My First Week :-)
Training went wonderfully well at Solomon's this week. On my first day I learned how to fill the ice machine. I took the lid off, threw 2 buckets in, and went to the back to fill them up. I came out, dumped another bucket in, and created a cascade of ice all over me, the floor, and customers, because Jason had put the lid back on the ice machine while I was in the back. Apparently I'm the first to have ever done that.
I've learned to make a whole host of sandwiches, calzones, a coffee drink or two, and gathered a general working knowledge of how to run a "coffee shop and delicatessen." I like playing with the grill. I also get to wear an apron and can wipe my messy hands all over it. I've always wanted to do that. The dirtier my apron is every night, the more satisfied I feel. :-) We also have this really neat ruler that has a calculator built into the middle of it. It is soooo shiiiinnnnyyyyy. I like playing with that too. Ooooh, and the knives are incredibly sharp. I also like playing with those. OH! And we have one of the magnetic knife holders! When no one is around I want to practice throwing the knives from a distance and getting them to stick. Like darts. But with knives.
I drove up to Lexington and took my "food handler's" test this morning. First I watched a video about food safety. Admittedly, it was much better than the one I watched at Bob Evan's. The most important point of that one was not to stick forks into toasters. This video actually gave good information about temperature danger zones and the different abuses and hazards that can happen to food. Granted, alot was common sense, but it was still well-worth it for the handful of facts and statistics I learned. The 15 question multiple choice test following was a snap and I walked away with 100%. Of course, the answers were also written on the test itself . . . apparently someone couldn't figure out what the answer sheet was for in front of him. So until October 13, 2009, I am certified to handle food in the state of KY. I even got me a little card that says so!
I drove past Solomon's on my way home, so I took the card in to my manager (Tim) and he reimbursed me the $8.00. While Tim was pulling the money out of the register, he asked me if I'd like to be a manager. He said in one week of working there, I show more potential than most of his employees. I tried to make light of it (I was feeling a little uncomfortable) and joked around, but he told me he was quite serious. Not serious enough to ask me to drop out of seminary (to be a full-time manager), but serious enough to tell me not to take evening classes next semester (evening manager). Food for thought. No pun intended.
The down-side of Solomon's is that I work evenings already and will not see Rick on Mondays, Wednesday, and Thursdays. I can't imagine adding another 10 hours to my schedule, maintaining grades, and my relationship. The upside would be making money and being able to afford a wedding, maybe even by this summer . . . (sorry Rick if I just gave you a heart attack).
Hard to believe this time last week I just barely had a job, and now I'm being propositioned for management. It's also nice to know if the ministry doesn't work out, I can always join the elite teams of food service. :-) Hmm, maybe knife throwing will come in handy for the pastorate . . .