Today was an interesting day. After staying up half the night throwing up everything in my guts (and squirting out the rest), I woke up feeling fine enough to go on the tour of Rhythm & Hues, a huge digital effects company in Los Angeles. More on that, but first let me rant a little regarding why I was up half the night barfing (and squirting). I had lunch with my dad at Burger King right before I went to class at 2 pm, and shortly before 5:30, my stomach started feeling gurgly and let's just say that I let out some noxious... gases. Well, it wasn't just a simple case of indigestion. From my symptoms, it seems more in line with food poisoning. I think it was the onion ring sauce.
Anyway, it's absolutely no fun barfing up stuff you don't even want to turn the lights on to look cuz even in the dark it looks disgusting. And my first bout was so fierce that I coulda sworn it would've come out of my nose if it could've. And it was during my third bout that nothing came out except some stomach acid that my body finally decided to give me a break and stopped the nausea.
I've had nothing but soup today, though I haven't been following the exact guidelines of WebMD. I think I'm okay now, though. It's a mild enough case, though I did skip out of work. Somehow, I don't think people want their drinks made from a person with a leaking... well, y'know.
Anyway, on to less disgusting thoughts. The tour at R&H was great, though I guess it's the standard tour they give everyone. When they showed the reel, we had to share the theater with a gaggle of 3rd-graders, and let me say, it was fun and a little freaky. They could care less about the quality of the story/graphics/technology, they only care that they were showing clips of some of their favorite movies. The laughed through Garfield, Cat in the Hat, Cats & Dogs, and even when the bomb went off in The Sum of All Fears. It just made me realize that kids' movies are a big business, and unfortunately, at that age, it's all about bright colors, funny-looking animals, and lots of physical gags, with little thought to the art of it all. Sigh.
I saw The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe being made, and oh boy, that looks like it's going to be a fantastic-looking movie. I think a lot of the Christian allegory will be downplayed, though, which is a bit sad. I mean, they are great books, but C.S. Lewis wrote them for a purpose other than to make good movies.
The most exciting part of the tour was the end recruitment spiel. Basically, they not only have internships, but they also have apprenticeship programs which show a lot of promise. There's always the question of how you can break into the biz, and they've actually answered some questions.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Fangirl moment #2:
Wish I had a camera but alas, it would not be professional... but guess who came into my store this morning, and guess who sold him a quad espresso over ice?
It was Elijah Wood, and yes, the barista was me! Aiiiiiiiiii!
I was very calm and friendly. I just had a thought, I hope Elijah wasn't pulling the "poor man's latte" on us. Hell, he should be able to afford a $4 drink. Hmmm....
Wish I had a camera but alas, it would not be professional... but guess who came into my store this morning, and guess who sold him a quad espresso over ice?
It was Elijah Wood, and yes, the barista was me! Aiiiiiiiiii!
I was very calm and friendly. I just had a thought, I hope Elijah wasn't pulling the "poor man's latte" on us. Hell, he should be able to afford a $4 drink. Hmmm....
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Saturday, January 15, 2005
CRAZY WEEK
The major obstacle to a good slideshow? Compression. If anything, this slideshow project has been good research into what is necessary to create a consumer slideshow. The most important thing is high-quality digital images. Putting together the actual show took just a matter of hours. What took the most time was enhancing the photos and then dealing with compression. The crappier the image, the crappier the image is after compression. But there's no way I can just burn an 8 gig movie onto a CD. Nooo, we had to get all fancy and make DVDs. I tell you, if it wasn't for Dave, I'd be sunk. Give him props, folks. (Yeah, like you care.)
I went to the MacWorld conference with Dave this week. We drove up Wednesday night, and went to the show Thursday and Friday. I'm not much of a Mac geek, but boy, attending that show, you totally want to be. The most exciting product was the Mac mini (which is still too pricey for me, though it is the approximate cost of my hand-built PC) and the iPod shuffle. I want an iPod so much. I entered every single raffle they had that involved the iPod. Apparently, the Force is weak in me, since I couldn't make the people pick up my entry card.
