Kitchen/Floation Devices

Ah...my last weekend in the kitchen. Sad, but I'm ready. Friday morning I tried an experiment and made bagels from scratch for the staff, and they were met with enthusiasm. It really is an insultingly easy thing to make and people are so impressed. And fresh bagels are like a little bit o' heaven. It's like a big ring of carb happiness. And then you add the cream cheese...

The kitchen staff took me out for Indian food for lunch and I think I ate my weight in chicken marsala and Naan. Got giant starbucks on the ride back to camp, with a stop at Mt. Sheeba, a very odd consignment project at a dilapidated school farther down Flat Creek. Mt. Sheeba is only open two days a week and it run by little old ladies and is somewhat overwhelming. It is labyrinthine, dusty, kitschy and absolutely wonderful. I found what could be the the steal of a century: a brand new Lotus Designs Rio PFD (basically the model before the Rio Serrano) for one dollar.
One.
That's a $124 discount.
Of course I do have to buy new foam for it so maybe it'll be a $100 discount total, but I mean, I'll take a $25 PFD anyday. Not that I need a new PFD but I could use a flatwater designed one. I can rationalize a $1 purchase anyday. Except maybe a $1 tattoo. Or haircut. Or botox. That I wouldn't trust. Mine is very old, faded, smelly and well loved (see photo with my dear Elena, before yet another paddling adventure down the Comptons section of the Shenandoah with the yearly HRA program). It used to be bright red; not so much anymore. It has a hole in the pocket from when I lived in a tent and a mouse wanted to get to a granola wrapper I'd left in it.
Most of the stuff I owned when living in a tent has holes in it from mice...I hate mice.


This is too long; I'll post another about Urban weekend here at the Gap. For a skinny white girl from cornfed VA it was a new and delightful experience.

(PFD: Personal Flotation Device of the Type III classification as dictated by the US Coast Guard. Used mostly for open water travels, as in flatwater, swiftwater and whitewater. Like a "life jacket" only more comfortable, less intrusive and prettier)