Girls at work: Tori

I met Tori at the coffee shop next to my house. She made my flat white one afternoon last week when I was taking a sleepy break from work. We talked a little about our days and the neighborhood. I loved her eyebrow piercing, blonde curls, laidback style and hoodie she screenprinted herself.

I later got a DM that said “Did u come for coffee at commune the other day” Yes, that was me, and it turns out Tori is a Nymphet listener!

I was really happy to receive this message because I’ve been wanting to do something for a while about girls at work. Since moving back to New York, I’m always meeting beautiful waitresses, shop girls, baristas — girls at work. I want to know more about what they (and everyone else paying rent here) are spending their paycheck on, how they approach saving, their commute, and if they’re buying fancy butter.

And since I met Tori while she was working (turns out she has a billion jobs), I thought this would be the perfect start.

Name: Tori Canning

Age: 27

Occupation: Food & Hospitality

Hometown/where you live now: Brooklyn/Brooklyn

How you find your current job(s): Craigslist! And then word of mouth/irl connections for freelance work.

What time do you wake up / go to bed? I live around the corner from the cafe. I wake at 5:45 to my static-forward radio alarm clock tuned to WNYC. It can be a humble, low register voice, nudging me out from under quilted layers, or more likely a rude awakening (re: war and the bros in charge, unhinged weather patterns, delays on the A, C, F, N, R, G and L trains.) Thank god alternate side parking is suspended. I prefer the thud of the news to beeping and buzzing.

I wake up and sleep at significantly different times everyday. I only work at the coffee shop two or three times/week. Other days I’m screen printing out of my parent’s home studio in Park Slope, assisting Jen (of Bad Taste Biz, food design company), rocking service lead for Joint Venture catering someone’s 50th surprise birthday, gallery opening or ticketed dinner. Working with Jen is a dream. I’d drop everything for a day with her, finding myself focused on sculpting 200 olives from marzipan or building trees out of peppers, baguette skyscrapers or hanging hundreds of candy crystals from live branches. Never a dull day in the city. I couldn’t imagine a more exciting junction of food and craft (and B list celebs.) I work all over the place. I enjoy my routine-less life but it makes it hard to write and eat properly. Easy to socialize.

How do you get ready for work? How long does it take you? I have three sweetie roommates who are most certainly asleep behind doors that line a long hallway to the bathroom. Night lights plugged in guide the way. I brush my teeth with Tom’s and wash my face. I finish whatever’s left of the Nalgene. I use Norwegian skincare that my mom buys off IG, Mad Hippie tinted sunscreen, and Everyday oil in my hair. I curl my eyelashes. I usually let the bedhead rock, or claw clip it to the top of my head. Hair as sculpture. I like two braids, but sometimes I feel like pigtails attract unwanted male attention so I use this Do as more of a weapon.

What’s your commute like? I met Biz at the cafe, so I figure I’ll tell you about this commute. She gets a flat white, takes the prize for best hair, and makes distinguished eye contact. Flat white is the second sexiest drink order after small black coffee. So to get to work I walk down 4 flights and over 2 blocks. It’s not even worth headphones but I can’t help myself. I’ve been starting my day with Haloplus+. This is a band out of Copenhagen, not a streaming service.

I want to eat and take the train and write sentence fragments and get dropbox links full of pics.

What do you usually wear? I typically think very little about my pre-dawn outfit. Carpenter pants, a couple long sleeves, (merino, striped) and a hoodie. Favorite sweatshirts: Pink crewneck by Gaudmother that says “The angels came down to protect me but they just watched me fuck myself instead.” A royally red one that advertises helicopter skiing, two things I’ll never be into. OG 100 Gecs merch circa 2019. WNYC gifted zip-up for being a monthly sustainter. John Deere “Nothing runs like a Deere.” Beacon High School swag. Dollar store zip up I printed with “This is not Forever” for Jamie’s EP release. I work sort of outside so long johns and wool socks have been major. I bought a pair of uggs to keep in the coffee cart. The space heater didn’t stand a chance against February and my feet were turning to bricks. If you really wanna know, my base layer is screen printed Jockey cotton undies. They say things fresh out of my diary, or favorite country songs. “More efficient in the dark” or “just us and the speakers on” or “all I know is how it feels to be in love.” These are a secret but I don’t wanna keep it.

My favorite all-pant shoes are brown converse high tops I found at the L Train Vintage on Classon (the worst one). They happen to be a Carhartt collaboration which is hilarious and vibey. I also have love for my Mephistos, kitchen girl clogs, bunked up Forces, and Docs. I have an unoriginal shoe selection but have been looking at these ugly hightop denim PF Flyers for my potential spring treat.

I like two braids, but sometimes I feel like pigtails attract unwanted male attention so I use this Do as more of a weapon.

What do you do after work? Is there anything you do to unwind? My newest way to get unready from work is noon Zumba with Jorge at the Bed Stuy YMCA. It is absolutely electric. All types of baddies in there unlocking the turmoil in their hips. Then I usually shower and eat something like rice with nutritional yeast, or soup from last night or kimchi and apples. I promise I eat more real stuff than this I just can’t remember what...

