Dick 2.0 at Starbucks

So you already know that a guy at Starbucks is a dick.  Time has passed and he continues to ask me what I want to order, what is my name and do I want a receipt.  I exit the subway yesterday and contemplate my next encounter.  I enter Starbucks as I do each work day morning and I approach him, and as always,

"Good morning ma'am,.  What can I get you ma'am?"

"Grandre Latte, as always"

"Can I get your name?"

I lean in close and reply..."what is your mother's name?"  "What?"  Still leaning in "What is your mother's name?"

He stares at me, mouth agape, pauses...... "What is your mother's name?"

Finally "Svetlanka"

"Okay, from now on my name is your mother's name so you will remember me.  I have come in here for almost 2 years now and every time you ask me my name.  Now,  your will remember me."

He hesitates and puts the Sharpie pen to my cup and instead of writing his mother's name, he made a simple 'dot' on the cup.

He was a 'no show' today so now I have tomorrow.........

Haiku

Bank call on bad loan

Forces me to take late train

Riding with more bad

Dick at Starbucks

I have been getting my morning Joe, Grande Latte, for the past 16 months at the same Starbucks attached to the office that I work in.   Everyone, almost everyone, knows what my order is and what my name is. Everyone but Dick.  "Can I get your name ma'am?"  Really?  After all this time you can't remember MY name but you can remember "Bob" the guy behind me?
One day I said my name was "Dick". He said 'what?" I spelled it out "D I C K".  Today I had a free drink postcard, my birthday card, and again he asked me my name.  I said it's on the card and I walked away.      3 minutes later my drink is ready, called out by the Barista, and no freaking name is on the cup!  Really? What a Dick!
Tomorrow is another day, another Dick.........

A life without adversity

I recently attended a memorial for a man that I knew from high school. He was a soch, athletic and handsome. He was married to his high school crush, they had 3 children who then all had husbands, Military Honor Guards no less, and children.
The memorial was held in a hotel Ballroom with over 1000 people in attendance, food buffets and open bar service. The guy owned a very successful business and nearly 300 employees in attendance. It was standing room only. I met up and sat with friends that I have known since I was 12.
The evening started with his best friend expounding for nearly 20 minutes on what a great guy he was. He was followed by the three-some of golfers who are now missing the foursome, told their own stories with one guy unable to finish his discourse because of the flow of tears and snot. Next came 8 more people one at a time with their own ballads of tremendous humanity, humor, generosity and cooking. The night ended with a 15 minute slideshow with ooos and awwws and hoots and hollers from the audience as each slide showed more and more of a gifted, world traveled and privileged life.
Suicide is selfish act which transfers one's burdens to family and friends. As soon as the final tribute effused and the entire family acknowledged I turned and whispered in my friends ear "What an asshole."

Got a quarter?

There is a young man that is on the subway everyday walking in and out of the length of each car repeating the same question over and over and over: "You got a quarter? I'm trying to catch the bus." He is tenacious and unaffected by people's responses or ignorance. He keeps repeating his question over and over every ten seconds, walking through the crowded train cars, hand outreached. He has rhythm and cadence that is hard to ignore. People peer between others or their books. No one gives him a quarter, not the regulars. Then a tourist will reach in a pocket and hand him one and he never stops, not even a thank you. "You got a quarter? I'm trying to catch the bus."

A fat man fell on me.

I was sitting facing forward on the Metro today and an older Middle Eastern man got on at Universal station. The forward facing seat in front of me was open and he hesitated to sit down and the train doors closed and the train lurched forward forcing the standing man into my lap.

I tried to break his fall with my hands but he was quite heavy and between falling in my lap and my wrists aching with his body weight I now think he thinks we are engaged.

This is where I talk about riding the subway in Los Angeles

I started a job downtown LA and the price of parking and gas forced me to take the Metro. I started in October, cool weather, low paying job, conscienceness for the environment. In colder weather people wear more clothing. In hot weather people show more skin and others are exposed to body odors as well. There are a few people that ride the Metro that have no sense of body space and do not want to share what little bit of seat is open next to them. One guy stood next to me as I sat and put his junk basically four inches from my right ear. Another guy sat with his legs spread wide open so I had to straddle over his thighs in order to get past him to sit in the only empty seat on the train. No one should have to endure this on a daily basis in hot weather, so I drive my Prius and pay $8. a day to park.