09/22/2007

On Monday of this week, Nick officially started working as a Store Manager for Starbucks. It is a tradition when someone is promoted, that the district manager will send out a little blurb to all other store managers about the newest addition to the management team. Usually Brad (the district manager) tries to write up humorous little pieces himself, but Nick had volunteered my services in this regard. So, not really knowing what they were after, I wrote up a page on Nick and sent it to Brad. He cut and pasted the parts that interested him into an email.

The other night we were at a park. Nick was playing volleyball with some Starbuck's folks and I was hanging out with the kids. A store manager, Alicia, came up to me and asked, "Did you read the blurb that Brad wrote when Nick became a manager? It was really funny!" I said, "Well, yes, I did read it--but, actually, I also wrote it." This perked the interest of others in the area. All declared that they needed a personal assistant at home like Nick had. =) Anyway, I'm going to write a more traditional blog for today after this one (which will, of course, be read prior to this post because that is just how this blog works). But, I thought some of you might like to see what I had to say. Here it is:

"This is the view of an insider. This is what it is like to know Nick, not as a manager or a coworker, but as a husband and friend. This is privileged information on Nick from the woman who does his laundry, puts away his shoes (again and again), helps him locate his lost keys, and keeps dozens of green aprons clean and available for his use.

Nick’s “official” job is with Starbucks. His unofficial job is as a personal assistant for his two-year-old son, Nathan. Nathan is a demanding employee. Nick patiently complies with Nathan’s every whim. Hide and Seek? Sure. Coloring Books? Of course. Horsey-back rides around and around the kitchen island? Nothing he’d rather do. Swimming? Blowing bubbles? Pillow fight? Matchbox cars? Ice Cream? Nathan’s wish is Nick’s command. These “kid activities” have replaced the idea of hobbies.

Before Nathan was born, Nick had more hobbies than time or money could reasonably allow for. Nick was an avid rock climber, swimmer, photographer, camper, movie-goer, house renovator, wine taster, sailor, and traveler. Getting married exchanged some of these hobbies for new ones. Rock climbing, for example, was nicely substituted by shopping sprees. Camping was eliminated to create a larger time slot for checking things off the “to-do list” that now awaited him at home. Swimming only occurred in tandem with traveling (which I, his wife, thoroughly approved of). Wine tasting had to be kept to a minimum in order to afford a new food obsession in the Jones’ house: chocolate! That is what happens when you get married. Still, nothing could prepare Nick for the constant activity of being a parent.

In our house, we consider diaper changing a sport. Sometimes we time each other to see who is fastest. (Note: if you don’t get the child thoroughly cleaned, you are disqualified.) Nick isn’t bad, but he doesn’t hold the trophy. However, in the multi-tasking/risk-taking department, he is the undefeated champion. Did you know that Nick can drive a car with his knee, mix up a bottle with his right hand, shave off his beard with his left hand, and carry on a deep conversation about politics simultaneously? When you have two children, this is the norm. If you haven’t spent much time with children, our daily routine might seem akin to spending some time in a third world country. Still, you are all more than welcome to come and visit. Ignore the cat sitting on the kitchen table. Please excuse the Cheerios that Nathan carefully lined up on the couch. And, when you are ready to leave, don’t trip over the baby swing that has been scooted directly into the path toward the front door.

Do I ever wonder if Nick can manage a Starbucks store? Do I ever think Nick might become overwhelmed when given additional responsibility? Nope. If ever I saw a human being capable of handling chaos, crisis, and the occasional oven fire with confidence and ease, that person would be Nick. But beyond that, Nick loves Starbucks. He loves the company. He loves the people. He loves the vision. He loves the coffee. And, let’s face it, when you’ve been up half the night with a hungry newborn, it is good to work for a coffee shop. Life could not continue as usual without a regular amount of caffeine: I’ll take a short, triple-shot Americano, please!"