L block = B block on STEROIDS!

So the first 6 weeks after returning from externship is called L Block, which is like B Block. If you have been reading this blog since the beginning, you would know what I mean. Its just academic classes and all that jazz. But there is soooo much more work, projects, tests, quizzes, homework, ew! I am just always busy with work! Its almost over...three more days, then Thanksgiving break. Everyone is like, "Audrey, why are you always doing homework?" well, unlike most other students at this school, I actually want to do well, haha. Its difficult to balance job searching, working out, social life, and homework, but the bulk of it is almost over. I think my classes went pretty well. I am excited to start my next kitchen class: Baking for culinary. More later.

First day of classes

Ahhhh Its ssoooooooo nice to be back. I just feel refreshed and like a whole new person. I am dealing with all new people in my group ( not those people who hated me from my old group) and I am reconnecting with old friends. Being away for 7 months was wayyyy to long. I had orientation the first two days, which I was done with by 10:30 in the morning both days....yay for free time.
I am officially the secretary of Gourmet Society, the club I have been a part of since i got here last year. But i was never given a title or responsibilties....bummer. Its ironic, because a secretary knows dates and times of everything and anything everywhere and anywhere....last year, I didn't know what the heck was going on, and now im the person in charge of that. Im excited. I like having a title and I might even get business cards with my name on them, sweeeeeeeet. Im glad I have found Gourmet Society as my other thing to keep me busy on campus. I would join other clubs, but I gotta see how involved being Secretary gets me first. I am just trying to make the best of this year.

Back to CIA!!

I start back at CIA on Tuesday!! I move in on Monday, but today is Saturday and I am so anxious!! My room is a mess, and my brother's room, since I am using his room as my staging room for everything I am packing. I am trying to go through every item i am bringing to make sure I do not over pack, cuz I definitely did that last year! As long as it all fits in my car, im in good shape!
When I get back to school, I will be taking classes for 6 weeks like I did back when I first started. They consist of Menu Planning, Costing, Intro to Management, Restaurant Law, and Nutrition (super psyched for the nutrition class!). Ill update once I am back!

The End Came So Soon

I have two days left working at the Mooring. Its bittersweet, that is what I have been telling people when they ask if I am happy to leave or not. I have made great friends and had lots of fun this summer, but I am too excited to get back to school, so my mind is other places right now. I am working hard still, dont get me wrong, but I just dont love being at The Mooring as much as I used to. People of course ask if I am returning next year, but I dont think I am. I tell them I may return in the future, but as of right now, Im not planning on going back next summer. I want to work for a bed and breakfast in another seasonal town, Nantucket or Cape Cod maybe? I guess we will see what happens. I really like the new menu items, however, that they have put on the menu for the Fall Menu. Its comfort food, which who doesnt love comfort food? I will have to come back sometime this winter to visit and to eat some of the food! Its been a great summer.

DESTINATION: CIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Boat Show madness

I survived boat show!! That is something to be proud of. While we normally do 300 people for lunch on a saturday, we did over 700 people!!!!! Can you say, crazy?? Boat show is a weekend (thurs-sun) when people, boats, and vendors from all over the world come to show off their stuff. Its HUGE! The Mooring parking lot turns into a tent and a space for only 1/3 of the actual boat show. This event takes up basically alll of downtown Newport. And because the Mooring is the only restaurant located inside the gates of the Boat Show and people don't want to leave, they come to our restaurant. I dont even know how we did so many covers for lunch, but we did. Ill be honest though, being on hot apps wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I was just watching the grill station the whole time getting slammed by hamburgers and chicken sandwiches, mainly. But basically, our prep levels multiply by three and we are still running around! I am happy I got to experience Boat Show because everyone has been talking about it since I arrived in March. I am SOOOO tired.

I guess its part of the job description...

Ever since my friends found out I like to cook, they are always asking me if I can cook for them or asking me about my cooking. Some are genuinely interested while others just want some food. I have been going through this struggle of who my real friends are for quite some time.
At work, I make cookies and desserts whenever I am doing my baking shift. I have a whole prep kitchen to my self with ovens and burners, so its easy. I started doing it one night when there was nothing to do and well, now it is expected of me to make something. There is one particular person who seems to have a nose like a dog. He won't come out to the prep kitchen to say hi or anything unless I have food cooling or any scraps. I made brownies two nights ago for the staff and he came out to get one. I called him out on this pattern of his and obviously he denied it (me partially just busting his buttons) but after joking with him about this occurance, I started to think about it.
Are people pretending to be nice to me just for food? I mean, really? I know that I can cook and stuff, so being my friend is just a perk, you get a friendship and food. But then there are those who are in it strictly for the food. Its not that fair. They don't truly appreciate it. I guess its just something I have to live with.

Speaking up helps...

So I was talking to my co-workers about the whole promise not being kept and one of them went to Adi about it and told him how mad I was that he wasn't keeping his promise. Well he had a talk with me about the whole issue of being on saute. He said this crazy thing about how he never "promised" and thats just what it seemed like. And he said that he had totally forgotten that he had to train another cook on the station for the winter back when he told me I would be on it. So he was having scheduling conflicts between training me and training the guy that is permanant on the station. Basically, I just go over there whenever I can. He schedules me for 2pm-close on Sundays. I go in at 2 and do my pastry shift till about 6 and then I hop over to saute for the night. It has worked out pretty well. I got to spend 4 hours on the station the other night. It was really fun! Its defintiely a lot smaller of a space when there are three people on the station though. But I guess that fact that I talked with Adi got me on the station.