Went into my favorite Starbucks today. I worked there a few years ago, when I returned to the company after a small leave. I returned as a part-time barista after being a manager for 13 years. It is a great little store, in a great neighborhood.
BUT... the store is not (according to the manager) performing as well as it should. They are currently number 94 out of 95 stores.
I can tell you one reason... today, I went in and purchased a Grande Americano and a Cheese Danish, warmed please.
Do you want to know what it cost me? $1.38 or something really close to that. Why? The manager likes me, and gave me his discount. Now, I always try to refuse, but he just waves his hand and ignores me. The problem is, several of his shift supervisors do the same thing, and a couple of the baristas too. Now, if they are doing it for me, they MUST be doing it for others. These things add up, not to mention, it just isn't the right thing to do...Sigh...
Friday, March 4, 2011
Saturday, October 16, 2010
You Are What You Eat.
You Are What You Eat
I have been thinking a lot about the food we eat.
How many times have we been told "you are what you eat". Well, the afterthought today comes in two different forms.
It is either, "yes, you are what you eat, except when it comes to adding hormones or genetically modifying foods" or "yes, you are what you eat, and everything out there will kill you!!!!".
Now, I like to think of myself as a level headed kind of person, I can be very skeptical about the "cause du jour".
However, with all the increases in obesity, autoimmune disorders, diseases, learning disabilities and Autism, it is hard not to look at food, and the changes in it from one generation to the next, as a possible (and I stress POSSIBLE) cause. Is it really a stretch to think that something we put inside our bodies on a daily basis, several times a day, could be causing some of the problems many, dare I say most of us are confronting? Also, I don't think proposing solutions to return to a more natural way of eating is radical.
What I do know is we have an entire generation of parents asking themselves did I cause this ________ (insert you or your childs issue here) to occur in my kid or in myself? Am I just a weak person / parent? What am I doing wrong??? Why was it so much easier for our parents?
I have begun the process of educating myself to what has happened to our food, since food is one of the easiest things to control in our families lives - if we have a spine, that is! ;)
This month, I have been trying to focus on hormones that are added to our chicken, beef and pork, to increase the amount of food that comes from each animal.
We have the food industry and federal gov't on one side, assuring us these hormones are safe, both for the animal and the consumer (um, that is you and me).
On the other side, we have doctors, vegetarians, animal rights groups, child advocates, etc. etc, all telling us it is not safe for human consumption.
Interestingly, the Pill, a hormone used to prevent pregnancy, has a warning label all over it. We know it wreaks havoc on women's bodies. Other hormones, whether used to minimize the effects of menopause or to increase masculine features in men, also have warnings all over them. Logically, how can I come to any other conclusion, that these hormonal additives must not be good for us? I know medicine and hormones can be transferred through breast milk, because I was not even allowed to breast feed either of my sons, due to medications I was on. Am I to believe that these hormones are not transferred through our foods to us? If I am missing something, please tell me. I know I will get arguments that the "evidence" just isn't there to support my conclusion, since the FDA says it is safe. I wonder if the FDA thinks that it is safe or just safe ENOUGH? The second thought I have is "is it necessary?" For me, it isn't necessary to increase production ( and therefore profit ) when it may be causing harm to humans. A conflicting concern I have heard is this: removal of hormones will decrease production, which will lead to less people having access to animal protein? That is something which requires more research, but raising bountiful and healthy animals was occurring before the introduction of growth hormones, so I don't see this as a realistic concern. I would not want a result of any campaign to be more deaths of humans, as in the case of the banning of DDT and the rise in Malaria deaths in Africa, and all over the world.
I have a simple proposal. Lets work together, and pick one type of meat: chicken? ( I am open to any suggestions ) Get our friends and neighbors to write letters to Wal-Mart, Safeway, Costco, Kroger, etc. expressing our concern and unwillingness to continue feeding our families chicken with hormones. This is exactly the type of action that led Wal-Mart to remove rbST from its Wal-Mart branded milk. Other dairy's (not all) soon followed suit, PROVING, you can be profitable and give customers what they want. For me, this is NOT about destroying Corporations. I want Corporations to be successful, I want shareholders to earn, but I do want them to earn responsibly.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
I have been thinking a lot about the food we eat.
