Starback

Let me preface the main story with this...last March when I was out of a job, I went shopping with my fam and bought this awesome plain white t-shirt with bold black lettering which reads, UNEMPLOYED. My dad absolutely loved the shirt. He told me that if I ever have an interview in the future, I should wear it and would get hired. That moment of opportunity came today.

I had an interview for a "Barista" position at Starbucks, or as my dad liked to mistakenly call it, Starback. Since I'll be starting as a part-time student this May, I wanted a part-time job that could fit into my school schedule for the next two years. Not only does Starback offer flexible scheduling but they provide full medical benefits to all emlpoyees who work a minimum of 20 hours per week, which is unheard of when it comes to part-time work. Not to mention, I'd be working with interesting and nice people, get to interact with a wide range of customers on a daily basis, and the kicker: free coffee and 30% off any item at any Starbucks anytime! So I threw on my UNEMPLOYED shirt and spiced it up with a nice sports coat, stylish jeans with matching dress shoes and off to the interview I went. I don't know how long interviews at Starbucks usually take but the manager and I shot the "ish" for almost an hour and a half. Let's just say I had my Charm on full blast. Towards the end of the interview, the manager asked me, "so when could you start work?" I just coolly pulled open my sports coat, pointed at the print on the front, looked him in the eye and asked, "when do you think?" His response? "Then, welcome to the team!"

I was so happy that I wish I could have tap danced the Irish Jig right on the spot. However, I realized I am not Irish nor is my name Jeanne Haske. Instead, I chose to contain my excitement and break the great news to my mom. You would think that after a couple of months of my mom hounding me on getting a job, she would be happy that I'll be reentering the workforce. But I received no such congrats, just a typical "mom's future worries" response: "So, how will your schedule be when you are in school? I hope this does not effect your studies, Jonar." I sarcastically thanked her for congratulating me and told her that because of her lack of recognition, she just lost her 30% Starbucks discount privelege.

I hoped for a better reaction from my sister. I explained that I would get my own cool Starbucks hats and Aprons to wear but she started laughing at me over the phone because of how excited I was to work there. Needless to say she too lost her 30% discount privilege. So be careful about how you act around me. Or it's NO COFFEE FOR YOU! You can call me the Barista Nazi. Reck-id-nize, bitches.

I start this upcoming Monday. I just hope I can wake up on time.

PostBac To the Future

Today, I had my first meeting with my postbacalaureate-prehealth advisor at Loyola University. Stepping on campus grounds I couldn't help but recall memories from the movie, Necessary Roughness. In this 1991 sports comedy, "the Texas State University Fightin' Armadillos must form a team from their actual student body, with no scholarships to help, to play their football schedule. The makeshift team must overcome obstacles that the best teams in the country couldn't deal with. Using a 34 year old quarterback, a female placekicker and a gang of misfits, Ed "Straight Arrow" Genero must take his team to play the number one Texas Colts." The 34 year old farmboy quarterback named Paul Blake is played by Scott Bakula. You may remember him from such memorable roles as Dr. Sam Beckett in the TV series, "Quantum Leap," or Paul Blake from the movie, "Necessary Rough...anyway, there is a scene in the movie where Bakula steps on the T.S.U.'s campus for the first time and realizes how much older he is than the rest of the undergrads...which is exactly how I felt walking on that campus. I felt OLD. I wish I could have somehow contacted Al to quantum leap my ass back to 1998 so that I could pursue premed from the get-go or, even better, to jump to 10 years from now when I'm already working as an attending and playing professional poker part-time. But without working time machines ("hold on...I forgot to put in the crystals"), I have no choice but to take the long route. And after talking with my advisor, I will be on a very very very long journey. But this as exciting as it is depressing for me. I feel that I'm refreshed enough to get back into school mode and ready to take on the rigorous academic challenges that await me. And will I succeed in my endeavors? As my dad always said,"Who knows? Could be..."