Friday AM - Day 12

Working in the grocery store has become routine now.  I am the frozen food "manager" which means I get to restock and clean the freezers throughout the day.  It is good that I have 37" arms as I can reach all the way to the bottom of these deep coolers.  We have chopped beef, sliced beef, chicken breast, two types of fish, and 6 varieties of Korv (sausage).  There are many others types of meet in the specialty area in the back.

When the freezers in the store are fully stocked, I help remove and flatten boxes, stack produce, sweep, or unload trailers which bring new shipments in twice each shift.  Apparently, the orders for food were placed well before the jamboree and there was little adjustment for what the youth would actually purchase.  As a result, we have mountains of bread rolls, have thrown away a dumpster of lettuce, and given away 2 freezers of Falukorv.  What we don't have are some basics: sugar, eggs, bacon, orange juice, and a variety of fruit.  An adjustment in an order takes 48 hours.  There will be a lot of waste at the end.

Here's a stock tip for you: find out who makes Nutella and invest.  We sell out of it within minutes of it arriving.  The youth from all over started buying it by armfuls.  We got a large shipment in last night but the store managers said they are to return it - not wanting the youth to eat so much of that sort of thing.  Instead we have a large supply of leeks, parsnips, cabbage, and sausage.  Doesn't that make your mouth water?

An interesting story about Falukorv.  Falu is a city in central Sweden known for its copper mine.  The deep reddish-colored mineral is used in house paint throughout Sweden.  Over the years, they used oxen in the deep mine and when one would grow old and tired, they would lift it out and butcher it - making sausage.  Thus Falukorv was born.

In my last shift, I had a visitor come by the store.  The leader of the Scots (Criag) who stayed at our house in Richmond last summer heard where I was working and visited for a few minutes.  He is here as a medical officer - going out in the field if someone can't make it to the medical tent.

This will be my last night shift.  The final one I'm scheduled for is on Sunday, when all the youth are leaving.  My suspicion is that this will be a hard day as we will be moving some product back to the store and tossing what they won't take back.

I received my departure group assignment today which is a relief.  Not having a flight to report made me concerned that I would be overlooked and one of the last out of camp.  I don't know when I leave but hope it is early on Monday morning when I requested so I can meet up with Carrie and Ashley before the day is too long gone.