so work might start at ten, but its about 10.15 before i even make way up to the kitchen. i cut all the bread and cover any food that's been setup by harlan. i do this because a) it starts work with a solid workflow but at the same time i do not have to hear about all the same stories, all the same issues, and all the same bullshit that everyone talks about for the transition between the two shifts. on top of that list of course is the shit going on in the building, amongst the employees. you hear any new rumours and all that other kindergarden shit. that's again, why i stay in the back. however. as i may have mentioned yesterday -- it was _supposed_ to be jessica, rich and myself cooking. sally and laura waiting and harlan on that dish mode. however when i walked in i noticed that jessica didn't have her little trademark pink nike just do it hat on, her "cooking hat" if you will. she was all primped and her hair was done and she had on makeup. about ten minutes into the shift while i'm cutting the bread (which was fucking horrible by the way and will get reported to FSA as soon as i see them next) i hear shit banging around like a mother fucker in the kitchen. rich running around by himself. i look unto the floor -- jessicas in uniform. i ask harlan (the godfather of the rumour mill) what the fuck is going on. he said sally had called in. sally is administration, so she probably just called jessica without calling the store. she knows nobody there on second knows whats going on anyway. so it was rich and myself alone for the barush. i was scared. i had to force him to take the grill and just get it done. experience rules all and while i've been there probably twice as long as anyone in the building last night i was not fresh on my game. i can totally accent a cooks performance, but i do not trust in myself to do it on my shoulders. rich looks just like bradley, like sooo much like bradley the facial hair and all (just a little more clean cut) so i felt a strange comfort with him there. night went well like that. i tore up the back room and did shit like i used to. chopped onions, did the bread, setup biscuit gravy, and setup the pancake mix, swapped bowls and made another batch of that. i did a whole lot of shit, i wont even mention the rest of the setups. barush was late. we assumed they were all 'afterparties' that people were coming from as it didn't start until 3 o'clock or so. plus none of them looked legal, but all were legally fucking drunk. found out rich is 28. he seems to have gone through what krystal did with her ex, and he's hiding out in the shadows right now trying to get back on his feet. i barely know this guy and he was spilling his guts to me towards the end of the night. i'm not sure if its cos i'm the first male cook to come there since i've left, or because he just does this to everyone. he expressed dire straights about his financial situation and blamed it nearly all on his ex. she sounded like trouble. i also found out laura is now single. this is supposed to be big news aparently. she just was talked to jessica up and down about how she can't stop crying. even tho she is the one who ended the relationship. i really wanted to dismiss anything she was saying because i had recalled the day i met her she was chatting about how she was on her upcoming FIVE MONTH anniversary. i almost giggled like a child. anyways. back to nothing. harlan was amazed someone like me had a leatherman. the first shift cook was 10 minutes late. i was passing the bank on the hwy at 610. i wanted to murder. rich owned barush. good on him. he's cool. he is all about wrestling and believe it or not i think he still thinks its real cos i mentioned something of the difference and i thought he was going to stab me. he actually high-fived me at the end of the night. i forgot why. its still strange getting bossed around, after being boss for so long. i noticed that a full two year degree in culinary arts would cos less than one semester did at ITT tech. fucking amazing. for reasons i could list to eternity -- high school isn't really setup for helping you in the future. its just a containment facility and humiliation machine for people who cannot legally leave without consequences. that is all. noticing the difference in gas consumption already. a plus of the city i guess would be the plus.