Making Jelly Doughnuts it is

I took the job. I will be responsible for the making of jelly doughnuts with a staff of 65ish people. This should be interesting. For years I said I would never take a job like this and here I am. Guess that is what happens when one swears they won't do something. Other things I said I would never do in the past were: wear birkenstocks, (I don't do that anymore anyway but did for several years), live in San Francisco, eat soy cheese, and oh I don't know, be gay. Used to live in a much more black and white world which really wasn't very smart considering how often things change and what newness can be presented at the drop of a hat. So what if I said I would never take this job. Here I am and going to give it a go. Like anything new, I am freaked out a bit as to exactly what the hell I am supposed to be doing and what this job will be like. That goes for anything like this, right? What I do know if that I will be spending a lot more time at work and at odd hours. But I will adjust. Always do. The Jelly Doughnut Manager job starts June 1st. Wish me luck! After being in the same job for the past 5 years, this is certainly going to stretch the things I do well and probably overstretch things still needing to learn. No more slacking and highly doubtful there will be any blogging at work. Although that hasn't happened much the past few months. Notice the infrequency of posts.

Other life changes: have attempted to go vegan, at least 80% of the time. Have cut way down on milk and cheese consumption. Rarely have anything with sugar in it. Have been avoiding wheat products as well. Figured out yesterday after hopping on the scale that I have lost 23 pounds since going on sabbatical in 2003. Looking at pictures, it's true. I didn't even realize it until I did some math and there ya go. It wasn't so hard to adjust after going through the cleanse with the yoga class. It's amazing looking back at how much crud was going into this body. Don't get me wrong. Am sure to have a burrito once a week minus the sour cream and fake cheese. Or if we go to a dinner party and there is a yummy rack of lamb, I am going to eat some. It's just monitoring it on a regular basis and saving the foods which aren't so fabulous for me to eat on special ocassions. Really did think it would be a lot more difficult but it isn't. Just have to make sure to make food fun. It's just a different way of looking at it. If food becomes un-enjoyable, then it's time to think about how to do this differently. De-sugared. Decaffinated. De-dairied. Yet again a list of things I thought I would never do. Hm. Funny.

Other good news, I am going to be an aunt again. My little brother and his wife are expecting a new bundle of Lohr in the beginning of September. This will make number 10 in the neice and nephew category. He said his daughther Vanessa reminds him a lot of me. I guess she has an odd sense of humor and really looks like a Lohr. There ya have it. Amazing how the genes just keep carrying on even though we have only seen one another three times since she was born. That is one drawback of living far from family--missing the littles grow up. However it's a choice I have had to make. Miss B was just back in Michigan last week (grandpa passed away) and she got to spend lots of time with her littles who are adorable. They kept asking when I was going to show up. I think they might be starting to understand that B and I aren't like other couples they know. Will know a bit more when we go back there in weeks to come.

Off to yoga and a day of fun. We are headed to the east bay eventually to play tennis and go out for beers with Hot Toddie, a friend from Peace Corps. YAY! Good day to you all.

Three Points

Took the APICS exam on friday early in the morning. Studied for the past two weeks as if it were finals and it was the semester to make a 4.0 GPA. Well, that didn't pay off. In order to pass, a score of 300 was required. I got a 297. If I had gotten one more question correct it would indeed said on the certificate "PASS" and it would be over. As it is now, I have to wait a month and take it again. The thing is, I truly don't know which questions I got right and which ones were wrong. Reading through them and checking over twice did not get me to pass. The math part was the easiest which really shocked me. Perhaps I studied the wrong things. Perhaps I should have done a bit more. But as it stands, a 297 doesn't quite make the grade. This isn't shocking however. I have never done well on exams. There was a test I had to take in order to get accepted into the school of education at the University of Wisconsin LaCrosse, my alma matar. I took it twice and failed. Had to petition the board to get a chance for a third try. Thank goodness I finally passed that one. This is feeling very much the same. What does frighten me is that there are 4 more exams to take for the 4 other courses I am currently scheduled to attend throughout the rest of the year. I guess I will try again in a month and also take the exam for the upcoming "Master Scheduling" course at the end of May. Good times. Or something.

Friday I was offered the plant manager of the jelly making doughnuts factory position. I don't know what to do. I am scared to death of the amout of work and dedication this is going to require. I am afraid to give up my free time and easy schedule. I don't want to be married to this job. However, if I say no it's a bit of a strike against me being offered this opportunity to do a job which is this impactful. It's for an area I know really well and have worked in now for years. But it's also going to be the most challenging thing I have done in a really long time. It wouldn't have to last forever though and once I would get through the first year, I should be able to work things out and balance life again. The pay increase is significant as well and certainly would help out in the purchase of the house. It wouldn't be as much of a stretch. As you can see there are things which are very appealing and things which I really don't want to have to deal with on a daily basis. We shall see. I have until Monday to decide. Miss B says she will support me no matter what I choose. But this does mean that I won't be able to continue the role of betty homemaker doing most of the cooking and cleaning and having an abundance of time away from work. I'll let you know what I decide on Monday.

