OPEN, SESAME!

       Doug's first order was that I should make the soup. The mystery box appeared well stocked, but after removing what I could use, there were many cans of evaporated milk and beets taking up space in there. So I asked him who was keeping the gate, and could we get into the pantry. That's when he proudly showed me his personal key. He finally got a master key! THAT only took 18 months…
       Eventually, I filled a large pot with soup makings and let it simmer for about an hour. I added curly noodles to fill it out, and we served it with our hallmark death-in-a-tub chicken salad and some fruit. Nobody complained, and only one person asked "What is it?" of the chicken salad. Many extra servings went out, and our 500-pound fellow had at least two meals, including the one plate I made with a can of sardines.
       We had three little kids today, and I enjoyed giving them stuffed toys. Also, there was enough gum in the goody box to put a pack on every plate. I think we served about 40 diners. The pre-release group was so small that Doug was sure the next group would be too—but he was wrong, and he and BOB had to jump in and help me serve. BOB still shows up after church, and he wants me to stay longer because he doesn't get there in time to spend enough time with me. I'm thinking he's wanting to save my soul, but the Devil has already spoken for that! Today, BOB was singing a hymn, and I swear he sounds just like Johnny Mathis.  I don't think he's ever heard of Johnny (I must be a lot older than I realize), but he sounds like Johnny.
       On the gossip front, Mr. Huggy did not have a heart attack, but his blood sugar had run low. He came cruising thru the kitchen around 12:30 and I gave him a wide berth (even Doug noticed), which turned out to be an even better decision than I thought—Doug said the man's in dire need of a bath!
       The goofy guy who was such a pest last week didn't show up, but Miss Lillian is due back in very soon, so I imagine I'll hear some grumbling about that next week. Doug is expecting Lillian to stroll in there and come down hard on him for how he's managing the kitchen (his kitchen). This will be interesting.
       We have two new gatekeepers, a young woman and an older man. I saw the young woman today, and she's very shy, which begs the question of how she can manage people who live on the edge.
       In my nearly 5 years there, I've seen many changes—and very few. I think I'll go back next week.