Anyway, as for the most exciting event... well, I have to wait until Monday to post the picture. Yeah, it was getting my picture taken with someone and holding myself back as a fangirl.
Right now, I need to high-tail it back to my parents, but this stupid DVD won't finish burning! I'm just wondering if my relatives will even appreciate all the trouble I went through for this.
The worst part of the trip? The huge traffic jam on the 5 (where 4 lanes merged to 1) that caused a 3-hour delay (THREE FREAKIN' HOURS!) so that we got back around 4 am, and then I proceeded to fix the stupid slideshow and make the DVD master myself.
I need to sleep. Forget looking good tonight. I'd settle for looking half-awake.
The major obstacle to a good slideshow? Compression. If anything, this slideshow project has been good research into what is necessary to create a consumer slideshow. The most important thing is high-quality digital images. Putting together the actual show took just a matter of hours. What took the most time was enhancing the photos and then dealing with compression. The crappier the image, the crappier the image is after compression. But there's no way I can just burn an 8 gig movie onto a CD. Nooo, we had to get all fancy and make DVDs. I tell you, if it wasn't for Dave, I'd be sunk. Give him props, folks. (Yeah, like you care.)
I went to the MacWorld conference with Dave this week. We drove up Wednesday night, and went to the show Thursday and Friday. I'm not much of a Mac geek, but boy, attending that show, you totally want to be. The most exciting product was the Mac mini (which is still too pricey for me, though it is the approximate cost of my hand-built PC) and the iPod shuffle. I want an iPod so much. I entered every single raffle they had that involved the iPod. Apparently, the Force is weak in me, since I couldn't make the people pick up my entry card.
Anyway, as for the most exciting event... well, I have to wait until Monday to post the picture. Yeah, it was getting my picture taken with someone and holding myself back as a fangirl.
Right now, I need to high-tail it back to my parents, but this stupid DVD won't finish burning! I'm just wondering if my relatives will even appreciate all the trouble I went through for this.
The worst part of the trip? The huge traffic jam on the 5 (where 4 lanes merged to 1) that caused a 3-hour delay (THREE FREAKIN' HOURS!) so that we got back around 4 am, and then I proceeded to fix the stupid slideshow and make the DVD master myself.
I need to sleep. Forget looking good tonight. I'd settle for looking half-awake.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Okay, I just got back from work, so I'm going to rant a little.
I know that human beings are self-absorbed by nature, but honestly, customer service shows you just how self-absorbed people are. I mean, a lot of people assume that the drink you're working on is their drink, and if you're putting something in there they don't like, they automatically speak up, even though it's not their drink. I mean, most people do specify which drink is their's and then tells me stuff if they forgot to tell the register person, but sometimes, people just repeat the same stuff they told the register person, even though 1.) it's written on the cup, and 2.) most likely I heard them cuz I'm standing right next to the register, and 3.) we ask if we're not clear on an instruction.
Anyway, the other day, I'm making a few drinks on the bar, one is a non-fat chai and the one after that's a regular latte. Well, I pour the non-fat into the chai, then grab the regular milk to put in the latte, and then I hand off both drinks. The lady says, "I wanted that non-fat." I reply, "It is non-fat." She replies, "No, I saw you holding the regular milk pitcher. You used regular." I reply, "Yes, for that other drink (I point to the drink on the bar)." She replies, "No... you used regular."
Now, at this point, I really felt like arguing with her about how she was now insulting me by saying that not only did I mess up, but now I'm lying about it. And I felt like saying to her that she's not the only customer, and she has no idea how I do my job, she can't possibly see behind the bar, and dammit, I made that drink correctly. Buuuuuuuuut, I can't. That pesky customer service thing. That and it was just easier to remake her drink.
