Practicing what I preach

Some days its all good, and some days, well... its not. Today was one of those days where I just had to think about all the things I have been learning and studying in my cd's and books. All the things that I have been blogging about and preaching. Just let what happens, be ok. Watch with curiosity. Practice what I preach.

Well, I certainly had a chance to do that today. First order of business today was to make sure I called and ordered something that I forgot on my order form. I remembered that I didn't order some bagged apples in the middle of the night. Yes, I woke up about 2:30 and the thought came to me that I didn't order the darn things and I had to remember to call up our warehouseman and ask him to please add to my order as soon as I could. You see, lunch ladies never really sleep.

I got that done first thing then went about my day counting up our lunch count forms (these forms tell us what the students want for lunch, they get 4 choices daily). Our main lunch today was a turkey, bacon and cheese on a roll. There was a choice of chicken patty and a few other choices. Now, turkey, bacon and cheese is not a very popular item so I was surprised when I came across one room that had ordered 18 of them. Hmm.. that didn't sound right to me. Especially when chicken patties are a favorite. I looked at the names of the students and decided that I would not call up the room and bother the teacher to recheck the count. I had recently done that with the same class a few weeks ago, but this time I choose to let it go. (Yeah, I know, dumb mistake) (or was it?).

I counted up all the menu items and went about making the food. Before you know it, its serving time and the students are coming in. We have two grades that come in with no break. After those two grades were through, one of my staff says "Jo, we don't have enough turkey sandwiches. I probably gave a look like, yeah right, recount them... and I went to count them myself. I first looked at my book and new instantly that I had miscounted! DARN! I needed another 20 sandwiches at least. So during our 5 minute break I went about getting everything out (no easy task since I didn't have enough turkey thawed) getting rolls, meat, bacon etc. out and making the sandwiches. Somebody covered me on the register so I could finish up my mistake. It makes me feel so stupid when I do something like that. I had mistakenly added up a 2 instead of a 23 on the calculator. I usually add them up twice so I must have added it up incorrectly twice.

I come back to the register and one of my staff says "Jo, the dishwasher is leaking water all over the floor". Ohhh.... I go and check it and sure enough water is spewing all over from the bottom or the floor, (or so I thought). We drained the machine and checked the drains to be sure they would close properly. Sometimes food or plastic ware gets stuck in a drain and it doesn't close and water can leak out that way. It wasn't that, the drains were fine. We had to refill the machine and see it it still leaked, which of course, it did. Now, this is ALL during serving time. I got kids coming in from all directions, dish machine spewing, the turkey sandwich crisis coming up, what else was going to happen?

Ahh. it was finally time for the class to come in that I knew (yes, I did know that count was wrong)to come in for their 18 turkey sandwiches they ordered. They were the first class to come in of that grade. I heard all the commotion from the kids as they were yelling that they did not order the turkey sandwiches. I went down and we showed them the lunch count form which clearly showed that they did order them. The person who did the lunch counts form said she wrote down what the teacher told her to write. Oh.. the confusion... oh the tears...oh the day I was having. I ended up yelling down the line. "Let's go, you can take your sandwich or a bagel, that's it, move along". So, down the line they went. Muttering under their breath, some not so under their breath, the dispraise, the utter dissatisfaction. Woe is me.....

So if you were paying attention, you realize I never needed those extra 20 turkey sandwiches I had to run back to make. Most of the kids took bagels. Some took just milk and juice out of protest. I had 16 turkey sandwiches left over. CRAP!

Could I have avoided the whole turkey sandwich nightmare? Absolutely, I knew that count was wrong. But, should I have to call to see if it is correct. NO, should I have called anyway, probably. But sometimes, you just have to sit back, watch what happens, with curiosity.

Tomorrow? Who knows. Hopefully a visit from the repair man for the dishwasher. What else, only the Universe knows.

By the way, I wrote a note to the teacher to let her know that the students said she made the mistake and that they were very upset, she says she didn't make the mistake.

I will be re adding all my addition tomorrow, three times.

Ahhh..... all is well.