Pheww! Today is my second day off since I started work. And work is going well. Very well. I'm working the entremet station, which I may have mentioned last time. I'm cooking vegetables like I was when I left Blue Hill. the difference at Commerce is that the vegetables are not being covered up with sugar. I'm again glazing about 5 different kinds of vegetables, carrots, rutabega, celery root, green celery, salsify, parsnips, tiny turnips, and sometimes sunchokes. but I only have something like 2 real purees, spinach and garlic, which are only used as components and, of course, potato puree! Which is slightly a pain in my butt, because it takes ages to dry out, but which tastes pretty much exactly like heaven. there are certain garnishes which are especially challenging for me, but I really feel that I'm learning from them and with them as opposed to just working around them. I don't think I can stress enough how much I'm loving this job. The hours are long, but not impossible and there is such joint goal and mission and drive. It's very inspirational.

I have Tuesdays off, which is bittersweet. I'm glad to have a set day off so I can look forward and plan, but Steve's days off are Sunday and Monday, so I don't get to see him much, which sucks. But I've been keeping busy, basically just running errands and that sort of thing. It's been a bit too cold lately to do much else anyway. Hopefully by the time it warms up I'll have two days off. Well, I'd better go finish my laundry. I'll write again next week!

I'm officially employed! Starting Monday, I'll be working. I went in three days this week to get the kitchen cleaned up, scrub pots and receive in our first shipment of food. There is something wonderful about filling an empty walk-in refrigerator with lovely fruits and vegetables.

I also got a chance to meet the other people I'll be working with. They've pretty much all worked together before at March, so I'm referred to as 'the new girl'. They're all quite a bit more experienced than I am though. As I'm nervous already about starting, this doesn't exactly serve to boost my confidence. Harold and Snir keep telling me how very hard it's going to be, asking if I'm ready. They're saying it mainly in a joking way, since Snir has faith in my abilities and Harold trusts Snir's judgment (and I wouldn't have been hired if they really thought I couldn't do it). I'm trying to keep this in mind. I also felt similarly when I started at Blue Hill and even back at school, yet I did well in both places. I'll do fine. It's just going to be very hard and I'll go down pretty spectacularly several times, I'd guess. But I'll learn. and remember what it was that I love about cooking in the first place.

I've been trying to prepare for the other side of my working life, which is basically sleeping and eating breakfast. I've been cleaning and organizing like a mad woman, so there's less to do once I don't have the time anymore. I'm also going to make a huge grocery run soon here, stock up on late-night snacky foods and cereal. and of course, before I start working here for real there is the super bowl. Several people are coming over to watch it tomorrow, mostly boys (story of my life), but thankfully our friend Carlos is going to be here too, so he'll help by making some food so I won't have to do all of it. and I think Liz is coming over, so I'll have someone to talk to while the game's on.