no words

to express how hilarious it can be when an outside force disturbs our world as we know it. As many of you know (whomever you may be who actually reads my blog) I work at Starbucks. Our store is really not very trendy or cool...we are in an upscale part of town in front of a hospital and offices where we serve mostly engineers and doctors and high society socialites with handbags the size of my minivan. It's been brought up in conversations with district managers and others high up in the Co. that our store is "robotic" and "not warm" but I say we do a good job of matching the mood/personality of our customers. Did that sound mean? I'm not trying to be, it's just somewhat serious in our store...and that's the way it's always been. So just imagine with me if you will...it's about an hour into our morning rush, there is a line to the door when all the sudden a gypsy-like family of carolers with medieval instruments walk in the door mid song. At first I thought it was a siren of some kind...and then maybe a mariachi band...it was loud and twangy and really very cool but totally unexpected. They walked straight in like they owned the place and continued playing their song seeming totally unaffected by the blank stare that our customers offered them. It was as if time was in slow motion...PAINFULLY awkward to continue ringing customers whilst the unabashed expression of holiday cheer droned on completely unacknowledged. I found myself blushing and almost embarrassed by the situation. I was disappointed and yet not surprised that no one was clapping, or smiling and no longer making eye contact with the cheerful strangers...being a compulsive talker I muttered out something like "shouldn't we be dancing?" and then I resorted to humor by saying "security" when a particularly unamused co-worker walked over to me. I wish my kids could have been there...Abraham would have cut a rug. They finished the song and yes people did clap thank goodness. Oh and I think they had business fliers or some kind of literature but sadly nobody took one. It really was funny...and it broke up the monotony for about 5 minutes. Just as quickly as they came in they were gone and life went back to normal. I don't think I'll forget them for a while though...the cheerful strangers who showed me just how strange it can be when life as we know it is interrupted.

*thanks Carlos for telling me how to spell medieval