Hey, I make wrong drinks somewhat frequently. Well, when it's busy and I'm tired or if the register person wrote the directions funny. There are plenty of times as I'm calling out the drink I realized I put in the wrong milk/syrup/shots/etc. And usually, I say, "Oops, I made that wrong, let me remake it." Never have I made a mistake and then lied about it. (Well, I do have to admit there are times I fudge a bit. Like, if I ran out of whole milk and I need an inch more, I use non-fat. And vice-versa. For the most part, people won't even notice. There was that time someone wanted a frappuccino and we ran out of regular, so I made her a decaf cuz I figured it's too easy to tell the difference with a light.)
Of course, if that incident had happened today, there's no telling what might have happened. The thermostat broke and the room was a WARM 90+ degrees. And the store is naturally humid from all the machines. Yes, it was miserable. The only relief came from when the door opened and fresh, cold air from the outside came in for a few seconds. I was miserable. Luckily I wasn't tired and miserable. Then I'd be, "what, you callin' me a liar? You wanna go outside, lady?" Heh heh.
I know that human beings are self-absorbed by nature, but honestly, customer service shows you just how self-absorbed people are. I mean, a lot of people assume that the drink you're working on is their drink, and if you're putting something in there they don't like, they automatically speak up, even though it's not their drink. I mean, most people do specify which drink is their's and then tells me stuff if they forgot to tell the register person, but sometimes, people just repeat the same stuff they told the register person, even though 1.) it's written on the cup, and 2.) most likely I heard them cuz I'm standing right next to the register, and 3.) we ask if we're not clear on an instruction.
Anyway, the other day, I'm making a few drinks on the bar, one is a non-fat chai and the one after that's a regular latte. Well, I pour the non-fat into the chai, then grab the regular milk to put in the latte, and then I hand off both drinks. The lady says, "I wanted that non-fat." I reply, "It is non-fat." She replies, "No, I saw you holding the regular milk pitcher. You used regular." I reply, "Yes, for that other drink (I point to the drink on the bar)." She replies, "No... you used regular."
Now, at this point, I really felt like arguing with her about how she was now insulting me by saying that not only did I mess up, but now I'm lying about it. And I felt like saying to her that she's not the only customer, and she has no idea how I do my job, she can't possibly see behind the bar, and dammit, I made that drink correctly. Buuuuuuuuut, I can't. That pesky customer service thing. That and it was just easier to remake her drink.
Hey, I make wrong drinks somewhat frequently. Well, when it's busy and I'm tired or if the register person wrote the directions funny. There are plenty of times as I'm calling out the drink I realized I put in the wrong milk/syrup/shots/etc. And usually, I say, "Oops, I made that wrong, let me remake it." Never have I made a mistake and then lied about it. (Well, I do have to admit there are times I fudge a bit. Like, if I ran out of whole milk and I need an inch more, I use non-fat. And vice-versa. For the most part, people won't even notice. There was that time someone wanted a frappuccino and we ran out of regular, so I made her a decaf cuz I figured it's too easy to tell the difference with a light.)
Of course, if that incident had happened today, there's no telling what might have happened. The thermostat broke and the room was a WARM 90+ degrees. And the store is naturally humid from all the machines. Yes, it was miserable. The only relief came from when the door opened and fresh, cold air from the outside came in for a few seconds. I was miserable. Luckily I wasn't tired and miserable. Then I'd be, "what, you callin' me a liar? You wanna go outside, lady?" Heh heh.
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Starbucks lingo
Yep, I do know everything on that list. Though if someone hasn't ordered a Mocha Valencia or a Cinnamon Spice Mocha in awhile, I tend to forget the details on the number of shots or syrup. Well, mainly between the two. So is my job hard? Not really. The hard part's memorizing everything, but there's a pattern, so once you get that down, then it's really not that hard. But there is definitely a learning curve where for the first few weeks, you just plain don't know anything. Add to that, you've got regulars that have really specific drinks. I remember at my old store, this lady would order a grande caramel macchiato, extra hot, with extra-extra-extra caramel. And I would joke back, "So you want a little macchiato with your caramel?" Heh heh.
