dunkinbeatstarbucks

You may have seen the advertisements on TV, or just in your local Dunkin' Donuts location. In a national survey Dunkin Donuts coffee beat Starbucks. Awesome. Congratulations. Too bad it really doesn't mean anything. There is only one reason that Starbucks exists. And it isn't good coffee, cause they don't have that.

Starbucks exists because people are assholes.

People don't go to Starbucks to get coffee. They go because it makes them feel important. Spending $5 on a glorified milkshake that they put soy juice in (no way do beans get milked) upon your request, don't forget no whip. That'll make you fat. Why? So that you sound important when you go to get your caffeine addiction in the morning or whatever time of the day you may feel you need it. Go and chug a Mountain Dew, and accomplish the same thing. But it has been dubbed neccesary to go and drink coffee all day long, because "important" people do it. Drinking that coffee and acting like a stuck up rich bastard or bitch, when you aren't even paying for, your own coffee, your parents are, aint' doing shit for you. Why not go make your self important. Cause the damn coffee isn't going to.

But no, if you go to this place at different times of the day you'll see the certain types of assholes that make this place an example of how people can not cope with normality. They can't deal with having to go to a gas station and get caught dead with "Coffee that's been sitting there for God knows how long". They want to be important. And, maybe if their boss, or someone they're interested in sees them in there it will boost their opinion of said wannabe coffee connoisseur. And chances are if it does help their opinion of that person, the viewing party is also, quite the douche bag.

I used to do that. I would go and take people to Starbucks. It makes them feel important. And usually it was convenient because they're littering the nation like a couple of happy rabbits. And the coffee was super hot, so it stayed warm forever with that fancy environmentally friendly 60% post consumer waste hot sleeve, and the damn green hole plugs.

I drink a lot of coffee. And guess what. It all does the same thing. I usually run on 5 cups a day. Mostly from Dunkin' Donuts. Why? because it is right across the street from my work. And they haven't charged me for coffee in the last 3 months. If there were a Starbucks across the street, and they gave it to me for free, I would get it from there. Caffeine is caffeine. The fact that this was put up as a national survey made me realize why our country has no money. WE SPEND IT ON THIS BULLSHIT!

Why not buy people food and clean water with the probably millions of dollars you spent sending a lady around with a clipboard with 2 check boxes and color printing on that page. No doubt, millions of dollars were just spent to say a more media friendly version of "nananana boo boo, mine is better than yours!" What the hell. If I had the proverbial check that was written to do this project, I would never have to work again. Nor would my children. Coffee has become so big of a pop culture item, that advertisment firms creamed themselves when they thought up this one, in their conference rooms that they usually only hold circle-jerk conventions in. Well, the only thing I have left to say, is that I feel really bad for the dude that has to clean that soggy and sticky conference room with his gas station coffee. He could've been someone important in that room. If only he drank important people coffee. Too bad. He missed out on all that could've been. Only because he knows that it really doesn't mean 2 shits which coffee everyone else drinks. His gas station shit, goes better with the whiskey he has in it anyways.

But why is all the Whiskey gone?

So for the last half an hour, I've been trying to figure out what the hell my computer is trying to install on itself. Beats me. I spent another 15 minutes trying to figure out what programs were running in the background. No idea with that either. It's getting time to wipe this thing again...

More to the point now. Today is one of those days that you tell everyone was the worst day in the world, but when you sit and think about it for a second, it really wasn't that bad. I worked at the Delaware location. People get mugged, shot at and held up on a regular basis. Not too bad. The night dragged on forever, 5 am couldn't come fast enough. It was going well, until ten to, when 10 people walked in the door, and wrecked my almost finished night. Pushing my getting out time to 515 instead of just 5. 15 minutes means a lot when you have to drive to meet someone at a specific time, and when you get there, they aren't there. So that means, I just drove 20 minutes, to turn around and go 30 minutes the other way. After all of that, and some other meaningless garbage throughout the night, I started thinking. And that damn Rolling Stones song came on in my car on my hour long expedition to no where. The only difference to the song "You can't always get what you want" that I would change is the catch line. And it would be changed to "Ha ha, you're actually almost never going to get what you want. If you ever do I'll be surprised."

