I’m still working through my training period at work. It’s kickin’ my ass. This is an extremely physical job. Every day I reactivate my doo at least twice. Thank God I have naturally curly hair. And, to top it all off, I come home sticky from syrups, mixes, milk, mocha, and all that other stuff I’m slingin’ all day. And… There is something wrong with the a/c which means sometime around one o’clock, hot air blows into the store. I was literally dripping with sweat. Lawds!
I can hardly wait until the training period is over… that is… if I make it.
Today, however, despite the fact that half of my head was soaking wet, I had a wonderful adventure. Sure, I took out the plethora of trash (three freakin’ times!) and I made a buncha stuff and I did a buncha dishes BUT the pies de resistance (I have no idea how to spell that but Word didn’t correct me so I’m keepin’ it.) was a chance meeting.
Today I met Mel Gibson… in the flesh… while he was, um, trying to eat his dinner. It seems Mel (I’m pretty sure I can call him that now.) was having dinner at a nearby restaurant. So, I did what any good barista would do and abandoned my post, grabbed my cell phone, and ran up to the restaurant to take his picture.
Oh, how rude!! Of course, I thought this just before snapping the photo as Mel (I am totally sure, now, that he doesn’t mind if I call him that.) waved off the action with a mere gesture. Okay, okay… I didn’t take his photo (much to S’ chagrin) but I did get to meet him and shake his hand.
Up close and personal, he looks really old and kind rummy. In fact, he’s a spittin’ image for his mug-shot. That was a disappointment but it was still exciting to meet him as the guy is chock-full-o-personality. He’s here in town to promote his support of a tire recycling plant being built in Gallup. Yeah, well, if I were him, I’d wanna stay in Albuquerque versus Gallup any day! He’d done his news conferences and was probably going to fly out of ABQ.
When I later spoke to the folks working in the restaurant, they’d said he was initially inside but no one was noticing him so he decided to go out onto the patio. Clearly it was for attention because it was a cool 97 degrees outside… and muggy. Either that or he’s used to the heat in Australia and this was nuthin’ to him. I’m guessing the former over the latter considering how he practically called us all over to him.
And then I went back to work and made a bunch more iced lattes and caramel Macchiato’s.
Good times! Sticky times!
Filed under: Albuquerque bliss, Macchiato, Mel Gibson, job training, opposable thumbs
Wow … you have ALL the celebrity fun! I never get to meet anyone. Well, once I met the guy who played Palmer Courtland on All My Children. He was pretty nice but not as cute as Mel.
I always wonder what celebrities are really like once the cameras are off. Well, not always. Sometimes I think about other stuff, like wondering if Mel has naturally wavy hair.
So… once you are a fully-qualified-up-and-running barista can I fly out to ABQ and ask you to make my favorite seven-pump-vanilla-latte?
Also, does Mel have naturally wavy hair? I’m with capricorncringe on this one.
I have no idea if his hair is naturally curly or natural anything… the hot wind was blowin’ and his perfectly stiff, coifed doo was holdin’ in place. Yes, it looks quite wavy… what there is of it. His hair looks very thin. I actually wondered if he puts that spray on color on his head so his scalp doesn’t shine through.
I also thought he should just cut it short so he doesn’t look so “balding.”
His smile is still very engaging.
And, no, he doesn’t speak with an accent.
His eyes looked a little odd in that they seemed kinda bigger than they should have been in that Barbara Bush kinda way.
Not a bad assessment of a three minute encounter.
lol
So did he get drunk and launch an anti-Semitic tirade? That would have been fun.
Did he wave at you and say “Come on over Sugar Tits”? LOL…
It’s fun when celebrities show up out of the blue in places where you don’t think they would be.
I never see anyone famous and I live 2 hours from LA… Did he mention anything about reading your mind… because I have a feeling he knows what women want. Get it? Like the movie he was in? Funny, right?? No?? Whatever.
hahahaha…ha… Jay! Actually, as Brenda implied, I’m waiting for Oprah to say that very thing to me.
JiggaJing!
Um, Erica… uh… he’s supposedly Catholic.
Oh, what am I saying? That hasn’t stopped him yet!
I can’t believe you don’t see celebrities!
WTF! You have a movie star commenting on your blog all the time!
And, of course, you are my most favorite celebrity… of all time.
funny how much I miss when I dont leave spaces…forgive my laziness… I have been the loser in my absence.
Uggg Natalie. I think I’d have gone over and growled at him.
mel gibson! that’s super funny that he moved to the patio to get more attention.
do you ever watch kathy griffin’s reality show? according to her, some stars actually call the paparazzi themselves (or have their people do it) to make sure there is enough attention.