Where to begin? Well, it seems that we are well on our way to a grand adventure. All that is left now are the logistical preparations.

boot straps? check.

steely gaze of a lifelong wanderer? check.

intrepid soul? check.

We do have the necessities though, don’t we? Anything that man or woman can face in this lifetime is met best simply by the will to succeed. What the eye sees and the mind captures are just picture postcards of what the heart knows - To place foot in front of foot and to be tested and not found wanting is all that matters.

The difference between a Chef and a Cook.

Responsibility.

I have found it more difficult to be Pastry Chef of a restaurant that has no customers rather than one with many.  I am going through the Grand Opening of a new restaurant that has yet to open its doors and I have am currently finding new empathetic tones in  the Lee Dorsey hit,Workin’ in a Coal Mine.

“Workin’ in a coal mine, goin’ down, down, down - Workin’ in a coal mine, oops about to slip down - 5 o’clock in the morn’, I’m already up and gone - Lord, I’m so tired, how long can this go on…”

Alone,  Sunday Morning…Quiet Kitchen…Professional Kitchen…My Kitchen.  A wave of satisfaction washes over only to be interrupted by pulses of panic - the only reason I haven’t fallen backward is due to the weight of stress on my shoulders.  I am solely responsible.

Silence.

I only then realize that  it is the stress that is my saving grace.  This weight on my shoulders is keeping me balanced, grounded.  This is what I have worked for…but I smile as I think that I will later blog asking the question, “Is this what I have worked for?”