Keepin' Busy

So, I'm still keeping busy here in the Bay. Everyday is something different, and even though I'm in a retirement community, it's definitely not boring. They say if there's not some kind of crisis everyday, then it's not really been a day. There are so many different people that come into the country club, so there's always some form of entertainment for me. Most of the guests that come into the club are members of the community, but some of them are timeshare property owners who visit the area once or twice a year. I absolutely love coming into work everyday because I never know who I'm going to meet next. I feel like in this industry, you have to be on your toes every minute of the day because you're never going to know what will happen from one minute to the next. But, that's what makes it so exciting for me! I love to listen to people and the stories they have to tell, so this place seems like a perfect fit. We have some regulars (Elvis, Mike, Tippy, etc.) that come in almost daily, and they have a new story for me every time. Although the area of Fairfield Bay isn't ideal for me (it's 25 minutes just to go to Walmart!), I still love the daily interaction with all of the characters here.

On Monday, I had to give a speech for the weekly timeshare people. I gave them some background information on the Indian Hills Country Club, and I also gave my menu suggestions for them to come in and try. This was all kind of thrown on me last minute, so I did not have much time to prepare; however, I killed it! They told me I had to start the speech out with a joke, an appropriate one, that is. Now, I was asking EVERYONE for an appropriate joke, because unfortunately I don't know any. And the funny part was that everyone that came into the club and all of my co-workers didn't know any appropriate jokes to tell. The orientation every Monday is filled with parents, children and elders, so I had to make sure that it would be appropriate for all ages. Finally, the hostess, Jessica, had found a little joke in the drawer of the hostess stand, and so I went with that one. And, this is what it said,

"I am passing this on to you because it definitely works. We could all use a little more calmness in our lives. By following simple advice heard on the Dr. Phil show, you too, can find inner calmness. Dr. Phil proclaimed, 'The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you've started and never finished.' So, I looked around my house to see all the things I'd started and hadn't finished. And before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of White Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a bottle of Kahlua, a package of oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos and a box of chocolates. You have no idea how freaking good I feel right now."

After I told that joke, everyone laughed and I felt like a comedian. It was such a cool feeling knowing that people actually laughed at your joke and appreciated my speech. It was funny because I wasn't nervous about getting up in front of those 70 people until I actually stood up there and saw every pair of eyes in the crowd just staring at me. All in all, it worked out in the end and I nailed the speech. Good times!

Work Work Work

So I've basically been working almost everyday. I work in the kitchen 2 days a week and then I'm at the FOH for the rest of the week. I usually work about 5 days a week, but lately I've been working 6 days. I don't really mind working this much, though, because I'm making good money and this town is pretty remote. It's not really like I'm missing anything when every place in town closes at 8pm! I sat in on a manager's meeting last Friday and that was pretty interesting. There have been a few problems with employees in this establishment (as with any operation), so it was interesting to see how the manager's went about handling the various situations. Also, I have been offered a FOH manager position here. The MOD (manager on duty) schedule came out yesterday and I was on it! I've never been a manager, and the fact that I've only been here a month, was flattering. It lets me know that they have noticed my hard work and appreciate my work ethic.

In the kitchen, I made pretty standard orders that came through. Burgers, wraps, and other sanwiches were just some of the few things that I've made. We recently had a wedding party of 150 people and i had to make 150 parmesean cheese cups (see picture below) for all of the caesar salads. I've really enjoyed my time in the kitchen so far. I really thought it was going to be awful and I have been dreading it since the beginning, but now that I've worked in the kitchen, I really enjoy it! I actually look forward to the days that I'm scheduled to cook.

Cookin' in the kitchen

So I have been extremely busy with work and school that I have barely had time to post what I've been up to on here. I started working in the kitchen a couple of weeks ago. I've just been learning the basics so far (prepping food, knife skills, inventory, etc.) and mastering the different styles of cooking (chopping, slicing, dicing, sauteeing, etc). I'm actually enjoying it a lot more than I thought I ever would. I have never really cooked anything (boiling macaroni and cheese is my idea of cooking), so starting in the kitchen made me pretty nervous. But the chef has been an amazing mentor to me so far, and doesn't make me feel stupid when I don't know something.

