Sick Turkey

When we got back from our vaccinations in Yosemite Valley, and after I found myself committed to a street-fighting duel after debriefing, and still sick as a dog, there was still time to hit the trail and get some nearby work in. Except for me. I had KP. And the cook was gone. And the menu called for turkey. I had never cooked a turkey in my life. And I was still sick as a dog.

Fortunately for me, Victor Perez had stayed back in camp, too. I found out that Vic had spent some time as a cook at a club. He could cook a turkey! I tried to focus on what he was telling me. I was worried that a turkey would take way too long to cook before the crew came back. He told me that it doesn’t take that long if you don’t stuff it. He told me how to season the bird and place butter in strategic places on it to keep it moist. And then it happened. I couldn’t keep it down any more. I had to disappear behind some bushes. When I came back wiping my mouth out, Vic said, “Dude, just go get some sleep. I got this.”

What a guy!