Adventures

I don't suppose this first one actually counts as an adventure, but it was quite an experience. I pulled up to the gas station and hopped out of the van, when up strolls a gas station attendant. "I'll take care of this for you today," he offers as he takes my card and starts filling. He makes small talk as twenty-eight gallons of gas transfer ownership and, finishing up, hands me my receipt and sends me on my way. Now, you know, Texas has self-serve gas stations and I've never seen any attendant talk that much with a customer. Interesting.

Driving back from running errands, with one more stop to make, I found myself in a right-turn-only lane one street too soon. Rather than try to change lanes and continue, I decided to turn and make my way over down the street. As I was approaching the first light, I noticed a left-turn-only sign for the lane I was in, which was exactly what I wanted and, conditions being favorable ( i.e. green light, oncoming traffic way down there), I turned...onto a one-way street...the wrong way. Apparently the sign was for the next light. Faced with a wall of cars, my split-second decision was to pull up on the sidewalk and let the back half of the 15-passenger van hang out on the lightrail tracks while all the one-way cars made use of their green light. As soon as they were cleared out, I backed myself right around, made a right on red and got out of there. If you can think of a time when I was that embarrassed, I'd like to hear about it. At least they all just thought I was from Illinois.

Friday, forty minutes before EXCEL graduation, ten minutes before we're supposed to be back in the kitchen cooking for the reception, the power went out...with a little girl stuck in the elevator. So while everyone's running around trying to open the elevator, get the generator started, and finish preparing for graduation, I'm thinking, "Well, at least all the cold reception food is ready." After forty minutes in the dark with no air conditioning, just in time for graduation I might add, the generator kicked in enough to power the main hallways and the meeting room...but not the kitchen. It was another ten minutes before there was enough power for that. With forty-five minutes before the reception, the kitchen was a flurry of activity as hot appetizers slid onto pans and into the ovens. Punch flowed; cake was frosted and decorated; plates, napkins, plasticware, and trays piled high all made their way to the line. Finishing touches for a beautiful reception were placed with plenty of time. Success!

The final adventure of this series must wait till I get some pictures, but feel free to stew and wonder what in the world it could be.

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Real gold fears no fire.

No One Likes Their Job Every Day

Such a partan (crab) I was today, at least until midafternoon when I chilled as I cut twenty-one pounds of raw chicken thighs and 14 pounds of raw beef. No one could have told, if I hadn't answered how I really was when they asked, but I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. An hour too early. And all because my window being open let the wind bang my door repeatedly and insistantly. Being wide awake for an hour after lights out last night didn't help my mood either.
Instead of taking a break today, I ran errands. Usually I like to get out and go for a drive and see the outside world once in a while, but not if it means giving up my break. Yay for working 10-hour days!

 Our staff outing today was a trip to West Village in downtown Dallas.  We walked to the trolley and rode across town on a 100-year-old streetcar.  Our first stop after we got off was (I'll give you three guesses and the second two don't count.) *surprise* Starbucks!  We browsed in Borders for a while and saw way too many things that called out to be bought and spent the rest of our time drifting in and out of the shops.  We got back just in time to roll out the dough for stromboli so the EXCEL girls could have dinner on time.

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Real gold fears no fire.

 The best way to get acquainted with the lay of the land is to traverse it.  You could do this by taking a leisurely drive on a Sunday afternoon...or you could attempt to reach a destination you've only been to once and are unsure of its location, take a wrong turn, have to turn around twice to get back on track, drive past it because you're looking on the wrong side of the road, finally arrive and complete your errand, and have construction workers close the ramp to your next stop so you have to continue to the next exit to turn around and make your way back.  Quite an educational experience that would be.

 

 Oh, speaking of educational!  The church is having a new organ installed and our accompanist, after choir practice last night, gave us a tour of the pieces since they are strewn all over the sanctuary.  This particular organ has between 5,500 and 6,000 pipes, each having to be individually tuned and voiced.  The process could take as long as ten weeks.  So we saw all the different pieces that make an organ.

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Real gold fears no fire.