The Weekly Newsletter
Menus and Stories for September 13 - 18, 2004

What a week
What a week we have had - Part I

Last weekend was our staff Labor Day excursion. We had been planning this trip for a whole year. That�s how long it takes to make the necessary reservations, take the days off, alert the customers, and all that. When you plan a trip a year in advance you just can�t predict what the weather is going to be.

As we all now know, our trip came right in the middle of Hurricane Frances. We glued ourselves to the internet, trying to decide whether or not to go to the beach in Charleston. At one point it looked like our little beach house was going to be right in the middle of the storm. But then it turned and seemed to be on a different path and we decided to go.

Saturday was lovely. We had just enough time to sit in the sun without getting too much of that good thing. The water currents ran strong, but not so much that we had to stay out of the water. We put ourselves on an unspoken buddy system and everyone seemed to have a nice time.

Sunday was cloudy, windy, overcast. But again, this did not keep us from enjoying the day. Marty, Deb�s husband, had made bread and we sliced it up and had French Toast for breakfast before heading out to the surf. It rained off and on, and no one really felt like sitting out on the beach because the sand was blowing around pretty vigorously. But we jumped around and it was fun enough. Maurie�s boyfriend had brought a little plug-in video game thing and we had some fierce Ms. Pac Man competitions whenever the rain was too strong.

Sunday was a different story. We woke to howling winds that morning so any thought of beach sitting slipped away. Zayt, our dishwasher, did go out wading but no one else left the porch. And finally we all grouped up, packed our cars, and scampered off to a rainy IMAX movie (that was surprisingly stupid, though the idiotic dialogue provided us with the rest of the day�s amusement) and made our way back to the mountains. Rainy, yes, but fun enough. Thanks again for giving us the time off.


What's in this issue:
1. The week - part I

2. What's in this issue

3. Part II

4. Dinners to Go

6. Casserole for the week

7. A Note from Laurey

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Part II
As you know, the Hurricane continued up the coast on Tuesday. It rained and rained and rained and RAINED here. I have never ever sent his much rain in my life. Anyone who lives here knows the next part of this story, but I know there are a fair number of you readers who do not live here, so here�s what happened next.

It rained and rained and rained and rained and kept raining. We live at the bottom of the watershed. All the rain collects and flows down the mountains into the rivers and the reservoirs and the streets and, well, all the rain completely overwhelmed our systems. Most of the water for the city comes from a reservoir in Black Mountain. The water comes out of two huge pipes which go underneath a road. Well, after all this rain, the water level was so high that the little stream next to that road became a torrent and, well, it wiped out the road and wiped out those huge pipes too. And that was the end of the water for the entire city of Asheville. Just like that.

We were open on Wednesday when we got a call saying that the water pressure was going to drop and when it did we�d have to close. We switched over to disposable plates, hurried through the cleaning (thank you Jacob)and waited, wondering when it was all going to hit us.

Meanwhile, our neighbors in lower spots had really suffered badly. One very nice restaurant, a favorite of mine, was under waist deep water. The owner had been vacationing in Italy. Can you imagine that phone call? Other store owners, caught completely off guard (the river seemed to be rising only gradually but it went wild in the middle of the night) could only watch their businesses from blocks away. Who would ever have imagined that Biltmore Village would become a raging river, a lake, a disaster area?

So we�ve been closed for a couple of days. The city has shut down. Water, the essential ingredient in our lives, has not been available. Three quarters of the residents here lost water. It has been a big deal. (I live outside the city and my well has been just fine�)

Today, Saturday, as I write, we are open. But we�re limping along. Cooking water needs to be boiled. Cleaning water needs to be boiled. A dishwashing machine, the Health Department says, is not trustworthy.

Mostly it just feels eerie here. Things in town are very quiet. Everyone has been affected. I feel lucky that the only thing that happened to us is a couple of days of lost business. Nothing terrible. Nothing from which we won�t recover. This is not the case for some of our friends and neighbors.

There�s not much else to say. It�s just an odd thing. Odd.


The nightly dinners for the week (Call 252-1500 to order)
Dinners-to-go are available Monday through Friday.

Here's how it works:
Just call us in the morning and we'll take your order for that night's meal. Then come back between 4:30 and 6:00 to pick up your dinner - all ready in a heatable container. Simple, yes?

Monday September 13 Saut�ed Chicken w/Chard, and Sun-dried Tomato 9.50 **
Tuesday September 14 Orange Ginger Beef and Soba Noodles 10.75
Wednesday September 15 Pulled Pork BBQ with Roasted Sweet Potatoes 9.75
Thursday September 16 Early Fall Chicken Pot Pie 9.25
Friday September 17 Shrimp Fettuccine in Saffron Cream Sauce 12.25


** - this means low-carb. Hope it helps you.

Dinners to go for the whole month


The Casserole of the Week
Casseroles are made each Wednesday.
Call to order on Tuesday if you can.
Orders will be ready on Wednesday between 4:30 and 6:00.

Order a full pan for 9 (or so) or a half pan for 4 or 5.

Wednesday, September 15
Cider Chicken with Cheddar Potatoes
Full 33.50
Half 19.25


A note from Laurey
Take care of yourself this week.
Come see us if you can.
We'll be here for you.

Laurey






Contact Info:
Laurey@laureysyum.com
828-252-1500

67 Biltmore Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801

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