I was standing outside of the Olive Garden yesterday waiting for a cab.

I watched as an elderly couple walked out of the restaurant and got into their vehicle which was parked in a handicap spot. They removeed their hang tag from the  rear view mirror and slowly inched off towards their next destination.

A few minutes later another vehicle pulls into the handicap spot. They put their hang tag up on the rear view mirror and get out of the car. The occupants who were all elderly slowly made their way to the front door of the restaurant. A few minutes later they reappeared, I guess the wait was pretty long, and they all go into their car and slowly pulled off.

As our population ages, I think we need to change a few rules. Yes, I know being "handicapped" can accompany getting "older". However, I think a distinction needs to be made.

I propose the creation of "old" or "elderly" parking. This parking will be located close to the door, but not "MEGA" close. The spots should be located close to awnings or covered areas, so as to limit the amount of exposure to the weather. Since "old/elderly" people don't move as fast as most younger folks.

Then the "truly" handicapped people will have spots available, and some of the "grey" area questions of "Are they really handicapped?" can be resolved. This of course won't stop the sports car driving, twenty-something who parks in the spot and then dashes into the store, but like I said, it will resolve some issues.

The "old/elderly" are fine folks. In their earlier years they helped build our great country. Now as they age we need to be respectful of their needs. We also need to accomodate the growing number of handicapped folks who are becoming more adept through technology and changes in attitudes, and who now function quite well in our society.

So, I went to dinner tonight at Nakatos in Springfield, Mo. It is a hibachi-type restaurant where a group of diners sit around a giant flat top and watch a cook prepare their food, with spatula spinning and occassional bursts of flames. Sometimes you know your dining companions, sometimes you are glad you don't.

Tonight me and my dinner guest were seated next to two people who were very inebriated and very local. They really didn't care who witnessed their behavior. The gentleman was guzzling mixed drinks and demanding more in a manner that would give Al Pacino's character in "Scent of a Woman" a run for his money. Meanwhile his female companion had an entire bottle of iced sake to herself.

I try to carry on a regular conversation with my dining mate, attempting to ignore the events transpiring next to me. We order sushi before the meal and hope things improve.

So the meal progresses. I am the buffer between my dinner date and the progressing drunkness of my table mates. Who have by now drawn the gaze of the rest of the table. The cook and his spinning eggs, firy onion tower, and banging spatulas was pretty much ignored, in exchange for what was transpiring next to me. Meanwhile the couple is swearing and going on, and of course the guys cell phone rings and we get to hear all about so-and-so and some other stuff, that we tried to ignore.

Working with the public I have seen lots of really drunk people in both casual and not-so casual settings. These folks were definately having a good time. The poor cook was doing his best to pretend nothing odd was going on. Until the lady sent her sake glass crashing to the floor. Even this event was brushed off and the meal continued. The general chatter at the table was very low key. Since most folks were still watching our fellow diners, rather than discussing their day at the office, or Aunt Gertrudes birthday, or watching the cook prepare their dinner.

Anyways the meal concludes with the female taking her companions sauce cups and dumping them into his plate of food proclaiming to anyone in general that they will need a to-go box. Then she starts swaying back and forth in her chair. This is the point where I start to scoot away from the table. Since her head is sort of rolling around and she has that pre-emptive look that we have all recognized as the international sign that someone is about to loose their cookies.

Well the gentleman is quick enough to get their bill and pays it in cash, then hurridly scoops up his companion and they head for the door. Evidently one of them was going to try to operate a motor vehicle. Since I didn't see a third. The remainder of the table came to a conclusion, outloud that neither of them should be operating any type of motorized vehicle.

Awe, Japanese dining in the Ozarks!

"As we sit here today, it's our best guess and well thought out analysis," Wagoner said.. "If we've learned anything in the last five years, it's that there's no guarantees in this business or any other business."

- GM CEO, Rick Wagoner -

A question that I have been asked many times since I found out I would be leaving St. John's.

