Currently Reading: Loved, loved, LOVED Angel's Den AND Getting Lucky With Luciano! Both are definite Recommended Reads! I couldn't put down Angel's Den by Jamie Carie; I read the whole thing yesterday. Wow...what a page turner! And couldn't put down Luciano during the final two chapters! I'm already on chapter two of Unexpected Mr. Right:) Fantastic job, Kelley!
Print: I'm now reading John Irving's Until I Find You.
2000: I took a blank check to Sam's Club and enjoyed picking out supplies for my new 'office'. After paying for everything, we headed back to the ball field and unloaded. Four days later, my 'trial run' began. The Girls Softball Season began, and I opened up the concession stand and worked it solo. My son was in his third year of Pee Wee baseball, so at first I also opened it up for practices. I didn't open it fully; I only provided drinks and cold snacks, though I was willing to heat up hot dogs for anyone really hungry.
I had kept the prices the same as the previous years, and soon realized I had a good memory for repeat customers. Soon I had several identified not by their names, but what they always ordered. And my new cheese machine was a hit, although it needed to be taken home, washed by hand, and then run through the dishwasher for extra sterilization.
I also ended up giving informal math lessons to teenagers. One kid in particular wanted to know how I could add so fast in my head. I showed him how basically everything was based on the dollar. Chips and candy bars were fifty cents; drinks and hot food were a dollar; cheese and the smaller candy were twenty-five cents. I then began tossing out simple 'orders' and having him do the math in his head, making the 'orders' more complicated as he 'got it'. Soon he was one of my better helpers:)
I also took the time to explain to younger helpers how to make change. The rule was 'No one under fourteen to be in the stand', but I dropped it to age twelve after several training sessions with teenagers who worked several games with me.
After attending meetings with the coaches, I met the team concession reps and stressed the importance of restocking the drink cooler. Instead of having the fountain drinks, we were now using the bottled Pepsi drinks. My biceps grew during this year, from moving crates of 20-oz Pepsi products!
The month of April was a fantastic learning experience, and it showed me which snacks were more popular with people. We felt confident about the upcoming Little League season.
3 comments:
My daughter chose not to play softball this year and while I was a bit relieved at the time - I'm actually missing it now. LOL
Many years ago, my daughter was signed up for softball by my husband (a baseball nut). siiiigh. I KNEW she wouldn't like this sport. She did soccer, played tennis almost 24/7 and loved her dance stuff. After the first game of watching her 'dance' in right field, I looked at my husband and said I told you so. He frowned. She'll like it. Give it time. Ummm. She never did. My son played baseball, however, and loved it. Some of our best family memories are of hanging at the baseball fields.
I used to help with the concession stand sometimes, too, for my daughter's ball. It's funny how we remember people by what they order. I'd be "hot dog with mustard, diet coke" or "twizzlers".
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