On Wednesday, April 8th, Team Care Force's Allison Goldstein walked into the City Year Headquarters of Idealism, determined to make her mark on the HQ community and take home the coveted Wooden Spoon. Little did she know, but that morning she was destined for glory. With sweat on her brow, fire in her eyes and a platter of cinnamon chip cheesecake crunch muffins in her hand, she stepped out onto the playing field. As she approached the muffin judging table though, Goldstein could see that her competition was serious and would not give in without a fight.
“I was a little sore from all the whisking the night before, and the to-scale replica of Fenway Park covered in muffin paraphernalia threw me off at first,” Goldstein said. “But I knew that if I was focused and just went out there and did my best I would have a shot at that spoon.”
Amongst a sea of hungry onlookers and unforgiving judges, Goldstein remained steadfast, never taking her eyes off of the doughy prize. As pressure in the room mounted, she felt herself beginning to feel the heat.
“There was definitely a buzz amongst the crowd, which really got my adrenaline pumping. Plus, you never know when the next Nancy Kerrigan / Tonya Harding incident is going to happen, so you always have to watch your back,” Goldstein stated.
In the waning minutes, the competition continued to look fierce, but Goldstein kept her cool. Well aware of her underdog status and the serious game that Muffin-Off reigning champ Andy Dean was bringing to the table, literally and figuratively, Goldstein knew that if she could just keep her focus and pace, she may just have a chance of pulling off an upset.
“I like to picture myself as a Kenyan marathon runner,” Goldstein commented. “I try to keep it at a five minute mile for the first 20 miles or so, then catch the competition off guard by picking up the pace for the final six.”
That final sprint is exactly what would usher in the transferring of the Wooden Spoon to the hands of a new champion. With things looking like they may be heading Dean’s way, Goldstein cut across the field in a manner that can only be described as the combination of grace and stealth joining forces with unwavering tenacity. To be on the winning end of such a combination is to experience pure triumph, but to be on receiving end is not something anyone should ever hope to be subjected.
As the clock drew to a close and the Master of Ceremonies, Sean McDevitt, began speaking, a hush fell across the muffin-filled crowd. Then it was announced. Not only had Goldstein captured the official judges’ Wooden Spoon, but she also became the first ever recipient of the Golden Muffin Pan, the people’s choice award.
Goldstein’s muffin display, which was based on the Jewish holiday of Passover, helped her secure her prizes. As they approached Goldstein’s section, HQ muffin aficionados were treated to a scene where houses constructed from matzah lined a street, complete with red paint above their doorways. Only after the muffin appreciators had “passed over” all of the houses were they presented with a larger door, behind which stood a platter of leavened cinnamon chip cheesecake crunch muffins.
After the initial shock of her victory had receded, Goldstein hoisted her prizes above her head and took in the moment. Her tired and weary opponents could only look on, disappointed and awestruck by the defeat that had just claimed them.
“When Sean announced that I had won not just one of the prizes but both of them, my first instinct was to sprint down Columbus Avenue, screaming and waving my quarter zip around my head. Instead, I just performed a short victory jig that I had been rehearsing for a couple weeks prior, just in case,” said an ecstatic Goldstein.
But Goldstein was not quick to take all of the credit.
“This isn’t a personal victory; this is also a team victory. Team Care Force never doubted me or questioned my intentions when I was building matzah houses at the office. They just gave me 100% pure love.”
And after all is said and done, and the last contestant has left the building and the last muffin has been reduced to only crumbles, love is all a batch of muffins really needs.
Reporting by Joel Shuherk
No comments:
Post a Comment