Finally, Back to Work

Finally, we are back to work. The teachers agreed to come back to work while there is "non-binding arbitration". I don't know much about what that means, but it is good to be back. We went back on Friday, September 19. Now, THAT was the weirdest thing. Going back to work after being off all summer , ON A FRIDAY! We were glad to go, its one less day to make up, but most of us had plans already for our last Friday off. We knew we would be going back either Tuesday or Wednesday the following week, so the 19th was our last Friday "of the summer" for us. But the call came Thursday morning, "be ready, it looks like we will have school tomorrow, we will let you know for sure later today". I was at my part-time job doing some office work when I got my call. I thought "ok, I will wait till I hear for sure". But as the minutes ticked away, my "school lunch lady brain" kicked in. Did I have everything I need. Did I have produce, milk, bread, what was I serving? My brain was in overdrive. I quick made some phone calls, luckily I was in a private office using the computer typing up labels. I called my staff, both of which I couldn't talk to personally since they were out. But they called me back quickly and were available to come in. Whew! Thank you Jesus!

I tried to concentrate on my typing and managed to get a few things done. My school boss had asked if I could stop in work to be sure everything was up and running. I had planned to leave work at 2:00 since I had a dentist appointment at 3:00. I told my "school" boss I would stop in my school at 4:00. By 1:00 the office staff was at lunch and I had run out of things to do. I figured I might as well leave. I went to tell the only staff not at lunch and she said "Oh, can you stay, we are having a going away party for you". How nice of the sales department at the hotel where I worked in banquets, to want to do this for me. I had to stay. They were bringing chocolate fondue and fruit! So, I waited. At 1:45 the fondue and fruit arrived. I had a few bites and had to go. They gave me a very nice "Thank You" card.

I stopped at work after my dentist appointment (by the way, I had a root canal on a back tooth that cost a whopping $1,250, can you believe it cost that much), and found everything in order. I did some things to help us be ready in the morning, then I went home and went to bed early.

Our first day back ended up with some problems. We turned on our cold table and it didn't get cold. Then about half hour later, the lights all flashed and went out on the cold table, and we smelled an electrical smell. That can't be good! Five work days later, it is still not fixed. The poor repairman had one problem after another. Finally, after three days, all day, working on it, and two electricians called in to assist, they figured out the problem was in the large cord. Since everything was "fried" we have to wait for new ballast's to be delivered since they needed to be special ordered. We still don't have lights, but we have refrigeration. We expect the Board of Health to be in very soon, They always come in the first month we go back to work. The good news is the cold table will be cold for them, however, I may get written up for the lights being
out. If that is the worst they find, NO PROBLEM.

My school was just opened 5 years ago. It is amazing how much equipment repair I have had to have, again and again with 5 year old equipment. They just don't make 'em like they used too.
I believe this cold table (which has been worked on many times) was a lemon. Do they have a lemon law on cold tables? Anybody know?

Our lunch counts were very low the first day. I was very worried. But, they rebounded this week. I don't think the parents were prepared, just like us, to go back on a Friday. Lunch money on students accounts is trickling in this year at my school. In the past, I would have stacks of prepayments of checks and cash, this year, it just isn't happening. I guess things are tough for everybody. Personally, I am not participating in the "recession". I don't listen for any news about it, I don't talk about it, I don't think about it. We are doing ok, and I don't think that listening to gloom and doom does any good at all.

I hope everybody has had a great opening of their schools all across the country. We did, even with our equipment issues and other things. The great thing about school food service is kind of like what Forest Gump said", "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get". Everyday you may meet a new challenge. You roll up your sleeves, and jump in, handling one thing after another, and before you know it, the day is over and it is time to go home. The months pass by quickly, then, its summer again and a few months of much needed recuperation.

So, welcome back to all. Life is good, All is well.

My Blog Gets National Exposure

I was anxiously awaiting my new copy of School Nutrition Magazine. I was at a friends house last week and I saw her copy had come in her mail. That was Wednesday. On Saturday, my copy came in the mail. I sat down to look it over, page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and page 8. Page 8 has a section called NEWS BITES. I was reading along and there was in gold (see the insert on the right) three pieces. I read the first, then read over to the second middle piece and I see Life of a Lunch Lady and my www.lifeoflunchlady.blogspot.com website. At first I was like OMG, somebody else has a Life of a Lunch Lady thing going on, then I saw the website address and I thought somebody else has a blog address like me, then HOLY CRAP!! THAT'S ME! (Yes, I know, not the brightest bulb in the house) Well, let me tell you, it took a few seconds for my brain to adsorb the fact that this article was about me. I screamed! AHHAHHHH. I jumped up and started crying. I ran outside with the article in hand to show my husband, who by the way, was running to come see why the heck I had screamed. He's is yelling, "what's the matter" as he runs over to me. And I, in tears, say, "My blog information is in the School Nutrition Magazine, they did a piece about my book and my blog". I was so excited. It was one of the most exciting things that has every happened to me. I hadn't even read the article yet, but I was running around wanting to share the great news.