When Wes at Clary's asked me one night "What are you going to do now?" I obediently answered, "Well, I am going to cook off the bacon. While that is cooking I am going to slice up the chicken breasts, then do toast points." I wasn't being smart. I just misinterpreted the meaning of his question. Wes of course wanted to know what I was going to do once my job went away.

Mary Bucker who works in ops at St. John's asked the same question while I was down fussing with a server in the data center. My response was, "Well I don't know what I am going to do. The stupid server keeps crashing." She then said, "I didn't mean the server. I meant, what are YOU going to do?"

At first I really did not know what to do. I was a bit lost. Then I started to think about options. Move to St. Louis? Move to Michigan? Work someplace else in the health system? All of them seemed inviting.

I continued to attend my baking class. As in the past the culinary classes have provided something for me to look forward to. The classes also provide some normalcy in my life. I am also really enjoying them.

Well the day has come. As of today, I no longer work for St. John's. What am going to do now? Well, I think I will do some contract work, then possibly return to Tracker Marine. My overall goal would be to move to St. Louis or Michigan. Find a job that might marry what I know in computers with a job around food.

This week started with a somber going away lunch at South Avenue Pizza Company. The whole group went. The lunch felt more like a lunch after a friend died, then a last "get together".

On Wednesday the folks at community relations took me out to Steak and Ale. I got to see a bunch of people who I started with at St. John's. Wednesday night I went for sushi and candle shopping with Mary.

On Thursday I did two lunches. One with Mike Arnell, who is a Lady Bear fan who sits on the disabled platform at Lady Bear games. The other was a lunch with the "I.S. gang at T.G.I.Fridays." This lunch was better than the previous one. It was a bit more upbeat.

Today I went and signed my separation papers with St. John's. Afterwards the group went out again for lunch. This time we went to Colton's and invited my original boss and some other former members of the app dev group. This lunch was much more festive. Everyone was very conversational. Derek showed up with his daughter Gracie. The table talked about everyone's present and future plans. I brought a funsaver and documented the event.

Tonight I went out for chips and salsa with Gregg and Jennifer who work in the IDX group. We went to Chili's and ate lots of chips, drank beer, and talked. Jennifer and I then went over to Barnes and Noble and looked at the cooking books.

I ended the evening over at Kat's apartment watching Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. By that time I was dead tired, and decided home was a good idea, instead of watching "Benny and June" or "The Goonies."

I didn't always agree with my group at Cherrystone. But these past few weeks I have watched these people become very concerned about each other's well being. We traded job leads and did the best to cheer each other up as our time at St. John's was coming to an end.

We even bonded together and helped to bring some cheer into the life of a fellow member of our I.S. group. They were dealing with not only the loss of their job. But there were health issues in their family. Our soon to be extinct group got together and collected a very good sum of money for a "night out" for them.  We wanted to let them know we were there, and cared for them.

Towards the end we helped each other pack, and take apart our offices.

I deployed one final app before I left. I did it right before I disconnected my computer this morning. I was able to squeeze in changes to the HIPAA online training application.

As of tonight the St. John's app dev group located in Springfield, Mo. no longer exists. After lunch we were standing in the parking lot and I think it became very real for a lot of us. We had no place to return to after lunch. There was no email to go back and check. Our jobs were gone. Our keycards have been turned in. Instead we got into our vehicles and headed our separate ways.

I know whatever I do in the future. I will use the knowledge and experiences from the past four years to assist in achieving my goals. 

Okay BYE BYE! 

 

I've had a good time down in New Orleans several times. They are very gracious hosts.

Now they need some help.

 

Donate Here

Tonight was my first baking class at OTC. I am not absolutely sure what really drove me to sign up for class this semester. I told Chef Rice last week, "it just felt right".

My job at St. John's is ending, my vocational future is somewhat uncertain, but I have taken the time and the money to continue my culinary education.

