Rather Be Sleeping

I have not had a proper vacation for about 10 years, and I kind of accept that it’s part of the “deal” for a career cook and full time parent. Note to all you aspiring rock star chefs out there: forget it, they lied to you. The money is almost always terrible and you will always work when others are playing, and you will work opposite schedules to the people you love. That is, if you are good at what you do. You should not ask for two weeks off in the summer, if you do, be prepared to work 20 days straight before you go and 20 more when you get back. Consider it penance for taking a summer vacation.

Mostly, cooks are happy with the occasional three day weekend, which allows you time to get really loaded and recover and still one day to hang out and enjoy your day off before heading back to work, where you will have to make up for it. Four day weekend? You best get the hell out of town, because these are rare, especially in the peak season(s). Me? I have had a couple three and four day weekends this summer, and have just returned to work after a five day weekend (no booze consumed) to find things more or less how I left them. Every week I tend to learn a couple new things, and sure enough this week away from work was no exception! No harm was done, the coolers were all well organized, and I had an easy day back. I think that was the first five day break in five years. It’s pretty much a blur, so who can tell for sure. I just started a 19 day stretch, so I’ll be saying my Hail Mary’s.

I took the opportunity to camp for one night at the Sooke Potholes with family and friends, which was really great. Somehow I volunteered to help cook for a camp of up to 25 – dinner, breakfast and then lunch. We had three camp stoves and our Weber Q220 so there was lots of fire power, and lots of food. I would suggest we ate very well, and people seemed to agree. Hot dogs, spring salmon, Dungeness crab (garlic butter!), potato salad for dinner. Popcorn and s’mores for dessert. French toast, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, good coffee and oj to wake up to, and a bag lunch for the hike – cookie, sandwich, apple, juice and water. What else do you need? We were barely there for 24 hours, I’d say we did well. I’d do it again. The rest of the days were spent chilling in the pool with the kids, hanging out in bed and relaxing, enjoying some stargazing and otherwise doing generally nothing. A couple frantic phone calls from work, but why not? At least nothing exploded and/or caught on fire this time.

Last month I took an extra day to head over to Vancouver with Sorensen to see TOOL, which blew my mind. A couple of weeks ago my wife and I took advantage of a kid-free weekend and headed up to Pacific Shores at Nanoose Bay to relax. Two nights, just nothing to do but relax. Somewhere in there we spent a few nights in Ukee at the Canadian Princess, courtesy of the OBMG. Not a bad summer all in all you say? It took me 15 plus years to get a long weekend in the summer time, so all you rock stars look out. You’ve got some time to put in.