Wedding On Delta Lake In The Form Of A Train...

So, in my, well what should I call this? A quest? A calling? This attempt to live a normal go-to-work-cause-you-need-the-money-like-every-one-else-on-the-planet...to sustain my dream but really stupid, undependable and unreliable (reminding me very much like my x husband) music career.
I hopped back in the bar tending saddle again. I know I've probably already blogged about this once before, but here I go again as I'm remembering seeing the head light of that train that made mince meat out of me last night in the form of a wedding on Delta Lake, (a lovely little gem I never knew existed on the Northern side of Rome NY) two hundred and fifty, pretty people strong all decked out in hot pink matching accessories, one hundred dollar earrings. nose studs, and stuck in the mud caked high heels. All mobbed together on a duck taped dance floor, waving their arms to the America's top 50 wedding covers of the world performed by Central New York's premiere party band, Classified.
Let me back up a little. I was just so happy to get three shifts a week at Michaels, a really fine eating joint up on the intersection of 12 and 20. The job came at the most critical time merely, a few weeks after Dad died. Giving me busy work to stop thinking and extra money to help my kids here and there and pay the cell phone bills.
The three shifts a week of late, has been getting a tad shady, narrowing down to two...And being 50 now an all, I decided to not ask questions and just take what I can get. So this is what I got. Michael asked me...he gets so serious when he asks you something, I thought he was gonna fire me when he looked at me to ask me if I would like to help cater a wedding. "Of course!" replied I, always so over eager to please! Well cater a wedding did I. It almost killed me!
My day started at 10:30 yesterday starting out as a personal shopper in Utica picking up black aprons at Josie's Uniform shop then driving to the northern end of Utica to a restaurant supply to pick up liquor bottle pourer spouts...which wasn't even open! Spoutless. I then drove back to Michaels where I had lunch ON Michael...thank you very much and met up with the other servers to caravan out to Delta Dawn lake. I told my husband. Yeah I should be home by 7 or 8. Yeah right! It was 1:45 in the morning when I hobbled my sorry ass in the door.
Every place setting had three glasses. Champagne, water and wine. Every chair, a sash and a daisy. Every perfectly folded napkin, a card and a flower. On every bread plate sat a gift and in every table center, three candles and a short, square glass of perfectly matched gerber daisy's.The dresses of the bridesmaids matched every sash, flower and even the filling of the wedding cake. Oh my god! Queer Eye For a Straight Guy teamed up with Martha Stewart would of been impressed! Every dish, (this was a sit down dinner, mind you, with four entree choices beginning with a wildwood salad) had another flower to garnish. An in every corner a full service bar. Michael had to rent three industrial gas stoves, outdoor grills and warming ovens to cater this event. The one sky over Delta Dawn lake, in between the two total down pours. was colorfully sparkling with bursts and trails of fireworks that would make the town of Hamilton's sky look like a kid with sidewalk poppers. The band, mic-ing mics with twenty monitors, sexy singers and horn section to boot...Oh my god! I was in wedding overkill to say the least and almost didn't make it! Soaking wet, we all catered, served, smiled and groaned in our black and white attire, ties around our necks that at one point I was thinking it would be a lot less painful to simply hang myself from the center pole over the dance floor of drunken well wishers to put my self out of my misery.
I put in close to 16 hours. I've never handled that many glasses and dishes in my life. The food that was thrown away...disgusting. I'm really curious to see what kind of money comes my way from this. So here's a flip video that does not do any justice what so ever to just how beautiful the wedding was and how much work that went into it...I really need to slow down my flipping video skills but I didn't have much time being on Michaels clock and all. We all got through it to say the least and this is one set of headlights of a train I hope to never have to be blinded by again...No matter how many cooking shows I watch!

Just some random thoughts here...

I hiked Brookfield for the first time in many many days. It felt GREAT! Three weeks ago, about, I slipped at Jen's house pulling a muscle in my right leg which has left me gimping along pretty good. I even had to call in sick one night. I work two measly nights a week and I would have to injure my self the day before one of them?!
So I'm playing the new Waterville band stand tonight from 6 till 8 and very much looking forward to it!
I have some nice gigs coming up which I'm gonna savor. Very much looking forward to Stillwater and camping next week for 3 nights or so.
So here I am wasting time on facebook where I found a link to the Utica Arts and Music Festival. So far over 250 musical acts have signed up. Some CNY bands I recognize and many others I don't. I clicked on the "submit your music link" to learn more and they want 20 dollars for a solo act and 30 dollars for a band! I just don't get it! Pay to play for nothing. I guess it gets your music out there and in front of other musicians. Honestly, it sounds like a musical rat race to me. But then on the other hand I'd rather see people out there on the streets blowing a horn or strumming a guitar rather than pulling guns and num-chucks...Just a thought.
Here's a short promotional flip for the Waterville Band Stand tonight.

Summer Shots

Summer is speeding by as summers usually do. Bill has a lot of work so I should hardly complain. I'm totally upset as I'm not getting the Adirondack hours in that I so badly need. I also still have Dad's lucky rabbits foot to bury up there some where. I had given it to Dad when he was going through his first heart attack all those years ago. Dad carried this poor unfortunate rabbits foot around with him to all his procedures. He had it in his possessions when he died. I all but lost it when we were going through his stuff. So, I made a vow to him that I would bury it up in the mountains he so loved. I would of tapped into his ashes but Mom had a meltdown when I told her of my intentions. So the rabbit foot will be buried...probably at Raquatte Lake...along the Marion perhaps.
I'm waiting for Bill to get done with what ever handy man job he's piddling around with as we are planning a kayak along the Fish Creek today. Fish Creek was rated high in the Quiet Waters of New York. I'm ready!
So, I guess I'll upload a few shots from around the house while I and my hippy kayaking paddle wait..
Oh! Julie and the Brown boys were here for the 4th! What great kids! What great parents as well! I always have the best of times with all of them! I morph right into step grammy Pamme and away we go!
Campsite 45BB (B for Brown Boys) was quickly erected. The little red wagon pulled down from storage for firewood hauling and rabbits hopping every where. The kids had a good time naming all eleven of them...Names like peanut butter and oreo and marshmellow. You know, only names boys would pick as they are always hungry.
I made Bill make a swing for my favorite maple tree out back...My favorite Brown boy quote of the weekend was when I over heard Will make the comment, “ I can’t believe we can have this much fun with a rope and a board and a tree.” Priceless!