[Sca-cooks] Old?

[micaylah]

>On a more cooking oriented note:  How do you manage being a
> Head Cook with fatigue?

Well its not easy. I've never really liked doing large feasts to begin
with so I tend to stick with the under 100 ceiling. Also think about the
term "Head Cook". If you are Head Cook you shouldnt be too involved with
the actual food handling on the day of. Mostly your job is done other
than delegating and organizing. I delegate quite effectively and run
around keeping peoples heads on straight, advising the million questions
that come my way, plying my staff with wine, hugs and smiles, and
organize organize organize. Pre doing all I can to the point one is able
to also helps.

Of course, this is only my opinion and others milage may vary. If you
can find like minded people in the kitchen to aid you, and have the
appropriate amount of people that take direction well, goes a long way
to having a friendly and happy kitchen. I love nothing more than sitting
down to a feast that I was Head Cook for. Really confuses the masses
when the Head Cook sits for Feast. <chortle chortle>

True though, I am completely blasted by the time Im finished but it
normally only takes a couple days for me to recover and recharge. I have
also learned to ignore tiredness as something similiar to acne. It is
there but wont kill you. (read: Im a stuborn b**** and try not to let
this get in the way of my fun.

After returning from our wonderful camping event this weekend, I think
the most tiring thing was not so much that I served 35 people with one
dutch oven and 2 camp stoves, but more that IT WAS 49 BLOODY DEGREES
with the humidex (120.2 F). For those of you that live in the south and
think this is a cool summer day add a 100% humidity ratio to that and
its like walking in soup and breathing water. YUCK! Truly it is like
living in a sauna. Aamof, it was so hot this weekend, I actually bought
my first middle eastern garb, complete with tassles. Sure confused the
populace in seing me in THAT for the first time in my sca career! Talk
about "freaking the scadians" for a change! teehee

  I haven't dared to be in charge since I got sick
> though I did have to take over once a few years ago when one of my
best
> assistants turned out not to be "management" material.  She flaked out
on
> the day of the feast -- but they got fed.

Sorry to hear about this incident and glad to hear about its outcome. My
suggestion is to start small and build up to your personal tolerance
level. At this point mine is about 100 indoors with a kitchen and 40 in
a camping environment.

> > Micayla and Lainie:  the good thing about CFS is that you never have
to
> > worry about rerun season...

haha This is true, unfortunately it just means we are constantly in
"prime time".

A completely exhausted Micaylah and NOT looking forward to unpacking.
Where are those wonderful flunkies when you really need them!