Sorry, just saw this response! I did go to culinary school - the French Culinary Institute in NYC to be specific. I would absolutely recommend professional education with one caveat. Work in your desired field first, whether that means working in a restaurant or scooping muffins in a bakery. The work is physically demanding, highly repetitive, socially limiting (you'll work all the holidays and big event times), and generally somewhat low paid. I worked in restaurants for 2.5 years before applying to school, plenty of time to make sure that this was really something I wanted to do.
That said, I absolutely loved it and I wouldn't trade one second of it. The FCI gave me fundamentals that mean that I could go into any kitchen anywhere and come out with a dessert or bread or showpiece (fancy food sculptures). I also had the invaluable opportunity to learn firsthand from some of the best chefs in the world, and the luxury to spend 6 hours a day, 5 days a week cooking and perfecting my skills before trying it where it counts. BUT! It was crazy expensive, and I couldn't have done it without the help of my family. The disparity between culinary tuition and starting salaries is something that doesn't often come up in recruiting brochures but should not be ignored. I was fortunate to land in a very good (and well paying) job right out of school, and I left it to start my own business, which I ran for 3 years. I decided to change careers because it was time to grow my business, and the prospects for what was essentially a luxury item in a shaky economy in a small town didn't exactly fill me with confidence. Also, and I don't think this can adequately be explained in the context of a comment, but being a vet is what I needed to be. Everyone else in my life knew it, I just took a while to realize it.
The short version of all of this - learning from professionals in a school-like environment is a wonderful way to get your foot in the door, but it is not the only way by far. The old-school apprenticeship method is tried and true for a reason. Most bakers and pastry chefs are happy to share their knowledge, especially in return for some grunt work. January, March, and mid-summer are good times to show up and ask around, most places aren't quite so busy then and will have time to chat with you. For goodness sake don't open up a bakery before you get some good knowledge and a stable footing! There is no hell quite like the hell of sole-proprietorship without preparation. And trust your instincts. If you wake up surrounded by dogs, it may be time to reconsider things :)
That said, I absolutely loved it and I wouldn't trade one second of it. The FCI gave me fundamentals that mean that I could go into any kitchen anywhere and come out with a dessert or bread or showpiece (fancy food sculptures). I also had the invaluable opportunity to learn firsthand from some of the best chefs in the world, and the luxury to spend 6 hours a day, 5 days a week cooking and perfecting my skills before trying it where it counts. BUT! It was crazy expensive, and I couldn't have done it without the help of my family. The disparity between culinary tuition and starting salaries is something that doesn't often come up in recruiting brochures but should not be ignored. I was fortunate to land in a very good (and well paying) job right out of school, and I left it to start my own business, which I ran for 3 years. I decided to change careers because it was time to grow my business, and the prospects for what was essentially a luxury item in a shaky economy in a small town didn't exactly fill me with confidence. Also, and I don't think this can adequately be explained in the context of a comment, but being a vet is what I needed to be. Everyone else in my life knew it, I just took a while to realize it.
The short version of all of this - learning from professionals in a school-like environment is a wonderful way to get your foot in the door, but it is not the only way by far. The old-school apprenticeship method is tried and true for a reason. Most bakers and pastry chefs are happy to share their knowledge, especially in return for some grunt work. January, March, and mid-summer are good times to show up and ask around, most places aren't quite so busy then and will have time to chat with you. For goodness sake don't open up a bakery before you get some good knowledge and a stable footing! There is no hell quite like the hell of sole-proprietorship without preparation. And trust your instincts. If you wake up surrounded by dogs, it may be time to reconsider things :)
I went back to college last year to get the pre-requisites needed to go to vet school (I'm 28). After 5 years out in the real world (pastry chef, owned a business), college was like some crazy vacation. No more sales and use tax forms to fill out! My most important job is studying! But the downside is that i do think I have to focus a bit more - the retention isn't there quite like it used to be. Good luck to your boyfriend, I'm sure if he can find a program he likes and can afford the time to study a little harder, he'll be just fine.
Ha! It was a very Michael Scott moment.
I sort of doubt it. I have friends who work for our local AZA accredited zoo and have dealt with exotic animal seizures. Exotics that grow up with private owners usually lack the social skills needed to integrate into a zoo collection. Add that to the potential for introducing novel pathogens into a carefully curated group of animals and it's a bad situation all around.
