Fin, a longtime customer who has been important to Clover, asked me the other day why I haven’t written much on blog. The answer is sort of long and boring. But Fin, you’ve inspired me to try to turn this around. So what am I up to? Mostly I’m rallying amazing people to help make Clover happen. But there are some other stories too…
See that picture? I look sort of official almost, don’t I? Let me shatter that illusion.
The other night I was accepting an award as Massachusetts Limited Service Restauranteur of The year. Bob Luz, the head of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, called me a few weeks ago to let me know that I had been selected as Limited Service Restauranteur of the year. Wow. I keep feeling like the award should be for Clover. But it wasn’t written that way. So there was that awkwardness I felt from the first. And we’re like rebels in our industry. We challenge everything. It’s sort of shocking to be recognized by the folks we’re challenging. So maybe double awkward. But it gets worse.
The awards dinner is a big annual event. The problem was that I was flying back from Italy that day. The dinner started at 7pm. My flight was scheduled to arrive at Logan at 5:55pm. It was tight. But I couldn’t afford to change the tickets. I was in Italy for Spring Break, I went to walk around ruins with Brooke and my kiddos. We were coming back on Monday because those tickets were way cheaper than the Sunday flight.
I brought a respectable shirt to wear, but then ruined it in Rome. So I bought a shirt at the airport on the way home.
The airline screwed up and there was no meal, no snacks on plane. Ugg.
We were lucky and the flight was on time. When we landed I realized that 6pm Boston time was midnight for my body. Ugg.
When I got to the seaport hotel (the venue) I found a bathroom and changed my clothes. I didn’t have dress shoes, and hoped nobody would look at my feet.
I sort of enjoy public speaking. But I have no memory at all of what I said. Honestly, I was so tired at that point, I just cannot remember. I hope it was positive and respectful. We bought a table at the event and a bunch of the Clover leadership team was there.
By the time I got to bed it was 5am to my body. Ugg.
And then I woke up a few hours later with food poisoning. It was bad. Uggggg ahh ugggg.
I kept thinking Restauranteur of the Year??? But it was sort of funny.
