Episode #3 - Desperado

Let's Tarantino this episode and start with Panya and Michael getting the chop. I think the confessionals online really capture how I feel about Panya and her attitude (http://www.nbc.com/chopping-block/video/clips/feud/1065970). The woman is a brick wall in the worst sense possible (Not to be confused with a "brick house" which I would definitely give her credit for if she was). It didn't matter what you were saying to her or how you said it she would just continue right on with the handful of phrases she wanted to communicate: "I'm real" "Respect" "Lets be honest" "Excuse Me". On the flip side, her husband Michael was great! He rocked it in the kitchen, he was a team player, and I'll give him some credit, he was pretty funny too (wanting to call the restaurant "A Taste of Thyme" hilarious)! But as we all learned during the course of things, you choose who you are going to compete on the show with, and if you don't choose wisely that person can bring you (and the team) down big time. 

Things that you didn't see. I came in that morning wanting to resolve things with Panya, talk it out so that we could get through the day. She wanted nothing to do with me and I actually had to give up trying to communicate with her because I couldn't get a word in without her jumping down my throat. So I decided that I was going to let her call the shots, run the show, let her 15 years of experience shine. And she still couldn't tolerate it...she had to keep digging deeper and deeper. I'd ask her if she had time to fold the napkins, her response "YES MOTHER" when she asked if anyone would like to go over her table set up and I said yes, her response "Of course Vanessa has to look over it, she has to be in control of everything" the most amazing thing she said to me that I will never forget was "Vanessa, honey, sometimes when you think you are in control you are really out of control" Unbelievable, the definition of that my friends is projecting. Panya was the most out of control, disrespectful, and dishonest person I have ever tried to work with. And if you know me, you know that I like everyone and hate to argue, so this woman really had to nasty. 

Earlier that day our our team and I separately took Michael aside and basically said listen up, we need to be a team, Panya needs to get it together or we aren't going to win this, and he took her aside and had a long talk with her. After that she proceeded to write her tickets the wrong way after several other dinner services of doing them the same way, she never changed her attitude towards me, and we all saw her loose it during elimination. Like she said, she and Michael were ready to do everything it took to stay on the show, even if that meant looking like a desperate fool and pulling the race card. Rediculous! There are a million movie quotes here that I could use to describe my feeling towards all races (Jerry McGuire is the first that comes to mind) but it really doesn't come down to that. 

Last weeks episode came down to teamwork and being a team player. The first advice Marco gave us out at the food trucks was "Work as a team" and at the end of the day its the truth. Trying to run a restaurant is hard. But trying to run an understaffed restaurant where everyone is eating for free and one of your waitresses is insane is much much harder. 

I'd love to close this with a note about next weeks episode, but I have been informed that TCB has been postponed, and we have no idea how long. I guess the heat in the kitchen just wasn't as hot as some of the American Idol contestants. As soon as I know about the show I will be sure to update everyone. Until then...keep your friends close and get your enemies the F out of the kitchen!!!