…which set the tone for my first day of the week at Flour.

Simply stated, I was a total spaz yesterday. Not only did I  lack sleep, my routine was altered, and now I’m worried I’ve morphed into a perimenopausal cat.

Working on maybe 5 hours of sleep, I drove — in a downpour — into Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood instead of  taking a seat on the 5:40 a.m. train out of Greenbush into South Station. My driving had nothing to do with the rain. Twas because I had a paying gig — a corporate Boston Foodie Tour — beginning at 5:30 p.m.

During the crazy day, I zested and juiced three boxes of limes but didn’t remember to strain the juice until two hours later. Oops.

And if that wasn’t enough, I thought I thoroughly cleaned the deli slicer after I waged war with a crate of oranges for candied orange peel. But I neglected to take out the big blade for cleaning, according to the oh-so-patient assistant pastry chef Sarah Murphy.

I apologized — in Portuguese — to the savory kitchen worker who used the slicer after me. I think that may have helped my case. Oh, and the rondeau that I chose to deposit the orange slices was too small.

I was ready to go home and it wasn’t noon. But at least I wasn’t the only one out of sorts. The large Hobart mixer groaned to a halt in the morning causing much brioche drama. In the end, bakers Trevor and Erin shuttled the mise en place over to Flour 1 in the South End to mix it up there. Misery loves company? You’re not kidding.

Not to belabor my boneheadedness, but I measured and re-measured everything, and asked directions twice much to the amusement of the younger, non-addled co-workers. (Just wait until you’re over 5o, girls.) I also cut up sticky buns for bread pudding and didn’t pinch a piece. Because the way things were going, I’d probably choke on a pecan.

When it was quitting time at 4 p.m., I couldn’t wait to leave. I got in my car and felt like a good cry, but I didn’t have the energy. I had to put on a show for 17 corporate types who Adrienne Bruno and I were going to take on a Boston Foodie Tour in the rain.

Thankfully, there were Old Town Trolleys, umbrellas provided by the Hyatt in Downtown Crossing and a group of hungry business bigs who spent the day cooped up in a conference room.

“I thought this was a walking tour,” said one woman who was ready to bounce. (Walk from the Hyatt to Scampo in the Liberty Hotel in driving rain? No.)

By the end of the night, the folks were damp, but sated from Lydia Shire‘s lobster pizza, elk and buffalo sliders at Savenor’s, Beacon Hill Chocolates, J.P. Licks ice cream and a sample of Curly Cakes‘ cupcakes.

I dragged myself home, ate a bowl of Kashi 7-Grain Nuggets, washed down a few Advil and went to bed.

My next day at Flour is Thursday — if they’ll have me. I will remind myself of the old military mantra: Fail to plan, plan to fail. I will have a notebook, my pants will tie in the front, I will get enough sleep and, dammit, I’ll be on that 5:40 a.m. train. Meow.

 

 

Tags: #LauraRaposa, #TheFoodsmith, Boston, bostonfoodietours, flour, foodtour, hungrybruno