Too Long at one Job

Too long at one job

The first time I was asked to make a potato salad in my daughter’s catering kitchen, (I am ashamed to admit this) it took me a total of two hours from start to finish. That was a few years ago. That two hour time frame surprised me because I was always fast at whatever task I tackled. My daughter finally commented, “In another five minutes, it will be a total of two hours since you started making that potato salad. That has to be a record.” I was embarrassed and vowed to improve my out put and speed.

Lately, I have been working with another woman at my daughter’s catering kitchen. That woman is slower then I am. Compared to her, I am a dynamo. I try not to feel superior but sometimes I do. If she does one job, I usually do three different jobs. I do admit that she can chop foods finer then I can. But one day when we were making corn pancakes, hers were definitely smaller then mine. After I finished my pancake job, I noticed the other woman was making designs with her pancakes. Seriously, they were designer pancakes! That was when I mentally lost it, cleaned up my work area, and left the kitchen, frustrated.

Now, the other woman is out for knee surgery. I am once again the low woman on the totem pole, and I am definitely the slowest worker in the kitchen. Today I had to cut a lot of fruits for two different venues…one was for a wedding. The fruit had to feed about 170 people. The other was for a reunion, feeding at least 70 people. By the time I cut up the cantaloupes, melons, pineapples and strawberries, and sliced up oranges for the decorations around the inside of the bowl, as well as grapes and some kiwi fruit…it took me two damn hours!

I no longer feel so smug about myself.