The new Chantico drinking chocolate is... interesting. Y'know how sometimes you feel like having chocolate syrup straight out of the bottle? It tastes a little like that. My co-workers for the most part don't like it cuz it's so rich, but many have taken to experimenting. I think adding a shot of espresso and some milk and a dollop of whipped cream makes it less overpowering.
And that blurb he/she wrote about hating making Frappuccinos... well, for some reason, I agree. I don't know why. I think a lot of it does stem from the Frapp rush which comes from hordes of teeny-boppers invading your store (and leaving no tip!). And during one of those rushes, you just feel like a machine. There's no artistry involved in making the Frapp. It's just mix together and blend. I suppose that's why that is one of the first things you learn when you start to work there.
The slideshow is progressing. I came upon a picture of myself as my sister's bridesmaid, and I debated putting it in the show. I guess it's a little weird to put myself on center stage like that. Even for a few seconds.
Yesterday my parents and brother visited me out here in Santa Monica. It was cool to have them see where I've been living the past 4.5 months. Of course, if I had more time, I would've cleaned up my room. Ahhh... stuff to leave off 'til later. My dad, predictably so, fixed the loose towel rack in my bathroom. When he went to visit my sister, he spent many hours fixing stuff, too. It's kinda funny, but it's one of those endearing traits about my dad. I mean, as much as he frustrates me, he is my dad... and sitting in that iffy vegetarian korean buffet, I realized that I wouldn't trade my family for anything.
Well, that's about that last "hearfelt" statement you'll get from me in a long time. Drink it in, folks.
Yep, I do know everything on that list. Though if someone hasn't ordered a Mocha Valencia or a Cinnamon Spice Mocha in awhile, I tend to forget the details on the number of shots or syrup. Well, mainly between the two. So is my job hard? Not really. The hard part's memorizing everything, but there's a pattern, so once you get that down, then it's really not that hard. But there is definitely a learning curve where for the first few weeks, you just plain don't know anything. Add to that, you've got regulars that have really specific drinks. I remember at my old store, this lady would order a grande caramel macchiato, extra hot, with extra-extra-extra caramel. And I would joke back, "So you want a little macchiato with your caramel?" Heh heh.
The new Chantico drinking chocolate is... interesting. Y'know how sometimes you feel like having chocolate syrup straight out of the bottle? It tastes a little like that. My co-workers for the most part don't like it cuz it's so rich, but many have taken to experimenting. I think adding a shot of espresso and some milk and a dollop of whipped cream makes it less overpowering.
And that blurb he/she wrote about hating making Frappuccinos... well, for some reason, I agree. I don't know why. I think a lot of it does stem from the Frapp rush which comes from hordes of teeny-boppers invading your store (and leaving no tip!). And during one of those rushes, you just feel like a machine. There's no artistry involved in making the Frapp. It's just mix together and blend. I suppose that's why that is one of the first things you learn when you start to work there.
The slideshow is progressing. I came upon a picture of myself as my sister's bridesmaid, and I debated putting it in the show. I guess it's a little weird to put myself on center stage like that. Even for a few seconds.
Yesterday my parents and brother visited me out here in Santa Monica. It was cool to have them see where I've been living the past 4.5 months. Of course, if I had more time, I would've cleaned up my room. Ahhh... stuff to leave off 'til later. My dad, predictably so, fixed the loose towel rack in my bathroom. When he went to visit my sister, he spent many hours fixing stuff, too. It's kinda funny, but it's one of those endearing traits about my dad. I mean, as much as he frustrates me, he is my dad... and sitting in that iffy vegetarian korean buffet, I realized that I wouldn't trade my family for anything.
Well, that's about that last "hearfelt" statement you'll get from me in a long time. Drink it in, folks.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
I don't think I can delete double comment entries. And I know of a certain someone that would copy a previous comment entry to make me think it was a double post. Evil. And yes, it was a typo. I meant "thespian" though perhaps a "thesbian" would be a lesbian thespian, which, of course, I wouldn't be. Not much, anyway. There are certain people that have accused me of being in love with Jadzia Dax from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Hey, I just think she's cool. Not blatantly hot like Seven of Nine. And Robert's accused me of being in love with Barbara Gordon (aka Oracle fmrly Batgirl) of the short-lived series Birds of Prey. I have this thing for redheads. I think if I could pull it off, I'd be a redhead. There's a reason why Falcon Girl's a redhead.
