Did I mention........

I got an email today from a lunchlady in Michigan. She saw my youtube and has some stories for me. How cool is that? It just made my day.

I have so much going on these days. Work is going well and time is passing by so quickly. We have 31 more serving days left. Can you believe that. I have decided to have foot surgery this month (May) and I will be out for two weeks. I plan to work on my book during that time.

I am also going to rehab for my shoulder. It has been hurting for a while so I finally decided to have it looked at. I was hoping for a quick fix like a good old shot of cortisone, right the shoulder where the pain is. I have had cortisone shots in my knee and foot before. They are extremely painful. But that is what I was hoping for. Instead I heard the dreaded words.... rehab...... Who the heck has time for that? Twice a week. Driving to the outpatient place when gas is $3.60 a gal, did I say twice a week? Oh, I did. Then when you get there, all they want to do is show you exercises for you to do at home. If my insurance company is paying for the visit, I think I should only have to do the exercises when I am there, right? Naa, it doesn't work that way. Such a pain in ass, or should I say, pain in the shoulder.

Not much to say about work. It's going well. Things are happening in my and my staff's personal life, but work keeps you too busy to think about it much. You have parents to care for, children to worry about, friends falling off of a ladder and being in critical condition in the hospital. You just have to take it all in stride and keep making the lunches. Did I mention a Dermatologist giving you two needles and scrapping something off your chest and saying they will send it off to make sure it is benign? (It was, so no worries).

I think the children at school are doing pretty good. Not much problems except this is a tough time of the year for "lunch money". By May, the lunch accounts don't have much money left. Plus with the economy and did I mention gas at $3.60 a gal? Oh yeah, I did. Lunch money isn't at the top of the list for the parents. I have always wanted my district to do a promotion this time of the year to get money coming in. In the beginning of the year we do a promotion where you get an extra $1 on your account for every $10 you put in. It does help to bulk up the accounts. Management doesn't want to do it this time of the year. Boo hoo for me.


We have our annual "Luau" coming up at school I always have one at the end of the year. Just so happens the student council wanted to sponsor a Hawaiian day in May so I figured I would have my luau that day. I decorate and we have Hawaiian music playing and grass skirts (over top our khaki's of course). I serve ham and pineapple pizza. It is a fun day for the kids.

We also have our dreaded sundae bar coming up. Ohh. The good news is that it is the last one for the year. The bad news is that they want to continue it next year.

Still so much to do in our 31 serving days. (14 of which I will miss with my surgery). Cleaning, emptying the freezers, refrigerators, storerooms. Makes my head spin. On top of that I still have Toastmasters, contract negotiations, my son coming home from college for the summer, planning my trip to Florida as soon school is done. Wow, how exciting. It helps make the time go fast.

Did I mention gas is $3.60 a gallon?

I guess that is it for now.

Ahhhh. All is well.

Family Ties

My brother-in-law, sister-in-law and their children were in for a visit from Colorado. We were having dinner with them and my neice (not their daughter) is going to college studying to be a teacher. She asked me if I thought my school district would hire her. I replied, "I would think so". She got very excited and asked me "would you give me a free lunch?". I told her "well, I don't know about that but I sell a lot of lunches to the teachers, and I am sure you would enjoy eating lunch with us". My sister in-law replied to my neice "would you really want to eat a school lunch?". Now, she said it with disgust in her voice. Like eating a school lunch would be like eating dirt, or worse than dirt. HELLO???? did she not know that would hurt my feelings???? I looked at her and picked up some bugles (yes, those crunchy little cracker type snacks) and threw them at her. HER daughter in the meantime had made a face that said "YUCK! you would eat a school lunch?" Her mom (my sister-in-law) tried to back-pedal and say "oh, in our district all they get is burritos and mexican food". But she had made her point.

Sometimes I get very weary and tired of defending school lunches. Every where you go somebody is usually making a negative comment about it. My husband has made comments, my brother-in-law also has made comments. These people are family. Shouldn't they be supporting you no matter what you do for a living. How are we supposed to hold our head up high and be proud of what we do when their is such negativity about it. Hmmm. Just makes the point of my book more valid.

Do other jobs like trashmen, janitors, waitresses, meter maids, and other professions of these kinds have to defend what they do all the time. I bet they do.

I do take pride in what I do. I wouldn't serve any child anything that I wouldn't eat or would serve to my own child. Why do I let these comments bother me... Hmm..
I will have to think about that.

In the book I am reading which is "A New Earth" by Eckert Tolle (Oprahs book she has the online course for) says that "the ego gets in the way". So true, when I hear a comment like that, my ego certainly gets in the way. The book wants you to take the ego out of your reactions. Very hard to do. One of my tapes says about life "watch with curiosity". That is what I am practicing. Not to judge, not to react, just "watch with curiosity" all that happens around me. Watch with no attachment to it. Very hard to do.

Anyway, I guess that is all I want to say about that. (Didn't Forest Gump say that?)

We have a day off on Wednesday this week. Just in time, just what the doctor ordered. Yeah!

All is well.....

Chapter Dinner Meeting

Boy oh boy, I haven't "blogged" in awhile. I have been so busy with, doctors appointments, aerobics, Toastmasters, hair appointments (thank goodness), working two jobs, story hunting, visiting my mom, visiting with family in from Colorado (more about that on another blog) that I haven't spent time blogging.

I went to a Chapter dinner meeting tonight. There was supposed to be three of us going and maybe my boss from my school but it ended up being just me. I really wanted to go, so I did go all by my lonesome. I got there in plenty of time but the tables were getting full. I went to a table where nobody was and got out my "Story Request Letter" (which reminds me I should figure out how to put that here on my blog somewhere)and walked around handing out my letter. When I got back to the table there was two woman sitting at the table at the other end. I asked if they had seats saved and since they didn't I moved up next to them. They were so nice. They loved my book idea and started telling me some stories mostly of which had happened to a co-worker of theirs. The co-worker has been in food service a long time so she has lots of stories. They introduced me to her since she was attending and she said she would call me to set up a time for me to meet with her to get some stories. How awesome is that? I am very excited to have some one who wants to sit with me and discuss stories for my book. She too was very nice and seems to have a great sense of humor so I know I will be in for a treat when I talk with her.

I had a great time at the meeting and I hope to have done some networking for my book. Lunch ladies are always a fun, nice, and a warm group of people. All wanting to do their job to the best of their ability. I am so glad to be a part of them. It also helps that I won the 50/50 drawing. Yep, won $35 that will come in handy in the pursuit of my book. How cool is that?

Work is moving along smoothly. There is actually some room in my freezer. That doesn't happen very often. I think even my storeroom is looking better. We are winding down now in school food service. I think we are somewhere around 45 days left. Can you believe it? Then summer break. Ahh..... can't wait.

My son will be home in just about a month from college. We can't wait for that either.

I have some other things to discuss but I think I will blog about that another day. One blog will be about my "closing thought for Toastmasters" and the other will be about a comment my visiting sister-in-law made about school food. I bet'ca can't wait for that one. ha ha

Till next time.. All is well....