Fresh out of culinary school, I took a job at an upscale hotel/restaurant in the town where I'd gone to college. The interview and hiring had left me very excited, as the guy who'd hired me (not kidding, he was the Vice President in Charge of Taste and Quality) had promised me a fast track to managing their pastry department. The reality turned out to be much more grim. On my first day, no one knew I'd been hired, so I didn't have any idea where to go or what to do. After a wild and wooly first few months (I was hired at the beginning of the holidays), my position changed from pastry cook to line cook. Every morning, I'd have 2 hours to cut and wash 3 cases of romaine (about 24 heads per case), make about 5 gallons of salad dressing, and set up my station before lunch began at 11. Now I'm no stranger to hard work, and I kept the pace, but waking up every morning knowing that 72 heads of lettuce were waiting on me was hardly what I'd been promised when I took the job.
The worst part wasn't the kitchen work though - it was the attitude of the management. The head of the banquet department would take a notepad and a pen - for a meeting - and sneak off to one of the event rooms to nap or gossip for most of the day, and then yell when she returned and things weren't the way she wanted them to be. The dishwashers (the lowest rung in this kitchen's hierarchy) weren't called by their names, just "Hobarts" the brand name of our dishwashing equipment. The fact that most of them were also recent immigrants from Western African countries just made the whole affair that much ickier.
And then came the inspection. Twice a year, the guys from the corporate office (which was just down the road) would come to do a top to bottom inspection of the kitchen and dining room. As burgeoning "management", the chef asked me to come along. So all the managers, the chef, and I wandered around behind this guy while he peered into the hidden corners of our fryers and ovens. When we reached the walk in cooler, he stopped to give us a lesson in inventory control. "See these?," he said as he grabbed a handful of shrink-wrapped steaks,"you have to watch these like a hawk. Your dishwashers know that these are in here, and they can easily be traded for drugs and guns on the street." Our lesson in casual racism wasn't quite over; as we toured the parking lot, he spotted a Mercedes parked near the staff vehicles. "You managers need to pay attention to what your employees are driving. You know how much they make, so you should know if they can afford to drive a luxury car. Whose car is this, anyway?" One of the guys in the back said, "I'm pretty sure that belongs to one of the hotel guests, sir."
I found a new job a week later.
The worst part wasn't the kitchen work though - it was the attitude of the management. The head of the banquet department would take a notepad and a pen - for a meeting - and sneak off to one of the event rooms to nap or gossip for most of the day, and then yell when she returned and things weren't the way she wanted them to be. The dishwashers (the lowest rung in this kitchen's hierarchy) weren't called by their names, just "Hobarts" the brand name of our dishwashing equipment. The fact that most of them were also recent immigrants from Western African countries just made the whole affair that much ickier.
And then came the inspection. Twice a year, the guys from the corporate office (which was just down the road) would come to do a top to bottom inspection of the kitchen and dining room. As burgeoning "management", the chef asked me to come along. So all the managers, the chef, and I wandered around behind this guy while he peered into the hidden corners of our fryers and ovens. When we reached the walk in cooler, he stopped to give us a lesson in inventory control. "See these?," he said as he grabbed a handful of shrink-wrapped steaks,"you have to watch these like a hawk. Your dishwashers know that these are in here, and they can easily be traded for drugs and guns on the street." Our lesson in casual racism wasn't quite over; as we toured the parking lot, he spotted a Mercedes parked near the staff vehicles. "You managers need to pay attention to what your employees are driving. You know how much they make, so you should know if they can afford to drive a luxury car. Whose car is this, anyway?" One of the guys in the back said, "I'm pretty sure that belongs to one of the hotel guests, sir."
I found a new job a week later.
My dad is quite tall and has had a knee replacement. He has the same issues getting in and out of bolted down booths, so we generally avoid them unless we know he can fold his legs in the right configuration. I know it's cold comfort, and I hate that the family was embarrassed at all, but I think you handled yourself well.
The genes responsible for the hairlessness are also related to the quality and quantity of teeth. No teeth means there's nothing to hold their tongues in their mouths. I've met several toothless dogs, young and old and it doesn't really seem to bother them! They could all eat and drink normally. My two hairless boys have weird teeth, too, but so far, they have enough to keep their tongues in.
