We're Like A Fine Wine

Before I can paint an accurate picture of the present I think it only fair I give you some background on our little kiosk.  From the time I started in July 2008 until April 2011 we, essentially, had the exact same group of employees and it was awesome. We were a happy little coffee-serving family. Like most good things, it eventually had to come to an end and the last nine months have been quite the adventure.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

September 2009 - June 2010 is what I like to refer to as the year of the band aid. (Yes, I know this isn't a full year but it was an entire university school year so that's what I'm basing it off). In these months, I: got sick with the H1N1 virus , I lost a friend in a tragic accident, I got stranded in Pembina, North Dakota in one of the worst blizzards of the year, I had to have an emergency appendectomy while I was out of town (during my reading week - Canadian University Spring Break), and I third-degree sprained my ankle.

Stranded alone in Pembina, ND. Yes, I was nervous.

Sprained Left Ankle - That's Hot.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not throwing myself a pity party. But what all these freak-incidents have in common is that they resulted in me having to miss work. Whether it was a day or two or three months, work was missed but I was never made to feel like an inconvenience. Our awesome team rallied together and covered the necessary shifts to make sure I could focus on recovery or grieving or whatever each incident called for.

As I mentioned, I have witnessed some superior acts of kindness and compassion amongst people in working at our little coffee kiosk and throughout the year of the band aid, I was constantly in awe of the kindness and support of my co-workers. Although, it seems the "curse" had passed, it seems we have been stricken with it yet again.

Tune in tomorrow for part two of the curse: April 2011-January 2012