How many times have we been told "you are what you eat". Well, the afterthought today comes in two different forms.
It is either, "yes, you are what you eat, except when it comes to adding hormones or genetically modifying foods" or "yes, you are what you eat, and everything out there will kill you!!!!".
Now, I like to think of myself as a level headed kind of person, I can be very skeptical about the "cause du jour".
However, with all the increases in obesity, autoimmune disorders, diseases, learning disabilities and Autism, it is hard not to look at food, and the changes in it from one generation to the next, as a possible (and I stress POSSIBLE) cause. Is it really a stretch to think that something we put inside our bodies on a daily basis, several times a day, could be causing some of the problems many, dare I say most of us are confronting? Also, I don't think proposing solutions to return to a more natural way of eating is radical.
What I do know is we have an entire generation of parents asking themselves did I cause this ________ (insert you or your childs issue here) to occur in my kid or in myself? Am I just a weak person / parent? What am I doing wrong??? Why was it so much easier for our parents?
I have begun the process of educating myself to what has happened to our food, since food is one of the easiest things to control in our families lives - if we have a spine, that is! ;)
This month, I have been trying to focus on hormones that are added to our chicken, beef and pork, to increase the amount of food that comes from each animal.
We have the food industry and federal gov't on one side, assuring us these hormones are safe, both for the animal and the consumer (um, that is you and me).
On the other side, we have doctors, vegetarians, animal rights groups, child advocates, etc. etc, all telling us it is not safe for human consumption.
Interestingly, the Pill, a hormone used to prevent pregnancy, has a warning label all over it. We know it wreaks havoc on women's bodies. Other hormones, whether used to minimize the effects of menopause or to increase masculine features in men, also have warnings all over them. Logically, how can I come to any other conclusion, that these hormonal additives must not be good for us? I know medicine and hormones can be transferred through breast milk, because I was not even allowed to breast feed either of my sons, due to medications I was on. Am I to believe that these hormones are not transferred through our foods to us? If I am missing something, please tell me. I know I will get arguments that the "evidence" just isn't there to support my conclusion, since the FDA says it is safe. I wonder if the FDA thinks that it is safe or just safe ENOUGH? The second thought I have is "is it necessary?" For me, it isn't necessary to increase production ( and therefore profit ) when it may be causing harm to humans. A conflicting concern I have heard is this: removal of hormones will decrease production, which will lead to less people having access to animal protein? That is something which requires more research, but raising bountiful and healthy animals was occurring before the introduction of growth hormones, so I don't see this as a realistic concern. I would not want a result of any campaign to be more deaths of humans, as in the case of the banning of DDT and the rise in Malaria deaths in Africa, and all over the world.
I have a simple proposal. Lets work together, and pick one type of meat: chicken? ( I am open to any suggestions ) Get our friends and neighbors to write letters to Wal-Mart, Safeway, Costco, Kroger, etc. expressing our concern and unwillingness to continue feeding our families chicken with hormones. This is exactly the type of action that led Wal-Mart to remove rbST from its Wal-Mart branded milk. Other dairy's (not all) soon followed suit, PROVING, you can be profitable and give customers what they want. For me, this is NOT about destroying Corporations. I want Corporations to be successful, I want shareholders to earn, but I do want them to earn responsibly.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Back to School... not just for the kiddo's
Today, I registered my oldest for kindergarten.
Then, I went down to the local Community College to finish up my registration to return to college. It was a slight euphoria mixed with a bit of fear. Dang, I felt old! lol
I found myself lost a couple of times, but mustered up the courage to ask for help a couple of times. I am definitely a different person this time around.
Felt a bit better when I was able to assist someone slightly older then me!
