Kevin, The Short Order Cook - Let's Talk About This.

I'd like to talk about my job in this post. I put in several extra hours at work when I filled in for Mike for 1/2 a day yesterday and for Lauren all day today. I worked hard but efficiently. I honestly think Mike's still a little bit thrown off by the way I do things, because his style and my style are very different.

Mike, I think, sees things like doing dishes as a task to be accomplished, and nothing more. I, on the other hand, get a sense of satisfaction from completing even the smallest of tasks. Also, and I'm the first to admit this, I'm quirky. As I often phrase it, "take normal and twist it just a little".  I've spent a life time watching other people react to me in different ways. Sometimes, people just don't "get" me, and for various reasons, can't or won't make the effort to attempt doing so.

I understand that, I really do. It's a personality thing (I hesitate to use the word conflict). But four months into this job there are still times he acts as though he expects me to screw up the simplest thing. That bothers me, because I'm improving every week, bit by bit, and also because I've stepped up in a big way more than once.

Lauren's way of doing things is a bit different from mine as well, but she usually makes the effort to understand why I do things the way I do them. As far as she's concerned, it's results that count. If the food is up to her standards, and is served properly as well as on time, she won't second guess how that was accomplished (presuming standards of sanitation and safety are adhered to).

If I had to sum things up in one sentence, my next sentence would be it. Mike is a co-worker I get along with okay, but Lauren is someone I'd gladly work for, or have work for me.

Now, let me put together a list of some other things I'd like to discuss briefly.

The Bad

1. Mike often talks about fellow employees behind their backs. Honestly, when I hear what's said about some people, I really have to wonder what's being said about me when I'm not around.

2. Mike views his job as being the cook and nothing else. On days when I've worked with or filled in for Lauren, he has allowed tables to get really dirty. It's a small cafe, people. Five tables and a small lunch counter. I can normally get them cleaned and sanitized in about two to three minutes. He also gets upset when I clean them, because strictly speaking, that's not my responsibility on such days.

But, is it really that big of a deal? The thing about the food service side of things is that when you're busy, you really are. And when there's nothing to do, there really is nothing.  Today I actually laughed out loud when I was able to sneak in doing the tables while Mike went to use the men's room.

The Good

1. We got a perfect score on our annual inspection by the county Health Department. Mike and Lauren both thanked me for the hard work I did when doing extra cleaning to be ready for the inspection.

2. Most of our customers take it for granted that they're going to get a good meal at a reasonable
price. Which is fine, because that's how things usually are. But every now and then, someone will really show appreciation. If someone complements me on the food I cooked for them, or if a fellow employee thanks me for taking the time to bring their food to them, that's a nice thing.

3. Doing the food service for the day care program is a real challenge. It's one that, honestly, I wasn't sure I was up to. In the three days that I've filled in for Lauren, I'd grade myself at 80, 85, and 90 (basing that off what she does being 100). And when the little kids smile and thank me for bringing them food, it's a great feeling.

Odds And Ends, Once Again

I really don't have anything all that important to write about right now but I do have a few odds and ends I'd like to share with you. So, in no particular order of importance, here they are.

1. My air conditioner arrived last Thursday, a day earlier than expected, which was nice. For the most part I'm very pleased with it. It was difficult to set up by myself (the instructions do say it's a two person task) but after forty-five minutes, it was ready to use. It works well and is worth what I'm spending on it.

2. Monday and Tuesday of this week coming up will be a real test of my skills at work as I'm going to be filling in for Lauren. Both days the lunch menu is pretty simple, which is good. But still, it's going to be a challenge for me. I'll have anywhere from thirty to forty people depending on me for their food, and I need to get it served on time.

3. I will have three paychecks in August so that's going to be about $400 extra I can spend any way I want. This is going to be an interesting decision for me to make. Will I put that cash into my savings account? Will I invest it in my catering business? Will I buy my mother something quite expensive she wants, as a birthday present? At this time, I really don't yet know what I'm going to do.

4. I got my hair cut  on Tuesday of this week at the barber shop I've written about here before. As always, it was a very pleasant experience and really did once again feel like going back in time a good thirty to forty years. And, as always, the hair cut was a great one and reasonably priced, coming to $9 with the tip.

5. I usually don't buy things for the kitchen that look to be of questionable value. But last week I took a chance on something and it turned out to be a good buy. It's a pasta cooker and steamer you use in the microwave. Its name is "Pasta N More" (poor grammar, I know), and is endorsed by this guy you might have seen on television who calls himself Chef Tony. I've used it to cook macaroni that came out perfectly. I've also used it to steam hot dogs, which also came out just right. Fifteen seconds or so also steams the buns very nicely. It's well worth the $18.98 I paid for it at Wal-Mart.

It also comes with a very nice recipe booklet, and most of the recipes actually look very good. I'll let you know how they come out as I start to make some of them.

My Air Conditioner Should Arrive Soon

Summer is definitely here, folks. Over the weekend just ended, local temperatures in the Binghamton area got as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit. When I passed a bank on Saturday afternoon at about 4:30, its sign read ninety-six. I was on a B.C. Transit bus, coming home from a supermarket that I normally walk to and back from. But on Saturday, I gladly paid the fare to ride the bus both ways.

I also ate at Subway while I was out. As I've mentioned here before, I do not handle extreme heat very well. Today, for instance, I got a little bit ill from the heat here in my room at the Y.M.C.A., so I went down to the air conditioned lounge for awhile. As I've mentioned here before, there have been times I've actually had to go to an emergency room to be treated for heat exhaustion. I do not want to have that happen again.

Spending a little time in the lounge is a nice short term solution but it's not like I can hang out there all day, or sleep there overnight. Here on the fourth floor, the temperature in these rooms can be as much as ten to fifteen degrees higher than what it is outside. My two rotary fans help some, but when it's that hot, the only real solution is air conditioning.

So, earlier tonight, I bought a portable air conditioning unit from QVC, and I paid extra for express shipping. The unit will arrive on Friday. Between sales tax and shipping, the total cost came to $402, which when spread out over six months is very affordable for me these days.

And you know, it's for something I really do need. I have to be comfortable and rested when I wake up each morning if I'm going to be able to do a good job at work.

As always, dear reader, wishing you the best.