the W-word.

Reasons Why I Love Wednesday Mornings Even More So:

#1. Because today I have a 99% higher chance of adopting the title as a certified barista than yesterday. Yes, you heard me right, the interview went smoothly and FANTASTIC, and *fingers still crossed* as, naturally, I don’t know the verdict yet, but let’s just say damn, I’m good. I mean, let’s get real here, not everyone can turn their stress and anxiety into positive energy and have it benefit themselves in the long run. Oh, and that strong fix of coffee earlier in the AM today didn’t hurt too much either. I’m not going to lie though, I wouldn’t mind coming home with coffee stains on my dark wash People Liberations and cute white tops every once in a while. That or proudly jotting down “Barista” on myspace surveys when asked about my job.

#2. Because Wednesdays happen to always be the days where my conscious favors my extreme (and probably unhealthy) coffee addiction over my extreme-but-apparently-more-mild-than-love-for-coffee desire for weight loss (okay, not so much weight loss as my desperate longing for my abs to finally peek through!) and I give in and treat myself to stopping at the local espresso stand. And not just any local espresso stand, but my favorite one of the three hundred million in the same five-mile perimeter of my house. One “16oz. iced white chocolate Americano with nonfat milk instead of water, double shot please” and one hell of a mood lifter and energy boost that goes hand in hand coming right up. And when I say it’s my favorite all across town, don’t you think I don’t have my reasons.

Starbucks is my high-maintenance (hello, over $3 for something that‘s going to last me a mere two hours and I‘ll pee out by dinnertime? There goes my new car/college funds…) once-a-week indulgence and I’ll only throw a mini-internal temper tantrum when I have to settle for any other ‘Coffee Bean’ or ‘Caféista’ or some other generic, but entertaining, attempt at a creative espresso-inspired name. But in order to qualify as favorite in my book, you have to: be close (face it, girls, I’m not faithful enough customer to agree to throw away more money in gas to GET to it than what my actual drink alone costs). Be not-semi-but-very affordable (see above for evidence that I’m not made out of money, and finding ones in my push-up bra every once in a while is an exception, gotta love the perks of having a goofy boyfriend?). The girls must be wearing clothes; just for the record, I’m giving you business for my own pleasure, and that unfortunately doesn’t include anything to do with wanting other straight girls giving me a show in their lacy thongs and X-rated lingerie. I don’t want to see your boobs anymore than your grandmother, get over it you damn hoochie! And to finalize the list, you gotta be a straight up fun and upbeat environment. Oh, and make damn good coffee. And in following my strict rubric, you’ll get those beautiful green George Washingtons in your tip jar/cup and you will make your boss happy. And as of now, only one has done so, and thus I am faithfully committed to it for my every-other-daily caffeine fixes from there and there only.

I also have this habit of taking my time when I stop. You see, more than a good 78% of the girls who work there would qualify as “friends” of mine (or life companions in a more logical sense, because none of my real ‘friends’ even offer to bow down and serve my ass and whip up coffee for my delight), and as the interested-in-people person I am [on good days], it’s only natural for me to ask ‘em how their days are going, politely comment on the weather and the latest gossip in politics and US Weekly, are you hiring yet?, etc. And their life story, if I’m in the mood. I’m not categorized as the generic friendly, but I do love spending the time to get to know someone if I think they’re worthy in my book. And seeing as I adore each and every one of my usual baristas, I go forth and do my thing. Once, I even spent a good 20 minutes or so with my car in park as the girl who was working and I covered bases from feng shui’ing the bedroom I had newly moved into to what we thought of ‘s death, to our mutual recently-founded reputations as Food Network junkies and our secret desire to learn how to cook without seeing black when you reach into the oven for the final product. I really wish I was kidding, too. Hey, we all have our quirks/flaws/stories, right? Needless to say, it makes my day, and preferably Wednesday, when I drop on by the stand for my mid-afternoon coffee run and see what’s new with my women. Except I’ve learned the hard way, by a rude streams of honking in attempt to scoot my ass out of the line so everyone can get their drinks. So I’m female, I have a lot to say. Apparently they don’t like that. I’m good at picking my cues (except you wouldn’t know that if this is the first thing you’re reading upon entering my blog), and I really know when it’s my turn to shut my mouth and put a ‘the end’ of whatever story I’m telling, when the dirty looks I negligibly acknowledge in the rearview mirror turn into the one tangible English translation that you’re on someone’s hit list: the middle finger. So, my Americano happily in the cup holder (and the ice magically halfway melted already), I make my exit and begin the part of the day that actually matters to me. I may have pissed everyone on their 3 o’clock work break on Main Street off, but hey, I managed to throw some good conversation in my day, did I not?

#3. (Making the rest of these super short to balance out my essay-length potential numero dos.) Because the sunshine always shows its face on Wednesdays. Whether it’s a quick three minutes of sneaking out of the gray skies it’s hiding behind, or an allday event, the stuck-in-the-middle-of-the-week mode always call for a bit of hope/UV rays. Always. And I love it.

#4. Because I always manage to find myself down with the Is-Friday-Here-Yet? syndrome and have a habit of beginning to mentally plan my weekend out during slow hours at work. (I get paid only slightly over minimum, plus commission, so I have a right to slack off and waste time a little bit… besides, I’m probably the world’s most successful procrastinator, ever. Ever.)

#5. Because there’s always, and mark my words, always mid-week leftovers in the fridge from Sunday-Tuesday night dinners. Or it’s a really good day when I stumble across Chinese takeout or some 4-star-spicy teriyaki yakisoba from when I was too lazy after an all-dayer at work to put my creativity to good use and cook for myself on Saturday night. Mmmm, nothing’s more delicious than day-(or two)-day-after meals, and I suggest you try it sometime if you have refused to up this point due to sanitary issues. Trust me, there’s just something about giving that casserole a few more hours to refrigerate and having all the ingredients mesh together a little bit more for the best possible flavor ever…

#6. Because something surprising or unexpected always sneaks somewhere into my Wednesdays. That monthly Glamour makes its presence known when I walk down to get the mail, or an old ex (the good kind only though) posts a dorky message via my facebook wall, or you drive the back way home from work past the lake and it’s smooth as paper and utterly stunning and you make yourself stop the car and turn off the radio and realize how much beauty you’re surrounded by in life (I know, I know, “Mother Nature is a gift and not a given” blah blah blah… so what if I sound like your mom/pastor, get over it!). I’m convinced by now it’s the little things in life that are thrown together to make the beautiful results, I could live on life’s simplicities and life’s simplicities only, and be fine with it.

#7. Because, at the end of the day - blame it on the probably-expired-and-should-be-thrown-out-soon leftovers, or espresso stand pick-me-up (and causing drama, which contributes to the public’s tolerance levels, and my entertainment), or good weather or simply the fact that I’ve successfully managed to make it halfway through the week without dying due to my extreme trademarks of sleep deprivation/caffeine overdose/road rage - I fall asleep with a smile on my face. And damnit, as stressful or hectic or downright crazy as life can get sometimes, I’d do it a million times over just to go to bed happy and comfortable by Wednesday night (or morning, depending on just how crazy the week really is and how much zzz’s I have to sacrifice for work/school). No matter how many “WTF?!” moments we’ve had in the week, or how many times that jackass in the red Subaru takes the parking spot our heart/love of having not to walk 0.7 of a mile just to get in the building was set on, but we’ve made it to Wednesday, and now I’m saying where’s that Coor’s I deserve?


And I just realized half the time I make lists, whether daily to-do’s or these, I have a tendency to stop at #7. Hmm. We all have our quirks, some of us are just seem to be more obvious about them than others…