It doesn't flow as well though.

I talked with the sister earlier, whom I owe a box of oatmeal cream pies to, about having a good things do happen party. When I get to 10 on the nifty tally sheet I started, we have a party. She finished me off mentally by saying, "If you get lucky we may even have 2 parties in 1 year!"

You have a gift for phrasing Amanda.

So now we get to the meat and potatoes of the matter.

It's been a long night. I haven't gotten the job I was sorta-kinda-in a whim-given. And won't be any time soon. Honestly, who lets a 20 year old run a damn store? I mean, they do a lot of drugs, but apparently not that many. Girl factor, terribly despicable is a good starting point. And, I'm not even playing music anywhere this week. So that means, I have open time slots, when I'll probably do something that isn't that productive. Like sleep for 20 hours in one day. And oh yeah, my aunt didn't die. She was kind of, let go. Columbia University sent up a team to, gather parts. Yeah, organ harvesting. Sounds like something right out of Alien. I know. So that's the most serious thing I have to deal with. But, after an hour long drive, from Allentown to North Tonawanda, there was nothing left for me to do but have a drink.

THE DAMN WHISKEY IS GONE!

And I wouldn't mind picking up some more, but, I'm 20, and I don't live in Louisiana so I can't buy it, and I've been clean for a few months now. And I'm trying to keep it that way.

So alcohol, has become my new re-kindled relationship. Oh how I love whiskey. Since I have zero state of mind enhancers I'm working on hour 28 of being awake. Drinking tea, and listening to the Beck song - "Where it's at" on repeat, because it makes me feel a little more chill and cool in a room with dim lights and the sun coming up in the background, when I know I'm really not that cool. But chill is something I have way down.

What set that off, it the fact that Jim, the owner of my company, the guy who's name is on the shirts, hats, signs, commercials, yeah, that Jim, called me today. He asked how everything was going, and after I went through a little bit of that, he told me to go and get myself a drink. Oh how I tried Jim. Better luck next time. And Amanda, today counts as a negative tally mark.

Normal Wednesday...

Until I found out that my aunt was in the hospital, with a massive brain hemorrhage and had little to no response to anything but a deep tissue pain test. Whatever the hell that is. I'm assuming its the doctors sticking a very large needle in you and seeing what happens.

Back story:
My aunt and uncle moved here a couple years ago from Arizona because they wanted to get away from the place that their daughter was killed. Yes. Killed. Hit by a drunk driver, thrown into a telephone pole and broke her spine in half. She died instantly. By the way, this was their only child.
So, they moved here, and rather quickly became my new favorite aunt and uncle. Because they're crazy, and, well, apparently, that's how I like them...

Anyways. My aunt has had a fair amount of health problems for her age (I believe she's around 50, probably a little less) and has to make occasional trips to the doctors. Well, yesterday, she was found un-responsive in her home. Was rushed to the hospital and has been there since. I didn't hear about this til tonight at work, the massive brain hemorrhage part. And more importantly, the, it's not looking good/probably not going to make it part. That's when everything hit. Or did it.

When I was little death never really phased me. It's sad, people get upset, but honestly, what are you going to do about it. I've found out what happens is that it will hit me later. I didn't realize that my grandmother had died til almost a year later, when something that I don't remember triggered it.

This is the issue. I've never had to stare death in the face. I found out after the death had occurred. I never had to deal with it just being around waiting in the shadows. So I guess that's what makes this a little different. Knowing that it's inevitable. But, just working that time issue out.

This is one of those times that you really can't hope for the best, because the best is not an option. So now, my whole family sits and waits. We won't be doing that for too long. Tomorrow, they just start pulling machines on a half hour to hour basis until one of two things happens. She kicks it, or it kicks her. How fun.

