To My Customers, If I could write each of you an individual note and tell you how much you have made my daily job a joy, I would. But that would just take too much time, and I have coffee to brew. :) But I want you to know that I am grateful for each one of you. You are the reason I enjoy coming to work. I like making your mornings a bit brighter. I like making you smile with my antics and I enjoy it when you laugh with me at my ridiculousness. Making your morning ritual a bit more happy makes my day that much better.
When I started in the business of retail it was smiply a job. I worked where I shopped and it came naturaully to sell what I bought to others. But when I came into the cafe in downtown Minneapolis, I found a whole new level of self worth and a new found genre I was good at. I realized I liked selling. But more than that, I liked making people happy for a few moments a day. If I could make them laugh and give them what they asked for, than I could consider my day a success.
I want to thank you for opening this door for me. If you hadn't told me your name with a smile when I asked, joked with me about my company's need to upsell, humored me on a rough morning, or just plain became my friend, I wouldn't have gotten the new job I did. It is because of you that I was able to move up in a business that I like and that I am good at. I sell coffee but more importantly, I think I sell relationships. When I interviewed at this new comapny they asked if I thought I was in the "people business that just happens to sell coffee." And in my loud, enthusiastic way I responded with a resounding "YES! This is what I've been trying to say!"
The key to life is connection. If you don't connect with people on a daily basis, you're missing out. I hope you came to my coffee shop to find a small piece of human interaction and a jolt of caffiene, and that you will continue to come back when I am some place new. Thank you for continuing to come support my busniess when our espresso machine was down, when we were short a person and when we ran out of coffee for a few mintues. You are the reason we are successful. And for that I thank you.
Coffee is always your friend, but the people that make it are so much more.
Much love.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
La Playa de Mexico
Yep, that new header is MEXICO, Baby!! That was taken on the highest peak of Rocky Point, at a restaurant called El Capitan. We went there one night with Chuck's mom for nachos and margaritas and had a damn good time!!
This was the best trip ever. We did nothing and it was wonderful. :) Well, not nothing, we hung out on the beach with our toesies in the sand and a cooler of beer. We rented a jetski for an hour, we at lots of tacos and quesadilla's, we napped, we hung out with his mom, we looked out on the ocean with the sun on our shoulders and a smile on our faces. It was so perfect. We also spent a few nights in Tucson with his friends. His friends are good guys who know how to have a good time.
Chuck has said since I meant him that he will retire to the beach of Mexico. I now think I'll join him. To see the horizon from all around, to have the sun shine every day, to simply live a simple life, I'll take it. And all with my sweet sweet man.
Me and the beach, we got along great.
Our hideout for the day.
This brings a smile to my heart.
When I've worked through the rest of the photos, I'll post a few more. I'm still reveling in the great time we had. Memories were definitely made.
This was the best trip ever. We did nothing and it was wonderful. :) Well, not nothing, we hung out on the beach with our toesies in the sand and a cooler of beer. We rented a jetski for an hour, we at lots of tacos and quesadilla's, we napped, we hung out with his mom, we looked out on the ocean with the sun on our shoulders and a smile on our faces. It was so perfect. We also spent a few nights in Tucson with his friends. His friends are good guys who know how to have a good time.
Chuck has said since I meant him that he will retire to the beach of Mexico. I now think I'll join him. To see the horizon from all around, to have the sun shine every day, to simply live a simple life, I'll take it. And all with my sweet sweet man.
Me and the beach, we got along great.
Our hideout for the day.
This brings a smile to my heart.
When I've worked through the rest of the photos, I'll post a few more. I'm still reveling in the great time we had. Memories were definitely made.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Away We Go!
Dear Sandy Beach and Big Ocean, Why yes I gladly accept your offer to come sit in the sand with my toesies in the water and a beer in my hand. Thank you so much for your fabulous invite!! Much love ---Sarah
Enjoy the start of fall, Minneapolis! My babe and I will be back in a week. With a tan.
Cheers!! :)
Enjoy the start of fall, Minneapolis! My babe and I will be back in a week. With a tan.
Cheers!! :)
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Here's a Gem
I was so orange and squishy and my mom was so young and with blue eyeshadow.
My step-grandma sent this to me in my birthday card this year. I've seen photos from when I was a baby but not this particular one. My mom still lives in that house, that window still looks out on the same tree, I've grown up, mom is still so full of life. Perhaps only the fashion has changed. :)
Mom, I love you. Thanks for giving birth to me and raising me with such compassion.
