We pulled up in front of the Ryan's favorite Starbucks in town and ordered our drinks. While he looked over their pastry options in the glass case display, the girl behind the counter, Savannah, asked me about my shirt, a soft, black material with a circular logo in the center showing the Magnolia Silos in Waco, Texas. Smiling, I told her she should go down for a visit, and if she liked tacos, there was one close by the Silos that was amazing.
Our drinks were yelled out by name, one by one. Ryan! Jennifer! Blueberry Scone! Sitting at a table by the window, Ryan pulled out something from work he had a tight deadline to finish and sucked down his salted caramel frappuccino faster than anyone you've ever seen. I flipped my kindle open and finished reading a book whose grammatical and technical errors made me cringe. Unfortunately, I'm one of those people who needs to finish it once I've started reading a book. I found myself editing as I read, hoping this author found themselves a better editor the next time they published, and sighing in relief that this book had been a free ebook.
Those who know me, know that I bring a book with me almost everywhere. In fact, I had that same one with me earlier in the day when we took Oreo to his first visit to the Vet. I don't have to have time to read it. It's comforting to me to know I have one with me. When I travel, I tend to bring several books along, overestimating how much time I'll have to spend reading, as I always overextend myself in activities on the road.
Today, I had planned to continue writing on a pet project of mine I thought up over a year ago and let sit in my documents folder on my computer until now, but when I opened the document on my computer my mind wouldn't sit still. It bounced from one thing to another, drawing my eyes all over the room to the baristas hurriedly poking orders into the touchscreen computer and pouring milk to froth to the man in the corner in a red athletic shirt facing the wall typing on his computer. Normally, in these environments where there is constant motion around you, people leaving, people coming, I thrive.
Today, however, seems to be a different story for some reason. Perhaps, my mind won't sit still because it's still reflecting on the interview I had yesterday for a job, where the owner looked at me and asked the age old question, "What made you want to come here?" It was a fair question, as the job has nothing to do with my background up until now. Maybe my mind is wondering how our sweet puppy is doing at home in his kennel right now. Maybe I'm still wrestling with how to get another pet project up off the ground. Maybe it's a mixture of things that's made my stomach twist a little. Then again, maybe it's the fact that I'm on my third cup of coffee for the day and have neglected my water. Whatever the reason, this is the result of my musings.
The cars are rushing past us on the busy road outside and come in a continuous line through the drive through that makes me feel for the barista in the window handing out their drinks. The music is not quite as loud as it typically is here, which makes me thankful. I see the baristas wearing their black headsets pressing a button on the side communicating with each other from different areas in the store, laughing at some inside joke.
I was never a barista, but watching the way they move behind the counter and interact with their customers and the clock that counts the seconds it takes to finish an order and get it out the window pulls me back to my days at McDonald's. That's right. I came home smelling like fries every time, or so I'm told. That job definitely left an impression on me, which has helped me be a more understanding customer. I also left my parents with an impression from that job, coming home and holding them hostage to vent about the customers who came through with attitudes. Ah, the days in food service. I do not miss you.
There is no real purpose for this post. I've had this need to write for the past couple of days, but when I pick up a pen and try to move it on paper or open a word document I've been working on the words just wouldn't come. Maybe just writing whatever thought comes to mind will help loosen the gears, give them some grease to screech back into life. When I graduated with my masters almost a month ago, I did need a mental break. This summer was one of the most grueling, as far as work goes. A little time to let my mind just rest was needed, but now I feel like it craves some kind of stimulation again. I just haven't quite found what it needs.
I quite enjoyed your musings!