For the past two weeks I have waffled whether I should take classes this semester. Or should I spend my time and money trying to work on my "life-sustaining" career. I waited until the last possible moment to sign up for classes. I waited until right before class to pay the tuition. Last night I just happened to walk past "The Student Book Exchange", and decided to buy my textbook. The baking book this semester was incredibly expensive. If you bought the new one it was $90.00. If you wanted used it was $63.00. I chose used this year.

My somewhat illogical drive became clear tonight when in class I pulled out my biscuits and muffins and was very pleased with them.

My instructor this semester is Chef Southwick. I have seen him around school during my previous classes. This was my first class with him. I think it will be a very enjoyable experience. His pace of teaching is very relaxed and his delivery of knowledge comes across very well.

Tonight we jumped right in and made cheddar biscuits and blueberry muffins. Both are examples on how baking powder. Which is used as a leavener in what are referred to as "quick breads."

Baking powder releases carbon dioxide gas when mixed with liquid and when heated, known as "double acting". Where as, baking soda releases carbon dioxide when exposed to an acidic agent. Everyone remembers the vinegar and baking soda trick?

We don't have any partners in class. We all get to make the stuff individually. A lot of which is used by the school, and some of it we get to take home. Our class size was around twelve tonight, a very nice size in my opinion. It was easy to share some implements and banter with classmates as we worked or waited for goodness to come out of the oven.

Next week we do cookies. I am going to really enjoy this course. 

 

I have been thinking recently about all the negative aspects of my time at St. John's over the past four years. A few days ago I started thinking about all the positive things that I have experienced during my time there. Here are a few of them.

I learned how to boot unix servers.

I learned PHP and MySQL.

I learned how to run a web site.

I got to experience a harpist bring enjoyment to a patient on the oncology floor.

I got to build and work on applications and web sites that benefited patients.

I visited South Korea

I was flown around the country and trained how to use Microsoft .net. With the added benefit of getting to visit and explore cities such as Louisville, Omaha, Minneapolis, and St. Charles/St. Louis, Missouri. All expenses paid.

Watching nurses take care of newborns in the NICU at 3 am in the morning

Watching nurses take care of patients in Neuro-trauma Intensive Care

Visiting and knowing that St. John's has an excellent burn ward.

I got to experience the ER from the viewpoint of a patient and an employee.

Watching my own friends being taken care of at an organization I worked for.

Taking pictures and then building the Sunshine Run web site, while sitting downtown at the MudHouse.

I learned how to use ORACLE

I was given the opportunity to learn how to cook

I got to work the Convoy of Hope event

I got to work at The Kitchen. 

I got to work at Clary's.

I got to learn how to administer a Windows Server and IIS

I worked in a building full of people who take great pride and dedication in their jobs. There are countless people at St. John's who I have met who mean a lot to me. These folks range from the lady who sweeps the floors in the hall in front of Community Relations to Dr. Alan Clark.

I think the thing I will remember the most about the hospital is the following.

Back when I had an office on the ground floor. I would occasionally leave my door open. I would get to hear the everyday traffic of the hospital move outside my office. The hospital had moods. Some days it was upbeat. Other days it was challenging. At nights the hall was quiet and dimly lit. In the mornings it was bright, full of people, and the smell of breakfast was in the air. The everyday events that transpired in the hallway proved to me that I worked for an organization that had a defining effect, on the lives of so many people. That is what I will remember the most about my time at St. John's.

Was the term used at the restaurant I work at when the BOH "Back of House" would receive food from the hot line. This was usually due to a mis-fire on a ticket. It didn't happen often. But when it did, it was referred to as, "Boys on the Board".

Today I went to a going away picnic for the sous chef. The picnic was named "The Boys on the Board" picnic. Cooks and restaurant workers who he has worked with over the past years were invited out to his family farm near Marshfield/Seymour, Missouri. The trip east took a while and involved winding roads, and rolling farmland. Plus, I got to see my first "watch for Amish" road sign.