I watched a lot of TV tonight. Bad me! Bad!
One of the shows was about the Mars rovers, and they showed the people that worked on them, and the sheer number is crazy! They had a huge team just on the landing gears alone. Anyway, it made me think about how we need a lot of talented scientists and engineers to make projects like the Mars rovers program, space shuttle, etc, and then it made me think about how our country doesn't encourage math and science in school. Just thinking about SMC in general, most people (outside of the Academy) don't major in science, unless it's biology for pre-med or nursing. More like, people don't seem to major in the physical sciences. So it makes me wonder where JPL and NASA do get their scientists and engineers, and could there possibly be someone who would be a brilliant scientist/engineer that could figure out a major breakthrough and propel the field beyond measure who is instead utilizing his/her gifts to figure out how to make more money for a major heartless corporation? Makes me wonder, should I have stepped up to the challenge back then? I mean, I kinda had the brains for science in high school. But then college came and it wasn't as easy anymore, and it certainly wasn't fun, and I was having a hard time going beyond the big picture into the nitty gritty of juggling numbers. And yes, art has been something I've loved and wanted to do since I was a kid. So I do think I'm fulfilling my calling, but a part of me wonders if I was suppose to instead be doing something "benefitting mankindl," beyond entertainment.
I mean, I won't be saving lives, advancing scientific fields, or helping the disadvantaged, at least not directly. Entertainment is a big part of our lives, but I wonder if it should be, and I'm trying to be a part of something that sucks up big chunks of time and distracts us from our everyday lives. I mean, I wonder if the people working for the tobacco industry are happy with themselves. Okay, movies not as dangerous as cigarettes, but I'm sure we all agree that Americans, on the whole, do watch too much TV and movies.
And on a different note, I paid off my parking tickets today. Yeeee-aaaa-ouch. I'm not sure what I can do to make more money these days. I really hope I don't have to resort to a loan.
I watched a lot of TV tonight. Bad me! Bad!
One of the shows was about the Mars rovers, and they showed the people that worked on them, and the sheer number is crazy! They had a huge team just on the landing gears alone. Anyway, it made me think about how we need a lot of talented scientists and engineers to make projects like the Mars rovers program, space shuttle, etc, and then it made me think about how our country doesn't encourage math and science in school. Just thinking about SMC in general, most people (outside of the Academy) don't major in science, unless it's biology for pre-med or nursing. More like, people don't seem to major in the physical sciences. So it makes me wonder where JPL and NASA do get their scientists and engineers, and could there possibly be someone who would be a brilliant scientist/engineer that could figure out a major breakthrough and propel the field beyond measure who is instead utilizing his/her gifts to figure out how to make more money for a major heartless corporation? Makes me wonder, should I have stepped up to the challenge back then? I mean, I kinda had the brains for science in high school. But then college came and it wasn't as easy anymore, and it certainly wasn't fun, and I was having a hard time going beyond the big picture into the nitty gritty of juggling numbers. And yes, art has been something I've loved and wanted to do since I was a kid. So I do think I'm fulfilling my calling, but a part of me wonders if I was suppose to instead be doing something "benefitting mankindl," beyond entertainment.
I mean, I won't be saving lives, advancing scientific fields, or helping the disadvantaged, at least not directly. Entertainment is a big part of our lives, but I wonder if it should be, and I'm trying to be a part of something that sucks up big chunks of time and distracts us from our everyday lives. I mean, I wonder if the people working for the tobacco industry are happy with themselves. Okay, movies not as dangerous as cigarettes, but I'm sure we all agree that Americans, on the whole, do watch too much TV and movies.
And on a different note, I paid off my parking tickets today. Yeeee-aaaa-ouch. I'm not sure what I can do to make more money these days. I really hope I don't have to resort to a loan.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
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