Can't wait to reach my goal, well, once I figure it out.
Then, I went down to the local Community College to finish up my registration to return to college. It was a slight euphoria mixed with a bit of fear. Dang, I felt old! lol
I found myself lost a couple of times, but mustered up the courage to ask for help a couple of times. I am definitely a different person this time around.
Felt a bit better when I was able to assist someone slightly older then me!
Can't wait to reach my goal, well, once I figure it out.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
I officially turned into "my mom" today...sigh...
I am so embarrassed right now. Getting ready for bed, peeling off the clothes for the day, and I just noticed armpit stubble. Now, ordinarily, this wouldn't be a crisis, but today, I went sleeveless!!! Also, I was with friends today. What are the odds that I didn't raise my arms ONCE around them??? Slim to none, right?
I wish I was Superman, so I could fly around the world to turn back time. Sigh.
I suppose, in reality, I would save my Superman power for something more important, like preventing a death.
I wish I was Superman, so I could fly around the world to turn back time. Sigh.
I suppose, in reality, I would save my Superman power for something more important, like preventing a death.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Dr's aren't always right!
So, took my 4 year old to the Pediatrician yesterday, for his 4 year check up.
At the end of the visit, she mentioned "well, he only grew 1/2 an inch this year". Ordered about a million tests for him, meanwhile, I am freaking out on the inside. Just thinking, omg, preemie, seizures, and now he is going to be a "little person".... on and on, you know, the way moms do.
Took teddy to school, and continued freaking out internally for the next 3 hours. When I finally got him home, I thought, well, let me just double check it, against the measurements I take every few months.
Well, it turns out, according to my records, Teddy grew 1 and 1/4 inch, and that was in 8 months, not a year...
so , I photographed the wall of markings, which I have been marking up for the past 4 years, when I remember... and emailed it to the doctor.
My friend just pointed out to me the Dr. probably is circulating this picture around her staff, saying, "look what this nutty mom emailed me." lol... she is probably right, but I am MORE right!
Always think, and rethink what your doctors tell you.
And try to find humor in everything.
Danielle
At the end of the visit, she mentioned "well, he only grew 1/2 an inch this year". Ordered about a million tests for him, meanwhile, I am freaking out on the inside. Just thinking, omg, preemie, seizures, and now he is going to be a "little person".... on and on, you know, the way moms do.
Took teddy to school, and continued freaking out internally for the next 3 hours. When I finally got him home, I thought, well, let me just double check it, against the measurements I take every few months.
Well, it turns out, according to my records, Teddy grew 1 and 1/4 inch, and that was in 8 months, not a year...
so , I photographed the wall of markings, which I have been marking up for the past 4 years, when I remember... and emailed it to the doctor.
My friend just pointed out to me the Dr. probably is circulating this picture around her staff, saying, "look what this nutty mom emailed me." lol... she is probably right, but I am MORE right!
Always think, and rethink what your doctors tell you.
And try to find humor in everything.
Danielle
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Pumpkin Carving, continued...
I have 2 pumpkins this year. One for the big kids and one for the little kids.
The big kids are having a Patriotic theme, and the little kids, well, a little kid theme.
Stars are done... Stripes are next!
To be continued.
The big kids are having a Patriotic theme, and the little kids, well, a little kid theme.
Stars are done... Stripes are next!
To be continued.
Pumpkin Carving Day!
Wish me luck, as I really need it.
Every year, my pumpkins come out looking like the pumpkin that needs to ride the "short yellow bus".
To template or not to template? Seems like cheating to use a template, but it defintely seems better then being the laughing stock of the neighborhood.
I will post pictures when my "masterpieces" are finished.
Every year, my pumpkins come out looking like the pumpkin that needs to ride the "short yellow bus".
To template or not to template? Seems like cheating to use a template, but it defintely seems better then being the laughing stock of the neighborhood.
I will post pictures when my "masterpieces" are finished.
Monday, September 28, 2009
What kind of blog is this?