Let me tell you how grateful I am to School Nutrition Magazine for mentioning my blog and my book. I am soooooo grateful! Truly! Is it a coincidence that I heard from a lunch lady from Missouri who so graciously sent me some stories? I think not.

I had sent School Nutrition Magazine an email telling them about my blog and about the book I am working on. I never heard anything so I thought that they were probably not interested. I had also sent our local School Nutrition of PA newsletter an article about a promotion I had come up with and our school district did. I never heard from them, however they too had put my article in the Action Update Newsletter. I admit that since I had that piece in the Action Update, I was hoping that School Nutrition Magazine might have something in the magazine but, I couldn't have dreamed it better.

I sent an email out to all I know who follow my blog and my book adventures. National Exposure! I am hoping that as lunch ladies all over the country read their magazine, (By the way, it is the September 2008 issue) they will see my name, blog web address, and read about my book and want to share a story or two with me. Please, Please, if your reading this, I would love your story. How about telling me what you like most about being a lunch lady, how about what you dislike? We all have a story to tell, let me put it in print for you!

I had been feeling a little pessimistic about my book as of late. All the details about putting a book together is daunting. Book proposals, editing, agents, publishers, stories, stories, stories. Until this good luck! (I believe you make your own luck though). All the articles, writing journals, and books about publishing a book have been sitting on my cedar chest all summer. I didn't do much of anything with them. But now, I have a renewed passion to start working on it again. This book is truly going to happen. The Universe is aligning all the stars for me. All I need now is a publisher willing to take a chance on me and my book. And, if not, I will self-publish it.

Like I said in my email to all, Vegas here I come. Las Vegas is where the National ANC 2009 Convention will be held. June 29-July 2nd. (School Nutrition Conference) I hope to be on my book tour. Look for me! I'll be the one signing my books.

Life is good, all is well.

S-T-R-I-K-E (Teachers)

A whole summer has passed. How quickly they go. But...... we are not yet back to serving lunches. Our teachers are on strike! And, it doesn't look like we will be back to work anytime soon. What a "pickle" for food service. We didn't know until the day before school was to start, whether there would be school or not. Produce, refrigerator items, and everything necessary for the first two weeks, had to be bought in, just in case school was a go. Now, the task of throwing out what wouldn't last has to be done.

I totally support the teachers and believe in the right to strike. But what a year it will be. Hardly any days off for 180 days, plus working into late June or worse. This will really mess us up for those of us that have summer jobs. Plus many of us make plans for vacations as soon as school is done. Don't be surprised if you see many new faces in your cafeteria. When we get the school calendar for the following school year, we use the days off(Act 80, teacher in-service days, and extra days off for holidays)for doctors appointments, mini-vacations, family things and whatever. Now we will have to have subs in for those days.

We always joke and whine during the school year about how "hard it is to have two or three full weeks of school with no weekdays off". We will really be whining this year.

Believe me, it is lovely being off this time of the year. The air is a little cooler
places are less crowded, and I am loving every moment of it. I have picked up some hours at my other job, which I am very grateful for. I can work any hours I want, and I get to sit at a desk all day. However, I am finding out that as nice as it is, I am not really a "sit at a desk person" anymore. Being off has made me appreciate my job ever more than I have already. I realize that I love the fast pace at school and the interaction with the kids. I do really miss the kids.

Its funny that all summer long, I hardly talked to anybody (managers from school)but now I am talking to them a few times a week via phone. Today we had 10 people, managers and staff, get together for a nice lunch and shopping. We are planning another shopping trip to Lancaster next week, as long as we are still not working. Many of us realized that since we were in the mode to get back to work, we have found ourselves working on projects, extra cleaning and getting more done than we did all summer.

Who knows what this year will hold. Hopefully a healthy year for me and my staff.
I hope the teachers get what they want. I admit that my benefits are what the teachers benefits are so I hope that the cost and quality of our benefits are not compromised.

I hope to be back at work soon even though I am making great money at my other job. But for all the others who have no other job to go to, I hope it ends soon.

All is well.