Success!
I did it! I got a new job! Three cheers for me!!!
I will be having my own store with Caribou Coffee and I'm so excited I'm nearly jumping out of my shoes! I aced the interviews, was even told that it seems like I am a closeted Caribou Coffee manager. Why, thank you!
My last day at Barnes will be the 30th, but bonus, I'm on vacation all next week! Chuck and I are taking a trip to Tucson and Mexico. He's from Tucson and hasn't been back in nearly 4 years. I'm excited to meet his friends, his mom, to go to all his old haunts. And I'm excited for the beach! Oh the beach. I am going to get tan and soak up nothing but ocean waves, sand and sun. With my love by my side.
Because of these two things happening, I feel like I'm on cloud nine. It's a good feeling. :)
I will be having my own store with Caribou Coffee and I'm so excited I'm nearly jumping out of my shoes! I aced the interviews, was even told that it seems like I am a closeted Caribou Coffee manager. Why, thank you!
My last day at Barnes will be the 30th, but bonus, I'm on vacation all next week! Chuck and I are taking a trip to Tucson and Mexico. He's from Tucson and hasn't been back in nearly 4 years. I'm excited to meet his friends, his mom, to go to all his old haunts. And I'm excited for the beach! Oh the beach. I am going to get tan and soak up nothing but ocean waves, sand and sun. With my love by my side.
Because of these two things happening, I feel like I'm on cloud nine. It's a good feeling. :)
Monday, September 12, 2011
Endearing
I don't post pictures of Chuck's girls because they aren't my children to post pictures of. They are all over my house though, I love pictures of my family around my home. But this photo is one of my favorite ones of the summer.
Chuck and Special K had gone to Valleyfair for the afternoon and Little One and I stayed home. We went swimming and had a bath and sat out on the balcony. It was a simple and lovely afternoon. As we sat on the balcony, I put my feet up on the little table we have out there and it wasn't too long after that Little One followed suit by pulling up her chair, taking a seat and swinging her feet onto the table to join me.
Isn't it sweet? And I love her little toesies.
Chuck and Special K had gone to Valleyfair for the afternoon and Little One and I stayed home. We went swimming and had a bath and sat out on the balcony. It was a simple and lovely afternoon. As we sat on the balcony, I put my feet up on the little table we have out there and it wasn't too long after that Little One followed suit by pulling up her chair, taking a seat and swinging her feet onto the table to join me.
Isn't it sweet? And I love her little toesies.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
9/11/01-9/11/11
I'm watching a show on CNN called Beyond 9/11: Portraits of the Survivors. It's a half hour in and so far it's only people in front of a sheer white background, just telling what they went through that day. Just listening to people talk about the same event from so many different views is very moving. There are a few people from the 81st floor of the second tower, a few firefighters, Rumsfeld, Tom Brokaw, George W., wives of lost ones, and so on.
I occasionally have tears falling down my face. I can't wrap my mind around that day. I spent it in my college town, glued to the television like everyone else in the country. I know people died, were injured, lost loved ones, are still feeling the physical effects let alone the emotional damage done ten years ago. But the size of the disaster has sometimes gotten lost for me.
One of the men speaking on this show was a Chief firefighter at the time and sent some of his Lieutenants up one of the towers to not put out the fire but to pull out people. And that was the last time he saw those people who followed his orders. One of the lieutenants was his brother. How do you heal from that, knowing that you were doing your job, yet it caused you to loose a part of your family?
Another man made it to the ground floor before the buildings fell and was headed outside through the courtyard between the two buildings. But he said it looked like a war zone, debris and dead bodies filled the area and he was told to go out another way. How does that image not haunt someone; you're at work and the next thing you see is dead people and remnants of your work place?
Another man was a firefighter who, several days after 9/11 found his son, also a firefighter, in the debris, and helped carry his body out wrapped in an American flag and a body bag. And his other sons, also firefighters, say they have no idea how he their dad did that, went down to the sight, day after day and helped pull out other people's family members.
I never really thought about the individual stories of the people who lived through that day. There were so many stories about the overall effects that the people that make the story have a heart got lost in the cleanup and rebuild. I didn't feel it personally at all. I was sad that something that horrible could happen to our country, that another human being could do that to someone else. But I have never turned the events of that day inward. I have never focused on the losses one at a time. According to Wikipedia there were 2,996 deaths that day. Who were those people really and who did they leave behind?
And I also want to know about the children who were born that day. Today they will be 10 years old and they have a story to tell too.
