work.

Thankful Anyway Thursday

Recently I have branched out and begun reading other people's (namely new moms who are the archaeologist/anthropologist types) blogs. I have really enjoyed them and branched out even further to end up reading a couple of good blogs about living simply and ecologically. One blog I started following, Holistic Mama, has a section called Thankful Anyway Thursdays, and I thought I would give it a go.

I am supposed to pick some things that annoyed me during the week and then reflect on why I should be thankful for these annoyances. Those who know me will wonder "how will she ever fit all the things that annoy her into one blog? Everything annoys her." And all I have to say is...that is one of the purposes of blogging.

Here it goes... The annoyances:

This week there were a couple of things 1) It has been a month and a half since I have been on Sick Leave stuck in the house and 2) the realization of how frecking huge I have gotten.

Being at home all day is boring and lonely. I have reached the end of my rope doing house work and watching the kitty soap opera that takes place in the backyard. Having no money really puts a chain on going places and honestly I have been really self conscious about my belly (more on that below). What is really happening is that my already lazy personality is getting worse and that leads to issue number 2.

I have reached the stage in my pregnancy where I am beginning to grow quickly. Right now at 24 weeks, the Sprout is 12 inches long! I don't know how that is even possible. But what makes it hard is that I started out with fat on my stomach and stretch marks...basically a real person. All the books and magazines make it look like you will have this cute, round perfect bump, when really it is saggy and oval. I feel front heavy, and all around uncomfortable (all the women who have already had babies are rolling their eyes). For the most part I hate going out by myself, just too self conscious, and I really need to stop being this way. For awhile I was doing a good job, doing yoga every other day and going for a walk. But then it began to rain, and rain and rain (excuses, excuses). I stopped going on walks. Then I just got lazy about the yoga. I don't even know where the day goes. I get up at 7am, and it just flies by.

So how am I thankful for these annoying things (this is the hard part)?...

First off, the pregnancy hormones have calmed my depression. So although I feel lonely and self conscious, I am not depressed about it, just annoyed.

The first step is realization and admitting I need to do something to change my habits. The hard part is changing those habits. The story of my life (and most other's). Once I get going I can do it, but the starting is the hard part. I actually did 2 things in the past 2 weeks which I had been meaning to do for over 2 years and just never did...and though they have nothing to do with body image or boredom, it was a big step and actually has everything to do with procrastination (something I excel at).

1. I got my provisional driver's license. Now I can officially learn to drive a car in the UK and get the full license. I still need a couple of lessons, but baby steps are important.

2. I ordered a new bed. It took all the money I would have used for a plane ticket home, but it is going to be worth it. When Richard and I got our own place (Feb 2007), we got a cheap IKEA mattress...it lasted about 3 months before it became totally uncomfortable. I put boards under it and it still didn't help. About a year ago we got a new couch and for the past 6 month Richard and I would rather sleep on it than the IKEA mattress. We ended up putting an air mattress on top of the IKEA mattress. Given, it is more comfortable, but I am 31!! and pregnant...I need a real bed! This is a testament at how lazy WE are. We couldn't even get the one item that is essential in our home, a good mattress.

I add the mattress and license stories in this section because I am so proud that I did it. They were something that I had procrastinated about for so long (years!!) and I finally did it and it feels good.

I am thankful that I do have the will to change things, it just takes the realization and admittance to do so...and I guess that is what Thankful Anyway Thursdays are for.

PHEW!!!

How did I do it??

I have been put on sick leave indefinitely...well for the rest of my pregnancy. It has been 2 and a half weeks since I last worked and I am sooooooo bored. Now just so you all know, I am not the kind of sick where I feel horrible all the time, in fact I feel pretty good, the problem is if I am standing or walking around for more than 20 minutes my abdomen cramps so bad that I double over and yell out in pain. My GP has assured me there is nothing wrong with the baby, my body is just complicated. It has too many problems dealing with pain and because the fibromyalgia, my muscles just freak out (is that lamen's enough for you?) So in other words, I can't do my job because it is all about standing and running around on hard surfaces, not to mention heavy lifting.

