small world

so I've been telling my favorite regular customers about my new job and moving to lander and all. all are happy, most are sad. overall I feel a sense of responsibility in transferring my knowledge of their names and favorite beverages to other partners. especially when ryan left last summer, I made a special effort to get to know his favorite customers' names and drinks. so a few of them have said "first ryan and now you! you can't leave. oh, and I cried when that blond girl moved to california! don't go, allison. these new people don't know my drink!" this morning, Wendy (iced venti light ice no whip white mocha, and sometimes chocolate milk or hot cocoa for the kids) said "last week they tried to give Mike (her husband: iced quad venti extra ice no whip white mocha) decaf!" a lot of times Mike comes through the drive-thru with his trailer for work and half the time we hear a ding so we greet his trailer too: hi welcome to starbucks what can I get for you? and then we feel like idiots. sweet.

as I'm sharing the news of my move, Richard and Patricia (decaf iced venti soy latte, iced venti nonfat latte... or decaf tall soy no whip mocha, decaf tall nonfat no whip mocha) told me that their son-in-law is from lander! crazy. "I think his family still has a homestead or some land or something out there" oh, really? can I live on it? "probably not, there isn't much out there." Richard was in the air force for years and lived overseas doing some of the work my friend sarah did for a while. investigative things. or so they say.

and then, today, I casually mention my move to Jerry, who is opening an art store across the parking lot. holding his little girl leila, he says oh really? and later sends over his wife Beth, who lived in Lander for 3 years recently! she stood there, holding leila's twin brother, and told me all about areas of town, interesting people and places. her friend owns this shop or runs that studio, and she lived here and there in a few different places in town. overall, she says I'll enjoy myself and probably start skate-skiing. whatever that is.

and steve (tall coffee in his grande travel mug) came in today (second time, first time with his daughter cathy who gets a single venti raspberry mocha frappuccino light) and dropped off two tapes of gospel albums he made in 1983 and 1985! tapes! mandy got a copy, too! he's a retired postal worker who comes in for coffee at least 2 or 3 times a day. he knows all our names, and we love talking to sweet steve. he buys the paper on wednesdays to clip coupons to get the best grocery deals in town and often has stories about his most recent craigslist treasure-find. yesterday he said had something special for me that he wanted me to have before I left. I had no idea he'd bring it in so soon. adorable.