Spring has sprung.

Memorial Day weekend is a thing of the past.  Many of the residents did come out to watch the parade.  The weather cooperated.  We served over 30 people at our impromptu pot luck picnic.  Later in the day, we played shuffleboard and bocce ball.  My shoulder told me when to quit.  I knew I'd be a very hurting unit if I kept going.  Found music from the 50s and 60s that celebrated summer.  It seemed appropriate music for the day.

My friend, Nancy, planned to call me early this morning so we could walk for about 1/2 hour.  I woke up late.  I saw her about 9:30am and asked if she called.  She laughed.  "No, I overslept."  So much for good intentions.  We'll try again tomorrow morning.

The shop and the diner are doing well.  Vacations are taking a chunk out of my volunteer pool.  Tomorrow, for example, I'll be in the shop from 3 to 6pm.  It should go fast since tomorrow is Pizza day.  It will keep me busy.

Tonight, I'll do the prep work for lunch on Thursday in the diner.  The choices are a grilled turkey sandwich with a spinach, artichoke and asiago cheese spread, thinly sliced tomato and grilled onions, the usual hot dogs from the outdoor grill and egg and black olive sandwiches.  The spread is best after it mellows for a few days, so making it tonight will work.

Since I'm going away for the weekend, I'll have to get Monday's breakfast underway before I leave.  The special for Monday is a triple berry french toast bake. 

Things are buzzing at the Towers.  We are working on a plan to use the donated craft supplies.  Our first gathering of the talented arts and craft people is Monday.  I know there will be a lot of good ideas.  We did name our group the GeneSeniors.  We'll be making items to donate; some to sell in our tiny gift shop; some to add to our 'welcome basket' for new residents; and others for decorations for our community rooms.  It should be an interesting project. 

There is a request for an Ice Cream Social.  When I mentioned it to Shop and Stock, his first reaction was, "How much is that going to cost us?".  In the end, he'll go along with it.  We just have to get over his initial rant.   I really believe that an event like the picnic (we supplied the hot dogs, rolls, etc.) and an ice cream social go a long way towards thanking the residents who support the shop and the diner.  It will be fun for the residents to make their own ice cream creations. 

Today is the last day of our May Ice Cream Sale.  It has been a marathon of keeping up with the demand.  Between ice cream and pop, it has kept S&S running.

This is the beginning of another busy week. 

The Snack Shop Has Run Out of Freezer Space

Calling Out for Help! - Beginning April 20 - Ending April 30.

The Snack Shop
Our not for profit Snack Shop is open six days a week, 12 hours a day.  We offer a variety of snacks, including Kutter's cheese and juices, at very low prices.  Senior citizens live on a fixed budget.  Our goal is to help them stretch their budget so they can afford the occasional treat.
We pack over 100 items in our very small space. The refrigerator is full to capacity with pop, juice, water, and cheese.  The small freezer section has ice cream, Lean Pockets, and breakfast sandwiches. 
Our shopper and stocker is constantly running to the store for more ice cream, especially now that the spring is here.  He is storing extra frozen items in his own freezer for lack of freezer space in the shop.
We are in need of a freezer that will fit into the small space we have. 

I found an apartment size freezer that would fit.  It is just the right size, easy to access by our senior volunteers, and will hold quite a bit of ice cream and other frozen items. 
We're getting our freezer!  Sometimes it is good to have a wish list :)

Sunday Night Thoughts

The air is very still right now.  The calm before the storm?  Perhaps.
We enjoyed a wonderful Sunday.  The weather was balmy, for us, at this time of year.  You can tell they removed the ice boom from Lake Erie.
A friend called about supper time to invite me for a ride in the country.  It was fun watching people enjoying their time outdoors.
We passed an ice cream place that was jammed pack with cars.  A sure sign of spring.

On the political front, Kathy Hochul our candidate for NY26, visited Scratch Bakery and D&R Depot on Saturday.  Scratch Bakery is one of our vendors in the shop.  I loved the picture they posted of the visit.

Mary Margaret, NY26 Candidate Kathy Hochul, Mary Margaret's amazing hubby, Scott



Speaking of the shop.  We are gearing up to provide meals for the residents this summer.  It has been so much fun pouring over recipes for the breakfasts and lunches we will serve.  We can think out of the box since this is a short term project.  Come fall, I'm sure the residents will be thrilled to see the regular volunteers come back to the kitchen. 

The shop seems to be selling a great deal of ice cream, even when the temperature was hovering around freezing.  With the weather warming up we are stockpiling more frozen treats.  Even I got into the shopping thing, yesterday, when I made a mad dash for cones.  It was convenient for me to get them since the store was close to the hair salon where I got my hair cut.

We are looking forward to the Kentucky Derby.  The shop is sponsoring a Kentucky Derby Party.  I had no idea how much is available online for the derby.  We have official 137th Kentucky Derby plates, napkins and mint julep glasses.  Now, the secret is to get the residents involved in the party.  Some of the ladies are already designing hats to wear.  That was a positive sign. 

Then the other shoe dropped.

