Adopt, adapt & Improve..

So what else is going on besides my barista career? Well lets dwell on the positives. I finally got paid today. Approximately..well less than half of what i made at my last job. This is like being an actor for chrissakes...sacrifice! At least the leg strain of those 2 7-2 days has stopped. I'm dealing with the stress better. Now if I can only time my break correctly so it looks like I can GO all day, like from 9-4 on register and mad restocking. So I've become blase but no less desperate.
The negatives: hey um...I'm looking for a place to live so folks, next time you place an ad, please don't be a flake. I just sold and shipped my precious Fender Silver Sparkle Tele to a lad in Nigeria, so I got some bux for ya, just the new money's a struggle. but when you're in downsize mode, what else does one need but rent and food money?
My dear Julie is heading to India and Pakistan for the week. Why couldn't I just sell myself as going for my Yoga Masters and pack myself in her suitcase? It would suit us both just fine and I can live with much discomfort, just to be with my lady friend!

They're hee're

It is February, a typically slow time of year musically. But through my eyes everything has been such a crawl and ordeal I clearly forgot there was music out there besides my absent minding finger picking (mostly nasal) Reminder to everyone not to touch my guitar... So I went to this premier little event at Revolution Records up in Van Ness. Some people came from afar thinking it was open mike, some came to do feature mini-sets. Apparently all life out there with a guitar in this immediate town showed up. Everyone who I ran into in dupont or responded to a craigslist ad was there. Others who reminded me of band buds past were there. And some of them brought their adoring women folk, so it actually felt like an audience, even though the backroom barely held the 40+ people there. Very enjoyable. Most of the early performers did that self-analytical songwriting thing, I did my bit of trifle, humorous ditty from American Eyeball-the musical. Later performers were gradually improved, the show actually had a flow. Shout outs to Steve C for organizing, Nayan the owner who likes his beer, Alec Gross and his trio of hucksters, Ben's math-rock Martin fingerstyle, Sarah's midwestern Mariah-isms and scratchmarks on the big Guild, Dave "Greenfield" on another Guild, with family in tow, 2 guys whose name I forgot but one put me on the mailing list who knew each others songs and were really good, and quiet and have a loud band playing at Velvet Lounge next week called the New United States or something like that.... and Justin Trawick. who, apparently more hung over or burnt out as I was today was brilliant, and...who knows...I'm a ready sideman and only looking to add some music to my chaos. Work hard, play harder!

In Flux

There will be no talk of irony today, just the facts. I took the exams and physicals at Baltimore MEPS (Military Entry Personnel Station). Passed the rather difficult math questions, some coordination tests and the ole bend over and spread 'em. Witnessed the sights and smells of many out-of-shape 19 year olds. They got the jump on me in tattoos and Scooby Doo boxers tho. Curiously the applicants were about 70% white. Imminently my "job"with the Navy Reserves will be in some kind of capacity (temporarily) that will accentuate my skills in my current job (temporary???) It's all wait and see a do the deed in front of me.
Do you want to know the funny part? It's all there in front of you. Whatever you might think of me it's either ha ha I deserve this or ha ha I can't believe he's doing this.

Danger Drinks

Just a comment, and I want to be as un-presumptuous as possible. I myself am slightly lactose-intolerant, and have a mild capacity for caffeine, which I do consider healthy. But as I've been a barista for almost a week now, I've made at least one beverage a day that I would have to question on it's merits of drinkability. A drink that would surely put me in a cramped position in a cramped porcelain portal. A 20 Oz. hot chocolate, made with steamed half and half with whipped cream? Normal people should not consume such levels of sugar. I mean I have no qualms about preparing it, it's fun, I could whip up latte's all day, got recipie ideas already. But I have noticed that 2 of my own concoctions in 4 hours is too much for me. It's better to be in a state of slight fatigue. I've maintained my equilibrium on bread, soda water and Ricolas during the lunchtime rush.
A caramel mocha artic latte? Milk was a bad choice, sayeth Ron Burgundy. Just be careful people. Skim milk makes better foam and foam is what it's all about. Be the envy of your friends and co-workers and work that foam. And syrup=sugar, so no need to add to it. My work is a work in progress. A big ugh on the way when I see my paycheck. If I get the energy, I'll start a newsgroup on baristas, as a current phenomenon. Revered or Reviled?