What a great start to a weekend.

Here I stand, 6 feet small.

So about all these different bands that I've been listening to, (take the Mayer lyrics as you want) It seems that even though music has become rather disappointing as a whole over the last few years, there are still a few bands that have something decent to say, that'll make you think just a little bit more than you normally would. At least they've done that for me. So Joey, Mike, Kelly, Steve, Jeffy, thanks for this next one.

All of the above mentioned names, as a bunch of guys with a band named The Reign of Kindo, indie jazz, not what you'd expect from the most depressed town in the world, but, it works. So even though their CD came out a couple months ago, and I've heard the whole process for the last year, it's still sticking with me, this line. " I live in a castle no one can come near. And every wall was layed with bricks of mortar and tear."

And that's it. I think I figured it out. My reason for just being everything I am.

I've set myself so far away from everything that I should be doing, by putting myself in that castle, made out of pain, and going through hard times. That's the mortar for the morons out there. Here's the kicker line in that song though. "With every word you speak my walls crumble in."

There's still that one thing for everyone. It makes you want to start again. I'm going above religion here by the way. I've done a pretty damn good job building myself that castle too, thank you very much. But, there's still those couple people around. Those people that with a single word, know that I'll do anything for them. Just those couple words, from those couple people, can either make me get up from a pit I thought was inescapable, or just put me right back down in it.

I don't have a problem trusting people, as much as giving everything I have, only to return with nothing. The roller coaster that I live just keeps going, and those few words, from those few people give me just a little bit of smooth ride every once in awhile, or, make me wonder when my cart is flying off the tracks.

So here I am 20 years old. And still going, because, honestly, I am scared as hell. I have no idea what is coming anymore. And hearing over and over "Everything happens for a reason" and "It will get better" just don't cut it anymore. I'm requiring just a tad bit more now, cause, everything else has just gotten stale.

Finally, a totally enjoyable night without worries.

So its been awhile, and since it's 630 in the morning, and I have nothing better to do, and I didn't even work tonight, I figured at least I'd do some of this.

Apparently I am God awful at beer pong.

Tonight was my first whole weekend day off in awhile, and so me and the day manager decided to have a party since, well, we never get to hang out. So, starting off at 9pm my night crew doesn't show up. Crackheads are somewhat unreliable in case you were wondering. After half an hour, they showed up and all the day crew could leave and go to a party with every one's favorite Steakout Belmont manager. Me. At midnight, Kevin, Alex and I were supposed to head to my place and have a fire and a few beers in the backyard. Well, Alex had to work all night, but Kevin was on his way down, so he came over as well. We're 1-2 in beer pong. As we ran out of cigarettes, we drove to the gas station and heard the band Heart on the radio. Automatically my sister pops into my head when ever I hear Heart, so I talked with her for a bit.

The story starts getting good here if you're still reading.

After our last loss, Kevin takes off, and the day manager and I convince our boss to stop by. He lives around the corner, so why not. Here is where I throw in that managers and employees at my job are NOT allowed to hang out, outside of work. We got them to play beer pong with us, that's right. A 40 year old man with a wife and kid played beer pong with me. And somehow won. I'm making the assumption that since I almost fell on top of the rather attractive girl that works across the street, at least 7 times, I was rather drunk.

So there you go. There is no moral, no point, nothing. It's just nice to know that as much as the place that I work at sometimes pisses me off, almost all of my friends are there. I've had to grow close to all of them, not only by necessity, but the fact that they never let me down, as long as they can help it. For some odd reason people are drawn to me, at least on the loyalty front. I need to figure out why that is and exploit it for all it's worth. Why the people that I am in charge of will jump at anything I say, and why they won't do it for anyone else, unless their job is threatened.

