Saturday, February 14, 2004
Valentine's Day. I was sooooooo not looking forward to today. Historically speaking, it's never been a very good day for me; as I have said before, I am not the type of girl that guys send Valentines to. Never have been. I wonder why that is? I mean, I have never discouraged a guy from sending me flowers or chocolates or cards, and yet here I am growing old waiting for them to arrive at my door. And this year, STBX is going out of town to meet a girl for Valentine's Day. So not only am I not getting any lovey gifts today, my husband is going out on a date with someone else. Makes me want to give the whole world the finger. I ended up doing a double-shift yesterday, got to bed at midnight and had to get up again for a 6am shift this morning. I knew it would be a really crappy day.
Only it wasn't a crappy day. At all. OK, I'm frikkin exhausted, but honestly, that's the only thing that bugged me today!! Maybe I was just too tired to notice, LOL. As the morning progressed, I came to realize that my first day was no fluke: they really are going to treat me with respect. I figured they'd have me doing mostly piddly stuff and cleanup stuff for the "real" pastry chefs, if not all the time, then at least while I got used to the place. No piddly stuff. And what's more, as I was washing my own dishes, the manager thanked me for cleaning up and was quick to apologize that they didn't have someone on the Saturday shift to clean up yet, "Don't worry, it won't always be like this."
You mean I don't even have to do my own dishes?????? I'm in freaking heaven!! I made 17 mini-Sacher tortes, all of which sold before I'd left for the day [beaming]. I assisted the cake decorator (B), who was finishing a 5-tier fondant wedding cake. Yes, I washed a lot of dishes, but it was a slow day. B asked me to go with him to a supply store where he needed to pick up a few last-minute things for the cake he was making. We were about to stop for lunch when the manager rang his cell phone and asked him to hurry back because someone had just ordered a cake he needed to finish. He wanted me to go with him to deliver the wedding cake because he was unfamiliar with the hotel where it was going, but by then I had a cheesecake in the oven and couldn't leave till it was done. So that's how it's going to be: I am one of the group, just like that. They want me to go eat lunch with them, they chat and joke, they ask me to do actual pastry work. I am going to LOVE this job. [Looking sideways in hopes I won't have to eat those words later.]
Meanwhile, as I was working, Zach, my lab partner wandered in. "Sassy??" he apparently didn't know I had started working there. He works at the school, so he's found wandering the halls quite often. We talked about our upcoming final, and some recent changes our teacher had made to it, and he said he was looking through some books for more ideas. He stopped by again a couple of hours later to show me what he'd found. As we were chatting, it occurred to me--I know people. I actually feel like I belong here. And that's a really damned good feeling for a change.
I'd had a couple of short conversations with B about my STBX situation, and as he was working on the wedding cake, I mentioned that I would probably choose something non-traditional, but the design he was working on wasn't quite my taste either. "Will you be getting married again?" I just chuckled, "Well, maybe, I suppose. I'm not anti-marriage, just anti-asshole." He laughed and said, "Well, there's your man." nodding toward the next room. I turned and looked, and there was Zach, standing talking with our manager. I was a bit startled--err, he knows we're just friends, right? "Him? Yeah, he'll probably make somebody a good husband someday. But well... I'm old enough to be his mother." [Yes, the sad, tragic truth is Zach is 14 years my junior, which is why I can often be caught referring to him as SYT--Sweet Young Thing.] It didn't occur to me until later that it had been suggested that he and I are compatible. And since I find him to be an attractive fellow, well, I can only take that as a compliment.
So yes, it had turned out to be a rather good day, and I was happy to come home and see my kids and let STBX go take his requisite nap before he heads out of town. But the Very Good Day didn't end there!
First, STBX had to chide me, as is his daily ritual... apparently he had stopped by the bakery to see me with the kids--during the only 40 minutes I was not actually there. And not only that, but the manager wasn't up front at the time, and bubblehead that was working the counter didn't know my name, so she didn't recognize who he was asking for. He thought I was LYING about working there!! So naturally, he packed the kids up and went to my other work (is now a good time to remind you that he kvetches to anyone who'll listen that I don't work??), where they were equally as confused. He was really pissed at me. Yes, somehow it was all my fault. Oh, and yes, when he was finished, he angrily pointed to a giant box on the floor that had heretofore gone unnoticed. "Those came for you." he said icily. Flowers. A giant box of flowers had been delivered to me. I was quite confused, because despite his accusatory grimace, I have not been cavorting with SYT. "Did you do that?" I asked him. "No!" he insisted. Being the narcissist he is, he tried desperately to keep the attention on him by launching in to another spiel about how he was going to bring the kids shopping for gifts, but after all the trouble they had finding me, he was so frustrated he just had to come home... To hell with his blathering mouth, who on earth would be sending me flowers?? All the names that quickly came to mind were just as quickly dismissed. For all I knew, it was The Pope. Ah well, the only way to find out is to open it. It was very difficult to stifle tears. I have never in my life ever had flowers delivered to me. Ever. And I have never in my life ever received more than a single rose--ever, not even on Valentine's Day. And I have never even been given chocolates in a heart-shaped box for Valentine's Day either. And there before me was a bouquet of 18 beautiful long-stemmed red roses (and a vase to display them) and a box of chocolates! What on earth??? I was about to go look at the box again to make sure it was delivered to the right person when I came across the card. They were for me, from my cybergirlfriends. How wonderful to be thought of so kindly... I took in a deep breath of the roses and savored the moment while he stood over me waiting for me to confess my illicit affair. I momentarily considered claiming it was from a secret admirer. Or fabricating a lover... But who's got the energy for those kinds of games anymore? "Who sent them?" he asked, trying not to sound too curious. "My girlfriends." He was visibly relieved. I guess one affair in the family is enough for him, too. After I had them arranged and set out on the table, he agreed they're gorgeous and requested I convey his thanks to my friends as well, since he's so fortunate to get to enjoy them too. Whatever, LOL.