Downsize This...

A change to my packratty ways of geariness bids me to ease my financial weariness. This inexpensive but vintage-cool tobacco sunburst semi-hollow was the last guitar I bought, seen here from one of the last Murkins gigs.It is now sold, along with my orginal Digitech Whammy pedal and a Boss Delay I've had since 1989 AD. I fear not the treadles of technology that will cease to make these devices, and I can still get by with less if given the chance to play again. The downsize is good, as other things have grown larger, and in price. This is all to ease the load towards chasing a new dream.

Worthy of Note?

I finally did an honest days work (for no pay-trainee) at Cosi. So in 6 months of job searching I landed a volunteer position at Smithsonian, and 2 job offers, Starbucks and Cosi, which is like Starbucks with Salads and stuff. Cosi got to me first. God my back hurts. Juggling the rest of my confused life's options. But for a few good hours I cruised through in a Zen-like state, learning how to be a Barista. As I mentioned on my Starbucks application, I wanted to explore the socio-vocabular aspects of coffeeshop culture and how it is changing our language itself. With American portions becoming larger and larger, for the most part a large is small, grande is large and gigante XL. Finally I am catching up, alas it might be too late to join the human race but who's counting? I am not a "fountain jerk" although I've seen burn victims perform the same duties at Taco Bell (one of my last food service jobs half a lifetime ago). Who ever heard the term Barista in 1988? It is the most colorful title I've had tho'.

Goin' Postal

Don't worry if you read my last post and think I've gone criminally insane (guess who's the guy in the photo and win a summer sausage). If I had, I would have had my reasons, but I haven't so I guess there's reasons for that as well. Whatever reason's I've been unemployed and soon to be employed on the frontllines of COSI coffeshop are yet to be explained. Never have I fancied myself a customer service pro in the rough but that is what they saw in me, apparently. I consider this a fine opportunity to silence the voices in my head, perhaps I'll drown them in free coffee. Coffee has been a source of great fear to me lately, perhaps subconsciously I knew for 6 months that I'd end up working in a coffeshop. I don't frequent these places too often. Usually the java is too strong and pungent for me, and even my home brew has been rejected by my body. I used to find coffee so soothing and solidifying, like the Peppermint Tea I drink at night. But I guess it's more commonplace to have caffeine rage, or is it lack of caffeine rage? Anyway, sometime next week you can come down to 15th and K NW and make fun of me.

In a few weeks I will also be appearing with new Smithsonian Volunteer badge, working the Information desk at...The Postal Museum. Okay, it may not be as ragin' as the big museums on the mall, but it is a Smithsonian joint, located next to Union Station. Some attempt was made to give my fellow volunteers an assignment befitting their personality or background. One woman, a bronze sculptor was given the Hirschhorn, which displays modern art. The Chinese girl got the Sackler, no doubt. Everyone else looked like a schoolteacher and were given the Museum of Natural History. Apparently I look like a wacko who should be nowhere near the Capitol and in a classic bit of punnery was sent to...GO POSTAL! I don't think there's danger of me snapping from the unstressful calm of the large and echoey hallway next to the down escalater leading to the modest exhibition area. I'll probably start long conversations with people looking for John Lennon's Lost Album, which is a one item display featuring JL's stamp collection. Probably I'll start babbling about the first Plastic Ono Band album and what a wanker McCartney is, Mick Jagger's pandering little dances and Christopher Guest's brilliant musical parody of Lennon's 1970 Rolling Stone Interview with Jan Wenner on some obscure Nation Lampoon album.
(http://www.marksverylarge.com/recordings/radiodinner.html)
This is why I want to be involved in such a great cultural institution. And it's just a start people, you ain't heard th' last of me, I'm just getting started!