Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and here at the Y.M.C.A. there are a lot of guys who have nowhere to go. That includes myself, as there is no B.C. Transit service tomorrow. I have enough money to eat out, but the weather forecast doesn't look good and I dislike walking in bad weather.
I've asked for and received permission to put on a small dinner tomorrow. The turkey is being provided for me, but I'm paying for everything else. I can feed about fifteen to twenty people, and the total bill for all of it is somewhere around $50. For someone on a fixed income, such as myself, that's a fairly large amount of money.
I consider it money well spent, for a few reasons. One being that the housing program here has done a lot for me, and I want to give something back. Another being that it's another thing I can list as an event I've catered when dealing with potential clients as I have started a catering business. And most importantly of all, I'll be feeding some guys for whom it will be their only meal of the day. The program here does have donated food, which any of us can get once a week on Fridays, but that's not a long term solution for anyone.
What I'm doing is not a long term solution either, but it's something that will help a little, at least.
To you dear reader, I offer my best wishes for a good day tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
I Can Do This!
Well, quite the development today, a good one, I'm glad to report. Here at the Y.M.C.A. the director of Residential Housing oversees a Thanksgiving meal for the residents. Last Monday, Ashley asked if I wanted to help with the preparation of the meal. I said that yes, I did.
Fast forward to today. Five minutes before the start time and only two of seven people showed up. Namely, myself and a guy named Jeff. Jeff did two batches of instant mashed potatoes and then took off, never to return. So, forty-five minutes into it, I was responsible for feeding something like 70 to 80 people.
Ashley had already put a turkey in the oven, and it came out really well. But from 1:45 until
6:30, I was pretty much on my own. I had to do my second batch of stuffing. I had to open twelve cans of corn and heat it all up. I did dishes. I cleaned as I went along. I followed best practices for sanitation and safety. I heated sweet potatoes that had already been cooked.
I opened and heated eight cans of gravy. I kept an eye on two batches of cooked turkey that needed to be reheated in the oven. I buttered the dinner rolls and heated them. I made sure that gluten free foods had no contact with other foods that do have gluten in them.
When we realized we had one less can of Sterno than we needed to keep the food at serving temperature, I dealt with that by putting the corn and the gravy in two smaller pans. Problem solved.
I am proud to be able to say that dinner was served on time. I did all the dishes. I checked and rechecked what needed to be replenished on the serving line. I checked and rechecked to make sure food was hot enough. I wiped down serving tables. We never had any one have to wait for food.
The only thing we ran out of was stuffing, but only after the very last two people were served.
For eighteen months I have had person after person tell me that this is the sort of thing I'm not capable of pulling off. I'm too old, they say. My skill set isn't good enough. they say. I fold under pressure (which is so not true), they say. My leadership skills are weak, they say.
Wrong on all counts, people. Today I got the job done, in style. I took charge of the situation but never hesitated once to ask for help when I needed it. I asked for a second opinion several times, just to make sure things went right. Every time someone did make a recommendation, it was a good one and I went along with it.
From 1 o'clock until 4:45, I took one break that lasted five minutes. From 4:45 to 4:55, I ate. From 4:55 to 5:15, I worked. I then had a full half hour to rest, and starting at 5:45, I spent the last forty-five minutes working. We had a lot of food left over, which was put in the large refrigerator in the lounge. We were still putting food away even as some guys who hadn't had any yet were making up plates for themselves.
I did a good enough job that Alicia (whom I respect a great deal and like a lot) and Ashley (same on both counts) asked me to supervise the Christmas dinner on the 21st of December.
I agreed to do so, of course.
Today's event was a challenge, one I met. I had a great time and had more people than I could keep track of thank me.
I can do this, as a career. That's not an empty claim, people. Today, as I have before, I proved it.
Fast forward to today. Five minutes before the start time and only two of seven people showed up. Namely, myself and a guy named Jeff. Jeff did two batches of instant mashed potatoes and then took off, never to return. So, forty-five minutes into it, I was responsible for feeding something like 70 to 80 people.
Ashley had already put a turkey in the oven, and it came out really well. But from 1:45 until
6:30, I was pretty much on my own. I had to do my second batch of stuffing. I had to open twelve cans of corn and heat it all up. I did dishes. I cleaned as I went along. I followed best practices for sanitation and safety. I heated sweet potatoes that had already been cooked.
I opened and heated eight cans of gravy. I kept an eye on two batches of cooked turkey that needed to be reheated in the oven. I buttered the dinner rolls and heated them. I made sure that gluten free foods had no contact with other foods that do have gluten in them.
When we realized we had one less can of Sterno than we needed to keep the food at serving temperature, I dealt with that by putting the corn and the gravy in two smaller pans. Problem solved.
I am proud to be able to say that dinner was served on time. I did all the dishes. I checked and rechecked what needed to be replenished on the serving line. I checked and rechecked to make sure food was hot enough. I wiped down serving tables. We never had any one have to wait for food.
The only thing we ran out of was stuffing, but only after the very last two people were served.
For eighteen months I have had person after person tell me that this is the sort of thing I'm not capable of pulling off. I'm too old, they say. My skill set isn't good enough. they say. I fold under pressure (which is so not true), they say. My leadership skills are weak, they say.