I have contemplated for a while now, what to post, and what not to post.
Do I alienate friends and family by posting what I see in the world, or do I just keep it whimsical and lite?
Life hasn't brought me much whimsical and lite lately. Neither has the world stage.
Still, gonna try to keep it whimsical and lite, with the occasional outrage.
Unless...YOU have a better idea!
Do I alienate friends and family by posting what I see in the world, or do I just keep it whimsical and lite?
Life hasn't brought me much whimsical and lite lately. Neither has the world stage.
Still, gonna try to keep it whimsical and lite, with the occasional outrage.
Unless...YOU have a better idea!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Order in life
So I have noticed some things as I prepare my daily cup of coffee. I have switched to splenda from sugar, and on certain days, I treat myself to their individual flavored packs, the mocha one being my favorite. What I have noticed is that it is very important I follow the same order, or my coffee doesn't come out right. The proper order would be to pour the coffee into the mug, add the splenda pack, finally add cream and stir.
One morning, I decided to start with my cream, add the splenda pack, then the coffee and stir. I got these little clumps of splenda throughout my coffee. Blech! I still drank it, but it just wasn't quite as good as it could have been.
Makes me grateful for how my life has turned out, ups and downs and all.
I am glad I followed a certain order to my life.
I think it has made it sweeter.
One morning, I decided to start with my cream, add the splenda pack, then the coffee and stir. I got these little clumps of splenda throughout my coffee. Blech! I still drank it, but it just wasn't quite as good as it could have been.
Makes me grateful for how my life has turned out, ups and downs and all.
I am glad I followed a certain order to my life.
I think it has made it sweeter.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
It was a Disneyland PERFECT day!
Today was perfect.
I woke up for the first time in weeks and actually WANTED to get up!
No pain, no exhaustion. Energy has been a foreign concept to me lately.
My first words to my husband?
"Can we go to Disneyland today?"
We are fortunate to have passports, and the boys are still free admission, so off we went. Upon entering the parking area, you could feel the excitement in the boys.
They definitely knew WHERE we were.
First we rode the train, and somehow, we had diaper failure. Thanks Teddy. No matter, I was prepared, and we were off! The boys always eat well when we are at Disneyland for some reason (probably because it is soooo affordable!) and we don't discourage it. When you have one child with eating issues, you are always happy to see him eat well.
Today was no exception, and when you get a finicky eater to eat a carrot, well you know life is good then!
The weather was also on our side. Since the day started with rain, it is always a gamble to head down to Anaheim, but we took the chance anyway. We arrived to brilliant blue skies and a light breezy air.
After 3 hours of rides, snacks and lots of laughs we headed home.
No complaints, no crying.
Boys go to bed no problem. Mom & Dad head to church and even though the mass was in Spanish, everything was perfect.
I know this isn't the most exciting post ever, but I feel truly blessed to have such a fun and easy day. Thanks for the break, God!
Tomorrow, when it isn't so easy, I will have to remember to be thankful for today.
I woke up for the first time in weeks and actually WANTED to get up!
No pain, no exhaustion. Energy has been a foreign concept to me lately.
My first words to my husband?
"Can we go to Disneyland today?"
We are fortunate to have passports, and the boys are still free admission, so off we went. Upon entering the parking area, you could feel the excitement in the boys.
They definitely knew WHERE we were.
First we rode the train, and somehow, we had diaper failure. Thanks Teddy. No matter, I was prepared, and we were off! The boys always eat well when we are at Disneyland for some reason (probably because it is soooo affordable!) and we don't discourage it. When you have one child with eating issues, you are always happy to see him eat well.
Today was no exception, and when you get a finicky eater to eat a carrot, well you know life is good then!
The weather was also on our side. Since the day started with rain, it is always a gamble to head down to Anaheim, but we took the chance anyway. We arrived to brilliant blue skies and a light breezy air.
After 3 hours of rides, snacks and lots of laughs we headed home.
