Dear Feastlings,
I had a pretty simple email to send out today- one admittedly a bit depressing, as it turns out that Arizona was officially recognized yesterday as having the highest per capita Covid infection rater in the world. I was going to mention that we’re still working on setting up a donation run to another hospital, where the kind people who’ve chosen to risk their own well-being to take care of the rest of us are working furiously to contain the virus and protect us.
My day is often interrupted. Usually it’s because a staff member is calling in sick, or we’ve been shorted salmon by a distributor, or there’s an angry guest on the phone demanding to speak to me personally about how many slices of pork there should be in a serving. Today it was something that happens admittedly less often- throngs of red-hatted, flag-waving people stormed the Capitol and attempted to- what?- convince the world through drama that rivals that of any adolescent I’ve known (or been, for that matter) that a vocal minority has the right, even in a democracy, to subvert the will of the majority, maybe? I don’t know. I’d shrug if my shoulders weren’t already up past my ears right now. I’d sigh if I weren’t already breathing into a paper bag. I’d curl up into a ball if- oh, wait, I’m already curled up into a ball.
But to get on with the original thrust of the email, if you’re stress-eating like I just started doing an hour or two ago, may I suggest keeping a small business in your community open by doing so? I submit for your inspection the current menu, if that holds any appeal.
And a choice of beverage, which will be where I head as soon as I’m finished with the day today:
I’m hoping that the National Guard, now that it’s been run up the chain of command and they’ve been approved to restore some order in Washington, DC, manages to get things back to what we now regard as normal. Though I must admit, I’m in awe of the fact that people have stormed the Capitol in what amounts to a coup attempt, unaware of the irony of waving American flags throughout, and I’m as unsurprised as I am. Assuming that this is resolved and we’re not spending the next couple of days boarding up our windows over here, I’ll also mention to you our plan to deliver another six dozen meals to the last of three Commonwealth Affordable Living properties on Friday
and our working on the logistics of bringing another 300 or so meals to those front line hospital workers. Plus this Saturday’s wine tasting, which, assuming some level of normalcy, we’ll all be ready for by Saturday:
If, on the other hand, things haven’t returned to somewhat normal, I’d like to propose you all join me in a rally at the James Beard House, where, even though I wasn’t nominated, I was unjustly robbed of my James Beard Award, and I hope you’ll all support me in my choice to storm the gates.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Your Less-Flabbergasted-Than-He-Wishes-He-Were-Friend,
Doug