07/31/2024
It is with a super conflicted heart that I share this current news. This little coffee barista girl has taken a job at Gooding Middle School for this fall. I will be teaching eighth grade English.
I started this truck with the intention of getting to follow my kids around to their endeavors. It has served its purpose and so much more.
In just under three years, I have earned what I consider a “Mike Rowe” type of education.
I now have an Undergraduate degree Mobile Beverage Dispensing.
My general course work turned out to be the following:
*350 engine, transmission, and zero power steering.
I have to thank my professor husband for letting me figure that 4 speed thing out on my own. I do remember him saying to me while I looked at the truck, “Jeny, it is a 4 speed”.
And I was somehow supposed to know that this meant… “the truck’s top speed will be 55mph”.
(He obviously had higher expectations of me).
So, when you hear me say “I lacked the frame of reference to understand what he was talking about”, this is what I mean.
(A big part of getting a degree in ANYTHING, is for me to realize that I don’t know everything, kick my own ass for a little while, eat crow… And then get back on the horse.)
The next portion of the same class was, “JENY, WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDNT PUT OIL IN THE TRUCK?”this was another assignment that my professors let me figure out on my own. The mechanic in this course did a lot of “re teaching”, while he installed a new motor. It sounded a lot like. “Jeny, the motor oil goes here, and this is the ‘say it with me’, oil gauge, check it frequently”.
Then there were:
*Brakes; and when you start to feel insecure while going down the Buhl Grade because the brakes just aren’t as much as you want, check the master cylinder to see if it has brake goop(technical term).
*Technology. These classes were mostly online and frankly the professors were a bunch of enablers, and thank God! I totally cheated through this class! I did not, at any time, want to learn “WHY the internet was not working”… just FIX it.
*Basic Science (i.e. mixology and concoctions). Which included hard water versus soft water, and how it corrodes the espresso machine. There also was an entire class on adding cream to drinks. Sometimes it will separate, but when or why is still unclear. My favorite class was “making new concoctions”. It turns out that Salted Caramel CAN go with pineapple.
*ratios
At first, I couldn’t believe they made us take an entire class on ratios. However, I quickly figured out that if the ratios of syrups and coffee are not consistent from one cup size to the next, a person can have a very sweet drink or a boring drink that lacks coffee flavor.
*math. Ick! I have never had math be so “applicable” in my life. It was so much better when there were story problems that said something like “Jane has 27 watermelons, Pierre brought her 16 more, now how many does she have?”
Now I was having to do math like
-if a 16oz coffee has a base cost of this much, how much MORE do I need to charge for a 24 ounce cup of coffee? That is 8 more ounces. I could figure it out per ounce. Bla bla bla. Should it be different with iced drinks, since there is less product with the ice displacement?
*Speech, customer service and running the till.
This is a wonderful class. Mostly because the simple act of passing a delightful treat through the window can make another person‘s day. And Of ALL of things that go into one cup of coffee, it’s about the smile on the other person’s face.
The other courses included were basic business management, generator and water pump maintenance, gray water disposal ,food handling and keeping fresh products.
To those of you that shared your ideas and helped me problem solve, I thank you. And to those of you who help me supplement my education, I give you my greatest thanks! It has been my pleasure serving you.
This Thursday August 1 will be my final Thursday Gooding route.
In the next couple weeks I will make myself available in order to get your gift cards redeemed too.