I had a friend tell me that she had several residents ask about the party.  They wanted to know if it was a car race!  A car race???  Okay, I've said it before, but it bears repeating - do these people live under a rock?  This event has gone on for 137 consectutive years.  137 years!  It was an established race when all of them were born. 

Well, maybe food will bring them in.

We are serving

Alton Brown's City Ham http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/city-ham-recipe/index.html 

biscuits

potato salad

asparagus

and a choice of either pecan pie or strawberry shortcake

I found a recipe for a non alcoholic mint julep in keeping with the day.

More later about the Kentucky Derby Party.

My hiatus from the shop is coming to an end.  I go back to the daily grind the first of May.  I didn't realize how much I needed this time away.  Three months flew by and I didn't accomplish half of what I hoped to do.  

The right knee is still giving me problems.  It is a work in progress, I guess.

The next few weeks will be busy.  We are looking for a spot for our container gardens.  The spot we had last year (as well as the permanent plot we hoped to have) will be used as a staging area for work on the roof of the east wing.  We'll be scouting for a temporary spot for our containers.

We have another wii bowler who joined the 300 club.  I ordered a shirt for him and it should arrive tomorrow in time for the meeting tomorrow night.

The May newsletter is half done.  I have to get that finished.

Our fundraising group, for the county committee, should have an idea of what we will be doing between now and election day. 

I have to make sure that my calendar is clear for May 17 and May 24 since I'll be an election inspector on both days.  Sometime, before then, I have to cast my absentee ballots.

I hope you had a grand Sunday and look forward to a wonderful week.

From the "Life is Never Dull" File

 Life is Never Dull File

Every once in a while, one has to look back to see how far one has traveled.  Today is one of those days.  Yesterday we had our annual corned beef and cabbage dinner.  It was delicious.  The kitchen staff did an excellent job. 

That dinner marked the year's anniversary of the beginning of a very traumatic time for me.  I would like to report that, in looking back, I've learned from that experience and have moved on.  

So, what is happening in the future.

The Snack Shop is taking on a new challenge. We will be serving a breakfast and a lunch once a week from May through August.  We will, also, serve a picnic once a month during the summer.

Don't be surprised to learn that Shop and Stock, the person I rely upon to supply the shop, was totally against the idea. 

"It's too much work"

"It's too hard"

"You'll never get the people to work it."

"I'm not doing the bull work."

The list of negatives was endless.

The idea of doing any cooking on the grill seemed to be beyond his comprehension. 

"We might do an outdoor breakfast.", I mentioned.

"You can't have eggs.  Eggs are hard to cook on the grill.  How would you do it?", he countered.

I had to think about that.  Eggs really aren't hard to do on an outdoor grill.  The grill has a side burner, just the right size for a big skillet.  Eggs would be easy. 

It wasn't until later that I had the image of what he was thinking.  I think he thought you cracked the eggs directly on the grill and, by some quick hand action, managed to keep the egg from falling through the grates.  I keep forgetting that his entire expertise in the kitchen involves opening the fridge for the next cold one.

That conversation ended with Shop and Stock harumphing, "Do whatever you want!"

So, the mission began. 

The theme for the Summer Diner is retro 1950.  I found a perky waitress for the menu's cover.

We will offer a choice of three breakfast meals on Monday morning.  Three lunch selections on Thursday.  One of the lunch selections will be from the outdoor grill.  Meal suggestions are coming in.

So far, we know we'll offer turkey clubs; soup in a bread bowl; reuben sandwiches; grilled cheese; and the usual hamburgers and hot dogs. 

For the breakfasts we'll be doing a lot of the breakfast bakes; chipped beef on toast points; toast, eggs, and bacon, etc.

The diner will offer ice cream floats and iced tea to go along with the lunches.

So, as I continue making lists and determining what we need, I run into the expected stone wall.

"I really would like to have a lunches be portable.  What size paper bags does our vendor carry?", I asked.

"You aren't going to put lunch in a paper bag.  They are too expensive.", he shot back.

"...and I need cocktail swords for the club sandwiches.", I mused as I added to my list.

"Cocktail swords!  Way too expensive."

My thought was that people could take their lunch out to the picnic tables in nice weather.  I was thinking of the lack of mobility of some of older residents.  While Shop and Stock's answer was to just plop the lunch on a paper plate, I was afraid some of them couldn't balance the plate and a drink while navagating through two doors to get outside.

I checked on the price of the size paper bag I want, less than a penny each.

The cocktail swords are less than two cents each.

I factored in the cost of disposable products per serving.  I think we can afford paper bags and cocktail swords.

So, the battle wages.  I say something is white, then he insists it is black.  Perhaps it is a control thing.

Whatever it is, it makes life interesting.  

But, I have a solution.

I think I'll start using reverse psychology.  Give him an idea that I don't like and let him come up with the opposite.  That way, I'll get what I want and he'll think it was his idea.  It will certainly make things a lot easier all the way around.

 

Pauly's Pizza, A Lunch Time Treat for The Snack Shop at 400 Towers.

