Tuesday, May 31, 2005

The Life Of Russ At Work...

in loving memory of Jana... who is no longer with us, at the wonderful world of starbucks Posted by Hello

abby is excited... she gets to be on my blog Posted by Hello

Liz: stealing money... oh shit hi gnomes... (please note: Liz did not actually steal the money) Posted by Hello

Russ: counts his register after a very busy morning Posted by Hello

Russ and liz: 'do important paper work' Posted by Hello

Russ and Liz 'doing the banking' Posted by Hello

"first we umm...put this thing in.... then..." Posted by Hello

Andy demonstates how to make a "good latte" Posted by Hello

me working hard...gnomes eating her lunch! Posted by Hello

meh meh meh

Work was totally hideous today...
it was just a really bad day, Emma was off sick and gnomes wasn't feeling all that well so she went home and we had our area manager come in to help us out... Its practically like having a new person on their 3rd shift working with you...He really needs to pick up his speed... the customers got grumpy at him because he was too slow. Ana couldn't close tonight so they were a person down... Thankfully Jessie came in and reluctantly said that she would work... Now I am totally tired.. im gone have an early night as i have work at 6am tomorrow. goodnight

Monday, May 30, 2005

Take the Veil Cerpin taxt

Right now im listening to The Mars Volta - de-loused in the comatorium CD that I borrowed from Jamieson... My favourite song on the CD would have to be Televators, after that I have 2 At the Drive-in CD's to listen to as well... ahh good music what more could anyone want?
actually I want the bar (espresso machine) at work to be fixed actually we really need to get a new one. It leaks like there is no tomorrow and our coffee doesn't taste as great. I managed to fix the steam wand though... It was just getting far too difficult to steam one jug of milk at a time when there are 50 billion people wanting Venti sized drinks.


Too often we underestimate the power of a touch,
a smile, a kind word, a listening ear,
an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring,
all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
- Leo Buscaglia

Saturday, May 28, 2005

Russ the Gelato King

In a coffee shop in the heart of Wellington Russ extracts the coffee to make a grumpy customer his venti latte. Russ is having a rough day, like so many of his days have been lately. It seems that the more he works, the harder life becomes for him. He tries his best to be happy, but sometimes it is just too hard. As he begins to steam a jug of milk he starts to day dream. He dreams about all the beautiful things in the world that make him happy. He dreams about what he will do when this tedious shift is over. He thinks of all the wonderful things he could do when he gets to walk out the door, and not think of making anymore coffee and not having to ask "what drink can I get for you there?". He doesn't want to pretend to be happy, he doesn't want to make polite conversation and listen to peoples menial lives. He wonders what would happen if he just tipped a chocolate creme frappacchino all over his next customer. He smiles as he thinks of the satisfaction he would feel watching the chocolate gloop slowly spread down the persons face and neck. He passes the frappacchino over, knowing that the customer doesn't know just how close they had come to a nasty surprise. Russ stared at the door, it looked so far away, He imagined himself walking out the door and walking along the street. There is a parade on the street, people walking along on stilts, jugglers, lions and tigers and bears. Oh my, says Russ realizes that he has put regular instead of decaf into one of the cups. He curses under his breath. He holds the cup in his hand and just stares at it. He imagines it is in fact a waffle cone filled with his secret vice... gelato. He stares at the cup, and once more he is off in the day dream. He stands on the side of the street holding his gelato and watching the parade pass by. He then realized that he knows everyone in the parade. It's not just strangers. All of his friends are shouting out at him. They are asking him to join the parade. Russ is a little scared, he wants to join the parade, but he doesn't think there is any space for him. Then suddenly he sees a float that says "Long Live King Russ". King Russ? He looks at the float and realized that the float is actually a giant ice cream scoop like the one they use to scoop out the gelato. It lowers itself to the ground. Russ steps up onto the scoop and it raises itself. When the scoop reaches the very top he can see all over Wellington. The view is amazing, as he sits up there on his gelato scoop throne, he feels happy. He is the Gelato King. The parade goes all throughout Wellington and finally stops at Oriental Bay where Russ gets lowered at the gelato shop and he receives a free waffle cone of gelato, then he and his friends go and sit on the beach and eat their gelato. Russ the gelato king has never realized that he is loved, even when he doesn't feel like he is. Everyone starts chanting his name over and over "Russ, Russ, Russ, Russ". He then hears a customer say "is this soy, is this soy?" "yes" he replied, he then placed a mug on the sever and said "tall latte at the bar"
- Owen Winter

I just want you to know who I am

My name is Russell and im a gelatoholic.
I don't think I can go for more than a week with out getting some, all hell breaks loose if I don't get to have the delicious flavours of lemon and some form of berry on my tongue.

