06.03.08
12/13
I guess I knew what I was getting into. There were plenty of warnings that being a chef would be a hard, tiring job. Heck, several people tried to warn me away from becoming a chef if only because it is such an incredible increase in effort. But I ignored those people since I was raised in a family that was always willing to let me know what I wanted to do with my life. While growing up, the most common phrase I heard when I thought up a new career choice (which admittedly was often) was “Oh, you don’t want to do that…” As a result of this indoctrination, I rarely listen to people’s advice on career decisions since that would only keep me from trying out new things.
 “And as we can see from your career profile aptitude test, you are best suited to be a priest, stand-up comic or lumberjack. Good luck with that.” |
Once again, it is only fair that I point out that my family was 100% supportive of my decision to become a chef. At no point did they try to dissuade me from this path. (Which was a welcome surprise…)
I have mentioned before how it is challenging to “pull a six” in any given week when what you are used to is a five day work week. Well, these past two weeks I not only had to pull two sixes back to back, but within this stretch, I had to pull multiple doubles as well. The reason for all this? I was filling in for a fellow sous chef who was taking his vacation in Japan - his first trip out of the country.
At the risk of sounding hubristic, I’ve become pretty good at my job. (I should hope so, seeing as how I’ve been doing it for over a year now.) So I’m usually able to finish up after just 11 hours on a usual day. (If that makes you shudder, then being a chef is not for you…) So an average work week is about 55 hours for me.
These past two weeks though, working six days each with several 13-14 hour days involved, I’ve figured that I worked a total of 148 hours. Back in the world of cubicles, it would usually take me 19 work days to work that many hours. But since I always had 5 day work weeks back then, 19 work days would be spread out over 25 calendar days. This stretch was 12 work days spread out over just 13 calendar days. The same amount of work in almost exactly half as many days.
To say I’m working twice as hard now that I’m a chef isn’t much of an exaggeration.
 How could he not have a good time? He was away from work, and got to eat lots of sushi! |
So all that is a way of me saying two things:
- I’m sorry I haven’t posted in a while - I’ve been busy.
- Man, I’m tired.
Made all my effort to cover for him seem worthwhile.
Stumble it!
Eize said,
June 4, 2008 at 11:39 pm
The least the sous chef could do is bring home some Japanese sweets. Mmmm, sweetened bean curd paste.
Geoff said,
July 2, 2008 at 9:57 pm
I question your math….are you factoring in homestar runner breaks and Susan Fuller/Elizabeth Washington brownie breaks in your “cubicle” work hours? Cause I feel it would take a lot more than 19 work days to actually “work” that many hours.