Polish Crucifixtion, and the "Take Home Loaf"

According to Polish theology, the Polish Christ had to accept having 3 spikes piercing his body if the rest of us were going to receive the bounty of his grace.

Later in history....the Apostle Paul said something like "All you kids out there need to work out your own salvation."

Well if you combine those 2 thoughts, you have me....the Last American Baker this coming Tuesday morning.

In some respects I'm getting off EZ because I don't have to die for you guys, and better yet....I'm not gonna get pieced with 3 long spikes.

Instead.....Klecko is going to have 2 - 4 inch rods placed into his skull.

Throughout the majority of my life, my quality of breathing has suffered due to a deviated septum.

Well......after spending years of dealing with the ancillary side effects, I have surrendered to logic and have decided to go in and have the surgery.

For those of you who are Pollacks, you understand my plight. The children of Warsaw all know that God's simplest law is......

The doctor can't tell you that you are going to die.....if you don't ever take time to visit the doctor.

I know - I know....you don't have to say it.....

But anyways, this will be my last post until my healing time expires.

I was told that will be 5-7 days.

But truth be told.....I am wigging a bit.

Dude is gonna stick those rods in my head and send me home 2 hours later, then I have to go on living life, at the Klecko estate, for 48 hours with rods in my head.....

Saint Faustina have mercy on my soul.

Anyways.....if I should die before I wake, I hope one more story.......for you to take.

The Take Home Loaf.........

The biggest benefit I have ever received from working in a bakery is that each day I have been allotted the opportunity to bring home loaves from the over bake or R&D piles.

Most of my life I utilized public transportation, and during that period, the Take Home Loaf seemed to have restored my faith in humanity.

Over the years, on my route home.....I have run into Nuns, my kids teachers, shortstops from my little league squad and more often than not.....

Sometimes I'll just see somebody who looks as if they could use a fresh baked loaf of bread, given to them at no charge, with no strings attached.

Yesterday, my bread club had a sourdough bake.

Actually I had a number of extra loaves.

Some were taken by club members, and then there was the loaf I dropped off at Finley's house along with poetry items.

That left me with one loaf.

My plans for that loaf was to give it to my son for Salami sandwiches, but sometimes the Bread Gods have other ideas.......

As I pulled into the lot of Korte's Super Market, another car slid into the parking stall at the exact same time.

The others driver popped out of his vehicle before I even turned off my ignition.

To my delight, my grocery neighbor was David Elliot.

David is the father of 3 sons, all of which I have coached at one time or another.

His son Max was the All conference Quarterback that took snaps from my son the year the Highland Scots was the city championship.

That was several years ago now, but "Man Alive" that was a powerful year.

Not just because of the football stuff, but for me....that would be the last year I'd have a kid living at my house.

Throughout the years, I loved giving loaves of bread to the Elliot's.

This family coveted my bread.

They are a family of bakers.

So as David and I are standing there in the parking lot, catching up on things, Klecko remembers the loaf of sourdough that's hiding in the back of the bread truck.

While David was in mid sentence, I turned my back.....grabbed the loaf, spun around.....and you should have seen the smile.

After handing it over to David, he pulled the loaf up to his face, buried his nose into the plastic, took a whiff, smiled again, and then kissed the bread.

"Sourdough......thank you so very much!" he replied.

I think the retail price for that loaf must be around 4 bucks, but when you hand over a free loaf of bread to somebody, the result is priceless.

Well L.A.B. Rats......that's all I got for now, keep your fingers crossed on Tuesday morning, and Pollacks and Nuns.....get busy on those prayer chains.

Please.