I am over being single but looking for that right person isn't easy... You think you find them but then it goes to shit, for the time being I am going to remain single and celibate as usual... Sure I can go and just hook up with people but where is the fun in that... I also hate it how people say 'im looking for some fun' what fun is in it the definition of fun on dictionary.com is:
A source of enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure.
Enjoyment; amusement: have fun at the beach.
Playful, often noisy, activity.


I guess people are right in calling it fun... I think of fun as hanging out with friends and getting gelato. Personally I feel its displeasure, Id much rather share something like that with the person I love, that way it is more intimate and pleasurable. As for love, I believe that so far it has happened once for me, even though it was brief I enjoyed every moment of it, Im also glad that we are able to stay friends. Sure I could have wanted more, but one should just take what life gives you and be grateful.

as some of you may know I love music, I can listen to practically anything, basically I just need to feel the passion that is played behind the music and I will listen to it. I really wish I could play an instrument, and that is one of my goals for this year.

I wish I was more artistic as well... But all I have is crap poetry and photographs that look like they were taken by a 12 year old... Oh well maybe with a decent camera my talent will develop, no pun intended.

Our lives improve only when we take chances -
and the first and most difficult risk we can take
is to be honest with ourselves.
- Walter Anderson

Friday, May 27, 2005


this is me outside of work Posted by Hello

day and night

so i didnt end up getting my hair cut yesterday...
i was 5 mins late and the hairdresser took on her next client... so im rescheduled for today at 3 pm and i will not be late.

today for some reason i feel erie.... like somethings not right but i cant quite put my finger on it.... oh well

A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
- unknown

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Where quality comes cheaper...

I had a great day at work today... Once Liz arrived of course... She makes my job so much more enjoyable... The gossip, the laughter and the special and exclusive club outings.... So much merriment!

Today I went to the library and picked a random book off the shelf, went to Espressoholic and tried to look cultured by reading a book and drinking a latte... Obviously it didn't work.

Tomorrow I have an appointment with my hairdresser... I have never spent more than $20 on a hair cut until now... There is honestly no substitute for quality... Unless you want to go somewhere where quality comes cheaper ... You go to 2 cheap for that. So my haircut costs me about 50 dollars and this will be the second time that im going... I think its totally worth it because my hair looks so much better...

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude to me is more important than facts.
It is more important than the past, than education, than money,
than circumstances, than failures, than success,
than what other people think, say or do.
It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill.
It will make or break a company, a church, a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day
regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.
We cannot change our past.
The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude.
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
And so it is with you... We are in charge of our attitudes.
- Charles Swindoll

A Black and White Picture of me Posted by Hello

Monday, May 23, 2005

Silly

I must apologize for the last post... I was bored earlier and I had no idea what to write so I thought that I would just post nothing for the hell of it... And it had annoyed some of you, therefore I am placing this post.

I just did something silly...

I was sprinkling some chilli powder on some oven fries to add extra flavour to the bland taste of potato... And I then just licked the powder off my fingers... Now my mouth is on fire.

thinking back on silly things that I have done.... About 4 years ago I was with some friends and we went walking and me not watching where I was going I walked right into a chain... And fell over and fractured my arm... I didn't think it was broken at the time and we continued our night... Me being the idiot that I am I thought that I was fine... So much later in the night mum took me to the hospital to get patched up... And that is the story of the only time I have ever broken a bone...

This is a blank post!

Sunday, May 22, 2005

Venti this and Venti that

Today work was absolutely hideous... Well not really... It was nice and quiet in the early hours of the afternoon, but got ridiculously busy later on, Because 'Ana had to work at her other job' we were down a person, who we really sort of needed, Just as I had sent Satya on his half, 50 billion people came into our store all at once. All of them wanting Grande or Venti sized drinks, I think Andy and myself did a pretty good job and I didn't even botch one drink, the only problem we had was a customer had ordered 2 chocolate creme frappacchinos and once I had made them he said that he had ordered 2 caramel frappacchinos... I had clearly heard him at the register ordering the chocolate creme. I didn't argue, I just did the normal thing and made what they wanted. Marianne came in today and ordered her usual Venti non fat latte, she went upstairs, and 5 minutes later she came back down and ordered another one, I can barely drink a tall! I don't know where she puts it all, because along side her lattes, she has a venti cup of water and a venti cup of ice.

Be faithful to that which exists nowhere but in yourself
And thus make yourself indispensable.
-A
ndre Gide
(1869 - 1951)

Saturday, May 21, 2005

Work Work Work

Today I got to work with Liz.... It was so much fun... And it reminded me of the old days.... 2 months ago. Besides that work was actually quite hideous and I couldn't wait to finish... But I had to stay and find cover for a shift because new girl isn't able to do it because she has her stepfather's 50th or was it because she had to work at her old job.... Well Ana which is it gonna be huh? I think she needs to stop lying....Oh shit hi Ana!

Friday, May 20, 2005

Owen Gets Gelato.

