Harris Ranch- ah, the memories!

Ryan and I went up to Harris Ranch near Coalinga to meet some friends for dinner. We hadn't seen Dave and Melissa for eight years! We were both in Coalinga as CHP families, and they are also LDS. That's always nice to have other LDS CHP friends because they "know." Know about graveyards, afternoon shifts, blood, beer, and bad guys. We had a good dinner in the Ranch Kitchen. You can also eat at the steakhouse, but that costs more money AND it's the same beef. Mostly. Unless you order the fanciest cut, which they don't offer in the Ranch Kitchen. Anyway, after dinner we played cards. I haven't done that in YEARS. It was fun. We stayed the night and I woke up early and went for a swim. They have an Olympic distance pool (the full 25 meters) and the pool kicked my butt. I can run five miles without stopping really comfortably. But I struggled swimming 440 meters (about a quarter mile). My form was terrible- I could feel it. Granted, I haven't truly tried to swim in about 10 years. I was not happy with myself, but still fairly happy to be in the pool at 6 in the morning with only the pool guy sweeping the edges.

I used to work at Harris Ranch. It's what any self respecting, recently graduated college, barely married, living in a smelly rental house with no children would do. I got a job working their events. It was fun! I had to work a lot of Friday and Saturday nights, but I attended many wedding receptions that were done up to the nines. Cakes that looked like gifts, dancing to fun music, guests that were mostly very happy and so grateful when you brought them another Margarita. There was no real waitressing, just balancing huge trays full of heavy plates- it was perfect. I learned how to fold napkins and set a proper table. I don't remember the details of that anymore. It was a long time ago, and we don't have a table to set! But we will. Oh, yes. I will have a table to set someday. And I will set it nicely. Actually, I'll make my kids do it. I quit working there when I was hired to teach Jr High Language Arts. I loved almost everything about Harris Ranch- the $2.00 break meals, the leftovers (seriously), and discovering the cheese and almond bar. The cheese/almond bar was done for events that wanted wine but no meal, and it was great! I did not like the really immature attitudes of other workers- a lot of high school type stuff going on about who was making out with who, and a lot of swearing (you know, the unnecessary kind. I'm sure some people will think there is no appropriate time for swearing- I'm not one)... I'm an old lady at heart, I guess.