Well, he wasn’t exactly the Iron Chef, but the Milwaukee fireman in line at Gold’s Pick ‘N Save is indeed a chef to 10 firepersons (is that the correct term?). His fellow fireperson, who towered at 6’5” and 250 lbs. stood in line with him. The two were dressed in their working clothes…heavy duty toast-colored duck trimmed in yellow. Five splendid fire trucks stood in the sun in the parking lot outside the store. I seldom shop at this store though it’s near my condo, the reason being that the parking lot is an area where almost anything goes. Why more cars don’t get whacked is beyond me.
Of course my curiosity got the best of me and I struck up a conversation with the chef who prepares two meals per day for great big hungry public servants. He has a budget and every dime not spent rolls over to the next meal. Two meals a day for 10 giants equals about $100. I asked him if there were any vegans in his shift. “No, but we have some who are allergic to specific foods. They often bring their own meals to avoid problems,” he said. If I’d had more time in line, I would have asked if he was married and if so, does he go home and cook for his domestic partner? FYI: Each fireperson chips in a set amount to cover their daily meals, so don’t get the idea that they’re eating courtesy of the taxpayers.
If you’re going to shop P & S, Tuesdays between 9-10 a.m. is a good pick. The store was almost empty, which caused a few problems when I couldn’t locate the “paper napkin” aisle. After a long and fruitless search, I gave up perusing the “paper products” aisle and followed the advice of a lone woman who thought the napkins were one aisle over with the light bulbs. They were. It drives me nuts to loiter in a checkout line, but the person in front of me had a number of coupons and other intricate items to deal with, so there I stood with my paper napkins. Meanwhile, the firepersons had shifted to a faster lane to my immediate right.
October was Smoke Detector month, and I have to tell you, my detectors are in fine shape, but I resent the newest dictum that we also need carbon monoxide detectors. Simple devices, they are allegedly available at hardware stores, but unless I’m taken to court, I’ll pass on this. I can understand (perhaps) the need for them in homes with space heaters, and yes, a gas fireplace is also a type of space heater, but enough already with the rules and regulations. When my condo building opened six years ago, we had numerous visits from the fire department, mostly because of dust that triggered the alarm system. Then there were the kids and drunks who pulled the tempting fire alarms in the hallways, but that problem has been solved. I did set off a ceiling smoke detector when I burned some toast a few years ago, but that’s about it. Knock on wood but we haven’t had any major blazes to speak of.
Did you know that fire ladders reach only to a certain height? Now and then I consider buying a rope ladder, one I could anchor and sling over the balcony if needed.
But I’m not Tarzan, so I’ll pass on that. The image above was shot from a south-facing balcony. Should lightning strike here, we’ve got each others’ backs covered….
I had no more finished this and tucked in, when the scream of the fire alarm woke me big time. EMERGENCY. EMERGENCY. GO TO YOUR NEAREST LANDING. DO NOT USE THE ELEVATOR. DO NOT USE THE ELEVATOR. In the distance I could hear the approaching fire trucks, but after a tense 15 minutes, the all clear came through. A false alarm. Just prior to returning to the sack, I saw a board member walking each of our 18 floors, sniffing for signs of smoke.
