Meet Sabrina Rose

SABRINA fair
Listen where thou art sitting
Under the glassie, cool, translucent wave,
In twisted braids of Lillies knitting
The loose train of thy amber-dropping hair,
Listen for dear honour's sake,
Goddess of the silver lake,
Listen and save!

That little poem there is by John Milton. It is about a water-sprite who saved a virgin from a fate worse than death. And for those of you who know your films, an Audrey Hepburn film, later remade with Julia Ormond and Harrison Ford. Also, it's the name of a teenage witch. All very appropriate for my new (to me) car.

Yes it is a 2006 Lincoln Zephyr. Gorgeous, leather interior, heated seats/mirrors and every bell or whistle you could put on a car. Less than 24K miles on it. Rides like butter, and schools those little Mazda 3 like nobody's business. Zoom Zoom that, Mazda.

"So, Sabrina's the virgin?"

"Sabrina's the savior."

Behind the 8 Ball

So, I got a promotion. I am now Chef Supervisor at a different school. Money is still not fabulous, but I have good hope. We are starting out behind the eight ball this year. This account has been mismanaged and has posted a loss for two years. So I have to go in shooting to kill to pull this thing out of the hole. It won't be pretty, but I didn't go into cooking to be pretty.

Not Over till it's Over

But it's almost over. Tomorrow is the last catering event of the year, ending a week of long, crazy days. I'm tired, filthy and my back aches like a bad tooth. I must say upon reflection, that this year has been equal parts of suck and awesome. My work is great, at times frustrating, but very rewarding for the most part. I've made some seriously awesome food and people have noticed. They have given me kudos. My bosses have given me props and understand that they may have to worry about most of the kitchen, but they won't have to worry about me. If I don't go back next year, I know I am going to miss it. I know that they will miss me. But we will burn that bridge when we get to it. For right now, I'm going to haul my carcass to the showers and then to bed with a nice dose of painkillers.

Someone tell the fat lady she's on in five...

V is for Vendetta

It started last Friday. What was a nice relaxing Friday went to hell in a fast car. Two people called out sick. The big boss lady who hates us came to visit and found plenty to gripe about. Everyone ran around like crazed chickens trying to sort things out to please her. To no avail...
Then I went to Atlanta, where the allergies which had been irritating me decided to try to eat my face. I saw much yarn in ATL and everything I liked was too expensive. Figures.
I came back to work this week and it has been a long string of bummers, culminating in my car's deciding to go totally Sybil on me. So now I am sitting at the dealer. I'm exhausted and hungry and annoyed. I think karma might be out to get me. And there's still two more days left...

"You may be paranoid, but only because they are out to get you..."

I Dreamed a Dream

Maybe you've seen it on youtube or somewhere...Susan Boyle of Britain on Britain's Got Talent. She's about 50, short, plump, out-of-work...she went on this show because she wants to be a singer. Everyone was rolling their eyes and laughing as she told them she would sing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables. They were laughing, until she began to sing.
She was amazing. Crystal-clear and pitch-perfect.
Talent does not always reside in the obvious places. It pays to try to see greatness, even in the most humble.

Rock on Susan. Because once in a while, we all dream a dream.

"But there are dreams that cannot be, there are storms we cannot weather..."

I Can Haz Noo Shoes?

Lookit! This is why we always buy the best possible shoes for the dollar. My old pair, which were purchased in May of last year, the right shoe lost it's sole. Or sold it to the Devil for 40 pieces of silver, whichever. The result was mayhem. Everyone said, "Just go to Wal Mart and get a pair of shoes..." But me and my dad held out. So I took them to the Red Wing store. The nice man looked at them and said, "Um, that shouldn't have happened to this shoe. Unless you stepped on a land mine." Since I still have both legs, that wasn't the case. They gave me a new pair of shoes, not one penny paid.
There are companies out there who still believe in their product and in customer service. That's why when I need to purchase new shoes, I'm going straight back to that Red Wing store.

I finally caught a break.

Oh Snap!

Be wary of calling in sick if you work in a kitchen. If you feel your ears burning all day, it's because we're talking smack about you. Really. All day long.