It’s been another time of adjustment at work the last couple of months, with one sous chef leaving and another coming on board. I haven’t been doing this very long, but I gave myself lots of time to make the right decision. At the end of it all, it didn’t matter much as I went with my gut instinct, which I could have done on day one – and saved myself another 35 day stretch. It kind of came down to two people, both qualified in different ways, both with some baggage, and both wanting the job. I am confident that I made the right decision, and as the days a weeks go by, the new guy is proving his worth more and more. We have two more big events this month, and then I think that’s it until the Christmas and New Years mayhem starts. I would like to take much of November off, work a lot of half days to recuperate and get ready for the onslaught, but you know how it is. I’m sure something will come up and it’ll be time to re-evaluate again. It’s been project after project for about 4 months, without any downtime and some of the basics are being neglected. A few weeks to get caught up and refocussed is necessary.
The OBMG is a really good company to work for, and on top of the perks like freedom to do what I want, regular paycheques that clear every time, and the resources that a decent sized company has, are the accommodation benefits at sister resorts like Painter’s Lodge in Campbell River. This year I booked out a big room and a cabin for myself and some friends to spend Thanksgiving weekend, and we did it up right. This is the third year that we have headed up so my wife can ‘swim with the salmon’ down Campbell River and I can enjoy some down time and spend time with my kids. This time, however, we managed to pull off a full Thanksgiving dinner for 14 on two small electric burners, one bar fridge, a Coleman cooler and an electric table-top turkey roaster. I was dubious, but sure enough this thing produced some nice bird. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, two kinds of veg – even I was kind of impressed. Since it was potluck style, other people brought dessert, a cheeseboard, some really great pumpkin spread for cookies (!) and fresh fruit.
Things I am thankful for this year? Clearly, the best thing I have going for me is my family. Since losing my parents, it’s the one thing I cherish most knowing that our time together is finite. A good paying job, doing exactly what I love most – what a luxury in this world – and knowing that all this hard work is paying off. Being a pretty simple person, I take time to be thankful every day for the simple things in life. My little garden, a love for music, a roof over our heads, and a quiet house.
Thanks
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