Friday at Last

The morning after Back-to-school Night everyone’s dragging. A colleague stopped by my room before the bell to ask a question, pausing as he entered. “Wow! You look as tired as everyone feels!” he said.

I raised my eyebrows and let it go. It wasn’t the most sensitive remark, but I knew that he was tired, too.

Hopefully we’ll all get some rest this weekend. 

Just Hit Play

Because of the parking shortage at our school while they build another school in the, where else?, parking lot, last year and this year our administration asked us to make videos for the parents who might not be able to make it. What could we do, but comply?

And once they were all done, almost everyone had the same question: What do you need me for?

Required Course

One of my students left his iPad behind today after 6th period. I knew he was in Heidi's Social Skills class next, so I walked down there to return it. The class had already started, so I knocked on the door and waited politely until Mr. T, the assistant opened it. When my student saw me, his eyes grew wide and he gasped; my presence was unexpected. I made eye contact and held up the iPad, and he knew that it was his. Rising from his seat he came over to the door. "Give it to me!" he said as he reached for the device.

"Oh no!" Heidi said, "Give it to me!" and I did.

He scoffed and stomped back to his seat.

"Is that how you should treat a teacher who brings you something?" Heidi asked him.

"Fine!" he said and looked at me. "Please?"

"I don't have your iPad anymore," I told him, "but I did walk down here to bring it to you after you forgot it. What could you say to me?"

"Thank you for my iPad," he said.

Heidi smiled and held it out.

"You're welcome," I said. "I thought you would probably really want to have it this afternoon."

He took the iPad from Heidi. "Not really," he said.

I laughed and turned toward the door.

"We are working on it," Heidi said.

Moisture

Many folks dream of retiring to a tropical island, but not me.

Even as I get older, I am still predisposed to cooler weather. And although the heat doesn't bother me? The proverb holds true: after 10 straight days of gray skies and rain, a little monsoon season of our own, with warped boards, perma-slick pavement, giant mud puddles, flooded yards, and air that hits you like a warm wash rag every time you step out the door,

I can definitely confirm that, yes, it is the humidity.

The Gift of Necessity

Years ago I worked in the flight kitchen for United Airline. The main job of our brigade of cooks and chefs was to prepare the meals for first class, business, and transatlantic coach, but as in any food service place, someone had to cook for the staff. In restaurants they often call it family meal, but we just called it lunch, no matter what shift you were on.

It was a privilege to have lunch on your job list-- everyone else was cooking prescribed recipes for thousands of anonymous travelers, but those 2 cooks had the freedom to put their own stamp on food that their friends and colleagues would be eating. Because of my seniority, I did not get to cook lunch very often, but when I did I like to think I stepped up.

I remember one day when the chef told us they had over-ordered frozen beans. "Make them for lunch," he told our lead, Jimmy, as I listened.

"I know just what to do," I said, and a few pounds of bacon, onions, garlic, and tomatoes later, we had a steam kettle full of southern-style green beans.

That day at lunch, I basked in the compliments of my co-workers. "Those beans!" one ramp guy told me. "Mm Mm! Salty, smoky, tomatoey? You really put the flavor to it!" That was one of the best compliments I ever received as a professional cook.

I thought of that guy today when Heidi said, "Tracey?" as she was unpacking her lunch bag. "I only want to eat frittata for lunch from now on."

"Oh you liked that, did you?" I laughed.

The frittata was really only the result of too many eggs. I love the farm fresh eggs we can get in our CSA-- I honestly believe I can taste the difference-- but a dozen a week can be too many for a couple of middle-aged ladies. Fortunately they are very fresh and the keep exceptionally well, but over the weekend I decided to make a mushroom and spinach frittata that we could warm up for breakfast or lunch.

And that's what my wife was raving about. With no leftovers from last night's dinner, she had frittata for lunch.

"It was mushroomy, vegetably, salty, and proteiny, right?" I boasted. "I guess I really put the flavor to it!"

Cativersary

The kittens that we adopted one year ago today have grown into cats, but they are no less cute and loveable, which, considering that they are gangly young adults, is rather a compliment!

Peter Piper, Inc

"Wow! You're kitchen is a lot bigger than you'd think" one of our neighbors said yesterday at the open house. She looked around. "And really full of produce."

She was right. There was a half bushel of tomatoes, 3 eggplant, and a big container of banana peppers that I had picked to rescue from the rain, along with the usual onions, garlic, potatoes, avocados, lemons, and limes. "I know!" I agreed, "but I have plans for all of it."

Part one of my plan was having my banana pepper pesto on the table, and the offer of as many peppers as our guests would like to take home with them as parting gifts.

"You gotta try the pesto," I told everyone. "It tastes like a hoagie!"

"What's gahogi?" someone asked in confusion.

I laughed. "I said like. a, hoa. gie," I repeated slowly. "Y'know what they call subs in Philly?"

"Oooooh," she laughed, too. "I thought it was like the sixth taste-- the one after Umami."

"It should be!" I answered. "How many peppers would you like?"