So now, I am forced to be at home. Most people can find little things to do around the house, but I am not kidding when I say, I have done all of those little things. I can't paint the walls because I am in a rented house, I can't dress up a nursery because we only have one bedroom and no money. I can't even garden because I don't have a car to retrieve materials. Oh, and another thing...don't suggest going somewhere as a major option because I have no car and therefore have to walk everywhere (remember the 20 min rule?).

For the first 2 weeks I managed to bake a loaf of bread every other day...or so (a daily sized loaf, which still means consuming 2 cups of flour in a day, why would I want Richard to have any?), I did some meticulous cleaning, knitted, read 3 books, washed the dishes every day, and actually took time to play with the cat.

I used to spend massive amounts of time unemployed and I was severely depressed and I think that helped me cope with being bored and watching TV all day. But since I have been pregnant, I am unable to be depressed and it is doing my head in!! Worst of all, my days are relatively long...I get up between 4:30 am-8:30 am (depending on my back) and I go to bed to read around 11:00 pm and fall asleep around 12:30 am-2:00 am (also depending on my back, the more uncomfortable I am, the earlier I will go to sleep. Very strange.)

At least tomorrow we get to go in for the ultrasound that will let us know (hopefully with some cooperation) what combination of X and Y chromosomes the Sprout has. I am hoping that will allow me to have more ideas for something to do. Woo Hoo!!

Is it possible to like and hate your job at the same time?

For 9 months now I have been making coffee at Costa Coffee in Leeds and Bradford. I say all the time that I hate my job. Most of this is a pride issue I have to admit, having a Master's diploma was supposed to afford me the opportunity to have a full time job in my field. In the UK at the moment, the archaeological community has been hit especially hard, there are no jobs for technicians here...I mean none. We all know that this year I was blessed to get 2 seasonal job offers from the U.S. Forest Service, but the Sprout had other plans for me this summer.

Anyway, Costa has a competition for Batista's and I am entering it. It will give me something to look forward to, make me feel important (even if I do badly) and it will be fun. I tend to need goals and I haven't had any for awhile.

The thing is, there are elements to my job that I really like. I have yet to work with someone I don't like or can't stand and I enjoy talking to customers. I have also moved up the ranks to Team Leader with a raise on the way, so I get to feel like I am in charge. It can be relaxed and the schedules are not set in stone, so if you have something to do, you tell the boss and the schedule is fixed as long as there is some warning. At the moment my main reason for staying at Costa is because of the maternity leave benefits that I get even though I am part time (though I have been reading that this is the law of the land). I get 90% of my pay for 9 months and they have to keep my position for a year. So at the moment that is worth staying since I have student loans to pay off.

In other news...On Wednesday I will be 15 weeks pregnant...I can't believe that. When you are counting time in weeks, it goes by fast. Next week I will be having a large needle stuck into my belly to have a Triple test done. This sounds really menacing.

So far I have made a new born size sweater and a pair of booties for the Sprout.

Richard and I finally found the heart beat last week and it was really cool and exciting. I went into see the midwife on Wednesday and she had me listen to the heart beat, which was funny because since I had already heard it, I wasn't nearly as excited as she may have been expecting me to be.

The weather finally warmed up and we have been able to have the doors and windows open. Miki has been doing much exploring and even meeting more of the neighbour cats who seem to really like out yard. Miki has done an exceptionally good job of not letting one fly who enters the house live. She is instantly on the case and is able to exterminate with extreme prejudice, catching, mauling and then eating every one of them who doesn't find the door first. I gotta get a video of her doing it, it is so funny to watch.

SNOW pt 2

PIcture from BBC News online

The BBC reporting on the snow in Huddersfield not far away from Bradford, I live in West Yorkshire.



