First of all, the bar mitzvah was lovely. I cannot give enough thanks to Heaven, and to all my friends who came out to help, and to all the guests who came from far and near to celebrate with my son. I need to think over more of my thoughts about this new young man before I say anymore about him and his big day.
SOOO, let's focus on the totally superfluous: I broke out those rusty decorating skills to make a couple cakes. I have to explain that these cakes were made in the shul kitchen, on their limited equiptment, plus the few pieces, such as frosting tips and spatula, I bought new to use once. (Funny tangent: while I was cooking, the Rebbetzin showed me that they had kept the frosting tips, connectors and gel colorings from my older son's bar mitzvah 6 years ago. Bleah, didn't use those... but I didn't dump them either. ???) This was a joint kiddush with another family holding their son's ufruf (pre-wedding celebration), and we catered ourselves, plus they were hosting meals in the shul... it was a very busy, packed tiny shul kitchen. The cakes were the last things I made before shabbos, and I was under terrible pressure to finish them as quickly as possible, so the designs have nothing to do with what I had planned, and everything to do with what I could accomplish fast, and on the fly.
I am not thrilled, but apparently thaey looked really nice and impressive in reality. So nice that I got a couple requests to make cakes for coming affairs. Now I remember why I got out of the cake business:
"Hello Sweet Perfusion, I am hosting sheva brachos (a wedding week meal/ party), and I really wanted to get a pretty cake, but Mrs Her-Family-Owns-the-Local-Bakery is going to be out of town. Then I saw your cakes and remembered 'S.W. makes fancy cakes.' Would you be able to make a cake to feed 70?"
"Well, I have to tell you that my fees are high. A cake like at the bar mitzvah would be $$$."
"Oh really?... Mrs. HFOtLB doesn't charge so much."
yes, I know, and neither does the supermarket. Mrs. HFOtLB has a bakery behind her with all the supplies, ovens, pans, etc. all ready. but I don't say this.
"Well, it does take me about 7 hours to make one of those cakes, so that is what I have to charge."
"Oh... well..."
"I guess I could make just a sheet-cake, and decorate it fancy, for $$."
"Okay, that sounds alright, let's do that."
And I am left feeling cheated, and unhappy about the work I will be doing for well below minimum wage. No, I'm not unhappy, and I look at it as chesed, and a chance to show-off a bit. But I do feel a bit used.
It reminds me of the joke:
Mrs. Goldfarb walks into Abram's Bakery.
"How much for a dozen bagels?" asks Mrs. Golfarb.
"$3.95," answers the baker.
"So much? At Bloom's Bakery they are only $2.95 for a dozen."
"So, why don't you go buy from Bloom's?"
"He's out of bagels."
"So, when I am out of bagels, they are also $2.95."
