Why I've Been Sober For 18 Years

Restaurant work is dangerous. One of the first things I tell inexperienced new hires in the kitchen is they are working in a giant machine shop. You can cut & burn yourself, slip on grease, wrench your back and poison yourself. Plus you must be ever vigilant because someone else could do all these things to you. Waiters have it somewhat better although the psychological danger is greater. We have a pretty good safety record. It's what these people get up to in their own time that is troublesome. What you see here is the result of one of our waiters trying to fence walk.

We have a pretty talented circus company here and this young lady, being  friends with the performers, has been trying to learn some of their skills. An accomplished equestrian she was featured in a previous performance as Lady Godiva, but she's trying to master the tightrope. I'd say she's got a little practicing to do before quitting her night job.

We will soon start planning our 7th anniversary, which isn't until January, but last year we had an evening with the circus which went well, but we all felt it could have been completely amazing if we had more time. So, this year we hope to have an early start on things and to really work out a truly integrated show and dinner package. I think though tightrope walking may be out.

Ah, this looks more like it you say. This young Mayan was obviously furiously chopping away, miscalculated and did some damage to the pinky. A good supposition but no. His cousin, with whom he lives, and a two of his cousin's friends were living it up at their apartment and this young man was trying to get a little sleep. Things degenerated into fisticuffs leaving this Mayan with a black eye, a print from a baseball bat across his lower back and his pinky, which you see, bitten down to the bone. And leaving me short one line cook until it heals. The police were called. They are "investigating" the incident.

I'm not posting these to make you ill. I'm just very grateful alcohol isn't part of life in this way. I sell it, I taste and spit, I appreciate the epiphany that a good bottle of wine can bring to a meal, I work with the vintners and brewers up here to promote their products but I found out long ago that if I drink it, things like the above happen. My job is dangerous enough, I don't need any additional ways to harm myself.

Don't take this as a screed against alcohol, or any other drug for that matter. My makeup is such that it's not something I can handle. I have absolutely no problem with other people enjoying themselves.

Comments

[shuna]

a friend of mine who's a pastry chef in Big Sur was out an assistant for a couple of weeks because he decided to drive drunk on THE 1 and lost an eye.
for me I am so glad that I started in this business after it became clear to me that alcohol and me were not going to survive a long life together. I get to be the one the cooks hate on saturday mornings...tee hee.

[Fatemeh]

This is not necessarily an appropriate thing to say, but that bruise is simply beautiful.

[Dr. Biggles]

Yeah, that should be framed and put up in the kitchen. Pain can really hurt.