No complaints, no crying.
Boys go to bed no problem. Mom & Dad head to church and even though the mass was in Spanish, everything was perfect.
I know this isn't the most exciting post ever, but I feel truly blessed to have such a fun and easy day. Thanks for the break, God!
Tomorrow, when it isn't so easy, I will have to remember to be thankful for today.
Obtaining Contentment
My "situation" to some would be considered enviable, to others, not so desirable.
I left a great paying job in July to pursue a better relationship with my children & husband. With that came many so-called sacrifices. I say so-called, because to some people, not stopping at Starbucks every day hardly seems like a sacrifice. I would agree, but I am also giving up 8 hours a day of adult interaction, financial soundness, full medical benefits for my family, oh, and don't forget that free pound of coffee a week!
What I am gaining, I hope to be tenfold in happiness and contentment.
I left a great paying job in July to pursue a better relationship with my children & husband. With that came many so-called sacrifices. I say so-called, because to some people, not stopping at Starbucks every day hardly seems like a sacrifice. I would agree, but I am also giving up 8 hours a day of adult interaction, financial soundness, full medical benefits for my family, oh, and don't forget that free pound of coffee a week!
What I am gaining, I hope to be tenfold in happiness and contentment.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Selective Vision
"Alex, wipe up your spill!"
As I watch Alex wipe all AROUND the spill, I wonder, where does he get this vision, this ability to completely ignore the mess right in front of his eyes.
Sadly, I cannot blame my husband for this one!
It is me, all me.
He gets this flaw from me. I have the incredible ability to walk pass any mess (outside of work) and not see it, especially ones I have created.
I have 2 explanations for this, well 3, if I just want to blame myself and my laziness.
The first one is my mom. Now I know, I shouldn't be blaming my mom for my shortcomings, and those of you that know me, know I usually don't do this. However, growing up, I was allowed to lead a completely chore free life. Once or twice a year I took out the trash, and occasionally I was threatened for having a messy room, but overall, my life was completely carefree. No responsibility except for homework and play. Even my mom acknowledges today she should have given me more work, but considering the childhood she had, where she was responsible for so many chores, she just wanted me to be a kid for a while. Thankfully, I recognize that I had an incredible childhood not encumbered by work, so in reality, I should be thanking her for all the time off. (thanks mom!)
The second "explanation" I have is Starbucks, and the 14 years I put in there, plus the other 8 years of retail experience I possess. When you work in Retail, knowing any moment a "bigwig" can walk into your store with your career hanging in the balance, you learn quickly how to keep things looking good and spotless. My employees called it "the eye", and they immediately knew when I spotted a speck of dust, a tiny droplet of a spill or the smallest fingerprint on a window. (It was this "eye" that led me to quit my job in July, but I digress... perhaps we will tell that story another day).
The consequence of having such a keen eye at work, with all the pressures involved in supervising 15 people that can get you fired if they don't do their job, is that by the time you get home, the LAST thing you want to do is clean a mess. However, since I no longer work at Starbucks, I guess I can't really use that one as an excuse either.
Dang it, all out of excuses!
I guess my task is to help Alex grow beyond my issues, or find him a wife one day that doesn't mind cleaning up after him. He has other strengths, like humor, charm, & compassion that I never thought I would be able to see in a three year old.
Besides, his two year old brother Teddy doesn't mind helping me clean up.
As I watch Alex wipe all AROUND the spill, I wonder, where does he get this vision, this ability to completely ignore the mess right in front of his eyes.
Sadly, I cannot blame my husband for this one!
It is me, all me.
He gets this flaw from me. I have the incredible ability to walk pass any mess (outside of work) and not see it, especially ones I have created.
I have 2 explanations for this, well 3, if I just want to blame myself and my laziness.
