A Day in the Life of a Barista…

4:30 a.m. Really? I seriously have to get up now? This is insane.

I think I think that every morning when I open the shop on weekdays. It’s really not that bad, I just like to be dramatic sometimes.

This morning I turn the oven on to preheat and return to my basement room where I get dressed for work – company t-shirt, pants and my coffee stained canvas shoes. Back upstairs, I line frozen chocolate and cranberry almond scones on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven. When the buzzer goes off, I’ll have had my breakfast, made my lunch/snacks for my shift and done everything else I need to do before 5:15 a.m.

It takes less then ten minutes to get to the shop, but I always allow fifteen. I like to be early, I don’t like to be rushed and I never speed. hem! The wafts coming from hot scones are almost unbearable on the short drive. No, I don’t have one bite. Not one. Not today anyway.

With my few spare minutes, I’m able to prepare the shop for the morning before turning the open signs on promptly at 5:30. Smells of fresh ground coffee permeate the cool morning air. The smells here…oh my, they are simply amazing! I have a few early morning customers, but the rushes don’t start until 7:00 or so. Thankfully, my friend and co-worker, Cherie, arrives at that time and we serve car after car. Sometimes we have breaks,  sometimes we don’t. A school sends in an order of 8 drinks and Cherie takes off to deliver while I man the shop.

I though I was going to regret not bringing a book,  but after Cherie’s shift ended at 10:00, I stayed consistently busy with a few “slams” in between. Slams denote the “four cars or more at a time” routine. I’m convinced that they have someone watching to see when the second worker leaves. As soon as they see her drive off, they give a shout out to come flood the coffee shop. Hmmm…we need to break this up abit!

So, in between customers,  I made you a drink. It’s the new special, though you won’t find it on the menu – and don’t ask Gabe about it, ’cause there really are no new specials. It’s just my special especially.

Size first…

I like yellow.

Then the milk gets steamed. It’s cold outside this morning, and rainy, so I knew you wanted a hot one.

 The coffee beans are ground as we go throughout the day, so now I pull the shots.

Two for you. Though two would make me shake for the rest of the day. Yikes!

Now for the flavor – Ghirardelli white chocolate powder…

blended with orange and almond syrup. It’s that Italian flare coming out again from somewhere.

Pour in the espresso shots and steamed milk…

…and stir as you go with these fancy spoons. I like them.

Would you like straws with that? What about a chocolate covered coffee bean?

It was busy today, very. I made over 35 dollars in tips. Nice! My shift ends at 1:00. That’s after I’ve had my Rock Fish Chowder for lunch. But that recipe is for another post.

The rest of the day? Well, we need more farm fresh eggs at the house,  so perhaps I’ll go pick them up. Maybe fit in a nap, finish the book I started yesterday, and pick out a song I’ve been wanting to do on the guitar. I’ll probably go on a run this evening at the park.

My schedule is always different. One day Mandy and I went to a friend’s house and got our hair cut and styled.

Last week I spent the night with some friends down near Princeton. It’s gorgeous down there. We went horse back riding to the river and sat and talked for hours. It was good. I needed that.

Then they sent me home with two big boxes of produce from their amazing garden!

One afternoon Tesia took me to The Kitchen Engine, a gourmet foods and kitchen gadget/ equipment store in Spokane. *Sigh!* Someday I will have a 1,000 dollars just to spent there. :D As it was, I made it out of there 50 dollars poorer. It was too fun.

So yeah, that’s what I’ve been up too! Fall is in the air now and I’m wondering what the next months will bring. Change for sure – in the weather, in my routine, in life…who knows what will happen.

Hope you are enjoying the last days of summer. Stay tuned for my Northwest Rock Fish Chowder recipe!

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