Study Break

We spent Friday night and most of Saturday "in..." My first big exam is coming up on Tuesday. It's the national certification exam for ServSafe, on food sanitation and safety. Some of it's common sense (wash your hands, etc), some of it's old news for me from pharmacy (salmonella, shigella, CDC, etc), but a lot of it is new, very detailed information (chicken must be cooked to 165°F for at least 15 seconds, while pork roasts cook to 145°F for at least 4 minutes, while stuffed pork chops have to cook to 165°, etc, etc.) There are endless temperatures and time requirements for food! The test is standardized and multiple-choice, though, so I should pass with no problems. We did take a few hours out for study break to meet my dear friend and college roommate, Cheryl, and her husband Dan out for drinks before their "anniversary" dinner. We met at a restaurant that I pass when I have to transfer trains on the Upper East Side, called the Fig & Olive. We split a couple bottles of wine and had some light bites (olive oil tasting, cheese plate and mixed olives - I can easily make a meal out of those things). We will definitely go back for dinner. It was great, as always, to see Cheryl and Dan. They are so genuine, have so much life and are absolutely hilarious! It's really, really wonderful to be hanging out with Cheryl again.