My job changed radically; I went from an all-around administrative guy who handled some special projects to being a telephone customer service operator. They took away some duties, took away my flexibility in hours worked, took away a few more things, and forced me to sit at my desk 9-to-5 and answer phone…

I just talked to Mom and she says she remembers Grandma talking about them too. She says now she hardly ever sees guineas except when driving along back roads around old farms....then every so often she’ll see them wandering around, and she wonders if they’ve gone wild or are still being kept by some old-timers. (She…

My grandmother once told me about guinea eggs; they’re from guinea fowl, an African species that’s been exported to farms in the New World. They’re not as popular as they used to be but their meat is less fatty and more protein-rich than chicken or turkey, and less caloric. The eggs were larger and had a thick shell,…

I just had an interview this morning for a “Research Associate” position with a major company. I focused on my curiosity and my almost-compulsive research, my experience with the company’s product, and how my curiosity and observant nature helped my previous employers.

You could probably throw the apples in the slow cooker the night before, and they’d be ready for breakfast.

I once made a recipe for a mushroom soup with wild rice and brown rice. There was no picture, and I found out why as the soup turned out to be a lumpy gray/brown sludge that looked unappetizing as hell. But....it tasted HEAVENLY. I just made a point to be reading an absorbing book while eating it so I wouldn’t notice…

In “The Way to Cook,” Julia Child suggests first sauteeing hominy with butter and herbs, then suggests doing it as a gratin in a cheese sauce. I made that once, it was basically mac-and-cheese only with hominy instead of pasta. It wasn’t bad but I was reminded firmly why I can’t do mac-and-cheese...something about…

Sheesh. When I went to college lo these many years ago (and I do mean many, I graduated in 1987), the dorm and meal plans were cheaper by and large than living off-campus and doing your own food. Everyone I knew who lived off-campus complained about how expensive it was; those of us who lived in dorms sometimes got…

My current references (two former supervisors and two former colleagues) all enthusiastically volunteered. I was at my last job for 13 years and when I tried to reach out to people from the job before that, I found that some I couldn’t locate, some didn’t reply to my emails, and one (who I’d had a good working…

Yup, when I was a kid my mom would occasionally serve it as a side with bacon sprinkled on top. I do that every so often now.

A friend who lives in Florida pays a yearly fee to her local exterminator (I think it’s like $250, maybe more) so she can call at a moment’s notice and get the house tented if there’s ever a sign of termites. She told me it could go for years without any sign, but then she’d do it two or three times in a single year…

The problem with my organization was that it was in major growth mode, really trying to expand operations, but at the same time they paid zero attention to employee development and advancement. If you wanted training in something, the employee was supposed to look into it and approach management about it...and…

Thank you all for replying and letting me know I wasn’t the only one with that problem. Unfortunately, I was let go, and am still searching six months later, and am getting nervous.

During the discussions when I was let go from my last job, one of the bosses said something about how it was obvious that I had been unhappy there. He was fully aware that I was dissatisfied because of a lack of opportunities for advancement. I’d been told they were “coming” for years, but nothing ever showed…

(turns pale) Dear god...

An elderly relative used to talk about doing this when she was a kid visiting family in New England.

Timing! I burned some carrots the other night and found a similar hint in a very old book of household hints that I had. Worked a charm. Nice to see these old ideas getting revived.

Good to know, as I continue my job hunt. (Unemployed since July...)

Also, be sure to play this music when you bring out the bubbly.

An excellent bottle of Spanish cava will set you back $10 to $15, and some experts say a good cava is comparable to an expensive champagne. Cava’s low price point makes some people turn up their nose at it, but in the last few years I’ve found Spanish wines in general to be an excellent buy no matter what.