Bitter sweet.

As I write this there are now only 8 days left of school and I am both very happy about that,but at the same time I am feeling sad. The reason for the mixed feelings is that when I leave the cafertia next Wednesday it will not just be for the summer but it will be for the last time. I will not be coming back to the cafeteria next fall as a permanent staff member. The only possibility would be as a substitute if one of the regular workers was sick and I did not already have a substitute teaching position for that day or I was already working full time teaching somewhere else.

On the one hand leaving means never again will I have to prepare 42 Caesar chicken salads only to have 17 of them left over after lunch. Never again will I have to pan 12 pans of corn dogs and shuffle them from the storage rack to the ovens to the hot box again and man are they heavy. Never again will I need to make over three hundred servings oaf instant mashed potatoes, which really gives you an upper body work out, and then scoop those same servings onto a plate which after a while can make your wrist pretty sore. Never again will I have to wash, rinse, and sanitize anything. Yes that part is all good especially now. Due to the swine flue scare we have had to cup everything that goes on the salad bar. During this week alone I have cupped about 240 little cups of sour cream, 100 cups of olives and I guess 500 freaking cups of pudding. No, I won’t miss any of that.

On the other hand I have the privilege of working with the greatest women who have become my friends who I will miss so very much. As much as I disliked the actual physical part of my job I always looked forward to going to work because I knew we would be laughing, dancing, and enjoying each others company. We have supported each other, encouraged each other, and even went to Las Vegas together. I think it is because of our friendship that we have been able to work so well together as a team to get the job done and the kids fed each and every day and I will miss that. I told them when I leave next week they will have to retire my apron. The assistant manager and I are both big fans of NCIS and she jokingly told me that no matter who they hire to replace me she is going to call them Probie. I told her they should call the new person “Not Momster” because no body can replace me.

I only hope that wherever I end up I never lose touch with these women who made my three years in the cafeteria some of the best years of my life. I thank you both.