Coffee with a laugh

I know, I know it’s been a while since I wrote…again.  I promise this is my early New Year’s resolution…to write more often.  I figured I would take this time to write about our experiences on the road with the younger generation whom I will refer to as tomorrow’s leaders.

Irene and I both love our coffee together in the morning…it’s one of those little things that means a lot to us…coffee and conversation in the morn. Anyway, we will usually try to find a McDonald’s if it’s at all possible for 2 reasons.  1^st they are plentiful…and 2^nd, we like there coffee.  Of course, Tim Horton’s being at the top of our list, if we are in the northeast, and Dunkin Doughnuts being next if it’s available.

So let me get to the point of my blog…after a year of being on the road I have observed some interesting situations at the counter while ordering our daily cup of joy. While in Atlanta to pick up a load one morning, we stopped at a McDonald’s to grab our 2 large coffees. I had instructed the young man at the counter that I would like two large coffees with cream only (no sugar) and that one would be 10 creams and the other would be 13 creams. I watched him as he filled both cups with coffee to the rim. I then asked him how he planned on adding the cream from the automatic dispenser to the full cups.  He looked baffled as he slid the 1^st cup under the dispenser.  I tried to stop him and I told him not to add the cream at this point because he would have a mess.  Maybe he didn’t understand English…I am not exactly sure, but he hit the dispenser button anyway and the coffee flew everywhere.  Wait it gets even better!  He hit the dispenser button continuously trying to get the right amount of creams in the cup and each time more coffee splashed everywhere.  As he was trying to clean up the mess I stood in amazement because he was about to try it again on the second cup of coffee.  No way! This time I stood there silent…this was priceless.  Can you believe that his kid preceded to hand me the two leaking and wet cups of coffees? At this point, I had no choice, I advised him to take 2 new clean empty cups, add the cream 1^st, and then pour the coffee appropriately.  Astonished after he followed my directions he looked at me and he said “your way is so much better”…ya think?

Some other things that get my attention is the math game…the automatic cream dispensers have 3 buttons. #1 for one cream, #2 for two creams, and #3 for three creams.  Very smart thinking on McDonald’s part as far as time saving, but then again, who ever thought that adding numbers would be so hard.  I would have never thought that there would be such a variance in the way that some of tomorrow’s leaders would add cream. Let’s just use my 10 creams for instance. I have seen employees hit the #1 button 10 times…the #2 button 5 times… and wait, one creative employee hit the #3 then the #2, which equals 5 and then repeat the steps.  But 9 out of 10 times the employee (whom is usually over 30) will use the #3 button 3 times followed by the #1.  This is simple enough, but now when we get to the 13 creams for Irene…mass confusion.  And there are some that cannot do the math all together and our coffee usually ends up to strong or weak…for them I suggest Micky D’s supplies them with a calculator…lol   For Irene’s coffee is a crap shoot.  She has learned to check her coffee before leaving McDonald’s.

Anyway, life is still good and Irene and I still love the road.  We are enjoying the fall colors across the country this time of year. We will be homeward bound for the 1^st week of November for a much needed break. I will be in the woods for deer season and Irene will be enjoying the peace and quiet of home…so she thinks…lol  catch ya’ll next blog!