Blogdump

I know, I know, I stopped posting, and no one is ever likely to read this anyway. The truth is, I'm out of foodservice completely, so there's not much to say here that's not said all over the web (and by better bloggers than I).

However, I have been ill and very sleepless, and I have been using Stumbleupon as a sort of meditation on the internet tonight. Along the journey, I ran across the most delicious, tempting vision of food heaven upon which my eyes have ever rested. I dare you to take a look at TasteSpotting and deny the criticism of many that food porn has become to the olfactory and gustatory senses what the old-fashioned sort is to our baser sexual feelings. I furthermore defy any person to stare at that page and not desire deliciousness, even if said person is full and/or too stuffy in the head to taste anything properly without resorting to eating pure wasabi.

Note to me: More Wii Porn.

Changes, and food

Work has been a little weird. I've been trying to balance a lot of paperwork with actually being involved in the day-to-day cafe operations. Part of me would like to go back to waiting tables. The greater part is very focused here. I need to make sure the other prep page gets printed this afternoon.

Tastingmenu on chocolate

I feel like I should be getting more creative here at home, but the truth is, we've been very meat-and-rice lately when we're not grabbing from out. I'm tired and my hours are all over the place and Spirit doesn't good. Pet cooks when she's not wrapped in depression and the perception that there are only a couple things she can eat that she's sick of, and I don't have the time I need to spend really re-teaching her that there's a world of food out there that will improve rather than worsen her diabetes without resorting to living on Boost.

I guess the blog title here should really be changed to "Cricket serves." That part never changes.

It's late at night, and I've had a snack, which is contrary to my usual habit, but a couple pieces of sausage that were in the fridge allow me to surf without fear of getting hungry when I run into a bunch of food news.

By the bye, if the weather forecast says it's going down to -15F, just go ahead and plug in the damn car, or it'll just go down to -30 and let you panic about the fact that your car isn't plugged in. It's fine, thank you for asking. But still.

Now, on to news of the comestible...

Well... umm... thanks for clearing that up.

Is it REALLY double the Stuf? (from)

While we're at Tasting Menu, this was too funny

Not food but service-related: Waiter, as usual, serves up an awesome story; I can't wait for his book.

(above crossposted from my other blog)

Personal non-crossposted:

Part of me liked real foodservice better than what I do now. I'm at a level of management that builds a resume, has no real power or required skill but to act as intermediary between the staff and the managers, but is expected by both to take care of things (totally different things), and I don't even have the basic beginning training papers for the cafe in my personnel file. I'm probably working as hard physically though not as evenly, doing more lifting and quite a bit of running. Someone I work with has offered to keep her ear to the ground and try to find me an office-type 9-to-5. I'll see what happens. Right now, I don't know what's up with our management (my direct boss has resigned due to his own frustrations with upper management and Corporate America and this being Not Even Real Food) or what I'm supposed to be doing, though I'm told I'm doing it well. If nothing else wanders my way, though, I'll stick it out--because a supervisory position does build a resume. Also, I get massive book and game discounts I'm not yet willing to give up.

Uh-huh. I walk 20-40 minutes recreationally/for exercise per day (as well as walking the kid to and/or from school 2-3 days a week), do yoga once or twice a week (more if you count those 2-minute yoga breaks), work a very physical job, and take in about 1300-1500 calories a day (sometimes more, I know--today I probably took in close to 2000--but other days my entire intake is a bowl of soup and a gallon or two of water--I'm thirstier than hungry a lot of days or just don't feel like eating or don't have time). Screw anyone who doesn't believe there are any culprits besides diet and exercise. I know at least one tiny skinny girl who eats more during her average work day than I do my average entire day (with extra fat and sugar, if you please!) and has to cinch down a size 0. Whereas I fit into a size 12--most days.

I'm a little cranky. I worked some overtime, and the dramas at my new job have just intensified yet again. And I'm in a lot of pain. More on the dramas and the new gig soon, I swear.

Well, I buggered that up...

I accidentally deleted the wrong blog, just when I was set to get this one updated to my current situation.

In brief: due to an interesting series of events, I've become a barista in a coffeeshop in a bookstore chain I've always wanted to work for. And within a few weeks accepted a management position with same. It's been very strange--and gratifying to realize that there are still places where working hard and doing well, rather than partying with management, gets you somewhere besides stepped on. Even, amazingly enough, in corporate culture, there are still great management teams who are looking for good workers--and not just to take advantage of them and run them aground. That I've come in in the middle of a huge management shift at the store as it is means there's a lot of work to be done--but there are some outstanding people here to do it, and the staff I work with directly is very much a younger crowd, but still all people who care if they're doing a good job. I'm not sure I like this area. But I love my job.