Wrong on all counts, people. Today I got the job done, in style. I took charge of the situation but never hesitated once to ask for help when I needed it. I asked for a second opinion several times, just to make sure things went right. Every time someone did make a recommendation, it was a good one and I went along with it.
From 1 o'clock until 4:45, I took one break that lasted five minutes. From 4:45 to 4:55, I ate. From 4:55 to 5:15, I worked. I then had a full half hour to rest, and starting at 5:45, I spent the last forty-five minutes working. We had a lot of food left over, which was put in the large refrigerator in the lounge. We were still putting food away even as some guys who hadn't had any yet were making up plates for themselves.
I did a good enough job that Alicia (whom I respect a great deal and like a lot) and Ashley (same on both counts) asked me to supervise the Christmas dinner on the 21st of December.
I agreed to do so, of course.
Today's event was a challenge, one I met. I had a great time and had more people than I could keep track of thank me.
I can do this, as a career. That's not an empty claim, people. Today, as I have before, I proved it.
Saturday, November 11, 2017
1977 In Review
I'm sorry it took so long to get this new post up, but I've been sick the last few days. I'm feeling better today, and so, as promised, here is the new post.
"My 1977"
1977 was the year in which I:
1. Learned how to play the French horn.
2. Saw the movie "Star Wars" at the V Drive-In with my mom, dad, and brother. I liked it, but it didn't do anything special for me. My mom, on the other hand, loved it and has seen every film in the series.
3. Was able to see the late Gene Roddenberry on tour with what he called "The World Of Star Trek". This was amazing, as Roddenberry screened the blooper reels from all three seasons of the show along with the rejected first pilot "The Cage".
4. Heard the song "The Things We Do For Love" when it was released as a single. I was in the office of the gas station that was across the road from the trailer park we lived in. The guys that ran the place were always nice enough to let me come into the office to buy a candy bar or to use the pay telephone. This record came on over the radio while I was getting a candy bar from the vending machine.
5. Was admitted to the hospital for the first, and so far, only time in my life. I was eleven years old and absolutely terrified, because at first, no one could determine just what was making me so ill.
6. Was allowed to have a television set in my room. My mom gave me the 12-inch black and white set that she had been using in our kitchen up to that point in time.
7. Kissed a girl for the first time. She was the younger sister of a kid I met whose family was part of a traveling carnival. He was my age and she was nine. We actually kept in touch by mail for several months, but one day, a letter to them came back to me as not able to be delivered.
8. Won $40 by having my dad place bets on horse races for me one night. My mom has no objections to gambling, but was upset, because, after all, I was only eleven years old.
9. Went roller skating with some friends on my birthday.
10. Got a super ball from a vending machine that was made of clear plastic that had a miniature baseball card in it. The card was one for Nolan Ryan, who was one of my favorite players.
All that was forty years ago, now. Most of it I remember accurately on my own, but my Mom did verify a few things for me.
In other news, my Mom is out of the hospital but her condition is such that she now needs to use a breathing machine at all times. She is trying to quit smoking and any good thoughts or prayers you can generously offer would be nice.
"My 1977"
1977 was the year in which I:
1. Learned how to play the French horn.
2. Saw the movie "Star Wars" at the V Drive-In with my mom, dad, and brother. I liked it, but it didn't do anything special for me. My mom, on the other hand, loved it and has seen every film in the series.
3. Was able to see the late Gene Roddenberry on tour with what he called "The World Of Star Trek". This was amazing, as Roddenberry screened the blooper reels from all three seasons of the show along with the rejected first pilot "The Cage".
4. Heard the song "The Things We Do For Love" when it was released as a single. I was in the office of the gas station that was across the road from the trailer park we lived in. The guys that ran the place were always nice enough to let me come into the office to buy a candy bar or to use the pay telephone. This record came on over the radio while I was getting a candy bar from the vending machine.
5. Was admitted to the hospital for the first, and so far, only time in my life. I was eleven years old and absolutely terrified, because at first, no one could determine just what was making me so ill.
6. Was allowed to have a television set in my room. My mom gave me the 12-inch black and white set that she had been using in our kitchen up to that point in time.
7. Kissed a girl for the first time. She was the younger sister of a kid I met whose family was part of a traveling carnival. He was my age and she was nine. We actually kept in touch by mail for several months, but one day, a letter to them came back to me as not able to be delivered.
8. Won $40 by having my dad place bets on horse races for me one night. My mom has no objections to gambling, but was upset, because, after all, I was only eleven years old.
9. Went roller skating with some friends on my birthday.
10. Got a super ball from a vending machine that was made of clear plastic that had a miniature baseball card in it. The card was one for Nolan Ryan, who was one of my favorite players.
All that was forty years ago, now. Most of it I remember accurately on my own, but my Mom did verify a few things for me.
In other news, my Mom is out of the hospital but her condition is such that she now needs to use a breathing machine at all times. She is trying to quit smoking and any good thoughts or prayers you can generously offer would be nice.
Thursday, November 2, 2017
The Reason Why I Didn't Post Anything Yesterday
Hello, dear reader. I apologize for the lack of a post yesterday after I had said there would be one. My mother was admitted to the hospital yesterday afternoon, so dealing with that was a priority. I do have a nice post in draft status that I hope to have up later today.
Until then, wishing you well.
Until then, wishing you well.
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