The Kitchen

I question my decisions a lot! I have made some bonehead choices in my life, but I find comfort knowing that everyone does. I'm pretty sure I top the list in a lot of categories though. Let me submit my latest decision...the dietary manager position. In case you have never worked in a commercial kitchen I will give you the jist of it.

It's hot, and not the Paris Hilton kind of hot. I mean scorching hot. Sweat running down your body hot. You get dirty. Not play in the mud dirty, I mean gross dirty. Food all over you, sweat all over you kinda dirty. Then when you think it is gross enough, it's time to do the dishes. Oh yes, don't forget the dishes!

There is this "power sprayer" to remove food before it goes into the dishwasher, if you spray the plates at just the right angle, someone else's food can make it to your face! You can't wipe it away because your hands are filthy with food and grime. So you try to keep your mouth closed and your eyes semi closed to protect them. The dish room is about 140 degrees, I am soooo not kidding. I hope I lose 10lbs as a fringe benefit, it might be a sincere motivator to do the dishes. If nothing else, there is always the benefit of good skin, at least I hope. The good skin that one should have after a good steam...from the dish room and steam table. Come to think of it, I would normally pay a lot of money for a hot steam and food is never included!

But I am getting ahead of myself. Before the dishes comes the cooking of the food, for 60+ people. It's like making Thanksgiving everyday for every relative you have ever had, past, present and future! And some of those relatives are on a puree diet, that means turning beef into something akin to pudding texture...say yuck with me. Oh yeah, and you have to feed them 3 times a day not including snacks!

Now after all of this comes cleanup time. Cleanup time after the dishes of course. Mopping floors, cleaning refrigerators and ovens. It will make you beg for your small kitchen at home.

Well, this is my latest decision, to be in control of the food and the kitchen...I'll let you know in a few months what I really think about it. But for now let's just say, I'm not hating it.

I think I have lost my mind!