Keeping kosher in Virginia

So I'm still here at training in Virginia.  I head back to Chicago this coming Wednesday morning.

Training has been pretty awesome.  Very intense, long days, hard work, but definitely a great experience and lots of fun to boot.

There have been a bunch of memorable moments, but some of the highlights are related to me keeping kosher here at the hotel.  Basically, they purchased a bunch of pre-wrapped, pre-cooked meals for me from a local kosher caterer.  Each breakfast/lunch/dinner, the chefs in the kitchen heat it up and give it to me.  Pretty straightforward.  And the hotel staff has been extremely accommodating and helpful, which has been great.

Last night, the whole training program went out to eat instead of eating in the hotel.  So one of the staff told me that she would bring my meal to me on the bus, and I could eat it at the restaurant.  But she had to wait for the chef to finish heating it up.

So I'm on the bus with a couple dozen other people waiting, and the staffperson finally walks on with my food.

A styrofoam box and......a giant bottle of kosher grape juice.

Rockin' the Kedem grape juice

It also had a big, hot pink post-it note on the bottle that said "FOR SABBATH 02/05/10".

A few people sitting nearby leaned over the seat to get a better look, and I the best comment was definitely, "What? No Manischewitz?"

So basically, I ended up lugging this bottle of grape juice around with me all night.  I still haven't opened it yet.  I think I'm going to save it for a special occasion.  (Perhaps FOR SABBATH 02/12/10!)

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