Dear AJ

Starbucks responded!!!!

Here's what they said:


Hello,


Thank you for filling out a comment card when you came to our store on October 16th.

I want to say that I'm sorry the music was too loud and we haven't put up signs before we change things in our stores.

Your suggestions were great! What I'm going to do is send them to the store managers so that we can try to change things.

If you are ever in a store and the music is too loud, or anything else that we can change so that we can make the store better for you please ask the staff working.

We are happy to help!

Thank you for helping us improve what we do.

If you have any more questions I can help you with please let me know.

Warm wishes,
Monica L.
Customer Relations

They actually included contact information, too.  I'm going to show it to AJ tomorrow.  I'm pretty impressed that they responded, in something other than a form letter.  We'll see if they do the things that they said, but I'm impressed anyway.  And, AJ can get to see that constructive criticism is more efficient than whining and complaining.
 
Two thumbs up, Starbucks!!

Dear Starbucks

AJ HATES Starbucks.  Not the coffee - that he really likes (black, no sugar, thank you very much).  It’s the actual buildings.  They are too loud, too quiet, too bright, too dark, too small, too large, just too.  He’ll walk in there in a perfectly good move, and come out 10 minutes later like a hungry black bear that was woken up during hibernation.  Just not pretty.

So, he decided to do something about it.  Boycotting wasn’t working - cause Mama and Mamu LOVE Starbucks.  And we like to go there, and sit and talk - you know - with actual adults.  So, AJ found comments cards.  He decided that they were going to get his comments. God help them!!

Here’s what he wrote. Word for word. I didn’t change a thing. Swear it. This is actually how he talks…



To Whom It May Concern,

I am a 9-year old kid with autism, which is a neurological issue that changes the way I see the world. Kids (and adults) with autism also may not be able to process/compute too much noise, etc, or changes. But some changes are good. For example, if the music was quieter, I could keep it together longer, or if there were “coming soon” signs before an appearance change. These changes wouldn’t just be for me, but for autistic people all over the world.

Signed,
Kid Who Wants Change


Let’s see if we get any responses from Starbucks. I think it’s a pretty good letter, and I like that he is doing something other than complaining.

Pretty cool.

Before 9AM

OK, pity party is over.  I want to thank Ivy from Into The Wind (great blog - check it out), for her very kind comments.

Now, for something completely different - OK, not completely...  Still whining, but in a more light hearted way.  Here goes:

Here's what I do before 9AM on most mornings.  Wonder why I'm exhausted all the time??

1. Get up (after 2 hours sleep)

2. Work Out

3. Help AJ Meditate

4. Finish Our Laundry

5. Start AJ Laundry

6. Take Shower

7. Get Ready

8. Help AJ Finish Getting Ready

9. Make AJ Breakfast

10. Make My Breakfast

11. Eat My Breakfast

12. Encourage AJ To Eat His Breakfast

13. Make My Lunch

14. Make AJ Lunch

15. Start Dinner

16. Put Dry Dishes Away

17. Wash Breakfast Dishes

18. Take Trash Out

19. Kill “Bug” That’s Making AJ Freak Out (it’s a dust bunny)

20. Look Up Directions to whereever we are going today

21. Print Out Directions

22. Get AJ To Put His Shoes On

23. Put My Shoes On

24. Type This List

25. GO CRAZY!!!!!!!!

And that's before 9.  After we come home from said field trip, there is still our standarad home school curriculum, lunch, playing, more laundry, more cleaning, getting dinner started...

I need a nap!!