A Ziploc bag of clam chowder that he's been slowly seasoning with heavy cream and salt for the past 10 years. He stores it in a fish tank with a bunch of live clams as a reminder that all this—the fish tank, the faded Drew Bledsoe poster on the far wall, his collection of paring knives that sit ceremoniously next to…

Original poster here. I should add on to the story ... as there's more.

You seeing anybody? I still have the clarinet.