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bag world, pots and pans world, and so on…everything in its
place, the name taped to the section of table it occupied. Zach
and the electrician paced the area and decided where electrical
wires needed to be established for the day’s work. As soon as
wires were laid down, breakfast was on the grill. And prep
work was started for lunch. Tables and flight cases covered
with thick black vinyl table clothes filled the middle of the
space to make workstations. Cutting boards, a toolbox full of
knives, Costco sized rolls of plastic wrap, and boxes of gloves
lined up neatly for easy access during food preparation. Plastic
bus tubs were placed on the floor under the tables for dirty
dishes. A commercial sink stood in the little room adjacent to
the makeshift kitchen for dishwashing.
At the same time, in the dining room, Ryan and I set up long
tables along three walls and covered them with black table
clothes. This was our buffet. In the center of the room we
covered the round dining tables with table cloths and added a
decorative wooden box of condiments to each. Dishes and
tableware were unpacked along with the juicer, toaster,
espresso maker, blender, and everything else essential to
home-style comfort on the road. Within an hour of the trucks
arrival backstage, music was playing in the kitchen and dining