Once upon a time there was a guy called Owen, who is 'locally famous' in Masterton *cough*
He got on to the train and traveled to Wellington City to Visit his friend Russell.
They went to a nice cafe called espressoholic and got their normal flat white coffee's and chatted for an hour or so. After spending a significant amount of time at the cafe they then started their long journey to get gelato. They climbed the highest mountains and swam in the deepest ocean... Just to spend four dollars fifty on delicious Italian ice cream. Once they had gotten to the gelato shop Russell spent a significant amount of time choosing what flavours he wanted, this is a ritual that must be performed every time someone goes to get gelato. Russell decided that he would have berry and lemon flavours As for Owen, he had a great deal of trouble choosing the flavours he wanted, this being his first time and all, he decided to get the same flavours as Russell. They then went and sat on the beach and ate their gelato with glee once it was gone they walked all the way back to the city and then went their separate ways. Now that Owen has had gelato he now can not stop talking about it and wants everyone to know the enjoyable experience you will have when your lips touch delicious gelato.

The End

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Eliza Battrick - Photographer Extraordinarie


This is my personal photographer Eliza... If it wasn't for her I would not have any of these glorious pictures for you to look at on my blog. So thanks Liz the Oscar goes to your great effort in photography Posted by Hello

here is a fantastic picture of Wellington taken from the zoo when we were there last week ... It was such a beautiful day! Posted by Hello

time to board the ship... and sail off into the sun set....HA! Posted by Hello

*sighs* the ship is calling... Posted by Hello

all gone.... well almost Posted by Hello

theres nothing quite like a wafer cone...  Posted by Hello

Vicki and myself enjoying the delicious gelato Posted by Hello

so many flavours... all the colours of the rainbow! Posted by Hello

This is a lovely picture of the fountain down at Oriental Bay...  Posted by Hello

GELATO!

the club went and got gelato after work... i was feeling slightly depressed for unknown reasons... and gelato made me feel all better...

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Float On

I have just realized that I haven't written on here since Saturday, and I am deeply sorry.
you probably don't really care either way... meh...

On Saturday we had a great time with vodka jellies... They are so tasty but so evil.
Work on Sunday was hideous... Insanely busy I just wanted to go home and sleep.
yesterday morning was a bit better and today seeing as I only had to work for half an hour doing the stock order which I think I may have stuffed up...Oh shit sorry gnomes... I then went and had lunch with my good friend Sama, I had Vegetarian Nachos from espressoholic they were good.

I have just downloaded some songs for work and im in the middle of downloading a mp2 converter so we can make our own CD's and play them at work...Oh shit hi Murray...

I have just heard that Kylie Minouge has breast cancer...We should ring ZM and More FM and demand that they play her new song. If we get her to number #1 it will show New Zealands support and awareness of breast cancer. ...Love Kylie...

Saturday, May 14, 2005

Snow Cherries From France

Tonight work people are coming over to party before we go into town... Should be fun.

I got to work this morning and the place was an absolute bomb site. There was crap everywhere and it being dark when you walk in... As I was walking behind the counter to turn off the alarm I tripped over the bloody vacuum cleaner that Chris left out. The back office was a total mess with crap all over the desk, paperwork that should have been filed and bloody post it notes all over the place saying 'sorry rusky' I sure if he had time to put those post-it notes everywhere he would have had time to clean the place up a bit. That was his last shift ever at Starbucks... Its sad to see him go. . .HA!

Liz start back next week, which im totally excited about I really missed not working Saturday mornings with her they used to be so much better but she's coming back! SO YAY!

Im kinda in a crabby mood because of work today... So to make myself feel a whole lot better im going to walk down Oriental Parade and go get GELATO!

Friday, May 13, 2005

Psycho!

I was having a really good day at work today... Until I received some bad news....Jana is leaving us to go work for the government :( but we still managed to have a good time anyway...

I was changing the rubbish bin bag over and I stepped outside to do the outdoor rubbish bin, and I man sitting on the table asked me if I could clear the table, and I said im a little busy at the moment but ill get someone onto it shortly... And some lady came and sat down and screamed at me NO YOU CLEAR THIS TABLE RIGHT NOW!... I just stormed off and asked really grumpy if someone could do a bus because this total bitch went psycho at me... And I was in a foul mood for the rest of my shift...Which was 5 mins ... I got to go home early :)

If your going through hell,
keep going!
-Walt Disney

this kookubroarh totally snobed us the whole time! Posted by Hello

Posted by Hello after a long day we all looked at the sky and 'wondered what the future held for us' haha!

here i am looking in the stones for the cool glass pieces Posted by Hello

here is a hideous picture of the baboon peeing on the glass! *vomits* Posted by Hello

here is one of the tractors that tried to pour sand on top of us and we weren't even on the beach ... That was scary! Posted by Hello