Gwen works at Mid-City Kitchen, right next door to Matt’s Big Breakfast. Last week she cooked me up a Green Chilie Burger, and it was beyond awesome.
Gwen, Cook Extraordinaire
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Tag Archives: Matt’s Big Breakfast
shadow on the moon/countdown
shadow on the moon
i throw a shadow on the moon
the sun recoils
the planets
S W O O N
Yesterday there was a Celebration of Life for my friend and classmate Charlie Rhodes. In the chapel, having arrived early, I wrote this before the Celebration began:
******
charlie rhodes, modest colossus
in the framed picture of charlie to the left
of his casket he is wearing number 55 on his
chest and shoulders a bengals cap on his head
and a moustache and his grin on his beaming face
of his casket he is wearing number 55 on his
chest and shoulders a bengals cap on his head
and a moustache and his grin on his beaming face
there are three flower arrangements to the right of
his flag-draped casket and a slide show above it
his flag-draped casket and a slide show above it
charlie was so full of zest I would not be
too astonished if he burst out of his casket right now
too astonished if he burst out of his casket right now
“i really had you going didn’t i guys”
and he would give us his blessed cheerfulness
that charlie
joked at our 20th reunion that he had become an adult film star under the name ‘chuck stake’
joked at our 20th reunion that he had become an adult film star under the name ‘chuck stake’
the last i saw him was here at the service of his dad
so long, charlie
you were the king of cheer
you were the king of cheer
so long, chuck
save a fluffer for me
save a fluffer for me
*****
After the funeral I worked my shift at the airport and came home and wrote this to the music of Jackson Browne’s “Fountain of Sorrow”:
*****
layers 2016
layers 2016
there are two tabs on my browser now
jackson browne sings “fountain of sorrow” on the other tab
youtube as usual
and i write right now on this tab
jackson browne sings “fountain of sorrow” on the other tab
youtube as usual
and i write right now on this tab
but deeper into the background is the bus ride home
and the driver and his colleague talking about a friend
who was forced to take a cab
it bothered them: it was like the shoemaker’s children barefoot
and the next layer down is the shift i worked
and a mistake i made that almost resulted in a reprimand
i had interrupted a server taking an order
and the diner rightfully took offense
and earlier than my shift was a sandwich:
busride/funeral/busride
a friend’s remains boxed and outside the box
grievers “celebrated” as best they could
jackson browne has finished singing
my feet feel better unshod
my shift ended well
my dead friend sleeps without bad dreams
*****
As midnight approached I finished the poem and the drawing above, and here we are.
I have only a handful of posts to do before my 1000th post. I want them to be among the best posts I’ve ever done, and I want the 1000th post to be the best of all. I want it to help justify my existence . . .
. . . and I may try too hard and clench up. So this is the cautionary “SLOW DOWN!” that Darlene Goto, extraordinary Art Teacher of two-thirds of my life ago, wrote by way of critique of my first submitted portfolio, in her Drawing & Composition class at Glendale Community College in the Fall semester of 1973. With the handful of pre-1000th posts to do, and seven weeks or so to work with, I will unclench and unrush and have fun and be loose.
Back in a week or so . . .
YUM factor
YUM factor
You have eaten ambrosia, naif
You have tasted buffets at Vee Quiva
U have been in the dark in a new story arc
U five-star near & far till u like to infarct
Mastication verbatim–will U take ye bait? O
Mayhap a tomato au gratin won’t scar
I work for a restaurant. We provide made-from-scratch meals as part of a dining experience intended to relieve, fortify, and empower the bedraggled traveler. We charge airport prices. Overwhelmingly our diners think it’s well worth it, judging from the repeat business (“Laura on Thursday,” for instance) and wonderful comments our diners make on their way from our place to their flights.
Today I ate a breakfast brioche prepared by Bertha’s Cafe. The grill marks on the bread somehow made the sandwich taste that much more exquisite. Cooking is an art, not a science.
Toni (11th of a series)
Here’s my artist’s conception of Toni, who when I started at Matt’s was so welcoming, calling me Baby and making me smile. She has consistently won the hearts of diners as well, who have gone out of their way to forward compliments to our management about her superb service and professionalism. Ask her how she’s doing, and she’ll tell you “I can’t complain.” Truth is, she could, but she never does.
Martin (10th of a series)
Here’s my second try at Martin, who during lulls will join me at the podium and share his mordant observations about fashion disasters. Again I got carried away with the oil pastels, and this is a seriously flawed portrait. But because of this one, the next one will be better.
Maria II (9th of a series)
This is the second Maria at Matt’s that I have portraitized, thus the “II.” This Maria is not only an energetic and enthusiastic Manager, but a hardcore runner as well. (Stay tuned for another runner, the trophy-winning Lucinda, later in this series.) Maria will run twelve miles in the morning, then come and do a ten-hour shift, performing multiple roles from bussing tables to adroitly dealing with “I want to talk to the manager” issues. She has done it all, including three Boston Marathons and numberless other footraces, and she has well earned my respect and loyalty.
MaryBell (8th of a series)
MaryBell is quite petite for the Powerhouse she is. She can work a double-shift at the drop of a hat, and often does. Yet she is always cheerful, playful and lovable. I am proud to be her friend.
Veronica (7th of a series)
Veronica has not been at our restaurant long, but she has made a big impression on me. She works hard, being chock-full of hop-to-it. She is dependable and uncomplaining. And she started something with me, performed when one or the other of us is leaving for the day, that is most endearing: she shakes my hand vigorously and says some encouraging thing, like “It’s been a pleasure working with you” or “Have fun and see you on Friday.”
When I asked her for a brief summation of her philosophy of life, and gave her the examples of Erika (“Live each day as if it were your last”), Michael (“Living the Dream”) and Martin (“Boredom Kills”), she asked for some time to think about it. Later she handed me a slip of paper with her answer. She wanted to be represented by “Dieu n’est pas l’auteur de la mort.” This roughly translates to “God is not the author of Death.” She said she saw it in Paris while visiting the Parisian cloisters.
I told her I wanted this one to be the best of the series to date, and I think it is. She deserves better, though! 🙂
Co-Worker Twofer
Here are a couple of co-worker related cards. The one on the right fulfills a request made by the young lady.
Caroline (6th of a series)
Caroline is a real challenge to portray. Her smile is so dazzling it leaves an afterimage on the retina. This is my third try at her, and I had to resort to saying depressing things like “I put my hand in a plateful of yuck” and “Bet you’ll work a double shift” to tone that smile down. It’s STILL dazzling . . .
One with Clay, Image and Text 