Driving Through Bugtussell With Hoke...

I did another catering job for the restaurant on Thursday morning. I worked Wednesday night...two days into battling a horrible cold and waiting (once again) too late to start taking meds for it.



I finally dug out the old prescription decongestant I got from the "Doc in the Box" when I was sick a while back but was feeling worn down and worn out when I left work Wednesday night. I didn't get off til after 11PM and had to be up at 4AM to go to the catering job in a neighboring county.



Tim is having car issues so I am letting him use my car. I called my ole buddy "Hoke" (see previous post) and asked if he would pick me up and let me ride with him to the catering job.



We had to be there by 6AM which meant we had to leave Newnan shortly after 5.



After less than 4 hours of sleep I dragged myself out to meet Hoke in the driveway to make the trek. At least his passenger side window was fixed, which meant #1 I didn't have to freeze to death and #2 I got to ride shot gun. (see previous post)



We headed out in darkness and as we approached the last town in Coweta County before crossing county lines...we entered what I like to call "Bugtussell". (You know I am a Beverly Hillbillies fan)



If this gives you anything to measure by, the trailer park is named "Camp Dang".



Hoke wanted a cup of coffee and as we slowed to pull int the gas station I noticed a Christmas Tree decoration fully lit on one of the telephone poles. You know how cities have decorations hanging from utility poles that they light up at night from Thanksgiving til New Years?



I remarked to Hoke that they must have forgotten to take that one down.



We went in and bought coffee and I remarked to the young girl behind the counter that she should call someone on the city council and tell them they still had a Christmas decoration up and lit.



She said "Du Whut?"



Hoke started laughing so I just said never mind and we got back in the car and traveled on in the darkness.



We pulled back onto the county highway and noticed we had only spotted the first. From the gas station on, every other utility pole had a Christmas decoration hanging from it glowing with wasted electricity. A snow flake, then a holly branch, next were bells and then a brightly lit Santa followed by reindeer and on and on and on. There were at least fifteen Christmas decorations glowing in the early morning darkness.



Okay, a week after New Year's I can see. But over a month AFTER Christmas?



Next we drove by a power plant with huge smoke stacks billowing out huge plumes of exhaust high into the atmosphere. I remarked it looked like Three Mile Island...I'm not sure what was coming out of the stacks but can pretty much guarantee it "Ain't good".


The above picture resembles most of the houses we passed. I am sure there are many nicer houses off the beaten path, but we were ON the beaten path and the path looked pretty darn beaten.



We reached our destination at 6AM. We were serving breakfast for 75 at 6:45 and lunch at 1:00.



We got busy setting up the buffet and getting all the chafing dishes ready for the food to arrive from the restaurant. When you have a buffet you use cans of Sterno....like you use when camping. I hate the smell but they serve their purpose.


It was 6:35 when the first people arrived. It was a learning seminar for a huge company and I guess these guys were either brown nosers or simply starving.



The Chef from work had just pulled into the loading dock outside with all the food ready to go.



I don't know if any of you have every smelled Sterno, but it is a pretty strong smell. It's liquid fuel in a can the size of Fancy Feast so it must be some powerful crap.



I already had the coffee brewed and the juices out and as I poured a cup of coffee for the first goof ball he remarked "Smells Good!"



I looked at Hoke and said "He's gonna be easy to please".



Breakfast went off smoothly and when they went into the auditorium for their seminar we broke every thing down and moved to the company's main office to set up for the lunch buffet.



Breakfast was pretty stinking good (no pun intended) omelets with ham, cheese, mushroom and peppers. Grits with cheese. Bagels with cream cheese, sausage patties, yogurt, fresh cut fruit, and oatmeal with brown sugar and cinnamon. We had orange juice, apple and cranberry juice and gallons of coffee.



Breakfast was served at a Cultural Arts Center on a local college campus but we had to load everything up and move it to the company headquarters to serve lunch.



Once again it was another delicious meal.



Sliced pork tenderloin with an amazing pineapple/cilantro salsa, Chicken Marsala, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, garlic bread and cannoli, brownies and peach cobbler for dessert.

We have a woman who sells all of our catering jobs. She sells the jobs, the restaurant makes the fabulous food and us servers dole it out. A pretty good combination of effort, salesmanship and service.

When the big wigs all get their fill , there is generally food left over and us servers get to eat and the woman who sells the job lets the underlings from the office pool come eat as well once the seminar has started back up.

Hoke, one of the chefs and I were sitting in the kitchen eating when the call was sent out that the secretaries could come fix a plate.

One woman stepped in the kitchen and picked up the phone and dialed an extension. In a hushed tone she said "They're done". She punched another extension and said "Come on". She went out to fix her plate and came back into the kitchen, plate in hand and dialed yet another extension. "Come now".

We were cracking up!

Hoke looked at me and said "The eagle has landed...the pearl is in the river..."

In less than two minutes ...the buffet was surrounded by underlings. It was like pigeons in the parking lot at the Varsity in Atlanta....except it was great food they were pecking at.

The big wigs ate first...but everybody got to enjoy.

I got home in time to pick Massey up from school, a little late but at least I got there.

I went home and fell into a coma on the couch. Woke up to take her to Guard practice and fell back into my coma. Zach picked her up at 9:30 and I slept for 15 hours.

I feel better... not well but on the road to recovery. Worked another double today and barely made it. I have Saturday off to go to Massey's first competition of the Winter Guard season.

Brought home enough food from catering to not have to cook til at least Monday.

Can't wait to blog about her first competition and of course I will have a video.

Headed to bed...just wanted to share with y'all first!

Til next time...COTTON