no you're not hard-core, unless you live hard-core

last night was not my shining night as a b&n barista. i sucked it up. i'm pretty sure i annoyed one of the boys working with me. the other guy was kind.

the never-ending line forced me to quickly learn how to multi-task. i started off just working the register, then went to making drinks. by the end of the night i was doing register and making drinks. i swept, mopped, cleaned out the trashcans, and threw out the mop water. as the new person i got the jobs my co-worker didn't want to do, but that's expected. the worst part was that i kept misunderstanding him. he told me to clean the inside of the trash bins and i took out the linings, threw out the trash, and cleaned out the insides of the trash cans. except he meant for me to clean out the inside of the door and the sides of the closet that the trash can was in. i was doing that kind of stuff all night. i told him i was amelia bedilia, but he wasn't hip enough to catch the reference. while i was taking out the trash, i overheard a lady and her husband (i assume) talking about chemistry. here's the conversation:

woman: so what do they mean by that? why is it like that?
man: let me read it again. "the negative charge of the electrons..." i don't know. i wish i could tell you the answer, but i can't.
me: are you studying chemistry?
woman: i guess that's what you would call it. we're not doing a very good job.
me: aw! i used to teach chemistry.
woman: really? well, come here. can you explain what this means?

then i went into a mini-lecture on polar molecules and the strength of bonds. she must've just started this course. it was intro material. nevertheless, i still felt compensated in some way. as if my ability to answer this chemistry question made up for the fact that i kept misinterpreting directions and continually asking how to make drinks. other than that, the only other brief moment of pride i experienced was at the end of the night when the guy working with me called me hard-core for throwing out the mop water on my own (most girls make him do it, he said).

my first job was a science lab assitant in college. after that i started teaching. then i was an educational specialist for lighted schools. now i work as a college advisor. i am not used to mopping floors and washing dishes, but it's been really good for me to experience this type of job. it definitely makes me wish i was nicer to my sister when she came home tired from waitressing.