Damn. I guess I really can't write anything without trying to prove a point or make a statement. Anyways. Someone blueprint that why people are drawn to me thing so I can figure out how to make some money off of it. Thanks

People like you, make people like me, drink.

So awhile ago, I decided that I should make a list of all the things that I need to write about, but rarely have the time, at that specific moment to write about, because, I usually am doing something that is somewhat important. So as I paged through this list I found the title, "People like you, make people like me drink."

Most of these people are what my bosses like to call customers. I prefer; assholes, shit for brains, and princesses. That last one I'm quite fond of calling the "bad-ass" kids that come in, with their rice mobiles and their girl friends who at first glance are cute, but when they get closer, oh damn. Not even if I was drunk...

But the main point has nothing to do with most of these "customers" it's just people I'm around most of the time. On with the story

Sunday I played at church, don't mind the contradiction for now. And had to drive a couple of my friends out there, because they were playing music as well. Their dating relationship has been interesting to say the least. Well, from the sidelines for the last 2 or 3 years it has been. So service ends, and I'm attempting to leave. But these two had other plans. Like arguing. About what they were doing for the Bills game that day. Who's house they were going to, and other stuff they had to do. Fine. Just do it on the car ride home. Ha ha, yeah right. While I walked my tired ass out to the car they continued eating pastry in the office, and bickering there. Ten minutes passes and I'm still sitting in my car by myself waiting for these two happily disorganized/lovingly hateful people. They are that couple that you still can not understand why they're together. I've been trying to figure that out for years, literally.

Finally they get their shit together. And by shit, I mean they walked out to the car. 20 minutes later. By this point they have a maximum of 0% of their plans figured out for the day. Impressive. Damn impressive for people that should be able to tie their own shoes. But sometimes I wonder.

So ride home commences. They managed to have phone calls at the same time, and instead of being civil, they were, irrational. I can't call it fighting or arguing, because it simply wasn't. I don't know what to call it, other than just, plain, annoying. Especially when I was exhausted and was trying to listen to music.

Why? wouldn't you just freaking give up already? Do you love each other? Then stop bitching, at each other. Or at least do it when I'm not around. There are enough things pissing me off at any given time. I don't need more. Especially when I'm being the nice guy and driving your goofy asses out to play at a church. Bi-polar lovers/haters quarrels outside my presence/listening distance please, NOT IN MY DAMN CAR. Especially when my friend Mr. Daniels is hanging out in the back of my Jeep, doing nothing but calling my name because of these two children.

So I sat and thought to myself. This is why I do bad things. I don't like dealing with this junk all the time. I do it at work, and everywhere else. I thought my car was somewhat of a sanctuary for that. Guess not. It has recently been violated from the sanctity that was Anth's Jeep. Now it's just one more whine box with wheels.

People like that, make people like me drink.

The olympics

Sitting here after the Olympics are over, makes me kind of wish every day was like the Olympics. See, in the Olympics, there's no screwing around. There are no semi-finals or almost championships. You win an event, you are automatically crowned world champion for the next 4 years. I'm not one for a whole lot of competition, and I don't want my life to be like the Olympics in that way, per Se. What I would like, is to do something once, and be done with it for four years. Haircut? Back in 4 years. Oil change? another 4. Working? maybe once every two years. But hey, most Olympic athletes have sponsorships to do nothing but train for the 4 years in between their events. In this country at least, other countries, its the threat of death. But that's why Phelps doesn't actually look like a human, he looks like some kind of jacked up crack head. Cause, lets face it. Only people on drugs move that fast. And, they only move that fast to get more drugs. Chances are, someone put a couple rocks in the other end of the pool, and put Phelps in the pool 30 seconds after he started coming down. Maybe I should stop working at a job that has me around drug addicts all the time. Then, I probably wouldn't be calling this dude, who everyone else has named a national hero, a crack head. It's not like the dude cured AIDS. Sorry thats a little out dated. He didn't cure cancer. He swims fast. Congrats slugger! You can swim!