Three Minutes per Envelope

OK, let's do the math. It's taking about three minutes for each envelope to print; there are approximately 260 names in our chef database; that means a total of 780 minutes, or 13 hours, to complete this task. I took a lunch break today, just so the number of envelopes to stuff could pile up a bit; six were waiting for me when I returned. [Lunch: a chicken quesadilla from Tracy des Jardin's "Mijita Cocina Mexicana" downstairs. With guacamole. Would have benefited from some spicy salsa on the side.]

I really really really really thought about saying, "Hey, email me the file, and I'll do these on my laser printer at home," but then, I'm a volunteer, and I have to save my toner for other important tasks, like printing out resumes as I search for a "real" (i.e. paid) job.

So, while I was waiting for the printer, I read the summer issue of Edible San Francisco. This is a cool magazine, community-based with dozens of location-specific incarnations, and a couple of my food-writing friends have written stories for our East Bay version, Edible East Bay. For example, Simona wrote a series of articles about her neighborhood vegetable garden, which, sadly, may be a thing of the past now that the local deer have discovered it. At any rate, there's always something interesting to read about food.

Hey, even stuffing envelopes is sort of thrilling: the City's top restaurants flash before my eyes, and famous and almost-famous names, and titles I can only aspire to: Executive Chef. Chef de Cuisine. Pastry Chef. Restaurateur. Author.