"The interview"

- The Interview.

         I’ve taken a few different stories of what happened from a few people who where there in those times. Most of which are completely different spectrums of the events that took place, although their originator’s maintained close evolvement within the lives of each other back then there perception of what happened is vastly different. It’s funny how that works and amazingly as it seems, every step towards the end of this book I feel more and more alarmed of how much I remind my self of my dad. This thought is truly terrorizing in some lights.
          So Randy was working for the Cook Municipal Golf Course and Country Club in Prince Albert. We all know that he is an intensely hard working individual, but sometimes in his extremism, he has the tendency to push the very limit of absolutely everyone involved. This time however, with know previous professional training and nothing to back himself up he sat in the wake of a large storm that most likely was about to claim his employment and in his mind, his ever so small ego.
         The executives of the club had brought in another Chef to clean up the mess and excommunicate the old problems. Upon meeting each other in the kitchen the new Chef decided that Randy had great potential and decided to fill the training voids he had showed if Randy obliged. Chef, if he was to take over the kitchen would have to demote Randy for a job poorly done, a tough blow for anyone who believed there contribution was more than the ordinary’s. As these events took place and made them selves clear the next move to come from Randy’s repertoire, was the escape. A move, in my younger days that had claimed far to many of the conversations I was unable to finish. As he made his way home to pack up and leave, hoping no one was home, he found his wife anticipating his move and doing what she did best, talking and coaching until the problem was resolved in the sanest way possible. Together they decided that the new Chef was a good man and Randy could only benefit from the training he would no doubt provide him with.
Three years of hard work and constant learning was the next thing to come. Service after service the kitchen was no doubt more efficient; always striving for one more step towards the better food idea most real Chef’s work towards. Randy was acquiring knowledge in every task placed within his responsibility. Everything was good until the idea of “the inner circle” was hatched into his head. Regardless of who or what, in any stage of his life, even still for that matter, Randy for some reason needs to fit in with what ever is available to fit in to. He was becoming a really good Chef and now a new world of other Chefs had obviously hit the appetite of the man in his longing.
         1) With a new mission available and an outstanding track record of three years no complaints to or from Randy he approached his bosses and spoke of a large raise being in order. As the Chef and Manager listened to the speech they decided to hit him with an even bigger raise than he him self thought of as more than fair. So with the new boost of fuel to his fire, the desire to belong grew and so his inevitable refusal to there counter offer soon followed.
With a knowledge of how the business worked he went home with a copy of the Saskatoon Star Phoenix and began looking through the classifieds for a possible employment opportunity as well as an “in” into this new world. Who knew he would find exactly what he sought out.
Randy phoned to the Ramada Renaissance and quickly scored an appointment with the Chef. Stating that he had to be in Saskatoon next week for something else, they decided to meet for the middle of the following week. Randy, being fully excited and eager to work with Chef Powell, readied his finest suite and impatiently waited for the remainder of the week and weekend to pass him bye.
As he walked up to the back of the Renaissance’s shipping doors he was dressed in his vintage Corduroy Blazer and matching Brown Slacks. I have no doubt his attire accompanied by his purse was nothing less than spectacular. As he moved passed the Shipping and Receiving doors and straight through to the back of the kitchen, I’m sure he felt like a god waiting to be interviewed for the boss of everyone staring at him. As Chef Powell finished up what he was occupied with and looked towards the stranger waiting outside his office. “ What do you want?” Chef asked the stunning individual.
“My names Randy, I’m here for an interview.”
“Do you drink beer?” The Chef replies seriously.
“Yup!”
“Well go take your suite off, your making me fucking nervous man, lets go have a beer.” Within the hour they were in Amigos Bar off Broadway getting better acquainted and connecting, seemingly as old friends, even in the first meeting. As the day progressed and the evening turned to night they soon began to feel the effects of their drinks. Before they knew it they were walking out of Amigos under the support of each other’s shoulders and as they parted company Dave looked back to Randy. “You know what man, you drink good… you got the job.” Barley coherent but fully aware of what had happened, he knew he had found what he was looking for. Destine to slip into oblivion for the night, his victory was lightly celebrated until the next day, when he returned home to Prince Albert and explained just exactly what had transpired between himself and his new Chef.
         2) Prior to his meeting with the management of Cook Municipal, Randy had been attending the monthly CFCC meetings and was beginning to know who the “Executive Circle” was better than he had. Now that he was closer to his desire, he began thinking of a move from Prince Albert to Saskatoon. In P.A. the family had been discussing this possibility for some time. Audrey, Randy’s wife was accepted into Yvonne Yuen’s Art School in Saskatoon and during their talks they agreed on Audrey’s commute. So with that in hand, Randy continued to work his connections towards the “Inner Circle.” Meanwhile, at the Renaissance Chef Powell had relieved his muteness underlings and hired some guy that obviously didn’t do much cause he is currently not remembered by anyone. So as Chef was once again under staffed he knew he needed someone with experience in a bad way. He soon attended a Chefs Ball; one of the events put on bye the CFCC regularly back then and was sitting at the table with Randy and his wife Audrey. Half way through the dinner Audrey knew she didn’t like Dave but somewhere in the conversation Chef found out that Audrey was attending an art school in Saskatoon and began to hatch an idea. In the following weeks Dave offered the job to Randy a few times before he inevitably took the position with no discussion of the opinions of the family he chose to move. So with The position accepted Randy went to the Cook Municipal Management to demand a raise he thought was over shooting his idea of fair, then when the Management countered him with even more, his ego was boosted substantially, hence the previous metaphor “Fuel to his fire,” and he took the job followed soon by the family’s instant move to Saskatoon.
         3) Chef Powell was raising the bar of food service yet again at the Ramada Renaissance. The quality of their production and the intimate style they brought to the city was among the best, citywide. Led by the hard working team of men and women in the kitchen of Chef David J. Powell, they are remembered by most as “the best”. I’ll never name those mutinous employees that attempted to excommunicate their Chef in the first few months of his arrival. Something of that caliber would definitely bring a hostel environment to any conversation had with ether of those people I’m sure, and most likely cause me some serious problems if they were to read their names in a collection of stories like this one. However, the removal of those two definitely played an important roll in the shaping of things to come. Anyways, as Sous Chef Driver stepped up to bat he was no doubt entering his prime in the first round of his professional career. As the understaffed team entered into the busy season and hired a few new Jr. Sous Chefs, Chef Driver did his best and no doubt, did it well. A few months full of long days, long shifts, a lack of hands and full rooms would have kept him on his toes until Chef decided to hire someone from Cook Municipal Golf Course in Prince Albert. The buzz in that kitchen was erratic in anticipation for a new Sous Chef. Sous Chef Driver nobly accepted this choice with no offence and complied as the decisions took hold and things slowly began to change, no less for the better. As roomers began to be herd, one calm day a man showed up in the local CFCC attire and wandered through the kitchen in a very professional manner and helloing anyone who crossed his path. The man was short, chubby and carrying a purse and a yellow ice cream pail of tobacco. Everyone present knew that this was the new guy. He made his way to the office and within the week everyone knew that he was the new Sous Chef who was believed to want to be the best above nothing else, and was coming to the Ramada Renaissance to grab that dream.