Wouldn't want to redo this day for anything!

Today was a JOKE!  The entree choices were Grilled Chicken Sandwich or Burrito.  The count was 375 and we made 85 Chicken Sandwiches and the rest Burritos.  Well guess what?  We ran out of Chicken sandwiches before the 1st shift was done so we cooked 62 more and still ran out and had to use turkey sandwiches.  Why does the manager have to make this job so damn hard?  She said that she couldn't believe that they took the grilled chicken over the burrito, I do, it happens all the time!  I don't understand why we couldn't have cooked all the chicken breast and use them if we needed them and if there was some left use them Friday on managers choice.  Guess this is why I am not the manager nor do I want to be!  B was in super freak out mode today also, she needs to calm down!  She wears me out!  Really hoping that tomorrow goes better than today!

Another Monday!!

Made it through another Monday!  Today went really well considering we fed 404 kids at lunch!  The entree choices for today were Cheese pizza or Turkey/Cheese sandiwich. A and B should be happy now, we have the sub that they requested.  Hopefully she will want to stay until they hire someone, which could be a long time.  I cut up half (6) of the watermelons we are having tomorrow, anxious to see if B does the other 6 tomorrow or if she leaves them for me or the sub.  I'm sure she will leave them for someone else to do because they are time consuming!  Must be nice to pick and choose which jobs you are going to do for the day.  This is nothing new so I am used to it.  Hope tomorrow goes as good as today did. 

Finally Friday

Ah Friday, the easiest day of the week for us in the kitchen.  The menu is simple and it is sack day so no trays to worry about!  Made it through the first full week of school, it was a little hectic at times but we always manage to get through!  The sub we have is different and somewhat lazy.  A said she requested a different sub but hasn't heard anything yet.  A and B have their mind set on a lady that worked while I was out when I had my heart attack.  Hopefully we will get her because they claim she is a good worker.  We will see.  Hoping for a great weekend and I will be reporting again on Monday!!

Mashed Potatoe Queen

Today went fairly well.  We had multiple entree choices because we did not have any lettuce to make the Chef salads that were on the menu but it all worked out.  B is just a freaker and needs to relax and calm down.  Today was mashed potatoe day and B says to me, Kelli how do you want to work this...do you want to do the mashed potatoes when they are on the menu and I will do the muffins since I am here early in the morning?  I said sure.  I actually don't mind because now there will not be any question if B is going to do them or if I am going to.  I just hope that B has to make muffins as often as I have to make mashed potatoes.  I am going to keep track and trust me, if there is a big difference in how many times we have potatoes vs. muffins, I will let her now.  B does not like doing the potatoes because it is messy and they are heavy to lift but that is part of the job.  I will suck it up for now and know that I will be doing the potatoes when we have them.  The sub did a lot better during the serving period today, she hurried on the tables and came back and washed trays, so she is catching on.  She does need to show some initiative when we are preparing for the day though.  It took her way too long to cup shredded cheese today.  In the time it took her to cup one bag of cheese I made 2 batches of mashed potatoes, cleaned up the mess and helped B bag catfish nuggetts.  There is always something to do in the kitchen and we do see her just standing around staring at things at times, that is where the initiative needs to come in, ask if she can help us or if there is something she can do.  B just does not like her and wants a different sub but that is up to A.  I hope they keep her because she does do some work (if told) and who knows what the next sub will be like.  All I know is....tomorrow is Friday, yipee!!!!! 

The best day so far.

Ahh Wednesday!  Today was the best day at work so far this school year.  The entree choices were Macaroni and Cheese or Ham Sandwich (we made ham/cheese and turkey/cheese).  We only had 49 Sandwiches total and ran out of course but we had left over yogurt/cheese/crackers that we used for the second choice and that got us through the lunch shift, barely.   As you know from my previous posts, I work with 3 other people in the kitchen.  From now on I am going to refer to the manager as A, my coworker as B and the sub as C.  I have come to the conclusion that B is going to nit pick every thing about C which is unexceptable.  C is new to our school and not sure what our routine is so she has to be told.  A and B appear to believe that C should know everything and what to do and when to do it.  C needs to be advised of our routine and procedures before they call and ask for a replacement.  They need to give C a chance before dogging her so bad.  C does need to take a little more initiative at times like asking if there is something she can do when she is idle, right now she just stands around when there is something she could be doing.   But on a brighter note, A is supposed to be getting us more trays so we can get through the lunch shift without worrying about having to wash trays in between shifts. So, things appear to be looking up for now which is a good thing.  Tomorrow we have mashed potatoes and B usually avoids making them and leaving them for me to do so I am anxious to see if she will do them tomorrow or "let" me do them.  They are messy to make and that is why I think she avoids them.  I don't complain about it though, I just go in and do my job to the best of my ability.   I just wish that every one would get along because it would make our days much more enjoyable.  This is not a hard or complicated job, it just takes team work.  But I guess this is what you get when you have 4 women with different personalities working together.  I try to make my day as drama free as possible, put in my 5 hours and go home to rest for the next day.  Hoping for a great day tomorrow. 