The first one is my mom. Now I know, I shouldn't be blaming my mom for my shortcomings, and those of you that know me, know I usually don't do this. However, growing up, I was allowed to lead a completely chore free life. Once or twice a year I took out the trash, and occasionally I was threatened for having a messy room, but overall, my life was completely carefree. No responsibility except for homework and play. Even my mom acknowledges today she should have given me more work, but considering the childhood she had, where she was responsible for so many chores, she just wanted me to be a kid for a while. Thankfully, I recognize that I had an incredible childhood not encumbered by work, so in reality, I should be thanking her for all the time off. (thanks mom!)
The second "explanation" I have is Starbucks, and the 14 years I put in there, plus the other 8 years of retail experience I possess. When you work in Retail, knowing any moment a "bigwig" can walk into your store with your career hanging in the balance, you learn quickly how to keep things looking good and spotless. My employees called it "the eye", and they immediately knew when I spotted a speck of dust, a tiny droplet of a spill or the smallest fingerprint on a window. (It was this "eye" that led me to quit my job in July, but I digress... perhaps we will tell that story another day).
The consequence of having such a keen eye at work, with all the pressures involved in supervising 15 people that can get you fired if they don't do their job, is that by the time you get home, the LAST thing you want to do is clean a mess. However, since I no longer work at Starbucks, I guess I can't really use that one as an excuse either.
Dang it, all out of excuses!
I guess my task is to help Alex grow beyond my issues, or find him a wife one day that doesn't mind cleaning up after him. He has other strengths, like humor, charm, & compassion that I never thought I would be able to see in a three year old.
Besides, his two year old brother Teddy doesn't mind helping me clean up.
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Preschool Experiment
So, Alex started preschool. ahhh... the dilemma.
With battling opinions of experts, including the Grandma's, sometimes you just gotta take a leap and do what you think is best.
Alex is a little behind. He doesn't yet speak more then 20 words, and he doesn't speak in any short sentences. The school district is responsible for getting him the extra help he needs & due to his early birth, he is eligible for benefits other residents don't get (i.e. free speech therapy, occupational therapy, and adapted PE)
These are things you don't even think about when having your first child, after all, no one plans to have a bad pregnancy. Only the super rich could have kids if these were things you deeply considered.
So what is the argument? Some people say "preschool" is code for "daycare". (Disclaimer, I have nothing but support and admiration for mom's who work, and therefore utilize daycare, this is not a debate about whether or not you should be a stay at home mom)
Daycare, implying he is just being 'babysat' and not 'educated'.
My biggest fear is that the next two years will just be a waste of time where I have "pawned" my child off on other people, and my friends and family will look at me like I didn't do my job.
My leap of faith begins, and I place my faith in the special education experts.
With battling opinions of experts, including the Grandma's, sometimes you just gotta take a leap and do what you think is best.
Alex is a little behind. He doesn't yet speak more then 20 words, and he doesn't speak in any short sentences. The school district is responsible for getting him the extra help he needs & due to his early birth, he is eligible for benefits other residents don't get (i.e. free speech therapy, occupational therapy, and adapted PE)
These are things you don't even think about when having your first child, after all, no one plans to have a bad pregnancy. Only the super rich could have kids if these were things you deeply considered.
So what is the argument? Some people say "preschool" is code for "daycare". (Disclaimer, I have nothing but support and admiration for mom's who work, and therefore utilize daycare, this is not a debate about whether or not you should be a stay at home mom)
Daycare, implying he is just being 'babysat' and not 'educated'.
My biggest fear is that the next two years will just be a waste of time where I have "pawned" my child off on other people, and my friends and family will look at me like I didn't do my job.
My leap of faith begins, and I place my faith in the special education experts.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
A Day to Never Forget
I was working that morning, at Starbucks.
Probably the most memorable day of my working life.
Watching people come in and out, sharing more bad news with each person who joined the line.
Tears streaming down customers and partners faces.
Joy that we were not alone that morning.
The proudest I had ever felt for my company, was the moment the phone call came. All stores were closing, nationwide, so families could be together.
Thank you Starbucks. Thank you Howard B, and Howard S, for doing the right thing.
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