Sunday is started snowing and when we woke up on Monday, it was still snowing. We both got up to go to work. The front page of the Metro Newspaper looked like this.. Metro

It snowed all day. I was forced to go home because there were no customers in the store. What I find sunny though, is that even though there was all this snow, not much actually accumulated. Our roofs have about 4 inches on them. The sun comes out and then hides. The snow starts and then stops...I am sure we will all be iced up for days. We'll see if I can get any good pictures later.

Arts and Crafts and stuff

For the past couple of months I have been doing a lot of cross stitching, I love it! Recently, I have gotten into black work. It is deceptively difficult, but the end result is really beautiful.

I thought I would share a couple of pieces I have done:

This is the finished product of Darby's wedding cross stitch I made for her and Barry. I still have yet to see the piece with the frame in person, but looks really nice.



Here is a Tatty Teddy (warning: this website plays music) I made for Emma's birthday (sorry about the glare, I didn't think to take a picture until I had already framed it). This was the first piece I framed myself.



Now for the black work. This is a practice piece. I just did some random pictures. I guess it is a badly designed sampler (sorry about the creasing, like I said it was just a practice piece).


Here is a small piece I just finished. I find making the back look like the front to be the funnest part. If you use holbein stitch instead of back stitch, you can make the piece almost totally reversible.

Front

Back

Yesterday, Emma came over and we carved pumpkins whilst watching "The Adventures of Ichabod Crane" and "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown". David, Richard's brother has been staying with us for the past 10 days and he was able to take part in the ritual. It took Emma over an hour to carve out the little spider on her pumpkin.

From the reader's Left to Right: Emma, Richard, Jessika and David.

In other news:
I have moved up in the coffee cooperate world and have the new title of Team Leader. I get to change out the till and train people. I also got a raise...Yea Me!! I am finally moving up in the world.

Autumn, Fall...whatever you want to call it.

Can I hear it for Fall everyone? (A reluctant crowd of people applauds)...



So, I don't know about everyone else, but it got colder as soon as September 23 came. Fall is one of those seasons who doesn't like to mince words or fool around. It seems to be very punctual and like to crush any thoughts that Summer will stay a bit longer.

In England, they call Fall Autumn and I always get blank looks when I say Fall.Because I have started a new job, I, of course, meet and hang out with new people, meaning that once again I have to correct the Americaness of my language. It has been about 3 years since I had to do this last. For example...

• Nasty in American can mean that someone is being mean or surly, but I usually use it to describe someone being raunchy or explicit. In England nasty seems to only be used when describing someone who is being mean.

• Of course chips are french fries and crisps are chips. By now you would think I would know this, but sometimes it slips out...like the other day.

There are tons more, but I am having a hard time thinking of what they are...I will know it when I say it.

Here are somethings I am learning at work:

1. People order way too fast. There are a lot of buttons on the screen at the till and I need time to find them.

2. People are really messy eaters.

3. People get mad at you even though it isn't your fault. For example, last Friday, the stupid water people managed to cut a pipe they were working on. Consequentially, the whole retail park was without water. Now it is not my fault that we have no water. I am not trying to torture you by not letting you use our toilets because we have no water. In all actuality we are saving you money by not having any water.

4. People are truly addicted to coffee, hence why people get angry when you have no water.

5. Industrial dishwashers rock!!

6. I am going to get super fat if I keep "sampling" all the muffins.

7. I am going to go broke if I keep going into the Hobbycraft next door.

I learned all this in my 3 days of working at Costa Coffee.

I want to be able to do this, Latte art. (It seems that we can't embed vidoes from YouTube anymore, so you have to link to it yourself...sorry.)

Go ahead and chuckle a little...part one.

You know you want to laugh just a little over this picture...what has the world come to? Jessika working for a corporate coffee chain...at least it isn't Starbucks...and it isn't in the U.S., it seems to be everywhere else in the world, except the U.S. Anyway...