Ahh, seems I called it too soon. This COVID-19 pandemic has everyone scrambling again with the rise of the highly transmissible Delta variant. Which in real terms, meant that I have not worked a kitchen in over 3 weeks. Unlike last year when we still had students at Hogwarts to support and sustain, this time we have no students and no guests at all. When this lockdown is lifted, sometime in August optimistically, first thing we have to do at work is throw out all the expired food and make a big order to re-stock the hotel.
On the plus side, I have spent the past week on leave home-schooling my young daughters. It is a full time job with the youngest who always seems to need help with every little detail. Actually she is sneakily trying to get me to do her work for her, but since I'm on to her, I always try to push it back on her to get to the next step.
her: I don't understand.
me: which part?
her: All of it.
me: Okay, read the first sentence.
her: You read it.
me: No, you read it. So I can see you're trying.
her: You read the first sentence, I'll read the next one.
me: Oh darling, you read the first sentence and I can do the next one.
... and back and forth goes the negotiation and tricky devious tactics she tries to get me to do her work for her.
And then it hit me as I was prepping vegetables for the next meal, it's like I am back at work feeding a campus with just 2 students and 1 staff. I cook what I like, but my students are picky -they'll happily eat burgers and nuggets but will suddenly declare themselves vegetarian if they don't like a meat dish I put up. It sounds like I'm bitching and whining, but I'm chuffed to have them here with me for a whole week. For that I am most grateful for this lockdown.
