Lava salt? Sounds.....  interesting.

When my husband and I were first married, we were trying to get by on next to nothing. Qualified for food stamps even though we were both working full time (but alas, we did not know that at the time).

If you live in an area where this is possible, go someplace where they’ve got multiple food trucks congregated. Like Grand Park in downtown LA (not every day, check their schedule) and the Autry Museum in Griffith Park for Odd Nights (third Friday of the month). Stroll past all the trucks before you make a choice. Try…

Write the expiration dates on the container with a Sharpie so you’re not lugging around a bunch of stuff so old it’ll make you sick.

The sprouts my daughter served me were roasted with honey and garlic and sesame seeds. I didn’t actually gag, but I didn’t eat more than one, either.

When my kids were growing up and going through the picky-eater phase, we had a Mealtime Rule. You must try one honest bite. You may not make rude noises or comments or spit out the food. If you don’t like what you’ve been given after one honest bite, you don’t have to finish it, but you are responsible for getting…

I’m with you on that. Beets taste like dirt.

Oh boy, isn’t that the truth. I once took some out-of-town relatives to the Science Center on a game day (we always take the train to Exposition Park) and you never saw so many clueless newbies in your life.

It should tell you when it expires. However, I have a senior card and the way those work is different, so you’ll want to check to make sure.

Trump will make up some suitably juvenile nickname for you.

Thanks. I was only speaking of the transfers I know about.

Oh, you’re right! Thanks for the correction.

If you register your TAP card you can check the balance online.

Los Angeles:

My parents were king and queen of “DON’T TALK BACK!” My brothers and I were not to express any opinion that contradicted our parents’, especially during “discussions.”

My grandmother’s partner was Hungarian and she always put sauerkraut in goulash. It was the only way I would eat sauerkraut as a kid. Because my dad could burn nearly anything and when he wanted to put sauerkraut on a hot dog or something he’d plop it into a pan and put it on the electric stove with the burner set on…

Can someone please swap in a Louisville Slugger?

I have a well deserved reputation for being absolutely terrible at video games. The only one I was even halfway good at was Lemmings, which should give you the picture.  :)

The Bronners are genuinely nice people. Two Bronner sons (grandsons of the original Dr. Bronner) were in the Boy Scouts with my son and Mrs. Bronner was very involved with the scouts as well.

The Bronners are genuinely nice people. Two Bronner sons (grandsons of the original Dr. Bronner) were in the Boy…

It was hard to convince my husband to do that. But it turned out that his brother had gotten the boot from another “downsizing” company at the same time and HE collected unemployment, so finally my husband applied. It gave us a few months of income at least.