First, I started with basic knowledge of the chef's knife. I learned the different parts of it (tip, spine, bolster, tang, heel, and the actual cutting edge). The knives we use at the country club are Wusthof. Apparently, these are pretty expensive (range from $120-$160 for each). Although they might be expensive, they will last longer. The chef told me that you can tell the quality of the knife by looking at the tang. If the tang goes all the way through the handle, all the way through the knife (with the handle being added last), then you know it is of a good quality.

Then, the chef showed me around the kitchen to the different areas (cooler, freezer, pantry, dry storage, etc) and explained how everything was stocked and stored. Obviously, they use FIFO (first in first out) to ensure that they use the older products first and put the newer products in the back. This helps them use as much of the products as possible without spoilage.

I also started working on different slicing and dicing techniques. The chef first showed me how to properly hold a knife. He laughed at me, at first, and said I looked awkward holding the knife the correct way (which I did, so I was not offended). The chef then showed me the proper way to actually start cutting things. I helped him dice carrots and celery. I thought this was going to be a lot easier than it was. For someone who NEVER cooks, it was difficult for me to get in the groove of slicing and dicing, but after a little bit it became easier to me.

So this is just the beginning of my cooking experience. Although I've worked about 20 hours in the kitchen so far, I've really just been trying to master the basics. I've got what I've learned so far down, now it's time to actually start putting meals together! I'm excited to see what the future will bring about in the kitchen. I'm also going to try and start cooking by myself in my apartment in my free time. I'd really like to become a good cook so that I can showcase all of my new skills to my friends who make fun of me for just learning how to cook chicken!

Pictures from Indian Hills Country Club

These are just a few pictures from the Indian Hills Country Club I am working at in Fairfield Bay. It's very old fashioned and has not been updated in a long time, but I think it definitely gives it some character!

My Summer Internship

This summer, I am working at a community club called Fairfield Bay Community Club in Fairfield Bay, Arkansas. It is about 3 1/2 hours from Fayetteville in a small town next to Clinton, Arkansas. I am working everywhere in the community from the pool to the marina to the country club. I am really enjoying it so far, although, the average age of the residents that live here is 67! There aren't many young people other than the people I work with, but they are all really nice. My favorite part of the job is serving at the country club. I have met so many of the members and they are all extremely nice. The hardest part of my job right now is remembering all of the members names, but I'm working on it. As my internship progresses, I will be following the management around and seeing what they do during their day to day work schedule (which is what I am most excited about). I haven't had the chance to take pictures yet (I might be the only person in the US that doesn't own a digital camera), but I'm going to try to take some on my phone so that I can show ya'll what its like here!

Oh Summer...

My summer so far has been crazy busy! I recently went home and visited my family in Chicago and I miss it already. I'm currently taking 3 online summer classes and I'm about to start my internship in Fairfield Bay, Arkansas. I absolutely cannot wait to start a new job and learn all about the hospitality industry first hand. I am going to be working at a community club and will be working everywhere from F&B to accounting to golf course maintenance. I can't wait to experience new things and I am ready to start a new chapter of my life. This summer is going to be crazy busy for me but I am really looking forward to it. I would rather be extremely busy than extremely lazy, so we shall see what this summer brings!

A little bit about ME.

Hey everyone! My name is Emily Cotterman and I am currently a senior at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. My major is Food, Human Nutrition, and Hospitality with a concentration in Hospitality and Restaurant Management. I have one more semester left until I gradutate, and I cannot wait to start my life in the real world. Hotel management was what I was originally focusing on, but now I'm leaning more towards party planning. I'm originally from Orland Park, Illinois, but I decided to move to Arkansas to go to school so that I could be closer to my grandparents. I absolutely love going to school here and love everything about the state of Arkansas.