into December

In a way it is dreadful that my whole life revolves around the bakery, in that I am missing out on knowing some really nice people.  The bakery is dynamic right now, growing changing evolving.  I would imagine that it would eventually settle down and just BE.  But right now it is busy Becoming.

I'm pleased that we've managed to produce a righteous pita bread.  What inspired it was the request for more vegetarian sandwiches. A couple of ladies came in one day and ordered coffee.  One had great English skills.  We chatted.  Eventually it emerged that her friend would like to work at the bakery.  The friend is mother of 5-year old twin boys, and doesn't have a lot of free time.  

I arranged to hire her for two hours a day, five days.  I assigned her pita bread production.  Her first few days entailed she and I learning how to make pita!  Now she's on her own.  I was able to find atta on Taobao, which made all the difference in the taste.

Her name is Linda.  She is a responsible adult.  You say duh!  But Tina has proven to be such a child that I've reached the point where if she left I wouldn't mind.  She temperamental, irresponsible and can be quite whiney.  I really can't count on her for anything in the kitchen.  She's handling the accounts, billing the sandwich clients and costing the products, independently.  I need to find time to check out her work, but it would take more time and energy than I have.  I do appreciate that these things get done without me.  I can only hope they are being done well.

Agco now orders sandwiches from us.  Just one production group.  The workers pay for the sandwiches themselves, for sandwiches twice a week.  Maybe other groups will catch on and also order.  They have a bus picks them up on the corner near my shop, so I carry the sandwiches out there and give them to just anyone waiting for that private bus.  One of my former Web students is among them!  What fun. 

My baker, Peter, is getting better and better.  He has great time management skills, so he can crank out a lot of edibles in 8 hours.  I've just had to watch him closely because he's impatient and fond of cutting corners.  But he's getting better.  I rely on him a lot.

I miss hanging out with friends.  Yet I'm not much fun to be around, since I seldom sit still.  I try to pull myself away after 8 hours, and I succeeded yesterday!  But more often each day turns into twelve hours.  There's always something going on.