So I work at the food bank now. Actually, I run the food bank. About a month ago, I received a phone call asking if I wanted a truckload of potatoes. I said sure, why not? We would feed many people in need with a whole truckload of potatoes!

So last night, the truckload arrived, and it was hard work! It was me, my boss and three volunteers. I had to push and pull pallets on a manual pump jack that weighed 2500lbs. And when I say it was hard work, I mean I stopped after each pallet panting like crazy. I did not have the core strength to move these things. I did it; I moved about 3 or 4 pallets before giving up and had someone else do the grunt work. Then I just helped with getting the momentum going on these beasts.

So it really only took us about an hour to get 20 pallets of 2500lb pallets of potatoes off the truck.

So, of course, everyone that helped got a bag of potatoes.

So, of course, my food bank is now full of potatoes, and I still have 19.5 full pallets of potatoes to get through.

So today, I had to make phone calls and reach out to local nonprofits that help feed the needy, low-income, disabled and seniors. I made a staged plan to cover all the potatoes without having any go to waste. My first stage was to post last night on social media to thank the company that sent us the potatoes and the volunteers who helped us unload the truck.

Which spun into my potato type of day!

This morning was a meeting with the local high school for some jewelry we were donating (just Walmart jewelry but still pretty for the girls graduating next month.) So I had my picture taken for the paper. Then I drove the girl with me (whose idea was to donate these jewelry pieces) to Tim Hortons. On my way there, my coworker from the food bank called and asked where I was.

So I said Timmy’s, I’ll be back in ten minutes. She said, ok because there’s a journalist here to talk to you.

So I said, I just finished speaking to the media. She said, nope, this guy is from a different media outlet.

So I get back to the food bank, and the guy is standing there waiting, with a video camera set up! And my social anxiety said AHHHHHHHHH.

But I swallowed my fear, squared my shoulders and completed the interview about where the potatoes came from and why we accepted them (so they don’t go in the garbage, duh!)

Then I went to microwave my lunch (which was a left over hasselback potato from last night.)

And I sit at my computer and my coworker tells me the phone is a guy, asking for potatoes. I answer the phone and he tells me another nonprofit sent him here to get a 50lb bag of potatoes. I explained I’m not ready to open the potatoes to the public, I’m handing them out in a staggered way (first nonprofit, second processing for food bank, third school districts, indigenous reserves and seniors and then, opening the potatoes for anyone in the public to pick up a bag and have the whole city {hopefully} get to bask in these Grade A golden potatoes.)

So, I get off the phone with the patron, and I’m told there’s another phone call for me. I said, no more! My own potato is cold, and I’ve already remicrowaved it!

My coworker says its a journalist on the phone. I said, I’ve already talked to two today! I answer the phone and its CBC news radio.

They want to do a morning show about the potatoes.

I make a sound like UGHHDHAHAHA

The guy on the phone says, that sounded like the mix between laugh/groan. I said, that’s exactly what it was, thank you for recognizing my social anxiety in a sound.

Long story short, I said I would do the LIVE interview tomorrow. And I remicrowaved my potato for a third time to eat it, just before I began my cooking class (for potatoes in a pressure cooker) that’s been planned for three months.

Mash a tater, not a mood,

Norma Rrae