Fuel For The Spine & The First Long Run
thursday, april 3rd, 2008
I think most restaurant cooks would back me up when I say that the life of a chef is not as glamorous as the glossy cooking shows on television would have their audiences believe. More often than not, the exhausting days fly by in an adrenaline fueled blur of dicing, braising, plating and lifting. At the end of the night, as the sweaty chef jacket is peeled away, mystery burns emerge and limbs, fingers and even toes ache from a day spent in dizzying perpetual motion.
As I make my way from the chaos of the kitchen to the streets of Manhattan that now seem utterly calm and peaceful in comparison, my head slows down and sets itself right again after hours of swimming in the searing, bubbling swirl of the day. It wants nothing more than to hit the pillow, close its heavy eyes and enter dreamland. Granted, dreams are often filled with the sous chef crying "Fire the dal! Where's my lamb sandwich! Redo on the skate!" and this is often enough to jar me awake in a twitching panic, but at least, while it lasted, it was blessed sleep.
While it may sound like a deplorable way to spend a working life, I think most chefs would also agree that as twisted and demented as it sounds, it's the only place they want to be (besides tucked away in a deep cozy bed or, and I hate to feed the stereotype but it's frequently true, bellied up to a bar). I was recently riding the adrenaline wave of exhilaration that only a restaurant kitchen can inspire until I hit a snag. A snag in my spine.
For the past month, I've been whining to anyone who would listen about the deplorable state of my back. I will spare readers the torn, bulging, slipping details but suffice it to say, for the past few weeks I have become way too familiar with cortisone, physical therapists and I now invite my spinal specialist over for Sunday dinners. Alright, no spinal specialist at Sunday dinner but suffice it to say, the recovery has been an annoying and painful one. But I remain optimistic, despite the fact that said specialist recently told me I have the back of an eighty year old woman and should expect a lifetime of spinal problems. Joy! I'm so glad I finally have something to look forward to in my life.
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