Staff appreciation at the resthome.

The other week was some kind of sector appreciation week, so everyday at the resthome during the week there was some kind of little event with food.

The one day I worked, they had a snack buffet up on the rooftop level, with candy platters and veggie and fruit trays and fruit kebabs. as well as some bowls of dried fruits and nuts and trail mix.

That evening, the desk worker asked me if I had heard about the catered lunch the next day, and since I hadn't, he opened up some email and read me a list of Costa Rican food that they were getting brought in.

Since I was working as a private aide the next day but I was starting later than usual because my one client with disabilities was away at a doctor's appointment with her sister, I asked him if he thought it would be okay if I maybe stopped through for a late lunch on my way to work at my other job.

He said it was, and so I did, and it was these really nice fried plaintains, like a Costa Rican coleslaw kind of salad, and some mixed vegetables, then two kinds of this really tasty rice, and a steak/onions/peppers dish that has soupy juice and was totally awesome, and some spiced chicken and garbanzo bean dish, too.

By the time I got there, the steak and the rice was demolished, but I managed to scrape out a spoonful of each to try it, and I ate a lot of the rest.

It was so good and so nice!

Like, they had crisp green beans with a ranch dip, and all the almonds you wanted.

I know there were similar days and things in academia, but it just felt different.

Like, the day before with the snack buffet, a (Tibetan) coworker who was working a double put together a snackplate for her coworker on the night shift, and then later I heard that some afternoon shift workers complained that people who worked nights could never come to the food events, so kitchen and dining put together a mini-buffet of non-perishables to leave out for them, too, and they left it out in the building's main lobby.

Isn't that just nice?

I really am so lucky with where I work now.