400th Post

To celebrate my 400th post I will direct my friends to my pal the Banquet Manager and a little something I did called "If the Banquet Manager Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy" as a Guest Post. (Click Here)
Please do leave him a comment over there so it don't look like nobody don't like me.

And for any of Banqman's friends, here are a few snippets froma few of my posts as a way of introduction. Thanks for stopping by!

Four Jobs jobs I've had, from "The Underacheiver"

1) Ran a Newspaper and Detective Service in the Fifth Grade.

2) Rockhound/Gemologist in the 7th Grade...during 1 Summer my friend Billy and I brought about a Ton of rocks home (1 mile) from the Creek, thinking they were Rare and Precious gemstones. When my dad took us to sell them at a Rock Shop, the man actiually bought some of them for a Dollar, I think out of pity for us.
My friend, Billy, sold his Harley Davidson Franchise last year. He is a Millionaire now, and runs one of those Pimp your Motorcycle shops. In High School, he was the kid with the crappy car, a 63 Dodge Dart with the Mag wheels and a hood scoop it.

3) Delivered Circulars/Handbills to a Dumpster when I was 17.

4) Chef for 24 years.This led to an extraordinary position doing Food Demonstrations at the Local Grocery store, wearing a Bowtie and Blackslacks, trying to sell Fritos, Air Fresheners, and Soy Milk ect..
Except for the Soymilk and all the ladies that lined up to talk to me, it was a real low point.
Almost like being the model for the Logo for a Pizza Box or something.
I quit when they tried to make me wear a Chefs hat.
I was their "Best Guy" and the lady cried like a baby when I quit.

One of the Seven things that make me weird, from "Cuckoo, Cuckoo"
Life= Time,
Time= Space,
Space=The Planets,
Human = Race
I am very good at random thought.
In the second grade we had an exercise where we were to draw lines between objects that matched like a Dog and a Doghouse, a hat and a pair of gloves and a hammer and a nail and a bat and a ball. I had no idea what they wanted me to do.
To the point of tears.
I realize now that there really were no wrong answers.
I can think outside anyone’s box.

Lastly from "Hells Kitchen"
"I was a Chef for almost 25 years. Its a great career...it demands a superior work ethic, an eye for detail, a love for food and people.
You may not be Artistic; I wasn't, but in time you will develop a Visual Style.
Most people do not realize that it is a very physical job. This is why you see more male Professional Chefs than female. You move a lot of 50 pound boxes and 15 gallon pots and a large skillet with product could weigh 20-25 pounds while you are "one arming" it from the stovetop to the prep table.
Try making a 90 Yolk batch of Hollandaise and you will find yourself vigorously whisking for 15 minutes. A 50 gallon batch of Honey-Mustard is made with a 4' Whip in 60 gallon trash can.
Trays and mirrors for Buffets can weigh a couple hundred pounds. A block of Ice for carving weighs 350 pounds.
Piping out 2000 Duchess Potato's from a pastry bag will build some forearms that look like Calf muscles.
The hours are long and the pay average.
There are Waitresses and Barmaids.
You can fall in love with it.
You are never really hungry and you are never really cold.
You have to move your ass, which is wrapped up pretty tight all the time.
Sanitation is at the front of everything you do.
I don't think there was a word one concerning proper food handling techniques on "Hells Kitchen"."

If that is not enough for you, Click here to get to "A Nicer guy" which details the ways I have changed since leaving Foodservice.