I caught this last night when it aired. From what I recall, he had a traumatic childhood. They don't really get into specifics but it sounds like he was neglected and abused, and shuffled around among people who didn't really want him around. He mentions that he feels that he's now experiencing the childhood that he didn't have. His first mommy figure died recently and the lady in the video is her friend who took over the role.
I think you might be talking about this show: [en.wikipedia.org] The second series explored the true cost of take-out curries and the like. It was a fantastic show and it can be seen on Planet Green: [planetgreen.discovery.com] and I think maybe also on youtube.
If I had to guess, I'd imagine that the poor dog was relegated to a closet or little used room so that it wouldn't be underfoot. That or they fed it toilet paper and gin. Really, nothing would surprise me with Charlie Sheen. Also, if he were in my state, this would be a felony.
I'm just going to leave this here...
I could read your comment on my list, even though I don't see it here. I'd still guess fan belt first, because it's pretty easy to diagnose/fix. If you have an auto parts store in town, you could go by and tell them what it's doing. At least at our local auto parts stores, they're happy to come out and take a listen and give you what is usually a somewhat more experienced opinion. You can also locate your fan belt (check the manual if you're not sure) and spray it with just a bit of WD-40 (I've even seen PAM cooking spray used in a pinch). If that silences the squeaking, then your fan belt is getting loose. It shouldn't be a terribly costly repair. Good luck! #Groupthink
It sounds like a fan belt issue. Does the squealing come from under the hood and is it most squeal-y right when you start the car? #Groupthink
I'm a little surprised that there wasn't a little pamphlet included with her prescription. My local (NC) pharmacy always adds a printout explaining the medication, side effects and how to take it. I guess I thought that was standard everywhere.
In an alternate reality, these two episodes would highlight the wacky antics of Charlie's next door neighbors, The Hookers. Clara and Bill Hooker, along with their mischievous mutt, Ringo, would invite Charlie over for cheesesteak and fruit punch (non-alcoholic of course). By the end of the second episode arc, Charlie would have showered, shaved, taken a long hard look in the mirror, seen this for the bright new chance it was. Then he would have invited all the porn stars over for a fully clothed and unintoxicated round of bridge. Clara would make her famous lemon bars and Ringo's doleful eyes and fuzzy mop of hair would convince Charlie and his playmates to spend all their weekends walking dogs at the animal shelter.
@Kit Cloudkicker: I really enjoyed the Percy Jackson series and Gods of Manhattan. Both YA, but both good escapist reads. The kids seem pretty realistic to me, neither weirdly adult or idiotic.
@SarsDoesn'tSave: Oh man! Starr Hill Love is one of my all time favorites. I also have to say, as an NC girl, Big Boss Brewing gets my vote for their excellent beers, clever names and neato six pack boxes full of fun things to read on the way to tipsytown.
@Jo Aage: one of mine had a badly injured toe that would periodically reopen and bleed (until we just had the damn thing removed). It looked like a murder scene from one end of the house to the other.
I don't know, pitted prunes and soap sounds like quite an adventure! Aren't greyhounds wonderful? ( mine are both gone now, and I miss them terribly, even with a full house of other breeds)
#groupthink
I don't know, pitted prunes and soap sounds like quite an adventure! Aren't greyhounds wonderful? ( mine are both gone now, and I miss them terribly, even with a full house of other breeds)
#groupthink
@Aesop's Foibles.: Ha! Imagine the party tricks with a dog who shits thongs. They really can be stupid. Raleigh, god rest his soul, was one of the best greyhounds in the world, but he was not the brightest bulb. His sister, Gia, may she rest in peace, was devious and brilliant. The wheels never stopped turning in her head.
I love my dogs, but cats are infinitely the superior species.
#groupthink
I love my dogs, but cats are infinitely the superior species.
#groupthink
@Aesop's Foibles.: This happened to me several years ago. Shortly after adopting my second greyhound, I noticed that my underwear was never where I left it when I took a bath. A couple of days later, the same cycle of eat-barf-eat-barf started happening. I took him to the vet, where they found a neat little ball of panties sitting at the entrance to his intestines. $700 later, he had a permanent "pantyline" and his taste for undies had remarkably diminished (as did my frequency for leaving them on the floor).
I hope your boy barfs them up unimpeded!
#groupthink
I hope your boy barfs them up unimpeded!
#groupthink
