Saturday, February 20, 2010

The Great Gas Run of 6:00 am Saturday

This morning as I went outside to feed the goats and bunnies it was a balmy 27°. The sun was just rising, the sky was an astounding robin's egg blue and the few puffy, fluffy clouds that were around were tinged the most beautiful rose-pink and muted-flame orange. It was barely 6:00 am, I decided to check on the gas situation for the machines-lo and behold, less than half a tank in the generator, none in the can for chainsaw, and, of course, an eighth tank in the car...with a pre-dawn Bangor run on the horizon tomorrow...I sneaked back in the house, grabbed my keys, coffee mug, and wallet, and did a Cumby's run. For those of you who read this in New England, that is self explanatory...For those of you who aren't in New England, it is like a 7-11 with gas pumps...but they have the best coffee anywhere...and I am a certified coffee addict...when they open up Coffeeholics Anonymous, lemme know, I'll be the first one there! I love Cumby's for two reasons:
A) At ours, now I'm not saying this is true of EVERYONE'S, but ours in Skowhegan is simply amazing. They have an entire counter, longer than I am tall (5' 4" for those inquiring minds), of nothing but coffee dispensing machines, a flavored syrups dispenser (with TEN flavors! For FREE!), and a machine with REAL Half & Half---none of this "light cream" stuff that is actually "Country Creamer."
B) It is always fresh, and hot. I've worked for Dunkin Donuts AND Irving (Cumby's rival). Our coffees were NOT always fresh. They were NOT always hot. In fact, the DD I worked at had a "secret" policy. Old coffee from the hot carafes was dumped in a holding airpot. It was then made into the iced coffees and coolatas. So, if you think DD is the best coffee, I tell you simply, it's not. THAT would be Tim Horton's...but, that would be another entry entirely.
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For those readers who eat at fast food restaurants, this would include Subway, sorry, what you think you are getting you most likely are not. Everyone KNOWS that those places have "holding cabinets" or "warming cabinets" and after a set period of time the stuff in them is supposed to be thrown away. DOES NOT HAPPEN, FOLKS! Sorry, wake up and take another whiff of that double Quarter Pounder or Angus Steakhouse Special. I have worked at, in order, Taco Bell, KFC, Burger King, Subway, McDonald's, Irving Mainway and Dunkin Donuts. At the McD's where I worked, the common reaction to a time-out sensor going off was, survey says, RESET. NOT throw-it-all-out-and-cook-fresh. NOPE. Reset. As in, let the meat that was cooked 30 to 60 minutes ago sit another 30, being served over that time. This is not really a worry during "peak service" meaning when it seems the busiest. EVEN if there is a wait, during PEAK you are pretty much guaranteed fresh-cooked product. There is no time for it to set around, it is being pulled and served, cooked fresh, all during that time. For McDonald's that is 7-8 weekdays usually for breakfast, 10:30 is the change over so if you have early lunch and don't want to wait in a line, go then to get your cheeseburgers and nuggets. On weekends its 9-10 for breakfast, 1-2 for lunch. Pretty much the same at BK. Dunkin Donuts I wouldn't go near with a ten foot pole after the incident I had there on Wednesday, don't get me started. Tim Horton's stuff is constantly fresh, I know the owners and staff pretty well, and you can count on always fresh there. Subway-you are better off buying your own stuff from the deli. Yeah, they have some $5 footlongs now, BUT those meatballs that didn't sell yesterday, after being on the prep table all day, yeah, they're back out there today. Those "chicken breast strips?" The same ones you can buy in three flavors at the deli case, near the bologna and Lunchables. The meat that comes pre-portioned may be set out on the table and taken back in three days running before it is sold...how often have YOU heard anyone order a pepperoni footlong? yeah. didn't think so. Same with the cheeses. The most replenished item is the veggies. Take my advice, home made is best but every so often an indulgence is nice...go at peak, or right after opening at Subway, and you'll get the best quality food.
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So, after the gas run I got home, fired up the PC, and pulled up my GCU syllabus. I have a PowerPoint presentation as my final project in my University Success class, ending a week from tomorrow. I am SO excited! It is to be 10 slides on plagiarism, what it is, how to avoid it, and why to avoid it. I can't explain my excitement, but I will try...I am a MS Office Addict, too. As well as Paint Shop Pro...yep, that's me...the coffee drinking-document creating-siggy tag designing-computer geek-farmer's wife-with three kids.

So, for fun, while I downloaded a neat template for my presentation, I finally finished our Tiny Farm logo:



This logo is the one we are going to have printed on our booth banner, on our literature, done on our sandwich board for the Common Ground Fair...and on T-Shirts!! Sorry, I'm just really proud of myself, LOL! I've done siggys, tags, blinkies, I've never done a logo...and it has taken me 5 years to complete one that we all like and are willing to use.

Well, that's all for now. I am going to get to work on my presentation and cuddle a kitty...or two...or eleven!

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