Everyone brought a dish to share, and the outgoing sous provided bbq pork ribs. The opportunity to attend a gathering where other cooks shared their own comfort food was a really neat experience.

There were appetizers consisting of little pizzas, followed by home-made egg rolls. The side dishes that accompanyed the BBQ pork ribs were also very good. These dishes included potato salads, two distinctly different types of pork and beans, and other dishes.

The desserts were really good also. There was a wonderful chocolate cake and pumpkin pie created by fellow cooks.

It was a good day. I sat around in my camp chair in a densely wooded part of missouri. Drinking Schafly's and enjoying the company around me.

This is another example of the phenominal people and experiences I am exposed to due to my culinary endeavors.

Anothony Bourdain is so true when he states, "Cooks Rule".

 

I was very happy to watch the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery this morning. Even the usual deadpan launch announcer sounded excited. The shuttle literally leaped off the pad. She looked anxious to get back up there.

The launch went fine. Of course even after two and half years of meetings, debates and finger waving. Something fell off the damn external tank during launch. Doesn't look like it hit the shuttle. But come on guys! After all this time, you would think everyone would make sure NOTHING fell off the external tank.

Of course Andy will banter on about mag lav, space elevators, and the Rutan Space Empire. If NASA could shoot people to the freaking moon on 16k of ram and some thin layers of mylar. They can darn well put seven people and a bunch of household supplies into low earth orbit. Without crap falling off the space craft. They aren't even technically in zero gravity. Remember, "it's Micro-gravity".

Anyways, congratulations to the nerds at NASA and to the astronauts who dared to sit inside of the most sophisticated machine man has ever created.

I set out this afternoon for lunch at Steak and Shake and to get some groceries for a party I was preparing food for tonight.

While walking down Walnut I heard a bell. It was rang three times. It sounded like it came from somewhere in the neigborhood. It was a really big bell sound, which most associate with churches and other large buildings. I thought this was odd and contineud on my way.

As I was walking up to the Steak N Shake. I saw a large black dualie pickup pulling a long flatbed trailer with a giant bell on it. The truck was pulling into the Walgreens across the street. On the side of the black painted flatbed trailer was a vinyl sign with the name "Mark J. Hall" in white lettering on it.

Somehow I knew that Mark J. Hall was probably deceased, and the bell was symbolic in nature. I crossed the street and looked over the truck and tried to see who was driving it. Giving up on my search I went back to Steak N shake for lunch.

All through lunch I kept looking over at the truck. Wondering what story it had to tell. It had to be something important, and I wanted to know. I quickly finished lunch and ran back over just as the occupants were getting back into their truck.

I asked them about the bell.

The driver was the brother of Mark J. Hall. He had driven up from Texas for his brother's funeral. The bell was meant to honor servicemen and women lost during battle and due to other causes of death.

Mark Hall was an art instructor at SMSU. He was killed last Sunday when a car traveling south on National at a very high rate of speed ran the traffic light at National and Walnut. Mark's truck was hit broad side and pushed a signficant distance until it was stopped by a giant tree in the yard of a house on Walnut. Both drivers died. The wreck took place on a sidewalk I walk every week on the way to the grocery store. I remember seeing it on the news and wondering what would happen if someone was on the sidewalk at that time.

Mark's brother had pulled his giant bell over at the site of the accident on Walnut street and rang the bell for his brother, who had also served in the military. I had walked a different way to Steak N Shake, so I did not see them at the site of the accident. I heard them, but did not see it.  

On the way back I got my first look at the site. The large tree had a lot of the bark peeled off one side. The yard was also really torn up. There were signs of a very bad accident everywhere. Amongst all the upturned earth and spray paint accident markings, there was one very large floral arrangement. A few feet away was a much smaller one.

 

James Doohan passed away today. He was suffering from Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease.

I'm going to go watch ST:TNG - "Relics" now.

"The word is given"