Day two in the can...

As I sit here gnawing on my ice cold McDonald's cheeseburger, I can't help but reflect on another exhausting day, and wonder is it by providence or some darker influence that I take so naturally to this work and tried out and accepted this job. What a pay cut?! I guess I'll keep trusting the guidance I feel like I've been getting and hope my path leads me where I want to be.

I learned some things today. Firstly, if you want a job in a kitchen, for goodness sakes, show up with the right outfitting and equipment. A guy came for a tryout today and I promise you this is the conversation I heard on the pass.

Chef: What's the deal with the guy back there in tennis shoes?
Sous S: Uh, he's from Australia and...
Chef: So they let you wear tennis shoes in kitchens over there?

Not good...

The poor guy came on the line, pale, and asked to borrow some things out of my kit, which is a big no-no, but I let him cause things weren't going well. Turns out - they made him fix a dish Top Chef style. I asked my trainer if they'd made him do that. He silently shook his head no. Me neither. And thank goodness. Everyone grabbed forks and tried it, weighing in. I didn't want it. I can't bear the taste of shame... It might have been delicious, but an hour later he was gone. He was a nice guy, an Aussie. Hey - if you say no worries to an Australian dude, does he have a patriotic duty to kick your ass? I hope not. I really wasn't trying to be funny, I just say that a lot.

I asked about him. My trainer said he was just on a stage (tryout), probably went home. I replied that I worked till close on my stage. He shrugged and we went on about the evening.

I also learned that they want all of their cooks to be clean shaven. IIIIII thought that meant a well trimmed beard. They think it means shaving all of my facial hair off. I thought for about a hundredth of a second about quitting. The look on my face MUST have been priceless. The guy that told me looked at me and asked "Is it that bad?"

Yes it's that bad! I haven't seen my chin in like, 10 years or so and I've had a mustache since I was freakin' 16!

Anyway, I'm gonna do it. I'm certain I'll hate my face... they take and they take and they take!

I plated amuse bouches (beet salads with chevre) tonight and worked on some other garde manger plates. My fingers aren't quite as shaky and I don't feel so much like vomiting,which means I'm less nervous I guess.

Everybody is telling me to exercise my right of way and stop jumping out of everyone's way unbidden and to stop apologizing so much. Not my fault I have home training.