I don't think there are enough words let alone the right ones to encompass all the emotion of that day and all the memories that stay with someone. It's haunting, it's simply sad. But in the aftermath, the survivors and the families and the community has become a powerful entity of pride and resilience.
9/11/01 forever in my heart.
I occasionally have tears falling down my face. I can't wrap my mind around that day. I spent it in my college town, glued to the television like everyone else in the country. I know people died, were injured, lost loved ones, are still feeling the physical effects let alone the emotional damage done ten years ago. But the size of the disaster has sometimes gotten lost for me.
One of the men speaking on this show was a Chief firefighter at the time and sent some of his Lieutenants up one of the towers to not put out the fire but to pull out people. And that was the last time he saw those people who followed his orders. One of the lieutenants was his brother. How do you heal from that, knowing that you were doing your job, yet it caused you to loose a part of your family?
Another man made it to the ground floor before the buildings fell and was headed outside through the courtyard between the two buildings. But he said it looked like a war zone, debris and dead bodies filled the area and he was told to go out another way. How does that image not haunt someone; you're at work and the next thing you see is dead people and remnants of your work place?
Another man was a firefighter who, several days after 9/11 found his son, also a firefighter, in the debris, and helped carry his body out wrapped in an American flag and a body bag. And his other sons, also firefighters, say they have no idea how he their dad did that, went down to the sight, day after day and helped pull out other people's family members.
I never really thought about the individual stories of the people who lived through that day. There were so many stories about the overall effects that the people that make the story have a heart got lost in the cleanup and rebuild. I didn't feel it personally at all. I was sad that something that horrible could happen to our country, that another human being could do that to someone else. But I have never turned the events of that day inward. I have never focused on the losses one at a time. According to Wikipedia there were 2,996 deaths that day. Who were those people really and who did they leave behind?
And I also want to know about the children who were born that day. Today they will be 10 years old and they have a story to tell too.
I don't think there are enough words let alone the right ones to encompass all the emotion of that day and all the memories that stay with someone. It's haunting, it's simply sad. But in the aftermath, the survivors and the families and the community has become a powerful entity of pride and resilience.
9/11/01 forever in my heart.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Gazing at the Possibilities
I have been doing a lot of dreaming lately. And by dreaming I mean gazing longingly into the setting sun and imagining what is possible. I feel like I'm on the cusp of something new and amazing. I don't want to jinx myself yet, but I'm banking on a new adventure and a new door to swing wide open.
On another dreaming note, I want to spend some good quality time on a beach. I want the water to be as far as I can see, the sand to be soft and in between my toes, the sun to be high and hot, a book in one hand and a beer in the other. I want to know that there are no plans for a few days, to know that I can nap and it won't matter about not being able to sleep at night because there are no plans. Hungry? Lets find a deli. Tired? Lets take a snooze. Feeling rambunctious? Lets go scuba diving. And lets do it all over again tomorrow. Or not. Because we are on vacation and can do whatever we want.
I'm also getting excited for fall. Which means I'm getting excited for Halloween because I still love to dress up. And with the Littles now in my life, dressing up is even more fun! I kinda wanna go as a superhero this year. Ohhhh or a pirate's wench. But I have a rule about Halloween, you have to make your costume. If you buy a nurse costume from a store you're a Halloween cheater. And fall also means winter is next which means CHRISTMAS! I love the holiday season, the lights, the decorations, the music, the coziness, the shopping, the food and treats! Ahhhh LOVE!
On another dreaming note, I want to spend some good quality time on a beach. I want the water to be as far as I can see, the sand to be soft and in between my toes, the sun to be high and hot, a book in one hand and a beer in the other. I want to know that there are no plans for a few days, to know that I can nap and it won't matter about not being able to sleep at night because there are no plans. Hungry? Lets find a deli. Tired? Lets take a snooze. Feeling rambunctious? Lets go scuba diving. And lets do it all over again tomorrow. Or not. Because we are on vacation and can do whatever we want.
I'm also getting excited for fall. Which means I'm getting excited for Halloween because I still love to dress up. And with the Littles now in my life, dressing up is even more fun! I kinda wanna go as a superhero this year. Ohhhh or a pirate's wench. But I have a rule about Halloween, you have to make your costume. If you buy a nurse costume from a store you're a Halloween cheater. And fall also means winter is next which means CHRISTMAS! I love the holiday season, the lights, the decorations, the music, the coziness, the shopping, the food and treats! Ahhhh LOVE!
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