I am so excited to announce that Pauly's Pizza is coming to The Snack Shop on Wednesday.
We are offering pizza by the slice at lunch time on Wednesday.  This is our first attempt at offering fresh baked pizza as a lunch item.
If all goes well, and I don't see why it shouldn't, we will be adding Pauly's Pizza to our list of local vendors.
This will be a welcome addition, especially on cold wintry days when no one wants to go out for lunch.
Pauly is a great guy.  He will bend over backward to accomodate his customers.  I know, he has been a lifesaver for me several times.
Hopefully, we will offer Pauly's Pizza once a week as a lunch time treat.

Pauly

The Snack Shop at 400 Towers

A little over a year ago, our community room was getting a face lift.  It was a project I championed since being appointed to the Residents' Council Executive Board two years before. 
The room is quite large.  Unfortunately, it had no character.  Long, eight foot, tables and card table chairs were hardly inviting.  Think a school cafeteria and you have the picture of the room.
The time had come to bring in new carpeting; drapes; tables and chairs. 
Three vending machines seemed to be the 1000 lb. elephants in the room.
No matter how we tried to configure the new plan for the new furniture those vending machines were in the way.
Finally, I asked if our council received any funds from the machines.  A check of the records gave us the discouraging answer.  The pop and candy machines garnered nothing.  The coffee machine, in the past three years gave us a check for $24.00.
The final straw came when the vending machine raised the prices for candy and pop.  This is a senior complex.  People on limited incomes who can least afford to pay the prices the vending company was imposing.
"Get rid of them!", I suggested. "They are taking up valuable real estate in that room.".
While other board members agreed, they were concerned about taking away the convenience the machines offered.
A lesson I'll never learn is to keep quiet and let someone else come up with a great idea.
"We can offer the same items at a lower price.", I offered.  "Why not have the items available through the kitchen?".
It sounded like the perfect solution.  The kitchen is staffed by volunteers.  They provide two breakfasts; two lunches and one dinner a month.  My solution seemed to make sense, to me.  The chair of the kitchen didn't quite agree and wasn't about to have any of her limited space used as a store.
On Sept. 15, the director of the facility, called me into his office. 
He was taking an efficiency apartment off line and making it into a fitness center.  The apartment/fitness room kitchen could be just the place for a store.
I agreed that the room had possibilities.  It is quite small, only 5'x6'.  If the stove was removed and shelving installed, it might just work. 
"Great. I'll have the vending company pick up the machines on Oct. 1.  The store can open in the same day.", he announced.  "YOU will have 2 weeks to get it put together."
Me! 
I have zero experience with retail.  None. Zip.  Nada.
My head was spinning.  We'll need volunteers. 
One of the residents DID have the experience I lacked.
He retired from a retail business and then worked part time in convenience stores.  I convinced him that I needed his expertise in deciding what we should place on those shelves.
He agreed to take on the challenge and went on a two week shopping spree for items he thought would sell.
The Residents' Council fronted the start up money.  We knew exactly how much we had to get this project up and running.  We also knew how much we had to repay the council.  It seemed like a daunting task.
The facility's maintenance crew put up the shelves.  The facility's director had a sign make for the shop.
When it was out, the residents would know we were open.

I put out a call for volunteers to staff the shop.  Four people stepped up.  Those four, my purchasing guy and I would take on shifts.
We put together a plan to keep the books; an inventory system; made a shift schedule and faced all of the small details that seem to came up in those two short weeks.
Business plans do not come together in two weeks.  We were on a deadline that couldn't be changed, so that business plan became a work in progress - it still is.
We opened on Oct. 1, 2009. 
That first month we brought in a little over six hundred dollars and gave the council two hundred.  A far cry from that $24.00 check.
In Oct. 2010, our little shop was pleased to announce that our year end gross was $14,000.  After expenses, we were able to  give the council approximately $4000 for the year.
Last month was our best so far.  We grossed $1717.   We sell over 100 different items. 
In the course of the 14 months, we have had many hits and a few misses.  We are keeping to our pledge to offer a variety of items at reasonable prices.  Our prices range for .25 to $2.00.  The most expensive items are microwave soups and 4 oz. bags of cheese curds.
Pop, juice, candy, ice cream; pastries and most of the chips and crackers are .75. 
The shop has become the general store of the facility.  People come to pick up their books for our book discussion group.  The Wii game can be checked out there.  Folks stop in just to say hello. 
We are open from 9am to 9pm, Monday through Saturday.  Our staff has grown to 10 very dedicated volunteers.
Each volunteer staffs the shop for three hours.  That gives us 4 shifts a day.  We have an additional shift, called Shift 6.  It is the after hours shift.  There are three of us with keys to the shop.  Most often, one or more are available to open the shop if a resident needs an item after we close.  Shift 6, at times, brings in more than a regular shift.
Granted, we aren't available 24 hours a day as the vending machines were, but the residents have adjusted to picking up their snacks when the shop is open.
We are now going on our second year.  I believe that we are still evolving and getting better.
Each volunteer brings their own experience to the mix.  They are adept in customer service.  They enjoy the time they spend meeting and greeting their friends and neighbors. Without them, we would have to close the doors.