Stouffers at the Ritz?

Today was my laziest day yet at the Ritz. I was the most unproductive waste of life. It was a wonderful feelings coming off of a month of insanity, but when I left today at 4 pm, I was already sick of the slowness.

Because I'm "at the bottom of the ladder," I've been bumped down to the cafeteria while there is no work up in Garde Manger. At least I'm getting hours, I suppose, but wow...I did a lot of pacing and staring outside at the holiday traffic today.

When I got to work this morning at 7:30, I made myself a cup of tea and Annie (a sweet black woman in her 50's who is 'training' me) suggested that I sit and relax for 45 minutes or so and finish my Lipton drink. I did not question as I grabbed my book and slid into a chair.

From 8:15ish until a little after 10 am, I prepped the salad bar for lunch and dinner. This was silly and involved filling 26 canisters with various items, such as cucumbers, spinach, hard boiled eggs, and assorted dressings. I also chopped up some scary looking green leaf, which turned out to be the only time I touched a knife the whole day. Then Annie suggested that I take another break until 11. I did as instructed.

You could imagine how the rest of the day progressed. Work for a bit and then long break. I was able to read about 100 of my book and stay off my feet for most of the day. It was a nice break from upstairs, although the pacing got tiresome and boredom slipped in quickly.

For lunch we served over salted and over cooked chicken. When the thermometer was placed into the chicken breasts, they read "200." Yikes. We also served frozen spinach was started out green but turned more and more morbid looking as the day went on until specs of brown appeared from foil that covered it. Stouffer's Macaroni and Cheese and cardboard veggie burgers rounded out the menu.

Tomorrow will be more of the same, I am sure. I am on the schedule to work there through Saturday even though Annie said today I was only really needed today. (Not sure how or where I was needed). So this should be a painfully slow week. Not sure what is happening beyond New Years.

One more funny thing: In the kitchen of the cafeteria, there was a big cambro of flour labeled "Flower."