Meat

This has been a weird semester. The two classes I'm taking are so different from each other--in both subject matter, class make-up, and hormone levels. Proteins last week was all about sausage. We were given a lecture last week and again this week about sexual harassment in the workplace. It did little to curb the mouths of the boys. I admit, inappropriate comments were on the tip of my tongue several times but I'm supposed to be a grown-up. When you are dealing with yards and yards of casings and fitting it over a long tube it gets difficult. The sausage shoots through this tube and fills the casing. The boys couldn't take it any longer. It started with snickering and then came the meat jokes. It was quiet but they were there. There are only 4 girls in this class so it becomes hard for these boys to keep it together. I think it's a whole mob mentality thing.

I will say that my little group made really great sausage. We were on veal and added cloves, nutmeg, sage, and a little fresh-squeezed orange. It may sound weird but it was really good. Now I don't eat sausage. Well, let me correct. I don't eat sausage in casings. I can't deal with that pop it makes when you break through. Not to mention the horror of what most sausages are made from. I can live a very happy fulfilled life without the sausage product. But Tuesday I took a risk. Not a big one--I had made the sausage and it wasn't in a casing but say what you will, I ate the stuff.

Our class of boys has begun to gel. It is loud and obnoxious and I wouldn't want to teach it. Frankie has begun singing again so she must be out of her funk. The "Frenchman" who stands in front of me is a soft spoken lovely man. He is called the Frenchman because he stands hunched over and looks like he should wear a beret. He may even wear a kerchief. I can't tell. But I think he might. The know-it-all is still telling us how we should do it but I've learned to tune him out. Our TA is a saber wielding, heavily pierced man who really likes to process meat. Really likes to. A lot. My table partners have been great. The woman next to me is a former military person and is as precise as you can imagine. The other table mate has been in the business for 25 years. I've learned a lot from both of them. Our final is tomorrow. It will be the same test as the midterm. Only faster. I'm not worried. I never get anything different than a B from this teacher.

Enough for today. My bread written final is Thursday. I will be lucky to pass. Bad idea to take a class from a doctorate in chemistry. I'll let you know how it goes.