[Sca-cooks] Christianna's long-winded vent, was: On-line Pennsic Pity Party

[King's Taste Productions]

<snip>
 As it is,I am the one who needs the handicapped parking spot at the
outdoor event. Even that tends to be a struggle, as most autocrats never
think about handicapped parking at an outdoor event. Pennsic is an
exception with a full crew devoted to handling such things.
Johnnae


I know this is really off-topic now, but I have to vent!
I am having trouble with Disability Services at Pennsic over this very
issue. Last year when I went at 2PM on Land Grab day to get my
handicapped hanger, I was told the spaces were all reserved in February.
No one ever notified me, I was supposed to find a link buried several
pages deep on the Pennsic site to know to go and ask for it.  So this
year I wrote them and asked about in March, and no one knows anything
about it or how I could have been told such a thing.  
Having had this same sort of surreal conversation with my cable company
recently, it is just terribly frustrating.  

Ok, ofc - I am NOT a caterer, I DON'T want to be a caterer, and yet,
here I am, catering not one, not two, not three, but 4 FOUR 4 count them
4 events in the next 3 weeks.  I don't really know how I got myself into
this.  The worst part is, only two of them are paid gigs!  One is for
the SCA, and is not a big deal as Maire Ceilidh is bringing her whole
set-up and teaching outside (the event autocrats were quite startled
when I sent an entire schedule in for the Outdoor Cooking Area, because
they were pretty sure they didn't have one of those!).  The other
volunteer job is for a mondo-party -which will be fun, but still I'm
doing the food for 100+ in addition to singing and playing with the band
:/

The two paid gigs are both summer camps for kids.  One is a week-long
Culture Camp sponsored by the Unitarians here.  They are studying the
Culture of Peace, and have several countries each year that they focus
on.  This year they decided they wanted to add lunch to camp, and asked
me if I would be interested.  I'll be cooking mid-morning snacks and
afternoon lunches for upwards of 100 children ages 5-11 + parents for 5
days.  Each day has a different theme correlating with the countries -
Monday is Peace, Tuesday - India, Wednesday - Japan, Thursday - Iraq,
Friday - Guatemala.  
Did I mention it is all vegetarian, too?  So, lots of fun, roughly 30
recipes to wrangle, no wait, snacks add to that... anyway it is a large
job for little 'ol me.  
The week afterwards I'm doing a food class for 5 days for Boys and
Girl's Club kids ages 8-12 I think.  Nutriion, food math, shopping
savvy, party planning, a field trip to a grocery store, and a party.
Sometime in July I'll do a modified version for 6-8 year olds.  

I am crazy busy, still not making enough money, and don't really have
enough time to get proper rest and do things like exercise to stay
mobile.  Ack.  
My three-page "To Do" list has "Work Smarter, Not Harder" on the top of
it.  Somehow I am having trouble implementing that concept fully.  

And believe me, I ask myself the "how long can I maintain the level of
work required to camp at Pennsic" questions every year now.  So far,
that time hasn't come yet, even through all my back injury issues.  I
know that at some point I will have to address it though.  

Even though I am going to Pennsic, I guess I felt the need to jump in on
the Pity Party concept.  Poor me.  So much work, I don't know what to
do.  I could have worse problems.  

Ok, I feel better now, thanks for letting me vent. :)

Chrsitianna

(if you feel inclined to respond to any of the above, please remember to
snip ~ one time through my whole rant is plenty, I'm sure!)