They say it has to get worse before it gets better, right?

Day #2 at work pretty much sucked.  Today's entree choices were Taco Burger or Sub sandwich.  The guessing game on what the kids would want was in full effect again today.  Our count was 351 and the manager had us do 300 Taco burgers and 61 sandwichs (which was not enough).  Our 4th person in the kitchen is a sub because one of our regular employees (my mother) retired in April so needless to say the sub is not quite sure how things work in our kitchen yet.  She is on the tables this week because that is the easiest thing to do.  Well, my co worker thinks that she is too slow doing the tables.  I don't think she is too slow, I think that we just have a lot to do when working the line especially when we have to continuously make more food for the second entree choice because we also have to wash trays in this time.  The assumption is that we can not have kids help us or another worker come in during serving time because we already have 4 people.  That is just bull$h!t!  If this is going to be the case then we need more trays (which our manager is supposed to be getting) so we don't have to worry about washing them in between shifts.  I don't understand why the manager does not want to help make this kitchen run more smoothly.  Everything goes fine up until serving time, then it is total chaoticness.  My point is make enough food, if there is left overs, freeze them.  I understand that the manager has to worry about cost and inventory but the way this kitchen is run is pathetic.  She doesn't understand it because she runs the register everyday and if she chooses to serve and have someone else run the register it is ALWAYS on a friday which is sack day so we do not use trays therefore, we do not have to wash them in between shifts, we just have to make more food.  I am hoping that this craziness that is going on will settle down once we get further into the school year, but highly doubt it as this is the way it has been in the past also.  I guess you have to take the good with the bad!  I have weighed the pros and cons of this job and it does have great perks (off in the summertime and breaks at Christmas and Easter) but I am beginning to question if it is worth it.  I am also wondering if other schools are run like this?  I was a sub when I first started (that is a requirement, they hire FT from the sub list) and do not recall this much chaos in one kitchen.  This is the newest school in the district and has very nice equipment and plenty of room but the management is horrible.   Nothing is ever done the same, it all depends on the mood of the manager ie....if she's in a good mood the kids get condiments with their sandwich, if she is in a bad mood they don't get them.  There are also things that happened in the past between me and the manager that I am having a hard time letting go, in my review last year she put that she questions if this is what I want to do because I do not seem to like my job, well I had a major event happen in my life last year that I had to deal with, I had a heart attack at the age of 38 so yes, I kept to myself and didn't say much while I sorted through things.  She also wrote that I need to loosen up and have more fun, nothing like the pot calling the kettle black on that one, she is the moodiest most negative person I have ever met so far in my life.  I also had a grandmother (my moms mom) that was ill and dying, my mom was out on leave to help take care of her so things were tougher in the kitchen.  We were scheduled to be audited by the state on 02-10-10 and it just so happened that my grandmother passed away that morning at 6:15 so I called Karen and she was very upset that I was not going to be at work and told me to do what I have to do!  I thought that was extremely rude of her, I just lost a family member and that I did not have any control over.  Needless to say, they survived the audit and I returned to work after my 3 bereavement days and my mother returned that following week.  With that said, please forgive me for not socializing more with everyone.  When they do talk, it is usually negative things they are saying or talking about other people and I personally do not like to talk about people.  Everyone has their flaws and as the saying goes...be kind to all you meet as everyone is fighting some kind of battle.  I am seriously considering bidding on another school if any openings ever get posted.  I would like to be closer to home and be around more positive people.  I am leaving it at that for now.  Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Today was the first day back to work with the kids there and it went pretty well.  The Entree choices today were Yogurt/Cheese/Crackers or Chicken Nuggets.  Everyday is a guessing game on what the kids will want and as usual, we ended up having to cook more chicken nuggets during the serving period which is not fun.  We also ran out of trays before the second shift came through the line which was not fun either.  Hopefully the manager will order some more trays for us which would help out a lot.  Right now we have a total of 4 of us in the kitchen.  We have two serving lines and one cash register, each requires a person to be there at all times.   The manager runs the cash register every day, and the rest of us take turns (change weekly) at the serving lines and washing the tables.  We have to be team players because not only do we have to be on our line but we also have to wash trays and cook more food during this time.  We used to have 3 kids that would come back and do the trays when they were through eating but for some reason we no longer get their help.   Needless to say we are pulled in many different directions in the 1 hour that we serve food.  It can be frustrating at time because our manager can be  pretty moody and negative towards us, her workers.  She has been known to lose her temper, throw things around in the kitchen, cuss at us and say mean things to us.  We do the best we can for what all we have to do but sometimes it just isn't enough for her.  The main reason I am doing this blog is to keep a daily journal on how the day at work goes so there can be some sort of documentation since in the past the manager has said and done some very unexceptable things to each of us.   So far, so good but it is the first day of school.  Wish me luck and the strength to make it through another school year!