Only it wasn't a crappy day. At all. OK, I'm frikkin exhausted, but honestly, that's the only thing that bugged me today!! Maybe I was just too tired to notice, LOL. As the morning progressed, I came to realize that my first day was no fluke: they really are going to treat me with respect. I figured they'd have me doing mostly piddly stuff and cleanup stuff for the "real" pastry chefs, if not all the time, then at least while I got used to the place. No piddly stuff. And what's more, as I was washing my own dishes, the manager thanked me for cleaning up and was quick to apologize that they didn't have someone on the Saturday shift to clean up yet, "Don't worry, it won't always be like this."
You mean I don't even have to do my own dishes?????? I'm in freaking heaven!! I made 17 mini-Sacher tortes, all of which sold before I'd left for the day [beaming]. I assisted the cake decorator (B), who was finishing a 5-tier fondant wedding cake. Yes, I washed a lot of dishes, but it was a slow day. B asked me to go with him to a supply store where he needed to pick up a few last-minute things for the cake he was making. We were about to stop for lunch when the manager rang his cell phone and asked him to hurry back because someone had just ordered a cake he needed to finish. He wanted me to go with him to deliver the wedding cake because he was unfamiliar with the hotel where it was going, but by then I had a cheesecake in the oven and couldn't leave till it was done. So that's how it's going to be: I am one of the group, just like that. They want me to go eat lunch with them, they chat and joke, they ask me to do actual pastry work. I am going to LOVE this job. [Looking sideways in hopes I won't have to eat those words later.]
Meanwhile, as I was working, Zach, my lab partner wandered in. "Sassy??" he apparently didn't know I had started working there. He works at the school, so he's found wandering the halls quite often. We talked about our upcoming final, and some recent changes our teacher had made to it, and he said he was looking through some books for more ideas. He stopped by again a couple of hours later to show me what he'd found. As we were chatting, it occurred to me--I know people. I actually feel like I belong here. And that's a really damned good feeling for a change.
I'd had a couple of short conversations with B about my STBX situation, and as he was working on the wedding cake, I mentioned that I would probably choose something non-traditional, but the design he was working on wasn't quite my taste either. "Will you be getting married again?" I just chuckled, "Well, maybe, I suppose. I'm not anti-marriage, just anti-asshole." He laughed and said, "Well, there's your man." nodding toward the next room. I turned and looked, and there was Zach, standing talking with our manager. I was a bit startled--err, he knows we're just friends, right? "Him? Yeah, he'll probably make somebody a good husband someday. But well... I'm old enough to be his mother." [Yes, the sad, tragic truth is Zach is 14 years my junior, which is why I can often be caught referring to him as SYT--Sweet Young Thing.] It didn't occur to me until later that it had been suggested that he and I are compatible. And since I find him to be an attractive fellow, well, I can only take that as a compliment.
So yes, it had turned out to be a rather good day, and I was happy to come home and see my kids and let STBX go take his requisite nap before he heads out of town. But the Very Good Day didn't end there!
First, STBX had to chide me, as is his daily ritual... apparently he had stopped by the bakery to see me with the kids--during the only 40 minutes I was not actually there. And not only that, but the manager wasn't up front at the time, and bubblehead that was working the counter didn't know my name, so she didn't recognize who he was asking for. He thought I was LYING about working there!! So naturally, he packed the kids up and went to my other work (is now a good time to remind you that he kvetches to anyone who'll listen that I don't work??), where they were equally as confused. He was really pissed at me. Yes, somehow it was all my fault. Oh, and yes, when he was finished, he angrily pointed to a giant box on the floor that had heretofore gone unnoticed. "Those came for you." he said icily. Flowers. A giant box of flowers had been delivered to me. I was quite confused, because despite his accusatory grimace, I have not been cavorting with SYT. "Did you do that?" I asked him. "No!" he insisted. Being the narcissist he is, he tried desperately to keep the attention on him by launching in to another spiel about how he was going to bring the kids shopping for gifts, but after all the trouble they had finding me, he was so frustrated he just had to come home... To hell with his blathering mouth, who on earth would be sending me flowers?? All the names that quickly came to mind were just as quickly dismissed. For all I knew, it was The Pope. Ah well, the only way to find out is to open it. It was very difficult to stifle tears. I have never in my life ever had flowers delivered to me. Ever. And I have never in my life ever received more than a single rose--ever, not even on Valentine's Day. And I have never even been given chocolates in a heart-shaped box for Valentine's Day either. And there before me was a bouquet of 18 beautiful long-stemmed red roses (and a vase to display them) and a box of chocolates! What on earth??? I was about to go look at the box again to make sure it was delivered to the right person when I came across the card. They were for me, from my cybergirlfriends. How wonderful to be thought of so kindly... I took in a deep breath of the roses and savored the moment while he stood over me waiting for me to confess my illicit affair. I momentarily considered claiming it was from a secret admirer. Or fabricating a lover... But who's got the energy for those kinds of games anymore? "Who sent them?" he asked, trying not to sound too curious. "My girlfriends." He was visibly relieved. I guess one affair in the family is enough for him, too. After I had them arranged and set out on the table, he agreed they're gorgeous and requested I convey his thanks to my friends as well, since he's so fortunate to get to enjoy them too. Whatever, LOL.
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