Lola, I tried to zoom in on the picture, but following Cellar rules the original is too small.
It's on the right hand side of the picture and if you squint it right it looks like a grinning monkey (not a Monkey) with its tongue out.

I'm not even sure what that picture is. It was a gift and looked decent in a nice frame, so I hung it up. I think it's a painting of sunflowers.

Off to renew my D.L. Since I can't have my pig for the 4th & BD, think I'll stop by bottle shop and browse.

could they possibly make cornstarch packaging any less convenient/more messy?

could be plastic clamshell packaging...

I never thought I'd say this, but I have been paying actual money for additional levels of a phone game. Oh, the shame.


(The game is called 7 Little Words. If I get you all addicted to it too, does that make me less of a sucker?)

It makes you a pusher :headshake

that was fun, but I had to wait until the end to brute-force the hockey player

Deli Handcarving training today.
Good news, I took home a sandwich bag FULL of very good Wiltshire ham and roast turkey.
Not so good news, I did not discover a latent skill.
I'm 41. I know I can't cut or carve worth a shit.

But hey, I'll be doing it five days a week, if it's possible to learn I will learn it.
Just so long as they don't bring in a Spreading Cold Butter On Thin Bread section of the Deli.

Tomorrow is branch stock management. May be yawn, but is necessary.
Then baguettes. Hmmm. I like baguettes. Can I take some home please? I will not get any money now until 29 August. I do have some supplies laid by, but I don't want to use them until I have to. Can you imagine the shame if I reach the end of the month and am sacked for scavenging in company bins?!

Okay, things aren't rosy but that is an exaggeration.
I still live with the 'rents and after all still have two stone left to lose.
And there's always that flour at the back of the cupboard...

Hand carving? In a grocery store? Here in the US, every grocery store I've seen uses a motorized deli slicer. You get nice thin uniform cuts. I've seen butchers use a knife, but never in the deli.

We do use a slicer, but you can't slice meat off the bone with it.
So roast turkey and ham hocks have to be carved by hand.
Oh and I wouldn't call our slicer motorised either. But I may be mistaking the term.

Trust me, the slicer itself is going to require practice - just to recognise what thickness to set it to. For example thin salami needs to be set at a far higher level than thin ham, because it's a firmer meat. And some people will ask for meat by weight (metric AND Imperial) and some by slice and some by cost...

Learning curve. Steep.
That and rotisserie and cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese.
(Sorry, that comes from a phonics mat I used to use in school)
And hand cutting shortcrust pastry pies. You ever tried getting a neat slice of a Gala pie?

But yes, we have about five meats which need to be hand-carved, and are apparently the only supermarket in the UK to offer this service. Let's just hope hand-carved afficiandos are very understanding :)

You will be fine Sundae. After a few weeks you'll think nothing of it. ;)

Keep cool, Sundae dear! You'll have it sorted in no time! X

Sent by thought transference

This sunday aden and i are taking our candles to the markets. I really hope we sell a heap. I am feeling nervous about it. Its going to really suck if we dont sell any. :/

Got moar overtime, yay!

Means I haven't had a day off since 8 August but this week for example I am only working three hours on Mon, Tues, Weds. No-one can even pretend that is a proper job.
Four hours Thurs then overtime Fri (4.5 hours) and Sat (9 hours)

Tomorrow I think I'll hang about a while whether paid or not, as it's the first day for one of our team members. She did all the training with us but had to go in for an operationon opening day - all scheduled but still. Adding on recovery time she feels like a babe in the wood starting tomorrow. I finish 15 minutes after she starts, nowhere near long enough to pass on my vast knowledge acquired over the last ten days...

I'd do the same for any of the team, but she's extra special anyway.
I've already warned her that as I set-up four days a week I am responsible for stock ordering, general appearance of the counter and discounting, so I have turned into a right tyrant. I've had a sniff of power and it's corrupted me. Or is that just goats' cheese?