The cleanse is going to be done on Sunday night! I am hoping to break fast with a burrito or tofu enchiladas. But we will have to wait and see how the consult turns out as to what foods I should be eating and which ones I should stay away from. Everything in moderation. The world's most gross part of the cleanse took place last night. To get out all the toxins, last night before bed we had to drink 5 teaspoons of castor oil mixed up with juice. Disgusting. The nice part was we both got to sit around with hot water bottles on our bellies to get things really moving. So we did that while we watched season 4 of Queer as Folk. Let's just say this morning the castor oil did what it is supposed to and the toxins are gone. Also found, one of Miss B's socks. Ok, it wasn't really that bad but it was pretty darn disgusting. And for the record, I don't want to eat any sort of indian quisine anytime soon. I've had it with the curry based kitchari we have been eating every lunch and dinner since last Sunday. Good god I must love Miss B because there really is no other reason I would do this on my own. This one makes the other cleanse we do look like a cake walk. Today we are supposed to be fasting but I had some quinoa and tea. Not sure if I will have anything else today. Too soon to tell.

The coffee shop has officially closed. Cafe Commons is no more. After being in business for 10 years, the owners sold the building and made them vacate. I have been stopping there almost every day since 1999. Miss Colorado introduced me to their bagel scrams, lattes with hearts on top, caring and kind attitudes. I miss them so much already. Drove by last night and the windows have paper put up on them and it just looks dismal. We are going to a party for them this afternoon and we will be taking them a quiche. Won't be able to eat anything but will still be nice to wish them well and let them know how much they are missed. Never thought I would miss a place so much. To prepare Miss B and I purchased a new coffee pot and will be making it from home for here on out. I figured it out and I spend about $1,000 on lattes alone each year. Add in bagel scrams or with cream cheese and tomato and who knows what the cost reaches. However, it's been worth every penny and stopping by daily is going to be greatly missed. Farewell Cafe Commons.

What am I....nuts?

The FDA is visiting the jelly doughnut factory this week. What this means? Everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off demanding this and that and no work is getting accomplished. Mind you we are amidst changing over from making jelly filled doughnuts to glazed and chocolate covered which means "business as usual" must come to a halt. Bottom line--planning and scheduling is made even more difficult as there are certain types of work which can be performed, other types which must only take place on the off shifts which really do need to happen today. Result = being behind schedule for the glazed and chocolate covered doughnuts start up. Who gets hammered? Me and my staff. And not hammered in the drunk alcohol sense either. What are ya gonna do. When big brother is here you gotta do what you gotta do. They are to be gone by the 15th. Cheeses is lard I can't wait until it's over.

Am amidst another cleanse. This is an ayeurvedic cleanse we are doing as part of a workshop being held at the yoga studio Miss B and I attend. It's more of a "middle path" cleanse in that you don't do something like the "master cleanse" which is 10 days of lemon water, this funky
drink, and that is about it. In the morning we drink juice blended with this stuff called superfood and water. There has to be seaweed in it and the first morning I sincerely thought I was going to barf all over the table. It's gotten better as switching to apple juice as opposed to cranberry made a significant difference. Then it's a small bowl of quinoa with honey and it's off to work. For lunch and dinner a dish known as kitchari (mung beans and rice) is consumed with lots of vegetables cooked with it. Snacks consist of a pear in the afternoon and some raw almonds after dinner. But that's it. No milk, cheese, bread, or burritos until Sunday night. The hardest part thus far has been lack of sugar. I was a sincere grumpus on Monday after work and poor Miss B took it all in stride. It is amazing what changing the regular routine magnifies and shows what habits and practices one just gets used to doing. What is good is that this is only temporary and I will return to eating milk and cheese, probably just not as often. It should be easier to take a step back from sugar also. With this diet there has also been a lot of yoga and running to go with it. We will also be receiving a consult from an ayeurvedic doctor who is leading the workshop. Based on some questions and body type, he will suggest the best foods for me to eat to get the most out of my food. Could result in some significant changes in my eating habits. Which is ok seeing as growing up we did have dessert after EVERY meal. Even breakfast. Cake for breakfast? Yep, nothing strange about that in the Lohr household.

I have also been studying my buns off for the APICS exam on Friday. I have to be in Oakland no later than 0730 to take a 120 question test which involves math and formulas. I got a 95% on the practice test last night but fear it's due to the fact that I have taken it 800 times and just know the answers. I have also read the book from cover to cover and reviewed the vocabulary terms over and over. I'm just not a student. Never was. After this one, only 4 more exams for the year to go. Goodness gracious, what am I doing?

A and I did see JEthan's twin at the wildside west the other afternoon. He was a spitting image, voice and everything although not nearly the fashion sense which our JEthan possesses. Made me miss him a whole bunch. If everything goes well, Shortcake and I will be visiting him in September or October. We shall see! All depends on how the house pursuit goes.