A couple days a week I meet my girls Olivia and Simone at our corner in our walking shoes and we briskly walk the Prospect Park loop for cardio, cheeky sun and hot goss, stopping at Otway for drip coffee or Radio for a corn cake split 3 ways. We hold court, teasing the details, the yays and the nays of this week’s hookup, last night’s dinner and a movie, yada yada, nitpicking word choice (dingus) condom choice (magnum) and music choice (Dylan). Two out of three don’t fit. Girls must talk about sex like open source software. Burning calories, shedding a layer and taking pictures of the geese on the ice.

What is the first thing you spend your paycheck on?

1. Film Forum weekday matinee with the legendary, aging, stubborn, West Village couples.

2. Gas in the tank (of my 2008 Subaru Outback (L.L. Bean edition) with the chronic check engine light on.)

3. Live music! This Saturday I’m seeing Victoryland, Sister and OBO at Baby’s followed by Bassvictim at Webster Hall. An epic double header requiring high school musical style precision and focus. Ceci and Hana of Sister are also responsible for publishing Gunk, NYC’s risograph show paper that’s maybe the coolest printed media we’ve still got! So lucky to have them. Ok quick quiz: I made merch for one, went on a date with one, and stuck my head out the uber moonroof listening to one. Your guess. In the last month I’ve seen Porches, Florist and Hello Shark in true 2016 fashion. I drunkenly gave Porches my number on my roommate’s jury duty slip. Embarrassing 2016 fashion.

4. My money more immediately transforms into craft tofu from the Green Hill food coop. I’m obsessed with this place. Their tofu tastes like cheese and their almond butter runs less than $10. Or Hartley’s for Irish Folk on a Monday night, Bar Laika for mixed nuts and a martini, RIP Dynaco.

5. My favorite food places right now are Bong, Bordertown, Food, Ha’s, S&P, Welcome Home, Tashkent, Hamburger America and Wizard Hat. Bars: Shenanigans, Alibi, Hartley’s, Laika, the River, and Anything. Coffee: Postmark or Playground. Y’all know about the Canyon Coffee coming soon to Prospect Heights?

   

A busy morning at work can feel like dating. Transactional, one-on-one interaction that’s both draining and euphoric.

What was your dream job as a kid? What about now? My dream job when I was a kid was to work at the grocery store. I loved conveyor belts. Now I want to make cookbooks and cook and make books. I want to work with artists who love food and cooks who make art. I want to eat and take the train and write sentence fragments and get dropbox links full of pics.

Do you consider your job a ‘day job’? Commune is my morning job. I’ve been here almost 4 years. The work is simple enough and I find it important to situate myself in my neighborhood. I love the little chats people offer. My parents have a coffee shop in parkslope. They’ve had it since I was four. I think my dad understands what I’m saying, maybe taught me it: coffee shops are a mainstay, a hub, an amenity like a train station, uniquely prone to bizarre communities and dedicated individuals. I guess that’s the caffeine-as-a-drug part. At my parents’ shop I host monthly open mics, an extension of the quirked up community. Open mic is the medicine. Third Mondays! Come through.

A busy morning at work can feel like dating. Transactional, one-on-one interaction that’s both draining and euphoric. I get to play whatever music I want and wear my shitty t-shirts. Today it’s Mali Velasquez, Lucinda Williams, The XX, James K, Plastic Operator, Kississippi, Front Bottoms, the Lily Chou Chou soundtrack, Lily Seabird, Liz phair, and Baby Keem. Besides brewing coffee and unboxing Balthazar’s mid pastries, my opening tasks include making an epic queue of albums I’ve been thinking about.

Commune is also how I get lots of my other jobs. I babysit for the neighbors, walk their dogs, assist their floral companies, print their magazine merch, and get really good gossip. People spill before their morning coffee. They’re honest like drunks and I have little to lose.

What is your favorite part of your job? Listening to my music. Leaving by noon.

What is your least favorite part of your job? Restocking the simple syrup bottles.

What do you usually eat during a workday? For breakfast at home I have two fried eggs with butter on bread, though I’ve sort of phased out of this post breakup. Hot breakfast is for girls who wake up with boyfriends. I have a passion for Welcome Home’s bird bread, ACQ’s sourdough Pullman and She Wolf’s sesame loaf. Lately I’ll eat an orange and some almonds. My friend eats a cucumber every day and I’ve been inspired trying too. I peel the skin, dice it and mix it into yogurt with lemon juice. Routine is not my MO. Today in the shack I have with me an orange that’s already been peeled of its fragrant outer layer since Saturday’s catering gig Negronis, and three rainbow carrots all in a gallon ziplock. I’m back to black coffee after a week of a UTI and green tea.

How do you approach saving? Well next year I’m going to approach it. This year I had thirteen 1099s and didn’t set anything aside for taxes so I’m not really in a Saving Place. But I do have a Vanguard roth whatever account and my roommate suggested Ally as another saving option. In theory I’m going to have babies so I’ll start saving real soon.

What’s something you like to spend a little bit more on or buy as a treat? I just ordered a hand forged toilet paper holder from etsy. I got a quart of bone broth for $18. I stay buying Kerrygold butter, Forthave Gin, a whole chicken from the market.

What do you look forward to on days off? Sauna at the Y, Survivor 50, running over one bridge and back over another, smoking weed before noon, collaging, a kitchen project like pizza dough or kimchi or deep cleaning the freezer and refilling the ice trays.