A Full Day Before Opening Day

The clock was finally ticking down to Opening Day.  Tuesday morning I came back to OB with a car load of groceries & we unloaded into the shop for the first time, right out front on Newport Avenue.  I took the car back home with discarded cardboard boxes & rode my beach cruiser back up to the store.

First, I had to break in the new griddle top by turning it on low for an hour & then season it with baking soda.  After I covered the entire 48" x 25" surface, I wiped it clean with paper towels & proceeded to cook over 20 lbs. of bacon.

Kate was busy cutting up the tomatoes & chives & loading up all of the pans with cheeses into the mega cold table.  Then, we both buttered a close to 20 loaves of Sourdough with our special seasoning.  That's what took up most of the afternoon.  By the time we reached a good stopping point it was close to sunset & we we're both exhausted.

"Let's go eat at Bravo's.  I could really go for some loaded nachos right about now," I said.

Kate agreed & we walked the two blocks down Newport to the Mexican joint on the corner of Bacon Street.  We split a giant plate of supreme nachos.  The food tasted great after working all day.

"So, we'll just go in around one & make sure everything's ready to rock," Kate said.  

"Sounds good.  I wonder how we'll do with the market going on & everything?" I asked.

"I think it'll be pretty good," Kate said & we paid our check & left.  "What about your bike?"

"Oh yeah," I said.  "It'll be alright.  I don't feel like walking back up there.  I just wanna go home."

Famous last words.  My black beach cruiser never made it to see our Grand Opening.  Or maybe it did.  But, I never rode it or saw it again.