Results, catering and getting on with it

So, the election is done and dusted.  The results are in and counted and the sense of anticipation and nervous anxiety hasn't gone away.

I had a really busy Saturday coordinating a catering job for the Cromwell Swim Club.  We were lucky enough to be offered the catering for the Cromwell Volunteer Fire brigade annual honours night, as a fundraiser for our club.  Much of my day was spent baking - taking special care over making sure the gluten free guests at the event were getting something yummy - with no cross contamination - I have promised to pass on a couple of recipes - so it must have been ok.

I knew to expect a phone call in the early to mid-afternoon and I could feel the nervous knot in my stomach tightening as time went by.  The phone call came about 1:30pm with strict instructions to keep it to myself until 2pm.

My number one supporter

I didn't quite manage to keep it completely to myself - my lovely bloke and lummox no.3 were both on hand to hear my news.  The former was excited and congratulatory - the latter just grunted, as lummoxes tend to do.  No celebrating for me however - no bubbles - back to work baking and packing up food to take round to the event for the sandwich making shift to start.  

Catering fundraisers are always quite social affairs - a bunch of willing helpers working away in the kitchen chatting and laughing.  The swim club has great people who willingly donate food items and their time to help.  I can't say we worked quite as a well-oiled machine, but we did manage to knock out a dozen loaves of bread as yummy sandwiches and nibbles platters with home made hummus, cheese, crackers and grapes for each table in time to go home for a quick break, a bite to eat, a fresh t-shirt before the next shift got underway.

It is always a privilege to cater for events like the fire brigade honours night and to piggy back on other people's celebrations.  This is an event that has some formal, ceremonial type elements and then a lot of people who make enormous sacrifices for our community having huge amounts of fun.  It is quite a balance in the kitchen between getting on with the job so that we get yummy food out in the expected time frame and making sure we aren't disturbing the formal aspects of the evening.  Speeches always start just as we decide to get the electric knife out to cut up the sammys or while we are in the middle of whipping cream.  Someone always accidentally drops a baking tray, glass or cutlery into a sink when the whole event is quietly listening.  We have to find our quiet, inside voices and stifle our laughs.

It is great getting supper finally out onto the trestles.  We always have quite a few visitors to the kitchen - some even come bearing gifts - refreshments from the bar for the catering crew - always appreciated.  Most pop in to say hello, have a chat and to comment on how good the sandwiches are - nothing better than a club sandwich on a supper table.

Being busy at an event did take away the sense of nervous anxiety - for a bit.  I received lots of warm congratulations from my catering crew and the people at the event.  There was even a councillor and an ex-community board member to congratulate me and to offer support, advice and guidance for the next steps in the journey.  My phone and facebook page also spent the evening fielding messages of congratulations.

I was really happy to get a positive result and I am really grateful for all the positive comments and congratulations I have received - but the nervous anxiety hasn't gone away - it was back the next morning.  I'm looking forward to the council training sessions and the first community board meeting to finally find out what I'm really in for and to start getting on with the job.  I think the anxiety will morph into a keenness to get on with it.  I am really looking forward to working with my fellow community board members.  There's a new look to our board and I know that although we all have lots to learn that we will work together to make a positive difference for the Cromwell community.

I did finally get to celebrating on Sunday with a casual lunch at the Bannockburn and a lovely glass of local wine.  Lummox no.1 had popped home for a weekend and as a student he is always keen on a lunch that someone else is paying for - great to see him and have him along for our wee celebration.

Ok Cromwell - let's get started on the next three years.